Almonds and Corals is a 30-room boutique hotel set in lowland rainforest just before the village of Manzanillo, on Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast, with a short path through the trees to its own stretch of beach. It’s a good base for travelers who want sloths and howler monkeys around their room and the Gandoca-Manzanillo refuge down the road, with a proper restaurant and some comforts at the end of the day.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Location | Calle Almendros y Corales, about 2 km before Manzanillo, Talamanca, Limón |
| Style | Boutique jungle hotel with screened, open-walled rooms and air-conditioned rooms |
| Setting | Lowland Caribbean rainforest beside a reef-fringed beach |
| Best for | Couples, families, small retreats and weddings who want jungle and beach together |
| Getting there | Paved coastal road from Puerto Viejo de Talamanca toward Manzanillo |
| CST status | Not listed (checked 2026-Oct-21) |
Where it is
The hotel sits on the road between Punta Uva and Manzanillo, the last stretch of the southern Caribbean coast before the road ends. Its own address places it 2 km before Manzanillo village, in the canton of Talamanca. This is the quiet end of the coast: the restaurants and bars of Puerto Viejo are a drive or a long bike ride away, and the forest closes in on both sides of the road.
The reason to stay out here is the protected area next door. The Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge covers beaches, wetlands, lowland forest and, offshore, a protected reef of around 5 square kilometers that runs past Punta Uva, Manzanillo and Punta Mona, according to the Costa Rica Tourism Board’s refuge page. The same page notes brain coral and sea fans on the reef, and lists manatees and sea turtles among the threatened species the refuge protects. The Manzanillo sector is reached along the main road from Puerto Viejo, which passes the hotel.
Then and now
When this hotel first opened, it was billed as a tented safari camp, with canvas-and-palm suites raised on platforms and joined by boardwalks. The current version is more of a small hotel. The website now describes Caribbean-style cottages with mosquito-mesh walls, 30 rooms in all, an open-air bar, the beachfront MOCA restaurant, a 200-square-meter meeting room and an in-house events team that handles retreats and weddings. Bookings run through an online engine on the official site, and the hotel’s blog was posting new articles in October 2026.
Rooms
There are two broad kinds of room, and the difference matters more here than at most hotels.
- Signature rooms come with either a king bed or two queens. The Signature Double Queen is 40 square meters, with open walls screened by mosquito netting, curtains for privacy, ceiling fans over the beds, a desk, a private terrace facing the greenery and an en-suite bathroom with a tub. These rooms have no air conditioning: the point is to hear the forest at night and wake to howler monkeys.
- Deluxe rooms, also in king or double-queen layouts, are the closed, air-conditioned option. The Deluxe King is a more compact 22 square meters with jungle views, a fan, coffee and tea making, and the same bathroom setup.
If humidity and insect noise keep you awake, book a Deluxe room. If you came to the Caribbean specifically to sleep inside the jungle, the Signature rooms are the reason to pick this hotel over a conventional one in town.
Food and drink
MOCA Beach Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner every day from early morning until late evening, plus a snack menu and pastries baked in house. The cooking is a Caribbean and international mix built around coconut, pineapple and lime, with seafood and grass-fed Costa Rican beef and an emphasis on local, seasonal ingredients. The restaurant says most dishes can be adapted for allergies or dietary needs. It takes table bookings, so expect some outside diners in the evening.
Wildlife and what to do
Much of the wildlife comes to you. The hotel reports two-toed and three-toed sloths, often near the beach path and the parking area, and all three of the region’s monkeys (spider, howler and white-faced) around the grounds, along with geckos, frogs, snakes and a great many insects. Our guide to Costa Rica’s mammals covers how to tell the two sloths apart.
On the hotel’s side:
- The beach, reached on foot through the property and reserved for guests, with snorkeling along the reef-fringed coast in calm conditions.
- Guided rainforest walks arranged by the hotel.
- Guided visits to the national parks and refuges nearby, with licensed guides booked through the team.
Within a short drive are the Manzanillo trails of the refuge itself, the beaches of Punta Uva and Cocles, and Cahuita National Park farther north. The sea here is often rough between storms, so treat snorkeling as weather-dependent; our snorkeling and diving guide explains when the Caribbean side is usually clearest.
Sustainability
The hotel says it prioritizes sustainability and environmental protection, and its kitchen leans on local and seasonal produce. Beyond that, the official site publishes little detail on energy, water or waste. Almonds and Corals does not appear in the official CST certified-entities directory as of 2026-Oct-21. Its strongest nature credential is its location: a forested lot beside one of the country’s most important protected stretches of Caribbean coast, where the hotel has kept the trees standing around the rooms.
Who it suits, and who might prefer somewhere else
Almonds and Corals suits couples and families who want an easy, comfortable jungle-and-beach stay without roughing it, and groups looking for a retreat or wedding venue with its own beach and restaurant. Open-walled Signature rooms give a closer-to-nature night than most hotels on this coast.
It’s less suited to travelers on a tight budget, to anyone who wants to walk to bars and restaurants after dinner, or to people looking for a working farm or a hands-on conservation project. For a farm stay nearby, Finca Tierra in Cocles runs an organic permaculture farm; Geckoes Lodge, also in Cocles, is smaller and closer to town; and Samasati Nature Retreat is a hillside yoga retreat above Puerto Viejo. Browse the rest of the coast on our Caribbean eco lodges page, or compare other options in our roundup of beachfront eco lodges.
Frequently asked questions
Do the rooms at Almonds and Corals have air conditioning?
Only some. The Deluxe rooms are air-conditioned, while the Signature rooms have open, mosquito-screened walls and ceiling fans instead, so you hear the forest all night.
Is the beach private?
The hotel describes its beach access as exclusive to guests, reached by a path through the property. Beaches in Costa Rica are public by law, so expect the odd walker passing along the sand.
How close is the Gandoca-Manzanillo refuge?
Very close. The hotel is about 2 km before Manzanillo village, and the refuge's Manzanillo sector is reached along the same road. The protected reef runs past Punta Uva and Manzanillo.
Can the hotel host a group retreat or wedding?
Yes. It has a 200-square-meter screened meeting room that seats up to 150 people theater-style, an in-house event manager, and room for up to 75 retreat guests across its 30 rooms.
Are sloths seen at the hotel?
Quite possibly, though never guaranteed. The hotel reports both two-toed and three-toed sloths on the property, often near the beach path and parking area, along with three monkey species.
