reviews for: listing #108567 - Manuel Antonio/Quepos, Costa Rica Villa rental
- bedrooms 1
- pool yes
- type Villa
- baths 1
- hot tub no
- community
- sleeps 4
- pets allowed no
-
rates (USD)
$185
-
$270
/nt
$1,295 - $1,795 /wk
My boyfriend and I spent three nights in bungalow
Review submitted: April 24, 2013 Date of arrival: April 11, 2013
We were amazed by everything about Tulemar from the time we inquired about staying there. Julien was incredibly prompt to respond to any questions and made sure we had everything we needed during our stay. We arrived at Tulemar just after noon, hoping to check our luggage and head to the beach until our room was available, only to be told our room was already clean and ready for us. We headed to the bungalow and we were both blown away by the incredible view of the ocean, which Julien mentioned was one of the best from the bungalows.
Once we were settled in, we headed straight to the beach. While the walk down was a bit of an adventure (flip flops and the hills don't mix very well!), the availability of the shuttle solved that problem for the rest of our stay. The drinks and food on the beach were perfect and let us spend more time in the sun instead of heaving to head back to our room to eat or drink. We also met Michael, one of the Tulemar employees. My boyfriend asked Michael about fishing in the area and, after some conversation, Michael offered to take us out fishing with him during our stay (more on that to follow!). After a few hours on the beach, we headed back to our room and got ready for dinner. Julien called promptly just before dinner time to ask if we needed him to make reservations for us anywhere. We asked for a restaurant with live music and were told to head to the Cantina. We had a rental car so getting to the restaurant was simple, although the place was pretty quiet for 7 p.m. with live music. We soon learned why Costa Ricans head to bed a bit earlier than we are used to in Chicago...
At 5 a.m. the next morning, we were woken up by a monkey outside our bedroom window. We watched him play in the treetops for a bit and then headed to The Falls for breakfast, which is about 100 meters to the right of the Tulemar entrance. We returned to Tulemar and headed to the beach. The beach, by the way, is amazing. While you are there with other guests, it feels completely private. There is enough room to be away from the other guests while still having access to all of the amenities including towels, kayaks, food/drinks, etc. The water is calm and the beauty of the beach outweighs the few rocks we stepped on headed into the ocean. We took a kayak out to the area where the catamarans had stopped to snorkel. The snorkeling wasn't all that impressive with cloudy waters, but it wa
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Wonderfull
Review submitted: April 17, 2013 Date of arrival: April 1, 2013
We spent 3 fabulous days at Tulemar enjoying the wonderful beach, gorgeous house, friendly service, and ideal location. The beach and cafe are so special- not crowded but enough people you feel secure to swim in the water. We walked to three fantastic dinners. It was a great place to end our CR trip!
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Bungalow paradise
Review submitted: March 26, 2013 Date of arrival: March 4, 2013
My husband and I stayed in a Bungalow this past week and it was much more than we could have ever hoped for. It's almost like staying in the middle of a zoo! We saw more animals on the property than we did at Manuel Antonio National Park. The beach is incredible, and we had a blast on the kayaks going out to snorkel in the coral reefs. I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for an adventurous and beautiful place to stay. It is first class all the way and more! We will be back.
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Monkeys, sloths, iguanas and more.
Review submitted: March 20, 2013 Date of arrival: May 1, 2012
Stayed 3 nights May 2012. Family of 4 greatly enjoyed staying at the bungalow. Beach was great and at times we were the only ones on the beach! Having the kitchen facilities together with a separate bedroom made these accommodations work so well for our family.
The kids enjoyed watching the variety of wildlife.
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Awesome
Review submitted: March 20, 2013 Date of arrival: October 10, 2012
The bungalow was very comfortable and the view cannot be beat. It was prepared with flowers and a whole fruit tray prior to our arrival so everything was perfect. Our concierge was always available to help with lots tips and knowledge of the area. I would highly recommend this bungalow if you're staying in the area. It's a little walk to the beach so you might want to take your vehicle but one of the three pools is right across the street. The beach is phenomenal! Beautiful white sand and staff help you with your chairs. There's a little bar/grill so you can lunch there and enjoy the view with your favorite tropical drink. I would do it again and again. It was the best.
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This place is very cool.
Review submitted: March 13, 2013 Date of arrival: February 6, 2013
Its a HUGE property with a zillion different types of accommodations. You can easily spend a whole day of your trip just exploring around here. They have an amazing private beach, 4 different kinds of pools and awesome hiking trails. We saw animals everywhere! Squirrel and capuchin monkeys, sloths, iguanas and birds galore! The location is also very ideal. Just a short walk from the property and you have many different restaurants and even a nice grocery store. Great place to pick up snacks and drinks for your stay!
The staff is attentive and was usually available for us when we needed anything. But keep in mind this is not your typical hotel-type accommodation with front desk people available 24/7 and everything available at your disposal. Its more of a condo community and a large one at that. You are pretty much on your own all the time. But I didn't mind that. It was nice to be left alone and just soak in the beautiful environment. The driver of the property Micheal was awesome. We never had to wait for a ride! And also the beach attendant was great too. He worked real hard always setting up chairs and umbrellas for us.
As far as our accommodations- We stayed in one of the Junior Suites and loved it. The room was comfortable with a great view and awesome balcony. We had a small, private pool just a few steps from our room. The only complaints really were the bathroom was very small and sometimes the people upstairs were a bit loud. But overall a very pleasant stay!
This place would be perfect for families and was great for our romantic trip as well. Definitely would visit Tulemar again!
Lastly- I just want to touch on the issue of theft. While I read a lot of things about CR and petty theft, we never experienced any problems. However- we ALWAYS locked our valuables in the safe. Its very unfortunate what others have posted about their electronics being stolen but that's the reason there are safes in these kinds of places. Just be careful with valuables and use common sense and you will be fine. I never ONCE felt unsafe anywhere we visited on our 8 day trip and we walked all over even late at night.
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I would highly recommend this spot.
Review submitted: February 20, 2013 Date of arrival: February 7, 2013
I rented one of the bungalows with my 77 year old mother and her 71 year old friend and we were treated like princesses. Chris was our host and he gave us the full tour and responded to our every whim. the property is beautiful with monkeys everywhere. the beach is luxurious and David is there to make sure you have every comfort or beach toy. there was a shuttle van that carted my traveling partners around, while I chose to hike the steep trails from beach to bungalow to get some exercising in. I would highly recommend this spot. Pura Vida!!
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Chris was waiting for us at the entrance of the pr
Review submitted: February 20, 2013 Date of arrival: February 6, 2013
We just spent an amazing 7 nights at the Tulemar Bungalows. We booked with Dave and as soon as we made our reservations, we were contacted by our personal concierge, Chris Madrigal. He provided us with information about travelling in Costa Rica as well as a wide variety of activities while we were visiting.
We were also given detailed information on how to get to Tulemar from San Jose; you can either fly or rent a van. Chris arranged our transportation from the airport to the property. As soon as we got our bags and walked out of the terminal, our driver was waiting there for us. Completely seamless and efficient.
The van ride was wonderful and very comfortable. We were travelling with our two sons, ages 9 and 10. It is a 3 hours journey but our driver was very accommodating and stopped so we could have lunch. He also showed us may interesting sites along the way.
The following day, Chris met us and drove us to the grocery store so we could stock up on snacks and beverages (there is a decent sized fridge as well as a small kitchen in the bungalow).
The property is gorgeous...lots of flora and fauna, as well as monkeys, iguanas, three-toed sloths, and birds. Made for a very interesting stay and the boys loved encountering the "wildlife".
The beach is more than adequate and surprisingly not crowded. Only Tulemar guests have access to the beach. The use of kayaks and snorkel equipment is at no charge and David, the beach manager, was an immense help. Never had to ask for a towel, beach chair or umbrella...he had it all ready as you approached the beach.
Food and drink was very good and service was excellent.
Oh, the activities...our sons have been a many beach holidays and this has been rated "the most awesome one ever". The guided tour through Manuel Antonio, the snorkelling trip on the Catamaran and the most amazing of all, the "10 in 1 Adventure" with ADR Tours. All of which were organized by Chris. Aside from giving us all the information over a month before we arrived so we had plenty of time to research our options. Chris was very quick to answer any questions which was most helpful when making final decisions which activities to choose and what would best suit our needs.
We would do this holiday annually if our
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Chris was waiting for us at the entrance of the pr
Review submitted: February 20, 2013 Date of arrival: February 6, 2013
We just spent an amazing 7 nights at the Tulemar Bungalows. We booked with Dave and as soon as we made our reservations, we were contacted by our personal concierge, Chris Madrigal. He provided us with information about travelling in Costa Rica as well as a wide variety of activities while we were visiting.
We were also given detailed information on how to get to Tulemar from San Jose; you can either fly or rent a van. Chris arranged our transportation from the airport to the property. As soon as we got our bags and walked out of the terminal, our driver was waiting there for us. Completely seamless and efficient.
The van ride was wonderful and very comfortable. We were travelling with our two sons, ages 9 and 10. It is a 3 hours journey but our driver was very accommodating and stopped so we could have lunch. He also showed us may interesting sites along the way.
Chris was waiting for us at the entrance of the property. He checked us into our bungalow and made sure we were settled and comfortable for the evening.
Our bungalow was amazing...clean, modern, tasteful decor and what an amazing view.
The following day, Chris met us and drove us to the grocery store so we could stock up on snacks and beverages (there is a decent sized fridge as well as a small kitchen in the bungalow).
The property is gorgeous...lots of flora and fauna, as well as monkeys, iguanas, three-toed sloths, and birds. Made for a very interesting stay and the boys loved encountering the "wildlife".
The beach is more than adequate and surprisingly not crowded. Only Tulemar guests have access to the beach. The use of kayaks and snorkel equipment is at no charge and David, the beach manager, was an immense help. Never had to ask for a towel, beach chair or umbrella...he had it all ready as you approached the beach.
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Our view of the ocean was spectacular
Review submitted: February 13, 2013 Date of arrival: October 4, 2012
We spent three wonderful nights at the Bungalows. Each bungalow have a 360 degree view of the area and are at tree top level. Our view of the ocean was spectacular and since it was on a steep hill with lots of trees surrounding you, you feel like your the only one there. The beach was private and only guests of the villas could use it. Most of the time only five or six people were on the beach at one time. The attendants were always happy to help you in any way, from setting up you umbrellas to getting drinks (bar was on the beach) or food. The ocean kayak were a lot of fun and were free. One could almost always find a sloth in a near by tree or monkeys going by. One morning, from our room, we watched 15 or 20 monkeys playing in the trees. Once they saw us watching them they tried their best to get as close as they could. That was about five feet away. We watched for about an hour and a half while we had our breakfast. All of the hotels we stayed at were wonderful but this one is one of our favorites.
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Tulemar gave us exactly what we needed.
Review submitted: February 13, 2013 Date of arrival: February 1, 2013
We went to Costa Rica for a quick relaxing getaway, and Tulemar gave us exactly what we needed. Andres was our personal concierge and he took excellent care of us. He arranged all of our meals, transportation, tours, and made recommendations about what to do in the area. All of his recommendations were right on target. Tulemar has a beautiful private beach with kayaks, chairs, and a relaxing beachside restaurant. David took great care of us on the beach, adjusting our umbrella with the motion of the sun, and providing us with towels and a kayak. The resort is very private. We took advantage of the Spa and we were not dissapointed. Silvia provides many relaxing services. The location is in a beautiful forest setting. The bungalows are located on a relatively steep hill, but unlimited transportation is provided for free within the resort. The vehicles were always there within a few minutes of calling. Our only complaint is that our stay seemed to short. Next time we will definitely stay longer.
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Would love to come back here again!
Review submitted: January 23, 2013 Date of arrival: January 16, 2013
We loved Tulemar Bungalows it truly is one of a kind vacation rental! We stayed in unit 121 via Green Coast Rentals and it was just wonderful! We traveled with our 3 year old and 6 month old. We loved the bungelow, the shuttle service to the beach, beach towel service, exclusivity of the private beach, and the sunsets. Each bungalow is nestled in the hill and is very private. Early in the morning there would be monkeys run across our roof and be in the trees everywhere, our little guys loved it! We also saw Sloths on the property. The shuttle service drivers were always prompt and very friendly. David on the beach is also a great guy and always helped us find great spots on the beach. I just cannot say enough nice things about this property. Also, there was less than 20 people on the beach which was great.
Beach bar is expensive and very limited menu. There are a lot of good restaurants within walking distance on the main street and also lots of taxis around. Loved Cafe Milagro for breakfast (best coffee), Sancho's (best lunch/dinner). Also, grocery store is not to far away and they deliver. The best thing to do is bring your own drinks to the beach - saw some people bring their own cooler.
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Private Beach-Fantastic
Review submitted: January 23, 2013 Date of arrival: January 2, 2013
My wife and I stayed in a nice, clean bungalow with great views of the ocean. The wildlife is so abundant that we did not even make it into the Park because we saw so much on site (white face monkeys, sloths, toucans, iguanas, etc.). The private beach is a huge plus - kayaks, boogie boards and towels all provided, beach side bar and food, etc. The water was a nice 84 degrees, beach is very sandy with few rocks.
Only negative: There was confusion as to who was our personal concierge. We did not meet him on our first two days (he was assigned to a large wedding party and he thought someone else had it covered.
Big Positive: Once we did get our concierge, he went above and beyond the call of duty. I had to go to the hospital with a rib injury and Eduardo, our concierge, went with me, stayed with me the whole two hours, translated and guided me through the whole process. He never seemed put out the entire time. You could tell that he consistently provides this level of service. 5 stars for Eduardo.
Stayed January 2013, traveled as a couple
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Beautiful private beach.
Review submitted: January 4, 2013 Date of arrival: December 6, 2012
Stayed here for 8 days and enjoyed every minute of it. The bungalows are very spacious. A private beach is a very nice option. It is very clean and has decent surf for boogie boarding. Luis who was in charge of breakfast and lunch was very friendly and funny. Daniela provided the drinks with a sassy smile. The concierge staff was excellent and came through on all of our requests. Andres was a stand out here, he was great.
If we return to Costa Rica we will definitely stay here again. A nice extra is the fact that we got to see sloths and 2 different kinds of monkeys on the property. Also, there are hermit crabs all over!
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Best Ever
Review submitted: January 4, 2013 Date of arrival: December 8, 2012
Really nothing more to add that others have not mentioned already. Excellent Location and Service. Chris, our concierge helped make this the most memorable trip by finding a zipline company (Canopy Safari) that could accommodate our 3 and 5 year old girls. They had a blast. Also, his service was excellent- bringing complimentary chocolates, fruits, brownies for the kids on a daily basis.
We were in Bungalow 121- the ocean views are excellent and some monkeys that cross the property regularly came to say bye the morning we were leaving. The furniture was modern and seemed new.
The beach and the family swimming pool were great too.
Both my wife and I agree- this was probably the best hotel stay in our lives.
If I had to nitpick- the website mentions that some local restaurants will deliver food. Actually this is restricted to only two pizza joints. Not that it matters since most of the good dining places are really within walking distance of the main entrance
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We stayed in one of the bungalows..
Review submitted: January 4, 2013 Date of arrival: December 8, 2012
We stayed here for 4 nights on our trip through Costa Rica. It was a wonderful experience. Everyone was very friendly. Loved the private beach and the boogie boards. Having the canopy right out the bungalow window was great, never knew what wildlife you might see. Out of the 4 stops we made in Costa Rica, Manuel Antonio and Tulemar was the favorite.
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Pura Vida!
Review submitted: January 4, 2013 Date of arrival: January 2, 2013
My wife, six year old son and I spent the Christmas holidays at Tulemar and we all agree that it was one of the best family vacations we have ever had. Tulemar is one of the few places where the reality lives up to the marketing and the brochure photos. The bungalow we stayed in was exactly what we hoped for and we had some of our best meals at the beach side restaurant. The best part of the stay though was the staff at Tulemar and their top notch service and hospitality. We had the very good fortune of having our stay planned for us by Chris, the concierge, who strived everyday to make our stay an enjoyable one, even taking us to the grocery store on the evening we arrived so that we could stock up our fridge. We would highly recommend Tulemar as a family destination
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It was just WONDERFUL!!!
Review submitted: January 4, 2013 Date of arrival: December 28, 2012
When we arrived there were cold mango drinks waiting for us. Our guide Chris was there to greet us and show us to our room. We loved our room including the fresh flowers that adorned our table. The views from our room were breathtaking and the private beach was an added bonus. There were monkeys everywhere, pools, and restaurants minutes from your room, truly an amazing place.
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Tulemar Bungalows is our favorite spot
Review submitted: January 4, 2013 Date of arrival: December 19, 2012
Outstanding concierge (Julien) volunteered to take us grocery shopping on a rainy night upon our arrival, which was so unexpectedly kind. The room (114) had perfect views of the ocean and the beach was private and wonderful. Saw two kinds of monkeys and one sloth while simply walking on the trails by the beach. Close proximity to great restaurants. You will LOVE this place. We used kayaks to go out to same snorkel site all the commercial companies use but kayaks are free for hotel guests.
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Fabulous Beach
Review submitted: January 4, 2013 Date of arrival: January 3, 2013
Gorgeous villas in a wonderful location. Quepos is close as is Manuel Antonio, there is a small grocery close by. Concierge very helpful, and there are a ton of activities close by (we did mangroves, horseback riding, quads). Pool is a bit small, and there is no hot tub. Beach is wonderful, sheltered so small kids would have a great time.
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Bungalows in Tulemar
Review submitted: December 30, 2012 Date of arrival: December 6, 2012
The Bungalow was a beautiful choice to stay while visiting Manuel Antonio. We booked through Cindy at 2tulemar.com . Julien helped us with any activity and restaurant reservations...and they were ALL fabulous! (be sure to take Julien's advice...he helped make our time there so much more enjoyable!) So many of the hotels we looked at were too close to the main road...and overly touristy looking. Tulemar rentals are off of the main road, however the property is gated, and the bungalows are scattered throughout the private property which leads all the way down to its own private beach. This is a very beautiful property...we saw a lot of wildlife while there...monkeys, iguanas, sloths....all on the property! Stay with Tulemar...you will not be disappointed! Happy Travels! we will definitely be back!
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Bungalow, private beach, great staff
Review submitted: December 8, 2012 Date of arrival: December 12, 2011
Reviewed December 6, 2012 NEW
Stayed here for 8 days and enjoyed every minute of it. The bungalows are very spacious. A private beach is a very nice option. It is very clean and has decent surf for boogie boarding. Luis who was in charge of breakfast and lunch was very friendly and funny. Daniela provided the drinks with a sassy smile. The concierge staff was excellent and came through on all of our requests. Andres was a stand out here, he was great.
If we return to Costa Rica we will definitely stay here again. A nice extra is the fact that we got to see sloths and 2 different kinds of monkeys on the property. Also, there are hermit crabs all over!
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How many 'O's can I put in the word love
Review submitted: November 3, 2012 Date of arrival: August 23, 2011
How many 'O's can I put in the word love to express how much we adored this place? From the moment we arrived (excessively early - apprx. 6.5 hours early after a red eye flight) we were taken care of. Dave, a charming fellow Californian (previously), welcomed us and introduced us to wonderful Julian who would be our designated consierge for the duration of our five night stay. Julian gave us a tour of the grounds, drove us into town to get a feel for Manuel Antonio, and dropped us off at a great breakfast place (forgot the name but it is referred to as the "Starbucks of Costa Rica"). We walked the short distance back and hung out at the private beach until our room was ready.
And what a room! My dream of staying in a treehouse felt satisfied. We stayed in one of the bungalows the first night where we had practically 360 degree views of the jungle just inches from our hands and the ocean in the distance. There was no deck but I loved the large space and having a kitchenette. Julian also took us to the store so we could pick up groceries for our attempt at local cuisine. (***Note- Consume as much Lezano (condiment) as you can as you're not allowed to bring it in your carry-on, even if purchased at the airport. Better yet, check luggage and leave a lot of extra space for the big bottles. You'll be glad you did!)
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Tulemar staff was exceptional.
Review submitted: November 3, 2012 Date of arrival: June 22, 2011
From the moment of first contact, when we called 2 weeks before arrival, till the final day of our family's fabulous Costa Rican adventure the Tulemar staff was exceptional.
They meet or exceeded our expectations continually throughout our stay. Julien's knowledge and courteous demeanor provided the necessary support to allow our family of 4 (2 teenagers) to get the most out of our experience in Costa Rica.
The facilities were phenomenal. Bungalow was spacious with excellent amenities. Private beach and attendants were beyond compare. We could have spent all our time on site and been satisfied. However the location also served as the perfect base for some memorable adventures. Manuel Antonio park provided life long memories. ADR Adventure surpassed our wildest imagination. Again Julien was crucial to arranging these excursions and hooking us up with reputable quality providers.
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The place is beautiful, super secure...
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: June 28, 2011
We stay at Tulemar as honeymooners and the experience was absolutely PERFECT. Not only the place (out of this world) but the people, the service, the food, the animals, absolutely everything was a lifetime experience. Our concierge Jullien took care of everything since we decided to make reservations nine months before. . We stayed on Bungalow 111 and it was fabulous for the two of us, but if you are planning on going with a family of 4 its perfect too. The place is beautiful, super secure, private and relaxing. The equipment provided at the beach was great and useful. Lots of delicious restaurants at walking distance from the entrance of Tulemar. We don't have any complains about this place. PURA VIDA!
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The beach is indeed its biggest asset..
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: July 7, 2011
...but you'll be happy with every other aspect of Tulemar as well! We had a great five night stay here. The beach is indeed its biggest asset...it's just so beautiful and there are sand toys for the kids, kayaks, and boogie boards for the guests to use. Dave (at the beach...he's another big Tulemar asset) is always there with a smile to take care of anything you need whether it's to get you in a kayak, hand out boogie boards and towels, or point out monkeys and sloths!
Our bungalow was spotless and comfortable, the property is pretty and well maintained, and the location is ideal (walk to restaurants and shopping).
Our concierge, Julien, checked in on us frequently and was available to us at any moment...and most importantly he was extremely welcoming and personable.
Overall, no problems whatsoever and I'd recommend and return in a heartbeat!
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. It was exactly what I expected! Adorable,
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: July 18, 2012
I traveled to Quepos with my boyfriend for a quiet getaway. I booked a bungalow based on the photos on the website. It was exactly what I expected! Adorable, great views and my favorite part - you can open all the windows and listen to the sounds of nature! It was cool enough at night to turn off the A/C and fall asleep to a cool breeze and the sounds of the birds & monkeys. We walked to the private beach, drank rum&coke, played cards and simply relaxed. The service was EXCELLENT! would definitely recommend this facility - truly a pleasure. If you want some yummy eats - I discovered a little cafe just outside Tulemar gates to the right: Cafe Milagro - Adrienne is a sweetheart and the food is yummy!!
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We want to go back ASAP....
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: July 18, 2012
I am not sure where to start- except it was incredible. We want to go back ASAP....
The people are just kind and genuine. Everyone we encountered was caring which just made the trip even more enjoyable. The only regret I have is that we had to go home. My suggestion would be to make sure you spend one night with Chef Chris and his assistant David in your bungelow/house for an amazing homemade meal. Watching him actually cook the fresh local foods and the great conversation made it our best night.
Julien takes care of everything for you and have very little to think about. His kindness and recommendations was spot on. If you want a great family or couples trip- this is the place.
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Our concierge, Julien, was incredinly kind
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: July 24, 2012
We stayed for 8 nights in one of the Tulemar bungalows, and can honestly say we had one of the best vacations we've ever had. We booked through Dave at [---] and would highly recommend that anyone visiting Tulemar do the same - these guys were fabulous! Our concierge, Julien, was incredinly kind and thoughtful. He showed us around, took us to get groceries, took care of all our dinner, tour, and transportation bookings, and even showed up at our door with freshly baked brownies when we got back from our zip-line expedition! Our family has travelled all over the world, but the level of genuinely kind and thoughtful servive at Tulemar beat anywhere else we've stayed.
The property itself is fantastic. Our bungalow had an incredible view and a wonderful sense of privacy - pretty much nothing but jungle and ocean from the windows! The beach is lovely, and being able to stay down there for lunch (or drinks!) was a bonus. The folks down at the beach could not have been nicer and they make sure you get chairs set up just where you'd like, as well as towels, boogie boards, and kayaks.
We didn't rent a car, and it was definitely no problem not to have one. There are wonderful restaurants within walking distance of Tulemar, and if we wanted to go a bit further afield to eat Julien took are of getting us transportation. We also toured Manuel Antonio and went on a zip-line canopy tour, both highly recommended.
But the very best part of our visit was the animals! We saw sloths, several kinds of monkeys, and armadillos right on the property, and many more fascinating animals when we visited the Maunuel Antonio park. For us this was the highlight of our trip - to be so close to these creatures and to be able to sit and watch monkeys and sloths right at the beach or while we were having lunch. It was really amazing. We were travelling with our 13 year old (animal loving) daughter, and for her it was an experience she will never forget.
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We loved Tulemar,
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: July 18, 2012
We loved Tulemar, the large jungle estate was just beautiful. Our bungalow #111 was adequate for our family of 4. It was spotlessly clean and the panoramic views just stunning. Monkeys right outside our windows nearly every day jumping around in the trees and on our roof! Just so much wildlife everywhere, too many to mention! Private beach was really nice, didn't need to worry about our kids or beach peddlers pestering us. Use of boogie boards and sea kayaks was also a nice touch. Loved Julien our concierge! He just couldn't do enough for us. He even brought us freshly baked brownies for my husbands birthday - they were still warm and awesome!
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Wow!!! We loved this place!
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: September 11, 2012
Wow!!! We loved this place! The views, location, and amenities were amazing. We traveled with our kids (ages 10 and 8) and they loved it. Stayed in one of the more simple bungalows and while there was no outdoor deck, we still enjoyed the sunset and views every night. The views are amazing. We saw a bunch of monkeys, sloths (including baby sloths!) right from our bungalow! We walked to Cafe Milagro every day for breakfast (great breakfast). You will love this place. We'd go back in a heartbeat.
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All the positive reviews were correct.
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: September 11, 2012
Chris and his staff were very hospitable. All the positive reviews we're correct. Chris set us up with a fishing trip, canopy and park tours. He is very good with email, from preparation of the trip to our final drive back to the airport Everyone in costa rica is extremely friendly and most speak English. I'm a pilot who flies all over the world and I can tell you from first hand experiences that CR beats any destination hands down for environment, activities, people, food, etc. I can understand why there are more xpats retired in CR than any other location!
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The grounds are very large at Tulemar,
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: September 5, 2012
The grounds are very large at Tulemar, from the road to the beach--there were several villas and houses in which you could stay. Each villa is large with a sizable bedroom and a kitchen/dining area. While we were here for only 3 nights, you could easily stay for a week or more. We ate out most meals, but the convenience of the kitchen would have made a longer stay very nice. Each villa is spaced out nicely, so there is a strong sense of privacy--even with wrap-around windows in the villa. The views were incredible from the villa, and stepping outside you always felt like you were in the middle of the rain-forest with birds, lizards, etc active in the trees and plants surrounding you.
All staff, whether at check-in, groundskeepers, security gate, beach bar/restaurant staff--were all incredibly friendly and helpful when needed. We wanted to get the names of the staff, since they were so great. Brian Miranda @ the reception desk (he was very accommodating & was so helpful with questions), Daniela @ the beach bar (fantastic Pina Colada & great conversation), Louis (we think, sorry--the friendly Irish guy) @ the beach bar/restaurant, and David @ the beach (he set up all the chairs & umbrellas while we were in the water).
A bit more about the beach: plenty of open space, water was much warmer than I expected for the Pacific, the rocks on the one side were great for climbing on to get close to the little crabs, and the rain forest literally came all the way down to the beach. It was like a little oasis--very relaxing. The beach bar/restaurant was fantastic as well! The beer-battered fish & chips were out of this world good. I was VERY surprised. We also had grilled Mahi Mahi, which was delicious as well. To top it off we had a jumbo-sized pitcher of Pina Colada. We weren't expecting it to be that big--especially for two people! It certainly made the hike back up to our villa quite the challenge--we thought it would be smart to burn off those calories v
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Beautiful place to be.
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: October 12, 2012
Great place, private beach is worth the cost. No body haggling you and great service on the beach. We went in tw morning during the rainy season, as it usually rains in the afternoon. Beautiful place to be. Surrounding places to eat are great as well
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We rented a bungelow
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: October 19, 2012
We just got back from a week at Tulemar and had an amazing experience. We rented a bungelow and really enjoyed the accommodations. We had a semi-kitchen with 2 burners, a fridge and microwave - which was very helpful so we could eat breakfast and lunch at the resort. The private beach was the biggest attraction for my family and it was beautiful. To access you could either take a resort van or we walked down the steep drive most of the time. The walk to the beach is gorgeous and you are actually walking through a jungle. This place is worth the price especially for the beach access!! I couldn't drag my 7 and 9 year old out of the water! The staff was extremely helpful and friendly and helped us with all our needs - either at the beach or by helping to book tours. We used 2 of the 4 (I believe) pools and both were close to our bungelow and very relaxing. Hands down, when we come back to Manuel Antonio we will be staying at Tulemar!!! One last thing, we woke up to a family of monkeys on our roof when night which will always be a lasting memory for my family
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We loved our 2 room Bungalow
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: October 16, 2012
We stayed in Tulemar for 5 nights in 121 Bungalow on Oct-2012. The place is Paradise! the Bungalow, the swimming pools, the private beach and the walks to the beach are all great. We loved our 2 rooms Bungalow with its panoramic view to the ocean. We used its kitchen for breakfast and sometimes also for dinner. They have a private beach and we had a lot of fun there.. only the heavy rain got our kids (14 years old twin boys and 7 years old girl) out of the water.. There are kayaks and boogie boards for free for you to have fun with. We also enjoyed a great lunch at the beach and lots of fruit shakes…
The staff was very helpful and friendly especially Chris our concierge who took care of all our needs - making reservations in the restuarnats, calling taxis for us and helped us to hire surfing boards and even took us in his car to the nearby supermarket..
Pure Vida Chris and Tulemar’s staff.. you made our vacation in MA - amazing! we hope to get back again..
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Wild life was everywhere
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: July 14, 2010
We are family of four - two adults , two teenagers. We stayed three nights at Tulemar in a bungalow. It was an excellent experience. First we would like to thank Mauricio for his help during the stay. The bungalow was very well maintained, cleaned every day and with a great ocean view. The beach was lovely and the service at the beach was very good. Our boys loved the boogie boards and kayaks. Wild life was everywhere around on the premises. We want to give a warm recommendation to stay at Tulermar. Enjoy!
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Wild life was everywhere
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: July 14, 2010
We are family of four - two adults , two teenagers. We stayed three nights at Tulemar in a bungalow. It was an excellent experience. First we would like to thank Mauricio for his help during the stay. The bungalow was very well maintained, cleaned every day and with a great ocean view. The beach was lovely and the service at the beach was very good. Our boys loved the boogie boards and kayaks. Wild life was everywhere around on the premises. We want to give a warm recommendation to stay at Tulermar. Enjoy!
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The property itself is incredible
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: July 13, 2010
Our vacation began at Tulemar when Mauricio personally picked us up from the Falls Resort and drove us to our Bungalow. The property itself is incredible and in my opinion, the most beautiful property in Manuel Antonio. There are animals all over. Our view was AMAZING. The pool on the property was perfect and just a short walk from our room. The rooms were very roomy, clean and we always felt safe. Tulemar was a short walking distance to some pretty amazing restaurants (Agua Azul was our favorite!).
The beach was INCREDIBLE. Having a "private" beach just down the hill was worth the stay alone. The public beach in Manuel Antonio is nice, but honestly it is quite a walk to get there! We took a taxi, and the taxi's can be pricey, so we preferred the beach at Tulemar, especially since we when we went we were the only ones on it! The boogie boards, snorkel gear and beach attendant Dave were an added bonus! The only one thing that we could complain of was the shuttle service. It took forever to pick you up from and to the beach. We walked down the first day but it was quite steep so we decided to take the shuttle back up, we did wait about 15 minutes for it every time.
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Had a terrific stay at Tulemar.
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: July 16, 2010
Had a terrific stay at Tulemar. The bungalows well placed for privacy and beautiful views of the ocean and the grounds. Woke in the mornings sounds of monkeys crossing over our roof and jumping into trees - amazing. Well designed and furnished with excellent service. The private beach is just that - very private and gorgeous. Located near many restaurants and amenities.
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The two-room bungalow and grounds were very nice.
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: July 16, 2010
We spent a lot of time researching hotels in Manual Antonio and decided that the bungalows at Tulemar would be the best fit for my husband and 2 teen daughters 17 & 18. It was one of few places in MA that offered a beautiful, private beach with lounges, towels, kayak, and snorkel gear all included. Beach staff set -up lounges and towels free of charge. The two-room bungalow and grounds were very nice. Wildlife was abundant and of course, lots of monkeys. The small refrigerator, microwave and coffeemaker were convenient as we stayed in for breakfast most days. Some days we would also have fresh avocados, tomatoes, local cheese and bread for lunch. Dave and Mauricio gave us great recommendations for dinners, tours, etc. In the end we paid less tahn the cost of two hotel rooms with much better and private amenities. For sure the best deal for 4 star in MA. We plan on coming back!
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Definitely would return!
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: August 25, 2010
Definitely would return! My family with two young adults (19,21) was there for a week and all I have is wonderful things to say. The place and location is perfect. The bungalow is perfect with views every which way you look. Monkeys and Tucans were outside our windows. Mauricio and Dave at the front desk were outstanding and very helpful. Grocery store just down the street and many places to go in walking distance. TV reception was okay and with english speaking channels. Taking books or games for the evening might be of benefit in case you get tired of watching TV. Pool and beach is beautiful with great views. At the beach there is a bar and eatery. You can also use the paddle boats and boogie boards for no charge.
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Tulemar is the best place to stay
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: August 16, 2010
Tulemar is the best place to stay in Manuel Antonio, no doubt about it. The place is very private and quiet. We stayed in one of the Green Coast Bungalows which is an excellent choice for 2 adults. The bedroom has 2 double beds so you can stay there with kids if you want. The sofa in the living room may be Ok to accommodate a young child, but it is not comfortable for a bigger person. The kitchen is perfect to prepare breakfast but don’t count on cooking a real meal. There are many restaurants with a great view and prices are fine. Raphael’s Tarrazas is great as is Aqua Azul.
The wild life in the resort is amazing. Monkeys come to your windows in the morning and you can spot them running all over the place. They are cute! The resort has its own private beach. You can either walk or drive down to the beach. There is a café that serves breakfast and lunch, chairs and towels, kayaks and buggy boards. The waves are huge!!! It’s better to have your own car and drive to the beach, the walk back to your bungalow is a hike. Don’t miss the Manual Antonio National Park their beaches are just like paradise. Go on a tour with a guide, they will show you all kinds of animals that you will never find on your own.
You have a few stores to buy food if needed; Joseph in Manuel Antonio is good. You can also drive down to Quepos to the super market and a French bakery. There is a fresh market on Saturday just by the beach.
MAURICIO is in charge of some of the properties in Tulemar and he has an answer to all your questions, same for Dave in the main office. They make you feel at home in Tulemar. This place is worth every penny you pay for it!
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The private beach is the nicest beach
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: August 25, 2010
My friend and I started our trip at Tulemar. I believe we stayed in Bungalow 22 (possibly 24). The view from our bungalow was breathtaking. The bungalow has a bedroom, living/kitchen area, and bathroom. It was equipped with a fridge, mini-electric range, and pans and dishes. They could sleep six, with the two beds and the pull out day/trundle bed. The private beach is the nicest beach I saw in the area. (Better than MA national park.) There they have snorkel equipment, sea kyacks, boogie boards, and other beach accessories at no additional charge available for use. The pool has a beautiful view over the Pacific, however it does need some renovation. It is missing a few tiles. There currently is no pool bar. It is for sale, so if you want to drink, I suggest picking up your favorite beverage before arriving.
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We stayed at Green Coast Bungalow
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: March 15, 2010
It was hard to get a sense of the views from the bungalow based on the pictures, but they were great. From the bedroom and the living room / kitchen you had fantastic views of the ocean and sunset. The only downside to this bungalow is the lack of a terrace, which would have been nice and a few other bungalows have (but are also more expensive). The inside of Green Coast bungalow is also very well decorated. The beds, furniture and amenities were all better than we expected ( I can't speak to the other bungalows). It had a mid-size refrigerator, a nice microwave and a portable stove; we oftened cooked breakfast. The main downside to the bungalow was ants. There wasn't a lot of other bugs but certainly were ants. Most of them were tiny little ants but still were somewhat annoying. They seemed to disappear after the cleaning lady came but were often back my night. We would definitely stay at Green Coast again despite the bugs. They were never around the bed, just in the bathroom and kitchen from time to time. My fiancee hates bugs and she was fine with it, so don't let it bother you too much.
The beach was an awesome amenity at Tulemar. It's in a beautiful setting and offers amazing views of the sunset. The ability to get chairs, towels and kayaks at any time makes for very relaxing days. We spent a few days at the beach especially around sunset and loved it. There is a bar and restaurant down there but we only ate there once. The food was alright and the service was kind of slow (although pretty standard for Costa Rica). Much better to go to Cafe Milagro down the road for lunch and then head down to the beach. We also brought a cooler with beer down to the beach (both can be bought at Super Joseth a few minutes walk from the gate at Tulemar).
We were also surprised by the quality of the pool. We used the one just down the walkway from the Green Coast Bungalow and it was awesome. Not very big with only 8 chairs, but it was high quality with a bar and you were able to order food.
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The bungalows were very well appointed
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: March 8, 2010
We spent a great 4 nights here and it was a relaxing break after tramping the rain forests. The bungalows were very well appointed although the panoramic views were rather limited due to the trees growing up around the windows. We did not see any ants that were mentioned in an earlier review but we did have a friendly little lizard in our bedroom whom we became quite attached to. The service was excellent and when the air con broke down someone came straightaway and spent a lot of time on the roof fixing it.
Reception staff were very helpful and they let us use their computer in the office in the evenings to check our emails.
The beach was one of the finest we have seen with loungers, towels and kyaks on hand. In the mornings we had a good breakfast there overlooking the sands.
The big downside is that the place is built on a cliff and the road down to the beach extremely steep in places. If you are elderly and have problems with knees and legs it might not be the place for you. There is a minibus that takes you down to the beach and we never had to wait very long for it but it could be a problem when the place gets busy.
There is no restaurant at the moment but Barba Roja restaurant is a short walk away and we had a couple of great meals there. A taxi into Quepos is cheap and a meal in the highly rated El Patio de Cafe Milagro is well worth the fare.
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This place was great!
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: October 12, 2009
This place was great! Our villa had great views of the ocean and the place was absolutely beautiful. There is a private beach on the property and the staff was also great. They drove us into town to get groceries and were very helpful in helping us book excursion. Also, the infinity pools that the resort has was also great. There aren't many hotel rooms at this place, so the private beach was never crowded. I would definitely stay here again.
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Like I said this place is beautiful
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: November 10, 2009
Me and girlfriend stayed at tulemar for the last 3 days of our 12 day vacation in room 110. This place is very nice with excellent views of the pacific ocean.We started of in Tortugero which is practically the jungle/rainforest. Then we went to Arenal by the volcanoe. We also went to Monteverde and then to tulemar bungalows in manuel antonio quepos. Like i said this place is beautiful full of wildlife. Right by the beach you see whiteface monkeys,titi monkeys or squirrel monkeys, howler monkeys, iguanas huge crabs and many vultures. The infinity pool over looks the ocean as well. The restaurant also over looks the pacific.. Also the rooms come with fully equiped kitchenetts if you dont want to spend money every night in restaurant. They have supermerkado 3 minutes walking distance from tulemar where you can buy everything.. its great location near everything.. The people who work there are great. Alonso at reception is very helpfull.Andre the guy who picks you up for a 2 minute drive to private beach is cool as hell. he can help u feed the monkeys if u like for a cool photo. We been on many vacations in the past but this is the nicest country we ever been to and the nicest place with great views of ocean. recommend this place to everyone. tulemar beach and bungalows was nice enough that we are already planing to go back next year.
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Like I said this place is beautiful
Review submitted: November 2, 2012 Date of arrival: July 7, 2009
Me and girlfriend stayed at tulemar for the last 3 days of our 12 day vacation in room 110. This place is very nice with excellent views of the pacific ocean.We started of in Tortugero which is practically the jungle/rainforest. Then we went to Arenal by the volcanoe. We also went to Monteverde and then to tulemar bungalows in manuel antonio quepos. Like i said this place is beautiful full of wildlife. Right by the beach you see whiteface monkeys,titi monkeys or squirrel monkeys, howler monkeys, iguanas huge crabs and many vultures. The infinity pool over looks the ocean as well. The restaurant also over looks the pacific.. Also the rooms come with fully equiped kitchenetts if you dont want to spend money every night in restaurant. They have supermerkado 3 minutes walking distance from tulemar where you can buy everything.. its great location near everything.. The people who work there are great. Alonso at reception is very helpfull.Andre the guy who picks you up for a 2 minute drive to private beach is cool as hell. he can help u feed the monkeys if u like for a cool photo. We been on many vacations in the past but this is the nicest country we ever been to and the nicest place with great views of ocean. recommend this place to everyone. tulemar beach and bungalows was nice enough that we are already planing to go back next year.
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Would recommend it to our friends.
Review submitted: November 1, 2012 Date of arrival: November 18, 2008
My husband, two boys (ages 5 and 7) and I stayed at Tulemar for a week in February and had a great time. The three best things about Tulemar were the size of the bungalows, the market being located within walking distance, and the private beach. We really like having the separate bedroom so my husband and I could stay up late to read while the kids were sleeping. We bought most of our food from the local market which was within walking distance and we used the small kitchenette (two burner stove, mini fridge, microwave and sink) to prepare the food which saved us lots of money. An added bonus was the beautiful views of the sunset every evening. The beach was also great. It was small and uncrowded with plenty of beach toys, boogie boards, towels, and shady places to sit and watch the boys play in the sand. The downsides of Tulemar were the low water pressure of the showers and the pool. The pool wasn’t very aesthetically pleasing, too close to the road and restaurant, and there was only about a 50% chance of getting pool towels even after we asked for them. Overall, we would definitely stay at Tulemar again and would recommend it to our friends.
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First of all I have to say WOW!!
Review submitted: November 1, 2012 Date of arrival: March 10, 2009
First of all I have to say WOW!!! Each bungalow is an octagon shape and you are surrounded by the Pacific ocean and the jungle. The view was spectacular, the service was impeccable and the beach was fantastic. The hotel is about a 10 minute bus ride to Manuel Antonio Park ($0.50) and 20 minute bus ride to Quepos. This place is family friendly but maintains it's quiet ambiance to be romantic. Anything you need or want will be done for you. The staff was awesome. Did I mention the monkeys? They are all over the place. Not to mention sloths and all kinds of four-legged creatures I have yet to identify. I would go back to this place if ever in M.A. again!
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We liked the property very much
Review submitted: November 1, 2012 Date of arrival: November 3, 2008
We came to this property after being thoroughly spoiled at Xandari, so thought we couldn't be as happy with a resort. We had a standalone view with a spectacular view of the ocean, wrap around windows, and plenty of space. Wow! The buildings are older and a bit funky, but I think that added to the charm. The shower/tub was huge. We ended up having to move for our last night at Tulemar, but that was due to an error I made when booking. The staff was extremely apologetic about any inconvenience, even though it was totally my fault that I forgot to book the last night originally.
We liked the property very much and found the staff very accommodating and helpful. The maids arranged the towels into ornate figures every day, and incorporated my childrens' stuffed animals, much to their delight.
I didn't mind the fact that the pool was next to the dining area. It made it very convenient. My kids loved seeing the sloths, squirrel monkeys, and the huge black iguana that lives under the deck. Wildlife is everywhere at Tulemar and it's really exceptional to be relaxing poolside and watching a coati cruising along.
We also checked out the pool down near the Buena Vista villas. It's on the same property, so we didn't realize that it wasn't run by Tulemar. It was the off season, or maybe the staff simply doesn't mind, but they let us swim in their pool as well.
The property has a private beach with an immaculate restroom and incredibly gracious staff. They set us up with kayaks and life vests, boogie boards and towels, as well as beach toys. The kids loved seeing (and catching) the hermit crabs, and we got to see howler monkeys and white faced capuchins, not to mention a sloth.
I found this to be a great place to stay. We felt like we were in a tree house, and never heard another guest from our bungalow.
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We will definitely return!
Review submitted: November 1, 2012 Date of arrival: August 13, 2008
Tulemar is one of the best places we've ever stayed! Breath taking views from our bungalow, friendly staff. We saw monkeys outside our window and even discovered a sloth hanging out in a tree near the pool (animal, not human). The room was cool, clean with panoramic views of the Pacific. We will definitely return!
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We went here on our honeymoon.
Review submitted: November 1, 2012 Date of arrival: January 7, 2009
We went here on our honeymoon. Private bungalows are great. Views vary from bungalow to bungalow. Some are more rainforest like and others are exclusively of the beach. We had a partial view of both to catch a little flavor of each. Each bungalow feels private and secluded, as well as the property's beach. The rooms are not very fancy and the front office is not very auspicious either, but don't let that deter you this is a great place to stay. The staff is very attentive and friendly. They even invited me to go with them for a soccer match; which my wife was kind enough to let me experience. The restaurant is open air and was the best of all of the restaraunts on our trip. I have very fond memories of this place.
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The gorgeous views from the bungalow balcony
Review submitted: November 1, 2012 Date of arrival: July 10, 2007
My husband and I went to Tulemar for 5 days as part of our honeymoon and stayed in one of the bungalows. The gorgeous views from the bungalow balcony, the private beach, the snorkeling just offshore, Tulemar's location close to Manuel Antonio park and Quepos, and of course, the incredibly caring and attentive staff added up to a wonderful time.
Our bungalow was beautiful, modern, spacious (big bedroom and large living room area plus balcony), and well maintained. Having a kitchen at our disposal was very convenient.
Food in the restaurant is good, but better restaurants can be found nearby. That said, we enjoyed breakfast at the restaurant every morning, taking in the spectacular views of the ocean.
Would definitely recommend renting a car to take advantage of the nearby sites - driving was no more challenging than driving in a mid-size city, the roads were well paved, and most drivers were courteous.
We would go back in a heartbeat!
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The bungalow was beautiful
Review submitted: November 1, 2012 Date of arrival: December 4, 2008
My family and I went to Costa Rica for the first time and we stayed here for five days. and had an amazing
view of the beach and forest. The food at the restaurant was great and we only ate out of the hotel one night and we didn't like it. The restaurant even delivers to the private beach which is beautiful. The service here was amazing everyone in my family got sick here and the hotel called the local pharmacy, picked up the medicine, then delivered it to us in a matter of minutes. We almost didn't stay here because we saw many reviews complaining about ants all over the place although we hardly saw any. Although even if there were ants it is in the middle of the jungle so it is expected. We've stayed in many five-stared hotels but this was the best hotel we have ever stayed it at. The only bad thing about our trip here was that we didn't stay longer.
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We rented a private one bedroom bungalow
Review submitted: November 1, 2012 Date of arrival: January 3, 2008
My husband and I stayed at Tulemar for the first part of our honeymoon and thoroughly enjoyed it. We rented a private one bedroom bungalow with a separate sitting area & kitchenette. When we walked into the room, we were blown away by the view. Our bedroom window looked over the jungle canopy to the ocean. The bungelows are arranged on the hill so all have views. It was amazing to wake up and see the ocean from bed. The bungelow was a little rustic & did have a couple of ants- but it is the jungle.
In the afternoon, the monkeys would come down through the tree canopies and we could watch from our room. They travel all the way down to the trees at the beach so you can also see them from there.
Tulemar has a private beach for guests which was quiet & peaceful. A van picked us up whenever we called & drove us down the hill to the beach. There were umbrellas and sea kayaks for use, as well as a bar/cafe to enjoy lunch and cocktails.
We met the manager very early in our stay who was very friendly and an invaluable resource.
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Tulemar Bungalows is gorgeous!
Review submitted: November 1, 2012 Date of arrival: February 5, 2007
Tulemar Bungalows is gorgeous! We booked our trip to Manuel Antonio a little late and our first choice (Makanda by the Sea) was booked and I'm so glad it was! The grounds, pool, bungalow, and private beach are all beautiful. The food was delicious, the staff extremely friendly, and setting very quiet and tranquil. We went over to Makanda one day for lunch and were happy to discover that Tulemar is much nicer! It's very upscale for the price. We will definitely come back to Manuel Antonio again and our first choice place to stay will be Tulemar.
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The view from our bungalow was amazing
Review submitted: November 1, 2012 Date of arrival: December 8, 2006
We spent the first five days of our honeymoon at the Tulemar Bungalows and it was even better then we could have imagined. The view from our bungalow was amazing - it was the end of the rainy season and we had some amazing sunsets to admire. The staff was helpful from the moment we checked in until we left. They booked our canopy tour (we highly recommend this) and insane ATV adventure without any problems. They also recommended some great local restaurants when we wanted to go out to eat.
If you go to the national park, don't take the tour, just walk around on your own, you can eavesdrop on someone else's tour if they are looking at something interesting but it's not worth getting stuck with a guide for hours.
The restaurant at Tulemar was good, we had read that it wasn't the best, but it was fine with us and it was so nice to be recognized every day by the wait staff.
The private beach is so relaxing - never thought we would share and entire beach with only two iguanas and a bar tender!
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My boyfriend and i just returned
Review submitted: November 1, 2012 Date of arrival: January 16, 2007
My boyfriend and i just returned a few days ago. We loved everything about the Tulemar. We stayed in a private bungalow (room 112) which had beautiful views and was at the end of the path (no foot traffic). The property is located on the top of a hill and has shuttle service down to a private beach, which it shares with Buena Vista. The beach is small, but usually pretty empty. They have a small bar and offer food catered from the restaurant (i highly recommend the pina coladas, but the burger was awful). The beach offers free boogie boards, kayaks, snorkeling gear, and kadima.
Some of the furniture and fixtures in the room were a little bit outdated, but it didn't really matter because the views took all our attention. Everything was well kept and very clean, but we felt if they modernized a few things it would be worth it.
Randall from reception was incredibly helpful with everything from getting us settled, to helping with dinner reservations, to scheduling activities. We went rafting with Amigos del Rio and would highly recommend it. All of the restaurants are very casual and inexpensive. Dinner at Ronny's Place was delicious and under $60!
My favorite thing about the Tulemar is the fact that it is surrounded by nature and wildlife. One morning we woke up to find a sloth in the tree outside our window, and the beach has a few iguanas. We never saw any monkeys in the property, but we could hear them. Definitly go to the Manuel Antonio National Park- we saw tons of monkeys there. And for anyone scared of snakes (like we were), we didn’t see any on our entire trip.
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The private beach was so nice and calm
Review submitted: November 1, 2012 Date of arrival: December 14, 2006
Originally we were going to stay at the Hotel Makanda, but I took way too long to confirm and it was cancelled. We ended up booking Tulemar the night before due to the reviews here. I am so gald we did because it was such a beautiful location.
The private beach was so nice and calm with snorkeling, kayaks, sand toys for the kids, and boogie boards. It had an adorable beach bar, and great service from those down there.
The rooms were large with small kitchen amenities that was nice and would be perfect with kids. The bedroom overlooked one of the best scenes I've ever witnessed.
We only ate breakfast due to the reviews of the food and it was more than fair and the service excellent.
Diego checked us in and out and I truly couldn't of asked for better service from him. He should own his own hotel with the attention he gives.
We went without the kids and then stayed in the Gaia, but if we come back I think this would be the perfect place to come with large groups and children. We would definitly rebook here.
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Tulemar’s magnificent experience.
Review submitted: November 1, 2012 Date of arrival: November 21, 2006
There are not enough words to describe Tulemar’s magnificent experience.
Everything was beyond any expectation: the private beach, the unbelievable views from the bungalow and restaurant, the helpful and kind staff…so many things that gathered gave me the satisfaction of choosing the right place to spend my very little and precious vacation time.
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The exclusive beach is beautiful as always
Review submitted: November 1, 2012 Date of arrival: November 16, 2006
The exclusive beach is beautiful as always and my family and I enjoyed its tranquility and amazing view it offered.
This was my 5th trip to Manuel Antonio and Tulemar Bungalows offers the most spectacular view of any of the hotels in the area.
We have traveled all around and have seen several options but they have our heart, it is just like going back home.
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We will be back
Review submitted: November 1, 2012 Date of arrival: December 14, 2006
My family very much enjoyed staying at Tulemar Bungalows. I made the unfortunate decision in my planning of staying at two properties. We moved to La Maraposa and I kicked myself for doing so. Tulemar's staff are more friendly, the area more peaceful and the accommodations far superior. We will be back
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The bunglows are spread out on a hill
Review submitted: November 1, 2012 Date of arrival: December 27, 2006
The rooms, staff and beach and Tulemar were fantasic. The bunglows are spread out on a hill side and there's a real sense of privacy and peacefulness. Our room was spacious and clean and we loved the panaramic views of the ocean and hillside. This is more like renting a condo than staying at a hotel. It's not like Si Como No where the rooms are clustered around centralized grounds (although the grounds at Si Como No were quite impressive on a short visit).
The staff was very friendly and helpful. The private beach is a huge plus and we used it every day.
The restaurant was unremarkable and I wouldn't recommend it other than for breakfast. For great coffee and pastries, try Cafe Milagro a few buildings down the road.
We would definitely stay at Tulemar again.
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Our bungalow was very nice--clean,
Review submitted: November 1, 2012 Date of arrival: December 13, 2006
We stayed at Tulemar in a bungalow for a few nights, and it was fantastic--the bungalows feel like they are out on the edge of the hill, so you get great views of the ocean.
Our bungalow was very nice--clean, well-decorated, and a good size for two people. It felt luxurious and pampered.
You can call a car to take you down to the private beach, since it is a very steep and long walk--we recommend that you ask the front desk to have the driver call when he has arrived--a few times when they were busy, the wait took 15 minutes, which can get annoying if you are waiting outside.
We loved the private beach--it was quiet and secluded, and in addition to the bar, they provide lounge chairs and umbrellas, boogie boards, and kayaking equipment for guests. We stayed until sunset on both days that we were there, and it was gorgeous.
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Tulemar is a great place to stay
Review submitted: November 1, 2012 Date of arrival: December 14, 2005
Tulemar is a great place to stay considering the many options in the Manuel Antonio area. The views from the bungalows are the best thing about the room- walls of glass all around. The decor was quite beige; there's nothing special at all going on there. It did seem dated, but so much focus is on the wildlife in the trees outside, it doesn't really matter. The beach at the end of the long hill was worth the ride down- it was a private cove of blue water and rainforest! We lounged the day away sipping pina coladas from the beach bar and played in the warm water. If we hadn't had that experience, maybe Tulemar would have felt overpriced.
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Manuel Antonio is just down the street
Review submitted: November 1, 2012 Date of arrival: March 14, 2006
We spent 5 days in a bungalow here and really enjoyed it. The staff takes great care of you; the pool and beach are great; Manuel Antonio is just down the street, and you don't even have to leave the resort to see monkeys and tree sloths. It's definitely a resort in its structure and vibe, but it's small enough that you don't feel like you're in club med. The food is generally mediocre, but you can find things that are acceptable, and the breakfast is great.
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My wife and I spent our honeymoon ...
Review submitted: October 29, 2012 Date of arrival: May 2, 2005
My wife and I spent our honeymoon at the Tulemar Bungalows. The Bungalow we stayed in was what they said to be their best view which we agreed with. The Bungalows maximize every views looking out on the ocean which also affords a marvelous view of the rain forest as well as the coastline. The rooms were taken very well care of. The bathroom had a huge shower that could eaisly be filled up to make a nice bath for two! My wife and I are use to spending vacations in places like Destin, FL in the US which is a nice area if you didn't already know, and Tulemar definitely met our standards and even surpassed them. The staff was extra helpful to recommend restaurants and other activities...they'll call taxis for you and setup reservations for anything. They will also come and pick you up and take you anywhere on the properyt because it is on a mountainside.
The restaurant was also very good. The room rate includes a full breakfast that starts with fresh fruit, then anything you want! I would recommend the coffee which is great in Costa Rica. The private beach was very nice-we visited the other beaches in Manuel Antonio and this was definitely the best because it was very clean, pretty vegetation, and chairs you can sit in and lay out in. They also have a bar which you can get drinks and put them on your room tab.
If I were coming to the area, I would only stay at Tulemar-other places are nice, but I would say that Tulemar has the most ammenities that Americans are use to as far as how nice rooms are, TV with Cable, A/C, etc.
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. We would return in a heartbeat.
Review submitted: October 29, 2012 Date of arrival: October 1, 2005
We traveled for our first time to CR for our 30th anniversary. Thanks to all the previous reviewers, we chose Tulemar Bungalows to stay at during the time we spent at Manuel Antonio, a great choice.
First, the area and the time of year. Manuel Antonio was truely beautiful. No problem with seeing plenty of wildlife, both inside and outside the park. The park is self guided, and very tame hiking, but recommend, at least for the first visit, hiring a guide. they bring spotter scopes, and know just where to use them. I think we would of failed to see 90% of the wildlife without their expertise, would have walked right by so much. We went in the "green" season, aka rainy season, and indeed it did. October is the rainiest month of the year, but it didn't dampen our enjoyment one bit. The advantage is that everything is lush, green, and deserted, we had beaches to ourselves, no crowds, and low season rates.
The Tulemar was simply fantastic. the bungalows are roomy, fantastic views and very comfortable. They are very well kept up and spotless. Housekeeping was fantastic (thankyou Ludmilla). Imaginative towel and flower sculptures on the bed each day. Everything seemed to have just that extra touch. The staff was superb. They really seemed to like their job and their enthusiasm showed. Elias at the restaurant and Alan at the beach were especially appreciated. The restaurant was OK, not bad, but not great for dinner. Didn't have lunch there. Breakfast was very good, excellent tropical fruits and buffet. We also ate at the Tapas Bar next door, OK, not great. But I highly recommend La Hacienda restaurant in MA, down the main road toward Quepos, about a mile from Tulemar, best meal we've had anywhere.
The beach at Tulemar is very nice, water a bit muddy when we first got there due to preceeding torrential rains. Kayaked over to Bisanz (?spelling?) beach, apparently good snorkeling there, but water too turbid due to storms.They have a great little all service cabana bar at the beach, snorkeling gear, kayaks, all gratis for guests, and Alan, who made sure he saw to our every need.
Plenty of wildlife on the grounds. Had both whitefaced and squirrel monkeys coming right up to our windows.Beautiful birds, iguanas at the beach.
I would best describe Tulemar as a quiet, understated elegance, not overdone, not over the top, with a comfortable, down home feel
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Tulemar is so lovely.
Review submitted: October 29, 2012 Date of arrival: December 1, 2004
The people who work there are so professional and friendly. They make it feel as if their sole purpose in life is to serve their clients. Diego at the front desk is a gem. When I got a sunburn, he had Flavio (the shuttle van driver) take me to a pharmacy in town to get aloe and for the next two days concerned himself with my well being. Allen down at the beach bar is wonderful and the housekeepers went above and beyond tidying up our room. The staff always made time to talk with you, make reservations, make suggestions and book any activity you wanted.
Randall at the front desk suggested that we dine at Ronny's Place (----). We loved it so much that we returned there again a few nights later. The food was so great the the sunset is beautiful. I would also recommend the Mariposa Hotel's Bar and restaurant for a beautiful and romantic place for dinner or cocktails. But without a doubt the best food we had there was at Ronny's Place.
Also, we had not planned every activity we wanted to do before we got there. But the staff gives you a list of possible activities (canopy tours, sailing, dolphin tours, horseback riding, etc.) and it was never a problem to book them the day before we wanted to go. We would just call up Diego or Randall and they would make the reservations for us.
If you want to horseback, I would suggest using Finca Valley over the other company (I can not remember the name). We used the other company and they keep their horses in terrible condition. While our guide was exceptional, the horses were infected with parasite's and they looked awful. It was clear they were not cared for. I heard that the woman who owns Finca Valley loves horses and operates the tours as a way of funding her own horse farm which she adores.
I know people have mentioned this on previous reviews, but I can not imagine being there and not having the wonderful beach that Tulemar guest get to enjoy. Guest at other hotels have to use a public beach that is not easy to get to and most those people seemed to just hang out at their pool instead.
But Tulemar's beach feels like its on a private, remote island complete with a bar. And when you get hungry, they set up a table and chairs for you and you can eat right there in the sand.
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What a super place!
Review submitted: October 29, 2012 Date of arrival: April 5, 2004
Just a 3 hour drive from San Jose through stunning mountains and along side the coast, it has all of the amenities of a low key resort, yet you stay in these amazing bungalows embedded into the cliffs. Each one has a stunning ocean view, kitchenette, and mini fridge with air conditioning and a huge bathroom. From the windows, you can often spot monkeys cavorting or toucans preening. They have their own beach (you can get a ride on the shuttle because it is down a steep hill, but that takes only a moment or two) nestled into a cove where the waves are not too crazy. And the water was so warm (in April)! They have a restaurant which serves all meals during the day. Breakfast was included in the room rate and consisted of a chef cooking eggs, bacon, beans and rice and chicken or beef. There was also a luscious fruit bar, danish, cereal and fresh squeezed juices. The restaurant also served lunch and dinner. The prices were typical for a resort, but included all taxes and a 10% gratuity. The food was good, but I would have preferred less American dishes and more native ones. There are also other restaurants nearby that you can walk to, or take a taxi (5 minutes) into nearby Quepos. Every imaginable activity was available with transportation from the hotel including horseback riding, canopy tours, ocean kayaking, river boat rides, and fishing. And best of all, they loved our little ones! Where else but Costa Rica will you find resort employees who are delighted to see your little ones, bringing them special treats and fauning over them like little princes and princesses? The service was wonderful and any problems were immediately resolved. We recommend this place HIGHLY!
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Picture postcard views from all windows.
Review submitted: October 29, 2012 Date of arrival: December 1, 2004
Picture postcard views from all windows. Large bugalows with efficiency kitchens and living room. Extremely attentive staff quick to respond to any questions or problems within minutes- in tico time- that might be a few more minutes than normal, but in Costa Rica is very speedy.
The beach a short walk down the hill , has monkeys, sloths, and pelicans. Pretty, pretty place.
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We loved Costa Rica and especially Tulemar!
Review submitted: October 29, 2012 Date of arrival: May 1, 2005
My wife and I just returned from 8 days in MA Costa Rica. All I can say is it absolutely the best vacation yet. We used Iguana Tours Travel to assist us with travel and tour plans. I highly recommend them as they took exceptional care of us, even with a personal driver from San Jose to Quepos. We stayed 1st night at La Mariposa and the rest of the week at Tulemar. Both were very nice and accomodating, but we are now biased towards Tulemar for everything they did for us, including preparing the fish I caught with sides and bringing it to our room for a mere $20US. The place is absolutely wonderful. If your'e cordial and respectful towards them, you will literally receive parliamentary treatment beyond your wildest dreams. A big ups to Claudio the bartender. He spent the week carving on some sort of fruit exclusivley for us which turned out great! It was a carving of Quepos complete with animals, vegetation, and other designs. We felt special since he doesn't do this for everyone. Victor the driver would pick us up at the beach and take us to our bungalow and also showed us the rest of the property, including the villas and house which is incredilble. We are probably staying in the house next time. Diego, Christopher, and Elias are the friendliest people I think I have ever met. All the other staff are just as helpful and nice as the ones listed, but unfortunately, I didn't have time to "really" meet them like the others. The best part is they don't expect tips like other countries. They simply want to share their heritage with those that are truly interested. We went horseback riding on the jungle, canopy tour, butterfly garden, and fishing just to name a few and all activities were out of this world. We didn't have time to do more, which is a good reason to return. MA was definately awesome, safe, inexpensive, and perfect from start to finish. We are very pleased we chose Costa Rica over other places including the Caribbean.
If you have any skeptism you need not be worried. All the hotels we saw and went into while there were nicely built and decorated from the lowest end to the expensive. There is someplace to stay for everybody and not feel like your'e missing out. Once again,
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My wife and I spent four nights in Bungalow 110
Review submitted: October 26, 2012 Date of arrival: October 9, 2011
My wife and I spent four nights in Bungalow 110. This is a beautiful well-maintained property. On one morning we noticed toucans bobbing around in a tree outside our unit and we also watched a sloth slowly climb a tree further down on the property. As mentioned, the view was just incredible from our bungalow. It seems that we got an older unit because our bungalow was a little dated inside and needs some maintanance. For example, when we switched off the airconditioner over one of the beds, it started to leak water on the bed. We mentioned it to reception but unfortunately we did not see the problem resolved. It was only my wife and I though, so we used the other bed. Also our shower kept leaking water onto the bathroom floor. Nevertheless the staff were very helpful and we were grateful for their good recommendations of restaurants and helping us select a tour company for Manuel Antonio National Park. It's a very steep descent to the beach, but the resort offers free rides in their minibus to and from the beach. We certainly recommed Tulemar Bungalows for it's relaxed setting, stunning views and friendly staff.
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The service was absolutely impeccable.
Review submitted: October 26, 2012 Date of arrival: October 4, 2011
I can't say that I have ever had a perfect experience on any trip in the past, or one that even approached greatness, and I believed that this would be part of traveling - that lifelong quest for the perfect getaway. However, our stay at Tulemar Bungalows convinced us that the search was over, truly. We do plan on seeing more of the world, of course, but we will look no further for paradise. With Dave, the manager, we instantly felt at home and as honored guests, not simply another couple checking in at a resort. Our concierge, Julien, was as friendly as can be and an incredible help. He took care of all the arrangements, tours, transportation, etc. Daniela, our lovely bartender down at the beach, had an amazing way of making us feel as though we had known her for years, and the cocktails were outstanding. We truly can’t say enough about the service. As for the resort itself, the pictures really do accomplish more than any review ever could. It’s as tropical as it gets, along with all the amenities, where the rainforest meets one of the most beautiful secluded beaches I have ever seen. The water was warm, the monkeys and other wildlife were fascinating, never a nuisance, and we couldn’t believe the surprising lack of insects, a huge plus in tropical environments. Again, this was the best vacation we have ever had, and while we entertain the idea of purchasing one of their properties eventually, our first priority is just getting back down there as soon as possible.
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We stayed at a beautiful bungalow
Review submitted: October 26, 2012 Date of arrival: October 3, 2011
We stayed at a beautiful bungalow here the 2nd week of October. The communication, from my first inquiry about the property, to my follow-up emails and questions,were prompt, helpful and friendly. Their quick responses and attention to detail made it so easy to feel confident about making my plans here.
Our stay at Bungalow 115 came with a tour and friendly, caring help from Julien, our concierge. Whether it was needing new batteries for the tv remote control, to making a local reservation, Julien was there; we even had his personal cell number, to make communication easy! Julien also came to our bungalow one afternoon with hot, fresh brownies, in a "frog choaker" of a rainstorm; what a lovely surprise!
We liked that the property is gated and there is always someone at the gate house; we felt safe leaving our passports and valuables in the rooms. The bungalow was spotless, and the maid service was great. The views each morning and night; of the lush property and breathtaking ocean view were so relaxing and beautiful. We enjoyed having the space comparable to a large 1 bedroom apartment, the room windows that opened, good air conditioning (2 units!), and fans, and the kitchen and coffee maker. We did not cook in, but if I was too full for my Daily coconut flan, we often stored it in the fridge, and shared it with our morning coffee.
The location was perfect; close to the National Park, shops and grocery store. It was easy to stop by the market and buy some local coffee to enjoy each day, filters were provided for us, which was a nice touch. The beds and bedding are comfortable(beds in CR are firmer, but we found the beds at Tulemar were of very good quality, and we slept well each night), and the tv in the bedroom provides a quick look into things going on world-wide,if you want that--there are many channels in English and Spanish.
I would say that Tulemar has the BEST beach in the area; private, beautiful and clean. You can drive down to the area, and there is a bar, and chairs and all you need, located right there at the beach. Service in Any area of Tulemar is attentive and friendly; they strive to make your stay a wonderful memory. There are multiple pools that are equally relaxing and beautifully kept. The beach is in a small cove, so the waves are not as strong; the natural jungle setting of the entire property makes you feel you are in your own private paradise.
We look forward to coming back with friends, and ren
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Tulemar Bungalows is our favorite spot
Review submitted: October 26, 2012 Date of arrival: June 8, 2011
Tulemar Bungalows is our favorite spot in all of Costa Rica. Set apart from the busy side of Manuel Antonio - in it's own rich lush floral and monkey populated community, you can really relax. The property slopes down to its own exclusive sandy beach. Tulemar Beach is located in a protected bay allowing you to take advantage of the various water activities without having to worry about undertows or riptides. They provide all the water toys you need - free! Boogie boards, kayaks, snorkel gear and beach chairs. We have stayed here 4 times and each visit is a different and fresh as if we were there for the first time. Pricing is a value if you stay in one of the Bungalows. Close enough to walk to local restaurants and night live. I will admit it is a bit of a hilly hike. Everything is on a hill. I highly recommend this property.
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Great location, million dollar view,
Review submitted: October 26, 2012 Date of arrival: January 7, 2012
Great location, million dollar view, beautiful house, lots of activities (don't need to drive cuz it comes in every package), some of the best food I have ever had, nice private beach, close to everything, and best of all the service and the people just amazing. Top trip of my life for sure.
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We stayed in one of the bungalows..
Review submitted: October 26, 2012 Date of arrival: January 12, 2012
We just spent five days at Tulemar and can't rave enough!!! The grounds are beautiful and staff wonderfully trained & just plain nice!! We stayed in one of the bungalows...the view was great. The bungalow was very comfortable with floor to ceiling windows. Two mornings we woke to monkeys running across our roof...which was treat to see them leaping into the trees. There is a very convenient shuttle system to take you to the beach, around the resort and to close by restuarants. The beach is simply beautiful--with great footing, gentle waves, and comfortable seating. Great having the beach bar right there if you want to have lunch or refreshments on the beach. David and Danielle--thank you for taking such great care of us.
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We stayed in Tulemar Bungalows
Review submitted: October 26, 2012 Date of arrival: January 6, 2012
We stayed in Tulemar Bungalows in late January 2012, and were thrilled with the cleanliness /ambience of the accommodations. The bungalow is octagonal-shaped, glass windows (with screens) all around, tucked into beautiful foliage overlooking the crystal blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. It is divided down the middle into 2 rooms, a kitchenette-living room and a bedroom with a full bath toward the back. Two queen-sized beds in bedroom. Comfortable futon-sofa (for 1 adult) in living room. Refrig, microwave and coffee maker in condo. Wireless internet access was undependable, despite attempts at repair. However, Dave and Shay at the front desk were most accommodating and permitted us access to their computers for brief email communication. US Verizon Wireless call/text capability.
The beach is amazing, soft and sandy, in contrast to the rocky beach of Manuel Antonio National Park. Statements about the steepness of the drives and walks are true, yet so are the reassurances of the shuttle bus if needed. Personally, our family enjoyed being quickly whipped into shape by the hills! Swimming pools were open and lovely, except one closed for repair.
I highly recommend this one.
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There was a wonderful troop of monkeys that came
Review submitted: October 26, 2012 Date of arrival: January 5, 2012
My husband and I stayed here for 4 nights. Room was great and there was a wonderful troop of monkeys that came by everyday and swung in the trees. It was also key hat they have their own private each with Lounge chaire,, umbrellas, kayaks and food. It made swimming and relaxing very easy. Much better than braving the public beach with people selling wares and asking you to pay them to guard your car if you parked on the street!
The accommodation are gorgeous, more like private condos.
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Beautiful private beach.
Review submitted: October 26, 2012 Date of arrival: February 9, 2012
Just returned from Tulemar bungalows. It was unbelievable. Breathtaking views from windows. The infinity pool incredible with view that cannot be justified in pictures. Beautiful private beach.
On arrival we were greeted by our concierge Johan who told us to call him for anything we needed and gave us his cell phone number. Everyone was soo friendly. We stayed in a bungalow. Read reviews about them being dated and was slightly worried but also knew from previous trips some people are more picky than others. If you like rustic and charming you will have no problem with bungalows. They are air conditioned and it worked great. Very clean. Loved that you could open all windows to screen or open completely. Never had problem with bugs. Couple baby lizards soo cute. Size of a quarter. If they bother you don't leave windows open while your out. There are monkeys on property. Best way to see them is walk around property. Especially by the beach. Came right by the pool one day. If you really want to see them suggest getting property with deck.
So this is a gated community and there are many different options of which type of room to stay in. One, two, or three bedroom suites, villas with full kitchens, private houses for rent. So many options.
So to my surprise they have a shuttle service. I love to walk around and take in the scenery but if you don't feel like walking to beach, pool or anywhere on property you just dial the front desk or ask staff to call shuttle for you. Never a long wait. So convenient. We needed to go to the grocery store and called front desk to ask how to get there. It is in walking distance but they offered a shuttle so we said sure. Shuttle offered to wait and glad they did because we ended up getting lots of refreshments! Since we were off property I tipped driver few bucks. Not necessary but drivers were always going out of way so felt appropriate. Front desk also booked reservation for all restaurants for us and usually sent us shuttle to get there. If shuttle not available or distance too far for shuttle would always arrange cab service for us
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you are surrounded by incredible tropical fauna
Review submitted: October 26, 2012 Date of arrival: February 6, 2012
We just got back from spending eight days in Tulemar bungalows, one of our best vacations! The accommodations and locations are exceptional! The bungalows are set up in their own individual "gardens" in very quiet private property. You are surrounded by incredible tropical fauna, birds and wildlife. One of the great perks was having Shay as our concierge. Her attention to detail and her anticipation of our needs made our stay stress free resulting in great experiences! . We followed her recommendations for restaurants where we had some of our best meals! She booked all of our excursions made restaurant reservations and booked all transportation (hooked us up for fishing trip we caught 4 sailfishs in about two hours! Shay even made arrangements for our next Hotel and dropped us off! The beach here is incredible; we walked to the beach daily and never got tired of seeing the monkeys and sloth’s, these included the howlers, capuchins and squirrel monkeys. When on the beach you dont worry about anything Daniel takes care of ensuring you have beach chairs and towels whereever you want to sit that day, The bar and restaurant service is a nice touch. The water is perfect we spent hours in the water! Highly reccomend you take advantage of the sea kayaks, the bay is beautifull and easy to handle.
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This property is absolutely stunning.
Review submitted: October 26, 2012 Date of arrival: January 9, 2012
This property is absolutely stunning. We stayed in one of the bungalows for 4 nights and it certainly was not long enough. I do agree that the bungalow could stand to be updated, but you pay for the view and location. I wish the bungalow had a balcony also, but knew it did not when we booked. We saw plenty of wildlife just walking the grounds (saw more than when we went to the National Park). The pools are beautiful and beach is amazing. We loved boogie boarding and swimming in the warm water. Johan was a wonderful concierge and helped up make dinner reservations one night. We like exploring the local places and wanted more casual other nights. The food is so wonderful right around the hotel within walking distance and Tulemar offers a free shuttle for close places as well. We will definitely be coming back for a visit in the future. I wish we could permanently move there! Loved it!!!!
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The grounds are beautiful with nature trails
Review submitted: October 26, 2012 Date of arrival: January 9, 2012
My partner and I recently got married and were looking for a place to spend our honeymoon. When we decided on Costa Rica, we began our search for a resort property that was a bit extra special and memorable. We wanted an experience that was relaxing, a bit pampering, and very importantly, gay friendly. We found all of this at Tulemar. Our assigned concierges made sure we were having a great time — even surprising us with some special touches throughout our stay as well as helping us arrange activities, excursions and dinner reservations. The grounds are beautiful with nature trails, private beach and plenty of wildlife (almost as much as nearby Manuel Antonio); and our bungalow felt like our own private treehouse. Beautiful! We would definitely go back.
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I especially liked the beach
Review submitted: October 26, 2012 Date of arrival: March 4, 2012
Everything about this place exceeded my expectations. It is a beautiful property, friendly and extremely helpful staff and an exquisite private beach. I especially liked the beach bartender, Daniela. Muy bonita!!!!
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Tulemar Bungalows were a pleasant surprise
Review submitted: October 24, 2012 Date of arrival: March 2, 2012
The Tulemar Bungalows were a pleasant surprise in busy Manuel Antonio. The property sits on the hillside overlooking the ocean. The views of the ocean were fabulous! They have a nice private beach with beach service equipped with boogie boards, sea kayaks, lounge chairs and towel service. My kids swam in 2 of the 3 fresh water pools and loved it! We stayed in a bungalow that was fine for a family of four. The couch was actually a trundle bed that our two kids shared. The bedroom had two large beds. My husband and I would have preferred one king, but it was fine. The staff was very helpful and friendly.
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Our bungalow had gorgeous views of the ocean
Review submitted: October 24, 2012 Date of arrival: March 4, 2012
Our Personal Concierge, Julian conversed with me via email prior to our arrival. When we got to our hotel we were introduce to Brian who then became our personal concierge. This was a little awkward for me since I had already established with Julian what we were looking to do.
When we got to Tulemar, I told the front desk I had a 1pm parasailing appointment the next day. They proceeded to call the company and confirm their pickup time
Our bungalow had gorgeous views of the ocean and 2 queen beds. The customer service didn’t stop once we checked in. They carried all our bags to our bungalow, and then our personal concierge (Brian) showed up to see if we had any questions and gave us his card noting that we could call his cell phone anytime.
We arrived at 3pm and at 5pm Brian called to see if we would like him to make dinner reservations/recommendation or arrange transportation to a restaurant.
The next morning Brain called to confirm our check out and offer us help in getting our bags loaded into our vehicle. My husband and I are pretty self-sufficient so hopefully we didn’t insult them by loading our bags ourselves. We checked out and hung out at the beach until our 1pm parasailing.
Kayaks, boogies boards, and other equipment is free of charge for guest to use. My husband swam form our beach to another one we saw about ½ mile away while I kayak. He told me the Tulemar beach was 100 times better as the other beach had a lot of rocks.
My only complaint would be about the food service at the beach bar. Service starts at noon and the bartender took our order for guacamole & chips are 11:50am. At 12:30pm (40 minutes later) we were still waiting for the guac & chips. We told the bartender that we had to leave in 15 minutes so we no longer wanted the chips. She cancelled the order but we left hungry.
Overall we would stay in at the Tulemar again, they are very focused on servicing the guests and making your spend your time enjoying visit.
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I stayed in a one bedroom bungalow
Review submitted: October 24, 2012 Date of arrival: March 3, 2012
I travelled to Tulemar with 2 families that rented a villa whereas I stayed in a one bedroom bungalow. The view from the bungalow was stunning, beautiful sunsets over the pacific every night!! The bungalow was a bit dated but it was always kept very clean and the view over the ocean made up for it. The only thing that was missing was a balcony. Since I was travelling with others that had a large villa I was able to use their balcony, but I would definitely get a villa with a balcony for next time.
Our concierge Brian was wonderful. He was extremely attentive and very helpful, always ready to give us recommendations and make dinner reservations. He would check in with us regularly to ensure we were enjoying our stay. He even brought us around the property to see the sloths. Seeing all the wildlife around the property was the highlight. We would see monkeys every morning walking down to the beach and hear the howler monkeys throughout the day; it was incredible! The private beach is beautiful, never more than 20 people there at once. The staff was helpful, setting out chairs and towels right away. The complementary boogie boards and kayaks were also a great bonus. Our bartender Daniella at the beach bar was amazing, we really enjoyed her drinks.
We went on a guided tour of the Manuel Antonio National Park however we were disappointed because many trails were closed and we weren't told prior to booking. The beaches in the Park were nice and worth seeing but a lot busier then the Tulemar beach. We preferred staying on the property and using all the amenities offered at the private beach.
Overall it was a great experience with wonderful staff, stunning views and exotic wildlife. I highly recommend Tulemar Bungalows & Villas and I can’t wait to go back!
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Beach and beach service is fantastic
Review submitted: October 24, 2012 Date of arrival: March 4, 2012
Beach and beach service is fantastic. Warm water...you are able to swim in the ocean and feel safe. The bungalows are nice and spacious, great AC, awesome view from every room. Gotta get my self more days to go more often.
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Really, nothing bad to say about the place.
Review submitted: October 24, 2012 Date of arrival: April 7, 2012
We got back over the weekend from a great stay at Tulemar. We had one of the smaller bungalows which worked well for our family of five. A bedroom with two queen beds and a separate living/dining area with a separate couch/bed. Next time, I want to stay at Casa de Frutas which looked amazing.
Our concierge, Shay, contacted us well before our stay and helped arrange transportation and a few excursions. She checked in with us every day and was helpful with lots of little things (finding an ATM machine that worked with our card, dinner reservations, calling taxis, etc.). She really helped push the trip over the top from a really fun place to one that is exceptional.
David down at the beach was wonderful outfitting us with chairs and umbrellas and towels and boogie boards. My young boys spent long, full days boogie boarding and body surfing. When we were finally done with the beach for the today, a shuttle was always around to take us up the big hill back to our room.
Really, nothing bad to say about the place. I will recommend it highly to all our friends and family members heading down to Costa Rica. We had a great time.
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We did not want to leave
Review submitted: October 24, 2012 Date of arrival: June 12, 2012
We just returned from Tulemar this week and must say it was pure heaven. The bungalows were roomy and comfortable as well as private. The windows and views were amazing. The service was excellent, the staff was so helpful. I cannot think of one negative. Everyday we would return to the room which was extremely clean, comfortable and relaxing. We did not want to leave, and would definitely stay again.
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Just returned a week ago from Tulemar
Review submitted: October 24, 2012 Date of arrival: April 10, 2012
Just returned a week ago from Tulemar at Manuel Antonio and all week I've been wondering how I can get myself back soon! Everything about our stay at the Tulemar Bungalow was fantastic - our room, the staff, the property, location, tour booking.. am I forgetting anything?
From the time we booked the staff was very helpful and responsive - arranging all of our transport and tours/activities for us throughout our stay in Manuel Antonio. When we arrived the room was ready immediately, our itinerary was setup and instructions were clear. Our concierge was awesome in every way - booked us awesome trips/activities, made himself available after hours for help/advice (even helping us get into a busy restaurant last minute for dinner "pulling some strings" ha), and even hand delivered us a fresh baked snack during an afternoon shower! The whole staff was great and friendly, always remembering us by name and just all around good people.
The beach and property at Tulemar was nothing short of amazing. The amount of wildlife and accessibility of nature trails, scenic areas and swimming pools was abundant. The shuttle service was always available (never waited more than 10 minutes), and made themselves available to bring us to some places offsite that were nearby - saving us $ on cabs. Prepare yourself, the walk down/up from the beach can be a daunting task - but as I mentioned, the shuttle service can take care of you as needed. Everyday we returned home to a clean room, and the views were picturesque at every turn. I really can't think of one negative...
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Mauricio helped us with our daily events
Review submitted: October 24, 2012 Date of arrival: April 7, 2012
From the early stages in planning, to the details of our trip, and upon arrival and departure at Tulemar , we were more than pleased! Mauricio helped us with our daily events of the trip. The bungalow was absolutely beautiful with excellent ocean! The house was cleaned daily and the air conditioning was definitely appreciated in the heat. I would highly recommend this place! There were cute shops close by and taxi was always available to take you shopping or to your next adventure destination.
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We took a chance on Tulemar and were thrilled
Review submitted: October 24, 2012 Date of arrival: April 12, 2012
After reading many reviews on Trip Advisor, we took a chance on Tulemar thrilled with our experience. Even before we arrived, the staff was accommodating. My husband, who is a runner, exchanged several emails with Julian, Tulemar's incredible conceirge, who shared running routes with him...and even joined him on a few runs when we arrived! We stayed in the Bungalows which were beautiful! Our kids (ages 7 and 10) loved seeing the monkeys outside our windows and the sloths in the trees. Spending time at the private beach at Tulemar was the best part of our day. Kayaks and boogie boards for the taking, a nice bar, good food, and an incredible place to watch the sunset. The staff at Tulemar helped us make plans for several fun day trips (zip lining, white water rafting), and also made great suggestions for restaurants and got us reservations. Tulemar's location is a huge advantage-- we were able to walk almost everywhere in the town of Quepos or take a quick taxi ride. We are very much looking forward to returning to Tulemar in the near future. Thank you Julian and team for making our trip so special
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Our bungalow was on stilts with 360 degree views
Review submitted: October 24, 2012 Date of arrival: May 12, 2012
wow. Our bungalow was on stilts with 360 degree views - the ocean and the gorgeous landscaping of the property itself. The kitchen in the bungalow is adorable and well stocked. The bungalow had one nice bedroom and a roomy living room with a pull out couch. The best part, though, was in the morning, while sipping coffee and staring at the ocean, an entire fleet of caro blanco monkeys swung by the windows in the mango trees outside our windows!!! Amazing. The restaurant was gorgeous and carefully placed to enjoy the expansive ocean views. This was a treat for all of the senses.
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Its beautiful, there's a private beach...
Review submitted: October 24, 2012 Date of arrival: June 3, 2012
Its beautiful, there's a breathtaking private beach, and the Costa Rican fruit is so fresh its almost criminal.
At Tulemar, each family or group gets their own quaint little octagonal bungalow built into the hills overlooking the most beautiful view of the ocean in Costa Rica (arguably). Located in Manuel Antonio, an awesome surf town, Tulemar offers probably the best beach resort experience I've had. It's not touristy, the private beach is usually barely occupied, the service is very classy and professional, and you can hear little troupes of squirrel monkeys scamper across your roof and sometimes you might wake up in the morning to the distant call of howler monkeys. If you stay here, hit the beach on the resort and the local beach downtown. There are also great restaurants around and the town has a great surf vibe. Costa Rica is also a pretty affordable vacation, so I really recommend travelling to this beautiful country and staying at this beautiful resort in this awesome town.
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The bungalow was incredible!
Review submitted: October 23, 2012 Date of arrival: May 8, 2012
The bungalow was incredible! Very large and the bathroom was beautiful, fresh flowers in the room
The views of the surrounding jungle and the sea were fabulous
nice private beach with activities and food/drinks
Beds were very comfortable
full kitchen
Very romantic!
Staff and hospitality can't be beat
The grounds were very large with private beach and 3 nice swimming pools, one an infinity pool with the most incredible view.
We can't wait to go back!!
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We stayed in the Tulemar Bungalows
Review submitted: October 23, 2012 Date of arrival: March 20, 2012
We stayed in the Tulemar Bungalows at the end of March 2012. They were delightful in every way. My husband and I and two children shared one bungalow and there was plenty of room. It was great to have a mini kitchen for fixing quick meals for the kids and snacks. The views were breathtaking and we felt like we were in paradise. My parents stayed in a bungalow next door and it was fun to have our separate spaces but to be so close as well. The private beach was amazing. It was never crowded (even though we were there in a peak spring break week) and we were well tended to with lounge chairs, beach umbrellas, kayaks, boogie boards and food and drinks. The waves were fun, but there wasn't a strong undertoe which was good for my kids. It was a long hot walk from our bungalow to the beach, but we only had to do that if we really wanted to. Otherwise the shuttle was very dependable and convenient. I recommend the walk though. Everyone I spoke to who did it saw a variety of wildlife including a gang of white faced monkeys! Restaurants were near by and if the resort shuttle wasn't too busy they took us so that we could avoid the cost of a taxi. I would love to go back some day and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a special place to stay!
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