Gaia Hotel & Reserve

Loved the friendly staff and amazing excursions offered by the Gaia Hotel. Truly amazing experience with delicious food! Clarence gave us a wonderful tour of the nature reserve and the Manuel Antonio National Park, helping us identify over 20 different animals. He was a wonderful tour guide with great knowledge about the species and local native and non-native plants/animals. We highly recommend him!

We absolutely loved our stay at the Gaia Hotel. This boutique property is a peaceful oasis tucked away in the heart of Manuel Antonio. With only 22 rooms, the experience feels intimate and personalized, and my husband and I truly felt pampered throughout our stay. Every member of the staff greeted us with genuine kindness and professionalism. They consistently went above and beyond to make our visit special. Whether it was Abraham greeting us with a smile and pulling out my chair at La Luna Restaurant or Oscar patiently answering all of our questions through the concierge, we always felt genuinely cared for. The accommodations were spotless, beautifully updated, and incredibly comfortable. The grounds were impeccably maintained, creating the feeling of a lush tropical paradise. If you’re looking for luxury, exceptional service, and breathtaking surroundings, we couldn’t recommend the Gaia Hotel more highly.

Gaia hotel Your Practical Guide to Gaia Hotel Gaia is the best hotel in the Manuel Antonio area. Have I been to every other hotel? No. But I will tell you why Gaia is the best below, as well has practical insight to inform your stay. We loved our time here so much that we extended our 8 day trip to 10 because we didn’t want to leave! Travel dates: June 17-27, 2026 Before you go: Cash: I recommend getting many small bills for tips ($1s and $5s USD). The money can’t be torn or it won’t be accepted. Many places don’t allow you to tip on the credit card receipt and only allow cash tips. Gaia and their restaurant (La Luna) does allow tips to be added receipts. Packing: items I found useful to have include: water shoes with traction/sturdy bottom; close toed shoes that can get muddy; long sleeve sun shirt; long sleeve water shirt; floppy hat with a string to secure it to your head; sunglasses; sunblock; bug protection lotion (not spray). Wish I had a go pro I could attach to my head for some excursions Transportation to Gaia: We flew TO Gaia and drove FROM Gaia, so we did both options. Flying from SJO to Quepos: it is a tiny plane and costs a bit more than hiring a private driver through Gaia (at least when we went). What we did not know is that the luggage limit for the smaller plane (holds like 10 people so quite an experience if you haven’t been on a small plane) is only 30 pounds. Reminder that the limit for a big international flight is 50 pounds. So our luggage was over by a lot and we had to pay a $25 fee per bag. Also, at check in Sansa Airlines told us that the flight was full and that our bags might have to go on the NEXT flight if the plane was overweight. Essentially, if other passengers arrived with a bag at the proper weight limit, our overweight bag wouldn’t make it. That was stressful. Thankfully our bags made it onto our flight but it would have been a stressor if they didn’t and required taxi trips back and forth to the Quepos airport (only a 10 min drive to Gaia). If you choose to fly, let Gaia know the details and they will arrange a taxi to pick you up. Very helpful. Flight details: we flew SANSA. We originally booked a 1pm-ish flight but it was canceled the day before we were meant to travel and I had to rebook a later flight at 3pm. Another frequent flyer of this route said SANSA has done that before, which is also a little stressful. When you land in SJO, you get off the plane and go through customs. Then you pick up your luggage at baggage claim. Then you exit the international airport and walk outside for about 5 minutes to the left into the much smaller domestic airport. The customs line is what took the most time, probably about 30 minutes. But we flew off season so I am sure in high season that takes longer. Driving: we booked private transportation through Gaia to travel from Manuel Antonio to SJO because we didn’t want to risk our overweight bags not making it onto our flight to SJO. The return flight was non-refundable so we lost money on that unfortunately. The private transportation was about $219 + tip. It took 3 hours and we were in a very comfortable van. I enjoyed the ride. It is a very easy drive - the road is completely paved the whole way. Car sickness was not an issue. And there was no concern about overweight baggage. (Thanks for the ride Miguel!) Gaia Hotel: Whether you fly or drive, Gaia can help arrange the transportation. Gaia sits up on a hill (mountain?) so you have amazing views. The hotel is not one big building like a Hilton. It is a series of buildings that makes it feel very boutique. It sits on 12 acres of rain forest preserve. You drive up to a security booth where they let you in and you’re greeted by staff. You are immediately in the rainforest. There is a seating area where you wait for a golf cart to come pick you up, which arrives almost immediately every time. The staff takes your luggage to your room and you ride up the hill in the golf cart to the main building. On our way up in the golf cart, we stopped to see a sloth in the tree which staff pointed out to us. Literally first moments and we saw a sloth! The main building houses the spa on the bottom floor, and has both stairs and elevator for the other floors. The second floor has the restaurant, La Luna, and the Reception area. The third floor has the sky lounge. See La Luna Trip Advisor page for a full review since we ate there every day, but know that you should try the Banana Soup. Trust me. Both the second and third floors have gorgeous views. At reception you are welcomed with a much appreciated cold mixed fruit juice while you sit at a desk to be checked in. You’re connected to your concierge and connected to WiFi. You’re then walked around the property to be shown where everything is and then to your room. We stayed in a suite that had a room, large bathroom, living room/dining area, and private balcony. It was amazing. We sat on the balcony every day to watch the rain or sunsets or wildlife. The shower pressure is epic (how do I get that shower head at home?). The King bed is very comfortable. They provide bathrobe, slippers, shampoo/conditioner/soap, etc. there is a decent size refrigerator, coffee maker, and safe. There is no microwave. Wildlife: we woke up one morning at 6am and happened to see dozens of White Faced monkeys in the trees outside our door. We saw huge iguanas and macaws while lounging by the pool. We had a bird literally build a nest in a plant on our balcony and then sleep in the nest every night. We saw sloths on numerous occasions (they are hard to see so staff will point them out). And a number of other wildlife. Pools: the pools have a phenomenal view. Just about everywhere on the property has a phenomenal view. There is a bar by the pool and they will make you drinks and bring them to you. You can also order lunch though we didn’t do that. The lounge chairs have cushions on all of them and most have some kind of shaded coverage. They are all clustered in different spots around the pool so it’s not like you’re sitting with a ton of people, they have these little hideaway spots. Hard to explain but again, fits with the privacy/boutique vibe. The staff: what really sets Gaia apart is the service. You are really waited on hand and foot. Everyone is so nice too. We had the distinct pleasure of working with Abraham, Jack (happy birthday!), Tony, Anthony, and Ricardo. Our concierge (see separate section) was Christopher. And the resident Nature Expert is Clarance (also see separate section). The house keeping staff cleaned our room daily. Everyone makes an effort to use your name which makes it feel like a home away from home. We were really sad to leave the people by the end of our trip. Everyone was really great and accommodating and friendly. It’s important to note that my wife and I are a gay couple and we felt very safe and accepted everywhere, especially at Gaia. Concierge: a HUGE thank you to our concierge, Christopher. They connect you with your concierge at check in via WhatsApp which lets you basically text with him easily. You can message your concierge for anything you need. Christopher scheduled tours, canceled tours, scheduled spa time, offered insight to local places to check out, got emergency aloe DELIVERED to our hotel room after hours, preordered breakfast for us when we had early morning tours, the list goes on and on. I learned that he was even messaging with me on his day off (I’m sorry Christopher, I didn’t know!). The concierge service is vacation-life altering. Christopher made EVERYTHING so much easier. I need Christopher for all my trips! Thank you Christopher!! BEACH: so the one thing I was worried about with Gaia was beach access because it’s not like you can walk out your hotel room door to the beach. But worry not! They make it SO accessible. To get to the beach, you simply tell your concierge which shuttle you’d like to take. The shuttle (air conditioned thank god) runs from Gaia to the beach, about 5 min drive, every hour. If you want beach chairs (and believe me you do - it’s the best), tell your concierge that too and he will let his colleague, Peluca, know. At the beach there will be a LOT of vendors approaching you to sell stuff. I found “no gracias” to be most effective. I did buy fresh coconut water (they open the coconut in front of you) for $3/coconut. Glorious. So you WhatsApp concierge, “hey I want to to to the beach at 9am.” You leave your hotel room, go to the main building to catch a golf cart down the hill (or walk the hill), and get on the shuttle. You get towels for the beach or any excursions from the security office where you get picked up. You arrive to the beach and Peluca welcomes you at the shuttle and brings you to your chairs, small table, and umbrella which are $10-ish depending on how many you need (I believe cash only). Peluca will also bring you anything you want from the nearby restaurant (The Magic Bus) to your chairs. The shrimp ceviche was probably the best thing we ate on the whole trip. My only critique is it should come with 4 plantain chip things rather than only 3. Definitely get the ceviche. We also loved all the smoothies. The watermelon smoothie (which I’m pretty sure is simply watermelon ice and water) was insanely refreshing. You can pay with card for anything you order from the restaurant but be sure to have cash to tip. If you want to go for a walk or in the ocean, tell Peluca and he will put your bag or whatever you want in a lockbox. When you want to leave, you tell Peluca or message your concierge (if you have service) which shuttle you’d like to take. It runs every hour and picks up quarter past the hour (ex: 11:15, 12:15, 1:15). Phone service: I paid for full roaming but had very spotty service at the beach. So it was really helpful to have Peluca and the shuttle schedule to the hotel because sometimes I did not have service to request an Uber. Breakfast included: BREAKFAST. This isn’t some sad lame fake-egg buffet. This is a full on delicious breakfast. You get to select a full meal from a list of options that range from Huevos Rancheros (which I order nearly daily), to American Breakfast, to yogurt, to pancakes etc. you get coffee, juice, bread/croissants, fresh fruit, and your meal every single morning. You should try all the juice, but definitely give the pineapple juice a try. It is less sweet than what we get in the US - in the best way. The mixed fruit juice has papaya in it so it is a bit thicker and I preferred it over ice. The eggs were always cooked to perfection. And you get to admire a gorgeous view every morning. But PLEASE tip your waiters. I think some guests did not because the breakfast was included, but your waiter should still be tipped every morning. Transportation generally: Gaia sits on a main road in the middle of everything you need to if you turn right, you head toward Quepos, or “downtown”. If you turn left, you head toward more restaurants, the marina, the beach, etc. on this main road, runs a bus. I took the bus once from the public beach to downtown Quepos just to check it out. It is less than $1 to ride and very easy. You just hop on the bus that says it is headed toward Quepos and it is the last stop. Ubers are very accessible and that’s what we used most of the time. I recommend Ubers over taxis because the one time I took a taxi it was a lot more expensive than uber. The hotel shuttle runs back and forth to the beach. TOURS We booked all of our tours via the hotel. Some we booked before we arrived, via email. Some we booked there, via Concierge. Coffee, Spices, Chocolate tour: You go to a family owned farm and do a tour of the farm. You get to see and learn about a lot of different foods and how they grow, including but not limited to: pineapple, avocado, vanilla, oranges, chocolate, coffee, various spices, etc. They serve you chocolate with fruit (delicious and you can buy it!) and coffee and other small bites like tacos. The gift shop was great because it was so diverse. We bought most of our stuff from here. WHAT TO WEAR: it’s flat and you mosey. So just protect yourself from the sun as you need to and if it is raining wear shoes that can get muddy. Gaia provides golf umbrellas so you can also bring that if needed. They accept credit card for the gift shop. ATV TOUR: the ATV tour is the longest ATV tour in terms of distance in the area (per the guide). My wife and I shared an ATV. There are pros and cons to that. The seat does not get bigger for two people, so you definitely need to be snug. It is also a bit difficult to hold on as the passenger. You’re on the ATV for about 3.5 hours, so it’s awhile to be in that position. However, if you’re the passenger you get to just hold on and look around. My wife and I switched halfway through and I definitely preferred to be the passenger. I had never driven an ATV and it was a bit intimidating for me. I felt like when I was driving it, I didn’t get to look around because I was so focused on driving the ATV. My wife loved it. On the ATV tour, you drive up into the mountains which is really cool. It is incredibly rural up there and they take you to a “hotel” that sits wayyyy up where the view is incredible. You are served juice, coffee, and empanadas. Then you go to a waterfall that is exclusively for guests of that hotel so that’s really cool. Along the drive you’ll stop to see some farms, animals, etc but it’s really about taking a nice ATV drive to a remote area and getting a great view and waterfall. What to wear/bring: My wife wore keens and I wore sneakers. The keens sandals weren’t the best for the ATV because you have to shift gears with the top of your foot. So having something more sturdy on the top of your foot would probably be helpful. You have to wear a motorcycle helmet so you don’t need a hat but I recommend sunglasses. There is a bathroom at the atv place, then you drive for about an hour or two, arrive to the hotel where there is a bathroom, then go to the waterfalls where there is a change room. Sometimes the waterfall has water deep enough to jump into (10ft) but for us it was very low so we just kinda walked into it. Water shoes are helpful for that part because it is rocky. Bring a towel and everything in a backpack that zips securely. You can bungee chord the backpack to the ATV so you don’t have to wear it for the whole time. Bring a Bathing suit; bring a go pro because you don’t really want to hold your phone while driving, but we did stop for some photos. JET SKI TOUR Recommend doing this in the morning because the sun gets really hot. We shared a jet ski for this and that was great. I recommend sharing because we got some good laughs as first time jet skiiers. You are driven to the Marina (great shopping place) from the hotel. You arrive at the Marina to meet the tour guide and there is an air conditioned bathroom available. The area where you take off from is an upscale outdoor shopping mall. They have a locker for you to leave your stuff and offer a small wet bag for your phone/money/valuables that can go on the jet ski with you. You tour the waters, get to jump in the water, enjoy some fruit and return back. The guide will take photos of you in the jet ski. WHAT TO WEAR: one of those floppy hats with a string to secure around your neck/chin: sunglasses; long sleeve wet shirt: long shorts to protect your thighs from the sun; water shoes: bathing suit; go pro (wish we attached it to our head because it would have been great footage). Manuel Antonio park tour: if you’re wondering whether you need a tour guide or whether you can go by yourself - get the guide. I actually went on the tour twice and both times he spotted different animals, insects, etc. Clarence spots things that not only would I never see, but even when he spotted them and actively pointed them out to my I often still couldn’t see it with my naked eye. Everything is VERY camouflaged. Clarence brings a scope so that you can see everything in super high detail AND Clarence takes photos of everything through the scope so the photo is super up-close and he air drops everything to you. In sum, go with Clarence. what to expect: get in a shuttle for about a 15 minute drive. Arrive to the park entrance where you walk down a dirt path lined with vendors selling souvenirs. outside the entrance to the park is a little tourist strip of restaurants and shops. You walk into the park with Clarence and he handles your check in. There are restrooms here. You follow Clarance down the flat dirt path and start spotting. That lasts about 2 hours. Then you take a fruit break. Here again there are restrooms and changing rooms. There is actually also a gift shop here that I unfortunately missed. Then you continue to the beaches and you can stay there to swim if you wish. Personally, I didn’t swim. There’s a lot of tourists there, and the waves were rather rough. There are no chairs or food vendors of course. So it’s great for photos but we opted to go to the public beach after the tour. So you walk to see the beaches, and then you start the exit. Some people in the tour will stay at the beach, some will exit with Clarence and take the shuttle back. WHAT TO WEAR: most of the walk is shaded by trees and there are not really any mosquitoes. I was most comfortable in loose shorts and a workout tank top. I also wore my hat and sunglasses. It is a WALK, not a hike. The path is compacted dirt, then sand for the second half, then dirt/wooden walkways. It is 99% flat. I wore my water shoes which have some traction/rubber soles and they were perfect. You can bring a reusable water bottle. There are some sunny spots that are hot, so if you need to protect yourself from the sun consider bringing a sun shirt. If you have binoculars those would be cool to have too, but Clarence has his scope. For this tour, it is more about what you CANNOT bring. You cannot bring any plastic disposable water bottles, no food/snacks/gum/etc. nothing that goes in your mouth can enter the park. Free Daily Macaw Tour at Gaia: Gaia hotel is on 12 acres and part of that is the reserve. The reserve can only be accessed with Clarence. The hotel offers daily tours in the afternoon for free (of course be sure to tip). The reserve is the absolute most wild jungle experience you’ll get. Here is where my shoes got MUDDY. I wore sneakers (must wear closed toes) and it is a steep hike. You have to hold on to ropes and in the rainy season it is very slippery. But in my opinion, worth it to get a feel for how a real rain forest feels. We ironically did not see any macaws that day, but we did see three very active sloths! You enter the reserve at the entrance of the hotel at the bottom of the hill. WHAT TO WEAR: workout clothes, shoes that can get muddy. Quepos: this is the downtown where you can into stores to shop, eat ect. You can get here by bus or uber. Manuel Antonio Urgent Care: See separate review but in sum, they are accessible, speak fluent English. Was $168 for the visit. Other nearby places to check out: - La Luna: see full review separately - The Magic Bus: best ceviche ever. Also tasted the chicken and rice which was yummy. - El Avion: go for the views. Great photo ops, good for kids. - La Panera in Quepos: we did not eat a sit down meal here but it is air conditioned with a restroom and WiFi. Has great grab and go pastry and food options. I LOVED the Coconut lemonade. We went back for it several times. - Ronny’s: I was not a fan of the food but the views are nice and they have a fun dessert show that includes fire which is fun and great for kids. - Soda Sanchez: in Quepos. Has traditional food with some flare. - Playa Biesanz: see separate review but this beach is worth checking out if you have young children or want very calm waters, though It is more difficult to get to

We stayed for 6 nights on the last leg of our Costa Rica adventure. The hotel is situated half way between Manuel Antonio and Quepos. It is high in the forest and golf buggies take you from the secure reception up steep paths to the hotel. The views are therefore stunning, with rooms, restaurant and pool overlooking lush forest to the sea beyond. Amazing sunsets and plenty of wildlife, spider monkeys and red macaws, frolicking and roosting in the grounds. Our suite was huge with beautiful bed linen and pillows like clouds. I liked that you could choose from three branded toiletries. There was a good selection for breakfast all served beautifully presented to your table. Evening meal and cocktails delicious too. All the staff were friendly and attentive with special thanks to Tony, Rikardo and Andres who went above and beyond. We were offered breakfast to our room when we happened to mention we had an early trip booked. I also liked the little bag of bread and pastries that we were given on check out for our journey. Boris, the owner, introduced himself and gave us his personal number if needed. He chatted with us at breakfast or whenever we met him in the grounds. It felt like we were guests at his home. A shuttle bus takes you to Manuel Antonio where there are beautiful beaches. We also liked to catch the public bus from the entrance to the hotel. It ran regularly from Manuel Antonio to Quepos and the drivers were all so friendly. Quepos has a beautiful marina with some lovely restaurants and bars. A bus driver also told us of a park just past the marina. It had lovely paths through the forest and access to bays for canoeing and snorkelling. It was beautiful and peaceful, much quieter and less touristy than Manuel Antonio.

I came from California with my daughter for her HS graduation trip. We were a bit anxious traveling just us girls to another country, but were treated with such warmth and welcome from the staff of Gaia Hotel and Nature Reserve we immediately felt at ease. I really cannot say enough praise for this incredible staff that Gaia Hotel has put together - from front desk, bellhop, kitchen staff, and especially our concierge Ada Martinez. Ada Martinez was available by Whatsapp to coordinated all of our reservations, setup drivers, even call the pharmacy at 8pm to coordinate an emergency antihistamine delivery for a nasty bug bite. The food was delicious at La Luna. Service was excellent. Anthony Lopez even set up a table for us in the corner for us to relax and charge devices (5 hours before our flight after check out). They really do want you to enjoy your stay here and take such good care of their guests. Hotel itself situated in the forest and there is a free guided tour (better than even the paid tours) to see Macaws and Sloths (we saw 3 up close): A fun and doable adventure hike through “jurassic park” (I would wear a mosquito net next time if I could). Spa - I have been to more than a handful. This is one of my favorites (vichy rain shower was unique). Room - it was perfect and very clean. The rainshower in the bathroom was heavenly. The hotel and surroundings felt peaceful and quiet (although it was off season). Definitely worth a visit - rejuvenating, luxurious, and so peaceful surrounded by incredible nature. Gaia exceeded expectations - a true boutique 5-star hotel and top tiered hospitality without being pretentious. We won’t remember all the details but we will remember that we were treated like family. :) Thank you Gaia and the incredible staff for making our time here so wonderful!!