The Costa Rica Connection

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Come visit Manzanillo and stay in either of our 2 Beachfront houses. 
There are only 3 Beachfront homes for rent in all of Manzanillo!
 

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Costa Rica is full of tropical experiences from beach to mountain.  On the Caribbean side of Costa Rica is a little village at the end of the road called Manzanillo, located in the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife and Marine Refuge.  Its' a small traditional town, about 4 hours by car or bus from the capital, that offers prime fishing and ocean adventures as well as all jungle wildlife.  This area is relatively undiscovered, uncrowded and therefore much more laid back as compared to the Pacific side.  The culture is also distinctly different, being Afro-Caribbean.  For weather info visit
  TIDE CHART    WEATHER REPORT

    A couple from Bozeman, Montana, Jim and Ann DiBerardinis, has lived in the area on and off for since 1993 and created sustainable local tourism projects of sportfishing and dolphin studies.  Manzanillo Tarponville fishing lodge has trained and employed the local fishermen as catch and release fly fishing guides for tarpon, and lure-fishing for wahoo, snook and other saltwater species, mostly caught on 12 weight fly rods.  The Talamanca Dolphin Foundation (TDF) was born out of sheer keen observation by Ann, her colleague Shawn Larkin, and several other local people.  They discovered a unique intermingling of species and created a non-profit foundation to study, preserve and protect the three species of wild dolphins inhabiting the waters near Manzanillo.  Ann and TDF have also encouraged and promoted cultural tours to teach visitors about the local culture and jungle wildlife.  Included in all stays is a professional presentation of the history of the Talamanca Dolphin (upon request).

     The place to stay during all this tropical adventuring is Jim and Ann's beach house, the rustic Coral Reef House, which is literally built on and around a 30-foot high coral outcrop in the shady forest along the beach.   Our caretaker (read reviews) lives in a house behind the main house, so he is your host at the house, and can provide local information and optional services such as cooking and laundry.  We have finished remodeling the Coral Reef House to include a second master bedroom.  The Coral Reef House has two king size bedrooms which can sleep 3 people each (one king, plus a twin bed), a bedroom with a double bed, and a bedroom with a twin bed, sleeping a total of 9 people maximum.  The house has 2 full bathrooms.  During Dec-May there is a one week minimum for advance reservations.  Meals and daily cleaning are optional and can be arranged in advance.  To see more photos of both the Coral Reef House and the surrounding area, click here.

    The other option is the rustic Dolphin Lodge next door.  The Lodge has 3 king-size rooms with private baths, plus one more bedroom with a double bed.  Each king-size room can either be configured as three single beds, or a king bed and a single bed.  The 4th bedroom has a double size bed plus a twin size bed.  In total, the Lodge can sleep up to 11 people.  In all there are 4 full bathrooms, full kitchen, covered patio dining area, and deck space.   Click on the link below the rate chart to see the web page with more photos of the Lodge, complete with recent guest reviews.  During Dec-May there is a one week minimum for advance reservations.  Meals and daily cleaning are optional and can be arranged in advance as with the Coral Reef House.  To see more photos of both the Lodge and the surrounding area, click here.

Here is an April 2010 article in the New York Times about the Manzanillo area

Paul, 
Just wanted to let you know that my family and I had a great time in Costa Rica. What an experience staying "away from it all". We loved it. Dolfi was great and so was Tino. Thanks for recommending him as a guide. Your Web site was helpful in so many ways. Thanks for everything.  Kerry   July 2008

"Just wanted to drop you a note telling you what a wonderful time we had at the Coral Reef House!  It was one of our most memorable vacations. The setting and the house is beautiful.   Everything was perfect and Dolfi, as you must know, is the best.  He set us up with everything we asked for, without hesitation.  He is truly the Mayor of Manzanillo.  Big thank you's go to Patsy, Carlos, and Omar as well.  These people are truly the salt of the earth. I could go on and on, but I'm sure you have heard it all before.  We cannot wait to go back."  John   December 2005

"Hello Paul, We had a fantastic time at the Dolphin House!  It rained 2 days straight when we got there, but then cleared and was gorgeous.  The river crossing was up to our waists, adding to the adventure.  Tino was a fantastic rainforest guide, very knowledgeable and speaks great English.  Thanks for the recommendation..."  Marc  November 2004

RATES for Coral Reef House or Dolphin Lodge
Winter Rates: Dec-May

Summer Rates: June-Nov

    NOTE:  Both houses are reached by walking or biking 200 meters beyond the end of the road, along the ocean on a sand beach road.  You may drive in to unload your luggage and supplies, but regulations prohibit cars to be left inside the refuge after your luggage has been delivered.  You can park your rental car in a nearby private, gated yard.  There is also a small creek to cross which during dry conditions can be anywhere from 0-8" deep depending on the tide, and if there has been recent rainfall it can be deeper, adding an adventurous aspect to your experience! 
    If you see wading the creek, a short walk along the beach, and the rustic secluded nature of the setting as an asset, then our two lodges are for you. But if you are looking for a resort setting with daily services then there are many fine resort hotels in Costa Rica for you.  After a hard rain storm and on rare occasions, you might have to  take a boat across the creek. Usually it is not more than shin deep, and  you can walk to town in 10 min. Since the houses are literally located under the forest canopy facing the beach with little other development, you hear the never-ending sounds of nature, the forest and animals.  
     Most of the bugs you will encounter are a few mosquitoes and many harmless but interesting insects and spiders. At dusk and dawn the sand flies come out and you should protect yourself with repellent and long pants and sleeves if you plan to walk on the beach after dark. Being in a wildlife preserve is like being in a national park.  For the preservation of the wildlife and your own personal safety, refrain from touching flora, fauna, and insects.  As long as you watch where you step and don’t reach out to touch everything you’ll most likely be fine. You’ll learn about all the creatures of the forest if you take a jungle tour with one of the highly-trained local guides, and then you’ll feel more comfortable.  People hike on the local trails most everyday without incident. For people that have medical conditions, allergies or other aversions to plants and insects, consult your doctor or local health department for health information.
    Our guests that seem to get the most pleasure out of their experiences, are people who spend time in the outdoors, appreciate raw nature at its best and those that are looking for a unique adventurous experience. We have plenty of demand to rent the houses, therefore we try hard to match our guest with best situation for them. When we're successful at that then everyone is extremely satisfied, as you can see from the reviews. To meet that goal, the owner talks to each inquiring party to make sure they understand as much as possible about the houses. If you would like Jim to call you, just email him at manzanillojim@msn.com.


NATURALIST INFO
    In addition, local certified naturalist guides can provide fascinating jungle tours from 2-4 hours, an old time cultural tour, sea kayaking in both fresh and saltwater, and dolphin watching (complete list below with estimated prices).  The best guides for the jungle trip are organized through the MANTguides, which is a non-profit, community based organization.  The guides all are native and speak both English and Spanish, and are very well organized and trained, carry field guide books and have life-long knowledge of the animals, birds, bugs, reptiles, and fruits along this walk. It's nothing like walking around out there on your own!  You'll learn more than you could ever remember.  To set up land tours or dolphin tours, contact TDF, MANTguides, stop in at their offices in Manzanillo, or ask our manager/caretaker to hlpe you set up a trip.  Manzanillo is a small village at the end of the road so everything is easy to find and people are very friendly.
 

TRAVEL INFO
    Traveling to Manzanillo takes 4-5 hours from the airport near San Jose Airport (code SJO) where most flights land.  Many people rent a car and we recommend Adobe Rentacar which is the only Costa Rican company in the business and also the best - just tell them you have a reservation at our house and receive a 5% discount.  Rental cars cost between $300-500/week with unlimited mileage after you add on the mandatory insurance.  Adobe will bring your car to the front of the terminal so you can skip waiting in line at the airport car rental desks, or they'll meet you at your hotel or B&B.  If you opt for not renting a car, bikes work great locally along the coast as it is quite flat and within 3 km you can access quite a lot of beaches.  Bikes and scooters are for rent in Puerto Viejo and sometimes right in Manzanillo. 

If you are the adventurer type, get a good guide book like The New Key to Costa Rica,  Moon Travel, or Lonely Planet. 

You can also arrange a van to shuttle you (email Leo at the Costa Verde B&B in San Jose, which is where we recommend staying in the capital on either end of your trip.  See next paragraph).  

If you need to stay in San Jose we highly recommend the Costa Verde B&B, located in Escazu 20 minutes from the airport and just 5 minutes west of downtown San Jose.  They do airport pickups and also shuttling around the country in a fully certified 12 passenger van.  Airport pickups are $25 for up to 4 people and just $30 for up to 8 people.  We make dozens of reservations at the B&B every year for our guests if they arrive in San Jose after 2 pm or depart earlier than noon, and everyone loves the B&B.  Leo is great at organizing other locations to visit during your trip and along the way to Manzanillo, and can arrange day trips with their van out of San Jose to cloud forests, waterfalls, canopy tours, Volcano Arenal, hot springs, etc.  The van, as of Feb 2010, is $400 round trip to Manzanillo with 5 people or less, $10/person for up to 9 people.  One way trips are half price of round trip.  For an extra fee you can take the long way to the coast and see some sites along the way to round out your trip.  Since you really don't need a car once you get to Manzanillo this is a great way to not get lost or deal with driving and maps.  Email Leo for more information and to arrange shuttles.

Another option for getting to Manzanillo is the Interbus system, which is comfortable and works well for small groups. They run 10 passenger vans all over the country every day, so you arrange your shuttle ahead of time. Their web site for San Jose to Manzanillo is: http://www.interbusonline.com.  You probably won't get the personal service of Leo's van and driver, but it may be cheaper. 

OTHER INFO
The surfing on the Caribbean coast is best near Puerto Viejo, which is a half hour before you reach the Coral Reef House, and there are also waves right near Manzanillo,. There are other spots between the 2 places, but the legendary area is the 6-foot wave called La Salsa Brava, Dec-April. Puerto Viejo is where you want to stay if you're looking to stay up late and dance in the bars.  It's a young town with lots of cheap places to stay, but you have to watch your stuff, day and night.  Manzanillo is secluded and quiet like most end-of-the-road towns, and relatively safe especially if you are staying in the Coral Reef House or the Dolphin Lodge which are slightly beyond the end of the road and very private. 

Here is a map link to the area.   TIDE CHART    WEATHER REPORT

Coral Reef House / Dolphin Lodge
Jim DiBerardinis, Owner
Bozeman, Montana 
(406) 586-5084
Email for Info