FAQ

You can get to Manuel Antonio from San Jose by air, shuttle or rental car. The drive is about 2 1/2 hour beautiful drive to Manuel Antonio and Villas Oasis.

Private Shuttle Service

We can arrange a private shuttle service to pick you up upon your arrival at the airport in San Jose or directly from your hotel. The Private shuttle service is the most convenient, comfortable and relaxing of all the options. The shuttle will arrive at your Hotel at the requested time (or directly at the Airport) and pick you up. The shuttle gives you the luxury of stopping along the way to grab something to eat, visit the famous “crocodile bridge” or just to take photos of the beautiful scenery and wildlife during your journey.

The cost is $175 in total for up to 4 people from San Jose airport to Villas Oasis, any additional passenger is $15. The vehicle is air conditioned and is very well maintained and of highest quality.

Shared Shuttle

Your other option would be the shared shuttle. This costs around $55 per person, (one way) from the San Jose airport to Manuel Antonio. (you will be sharing with other people). “INTERBUS” is the recommended company to use for this service :

(https://www.interbusonline.com/home/home.asp)

Private Shuttle Service

We can arrange a private shuttle service to pick you up upon your arrival at the airport in San Jose or directly from your hotel. The Private shuttle service is the most convenient, comfortable and relaxing of all the options. The shuttle will arrive at your Hotel at the requested time (or directly at the Airport) and pick you up. The shuttle gives you the luxury of stopping along the way to grab something to eat, visit the famous “crocodile bridge” or just to take photos of the beautiful scenery and wildlife during your journey.

The cost is $175 in total for up to 4 people from San Jose airport to Villas Oasis, any additional passenger is $15. The vehicle is air conditioned and is very well maintained and of highest quality.

Manuel Antonio National Park Beach

Villas Oasis is about a 5-10 minutes drive (1.5 miles/2.4km) to the main beach and the National Park. Most people like to take the public bus that runs every 20 minutes and picks up at a bus stop close to our property. The cost is less than 70 cents each way.

We are located on a mountain top, so while it is possible to walk to the beach, the roads are narrow and Costa Rican drivers are not the most careful out there, so we don’t recommend walking. 

Biesanz Beach

There is a spectacular small beach called Biesanz, near the end of the side road to Hotel Parador and it´s nice to visit for its surprise encounters with Howler monkeys and the smallest monkey of Costa Rica, the Titi monkey, often traversing the monkey ropes put up across the road. To get here, you would have to walk down a pretty steep hill not serviced by the bus line, and to get back you can always enter one of the many hotels lining the road to ask them to call you a taxi. The beach is worth the visit, though, especially if you have younger kids and are looking for a place with less waves..

Villas Oasis is located within walking distance to several restaurants and stores. Depending on your taste you will find an offering of Vietnamese, Italian, Mexican, Sushi, fish tacos, juice bar, BBQ, and traditional Costa Rican food, plus several a stocked supermarkets with some of them open until 9 p.m. every night.

Absolutely! Simply inform our concierge and he will be happy to coordinate a private chef for your particular group, preferably with advance notice as the chefs have really intense schedules. The cost is normally around $120 plus the cost of the food. The cost of the chef varies depending of the time of the year (Christmas & New Years being the most expensive)

Payment:
Deposit is 50% of the rental price. Upon receipt of your deposit, your reservation is confirmed. The remaining balance will be paid within 7 days prior to arrival. All Holiday reservations (Christmas, New Years, Easter) require the remaining balance to be paid 3 months prior to arrival. Deposit is non refundable.

Cancellation:
Cancellation made 90 days or more prior to arrival, may be applied to an alternate booking date, within a year of the initial booking date. Cancellations made less than 90 days prior to arrival will result in complete loss of deposit.

For all Holidays bookings (Christmas, New Years, Easter), no refunds of deposit or date changes will be allowed.

When you are staying in Manuel Antonio, you never need to go very far to see wildlife. At time all you need to do is step out onto your patio or balcony and you will be presented with any number of animals from Howler monkeys, sloths and if you are fortunate perhaps even a beautiful Toucan. For the most diverse and abundant selection of wildlife we would recommend you visit the Manuel Antonio National Park early in the morning. Take a camera!

Yes, there is. We are a small, quiet property and with each group, there must be at least one person over 25 in your party. There is no maximum age, so bring old grandpa with you!

Most of our clients do not choose to rent a car while staying at Villas Oasis. Since we are located only 1.5 miles from the beaches/national park and we are situated in the village center at the top of a mountain, there is no need for private transportation. Most people like to take the public bus that runs every 20 minutes and picks up at a bus stop close to our property. The cost is 50 cents each way, to and from the beach or to and from Quepos. We also have restaurants, grocery, shops all within walking distance. Also if there is a need to be somewhere immediately you can take advantage of the taxis that can be found close by.

Villas Oasis is proud to have a longstanding relationship with the best tour companies in Manuel Antonio. For any tour you book through us, they will come and pick you up. For those what might choose to rent a car while here it is not necessary to have a 4 wheel drive car. In our area, most of our roads are in good condition all year round.

Absolutely! However we do encourage all tourists to take special notice, if you notice areas in the beach where there are no people swimming this is typically because there have been recognized rip currents. These potentially dangerous rip currents are to be avoided. The local Costa Ricans are very familiar with these areas, therefore it is always wise to swim where you see others doing the same.

Manuel Antonio is a great place to visit all year round and your travel time typically comes down to personal preference. The nation's climate is classically divided into two major seasons: Rainy (Green) and Dry. The dry season runs from January through May and the rainy/green season from May to November and December. During the rainy season the rainfall typically occurs mostly in the early morning and afternoon, creating a warmer, more humid environment during the day. This time of year also encourages more natural wildlife to emerge throughout the National Park and Jungle areas. During the dry season you will experience very little to no rain whatsoever. The weather remains very warm and sunny and while there is still plenty wildlife during this time of year, beautiful blooms in the flowers and natural fauna seems to bring a lot of attention.

Of course we do!

Manuel antonio has 4 significantly recognised beaches. These are, Manuel Antonio National Park beach, Playa Espadilla, Playa Biesanz, and Playitas.

National Park Beach: There are several small beaches inside Manuel Antonio Park. These beaches are perhaps the most beautiful of all. The pristine white sand beaches and clear clean ocean attract tourists year round for swimming, snorkeling and dolphin / whale watching. While it costs tourists around $10 to enter the National Park beach, many consider the beach to be better due to the decreased crowds.

Playa Espadilla is the largest and busiest of all the beaches. It is located in front of the Manuel Antonio main street and is the first beach you will see as you journey down the road. The beach fills up with sunbathers, surfers, volleyball players, strand strollers, locals playing football and tourist families. Even on the busiest days it is long enough to provide an escape from the crowd, which tends to gather around the restaurants and lounge chairs near its southern end. Though it is often safe for swimming, beware of rough seas, which create deadly rip currents.A full-day rental of a beach umbrella and two lounge chairs costs around $10

Playa Biesanz is more off the beaten path and secluded as it takes a little effort to get there. When Manuel Antonio beach gets overwhelming with buzzing tourists, head to Playa Biesanz. There are picturesque views of the park from here and there is also excellent snorkeling. During the high season it is possible to rent snorkeling equipment. A quaint tico restaurant is also on the beach that serves sensibly priced lunch fare. Parking is available alongside the road. Walk through the path down the small hill to the beach.

Playitas is About a 10 minute walk up the beach, this is a quieter and less-busy area of the public beach in Manuel Antonio and is a hot spot for surfing.

USING YOUR OWN LINE

This all depends on who your carrier is. If your carrier is a CDMA type , which has no removable SIM card. (For example - Verizon, Sprint, Alltel) you will not have any service in Costa Rica.

If your carrier uses GSM, which does have a SIM card inside (For example AT&T, T-mobile) you will be able to use your regular cell phone. You must call your carrier ahead of time and activate international roaming. This normally costs about $2/min.

ACQUIRING A NEW LINE WHILE YOU ARE HERE

Another option is to buy a prepaid SIM card at the San Jose airport and use it in your own phone (if you use a GSM phone,). You can buy one of these on the lower level by the baggage carousels. Once you clear immigration, you go to the lower for your checked luggage (if any) There is a small counter over by carousel #1. This is where you can buy the SIM card while waiting for your luggage.

The rates are about ¢35 (7 cents)/min local and ¢2 per text sent. Calling the US is about 5 times the local rate (about ¢160 or $0.30/min) which isn't bad. If you plan to call the US, get a $20 SIM.

Received calls and texts are free in CR. They will ask for your passport and your phone when buying it.

Costa Rica uses 110 volt system and we have the same wiring as North America. Your hairdryer, curling iron and all other appliances will work fine. Those of you from Europe will need to use adapters. These are sometimes hard to find easily in Costa Rica. Bring your own!

A typical meal here is known as Gallo Pinto. This is a plate of rice and beans, is usually served for breakfast with eggs, cheese and toast. For lunch and dinner, casados are the norm. “Casado” means “married” in Spanish – and this enormous plate is a matrimony of fresh salad, hearty beans, fluffy white rice and a serving of beef, pork, chicken or fish. Sometimes it is accompanied by a scrumptious fried plantain to satisfy your sweet tooth. After dining, you can’t go wrong ordering “tres leches” (three milk sponge cake) for dessert. Costa Rican food is rarely spicy but if you would like to add some extra flavor, there is a very popular condiment called “Salsa Lizano” available at most local sodas and supermarkets (many people fall in love with it and want to take it home as a souvenir) The locals put on everything. The coffee is excellent and we recommend you to try the local brand “Cafe Milagro”, and visit their roastery down in Quepos. Some unusual items that you might find when eating at a local soda (Costa Rican diner) are yucca (a root vegetable similar to a potato), pejibaye (a palm fruit with a flavor similar to boiled peanuts), and picadillo (finely diced squash mixed with ground meat and spices). The Farmer´s market has an array of seasonal fruits, many of which do not have English names, a great part of your adventure!

Outside in our garden or rancho you are more than welcome to sit down for a smoke. However inside the Villas it is not allowed as we try to keep our Villas maintain freshness for all our guests. Please let your concierge know if you would need an ashtray as they are sometimes spread out across the property.

There are private bilingual doctors are available 24/7 for any kind of urgency/emergency.

You can change your money in local Colones at any bank, (please remember to bring your passport). We have several banks in Quepos and two banks less than 10 minute walking distance from the Villas Oasis. Normal opening times in Quepos are between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. The banks closest to us are open from 9 a.m. (Promerica) and 11 p.m. (Banco Costa Rica). There are also 2 ATMS within walking distance, next to both Banks, where you can withdraw your money in dollars.

Yes. There are several banks throughout Quepos (a five-minute drive from the Villa) all of which have ATMS available which typically dispense both Dollars and Colones.

Also in Manuel Antonio, only a 10-minute walk from the Villa there are two banks both of which provide ATM service. These machines also give the choice between Dollars and Colones. Please remember, most ATMS do not dispense money after 10pm.

- Travel alarm clock.

- Sunscreen and insect repellent.

- Socks: bring extra pairs in case feet get wet.

- Rain gear: poncho, raincoat and umbrella.

- Sunglasses.

- Swimwear.

- Beach towel

- Beach sandals

- Binoculars

- Plastic bags for storing wet clothes and for protecting dry clothes and equipment

- Valid passports for all members of your party, including children and babies

- Sunscreen and insect repellent.

- Shirts: cotton or light synthetic, long- and short-sleeved.

- Trousers: cotton or light synthetic pants. Bring at least 2 sets of clothes that dry quickly. (Jeans not recommended; too slow to dry.)

- Ziplock plastic bags for spillable toiletries, and plastic garbage bags for wet items.

- Hiking shorts.

- Bandanas.

- Camera and plenty of film. Also, extra batteries/battery charger and plenty of memory for a digital.

- Plastic water bottle: especially for hikes.

- Hats with visors for sun or rain protection

- Drivers licenses if you plan to rent a car

- Vitamins or medications

- Small first-aid kit

- Anti-itch ointment

- A universal adaptor for bathroom sinks

- Hairdryer

- Toiletries in a plastic bag to comply with airline carry-on regulations

- Waterproof, lightweight hiking boots or two pairs of tennis shoes with good treads. If one pair gets wet, use that pair whenever you are likely to get your feet wet again; plastic bags to store them in.

The Costa Rican currency is called Colon. Most restaurants and stores in this area accept dollars, even though the exchange rate they give you is much lower than at the bank.

The local exchange rate of the Costa Rica colon to the Dollar typically floats between 490 - 520 colones to the Dollar. For example:

2000 colones = $4 (average)

5000 colones = $10 (average)

VILLAS OASIS is only moments away from Quepos and at the same time, the beaches of Manuel Antonio. As you arrive in Quepos, look for the signs directing you to Manuel Antonio. Follow this road as it goes through Quepos then up the hill. Stay on this road for approximately 4kms (2.5 miles). As you are ascending up to the top of the hill, you will notice a large sign on the left that says @Villas Lirio@ after that is the Manuel Antonio school (Escuela). After the school take your first left. There will also be a sign saying Hotel Pacifico Lunada on our road. Enter the road and you will also see a small Church on the right, and behind the Church is VILLAS OASIS.

If you pass a large soccer field on the left, you will know that you have gone too far and need to turn around. You can always reach us on the phone and we will be happy to help you out with directions.

Our wonderful concierge is multi lingual. He speaks both English and Spanish and will be available to assist you in booking tours, to get a taxi, and answer any questions you might have. Many of the locals and people living in the area also speak English as well and they are all very friendly and love to help out.

No pets are allowed.

Without a doubt Costa Rica can be called “the safest country in Central America”. While there are unfortunate incidents involving tourists in any country, Costa Rica is a very safe, stable travel destination. One of the reasons that Costa Rica continues to grow as a top destinations is because it is one of the few places where travelers can feel safe exploring almost any part of the country.

Costa Ricans have a saying, "Pura Vida" which is the unofficial motto of Costa Rica. Pura Vida also is a lifestyle or way of life. It expresses how Costa Ricans live--happy and proud of their country and of what they have. Costa Ricans also use it to express perseverance, a sense of strong community and celebrating good fortune and living life slowly, moment by moment, day by day.

There is always a risk for petty theft so please keep an eye on your belongings when out and about but violent crime is very unusual and is not the typical mentality of the Costa Ricans, as outlined above.

A good idea is to make a copy of the following items:

- A copy of the identifying pages of your passport

- the number of your credit cards

- airline tickets

- emergency phone numbers.

Have these copies in a digital format and emailed to your own account.

Each unit at Villas Oasis comes with a safety box where you should store all your valuable items.

Manuel Antonio at Night

Villas Oasis is where the center of the community lies, with restaurants, bars, and supermarkets, you can often see local families out walking with their children. However as with any town anywhere in the world we always encourage taking precautions when out at night. The only area we would not encourage tourists to frequent at night would be the Manuel Antonio beach. This is simply because this area is poorly lit late at night.

Health care in Costa Rica is very good and sanitary standards are high. First class hospitals are found throughout San José and some of the other largely populated areas. Since long ago, diseases such as malaria, paludismo, and yellow fever were eradicated in Costa Rica. There are no plagues like in other countries and no special vaccine recommendations for travelers more than the influenza and the tetanus vaccines.

Many tourists like to spend one night in San Jose before flying home the next day from the international Airport. We are happy to provide you with a list of recommended hotels close to the Airport.

The water at Villas Oasis is fine to drink. The water is safe to drink in nearly all locations, except parts on the Caribbean side and near the border of Nicaragua. When in very remote or rural areas, you may wish to drink bottled water.

Costa Rica is the same as U.S. central standard time, but does not observe daylight savings time. GMT/UTC-6 hours.

Click here for the current time: http://www.worldtimeserver.com/current_time_in_CR.aspx

We would be happy to. Please contact our concierge and he will help you with any travel plans you might need to make.

Mainly the altitude and the temperature. The rain forests are very hot and humid while the cloud forest are humid and moist. The species of flora and fauna are also significantly different.

No. An International license is not required. You are allowed to drive with your normal driver's license as long as your tourist visa has not expired, which is normally 90 days.

Contrary to popular belief, although Costa Rica has tarantulas, these spiders are not dangerous. They only provoke a slight itching in humans. Tarantulas, along with the poisonous snakes found in Costa Rica are extremely rare in Manuel Antonio and the surrounding area. Many people that have lived in Manuel Antonio for several years are yet to even see any of these creatures. Typically, poisonous snakes or large spiders are only found when deep in the rainforest.

You do need to be aware that you are in the rain forest and not to go walking off the paths when out hiking etc. Even though the animals tend not to seek human interaction, the biggest risk is stepping on a snake by accident. This can easily be avoided by just keeping your eyes open. When in popular areas like the Manuel Antonio National Park, the risk of up close encounters is very small as long as you stay on the paths and the beaches.