“Wonderful”

Thanks to Carlos and bis team for our staying in a wonderful place! We will come back. I Hope the parrots do their home ;)

“It was amazing!!!”

We had such a wonderful stay at Carlos Riverside Villas. We truly enjoyed every moment. Carlos is absolutely fantastic — he tells the most beautiful stories and creates such a special, welcoming atmosphere. You immediately feel at home here. The whole team is incredibly kind and helpful, always with a smile. The accommodation is very comfortable, the pool is lovely and relaxing, and the food is really good. And the sweet dogs walking around make it all even more special. This place is simply fantastic. We would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for a warm, unique and memorable stay. Thank you Carlos and see you the next time! Dennis Tamara Joshua

It is a beautiful place with private, quiet cabins. The gardens are gorgeous and you’ll hear a lot of birdlife and even macaws. The host is friendly and responsive.

“Perfect and magical, like staying with friends.”

Oh my! The perfect place to resume our trip after three days of trauma and stress after my wife broke her leg. Carlos and his whole family and staff are wonderful, just like our room and the hotel grounds. Each morning we could wait and see what wildlife would come to visit whilst we ate breakfast. Carlos was also very helpful arranging accessible trips for my immobile wife. Thank you so much Carlos!

“little paradise in Manuel Antonio”

a very nice costarican owned and run facility. large rooms with terrasse, nice pool and good food at the restaurant. very nice garden where you can observe monkeys, toucans macaws etc. A nice 45 minutes walk around a rive brings you in the jungle to a waterfall. The owners' family are great for any tips around Manuel Antonio

“A homely stay with host who genuinely cares.”

Host, Carlos, was lovely and made us feel extremely welcome. It is off the main road so you feel secluded while also being close to the main attractions in Manual Antonio. Carlos was also useful in giving us tips about the national park. We enjoyed our balcony area.

“Wonderful few days .”

Beautiful gardens . Location away from the town , plenty of wildlife. Run by a lovely family who were. Also very helpful.

“A gorgeous oasis yo unwind.”

The hotel is in a lovely location away from the bustle and busyness of Manuel Antonio and yet there is easy access thanks to very cheap bus or taxi. Beautiful gardens surrounded by nature. We saw loads of animals there from Pepe the sloth to capuchin monkeys and gorgeous butterflies! Very friendly family running the hotel, happy to help with arrangements .

What a beautiful place. Monkeys , beautiful birds, lovely stream running through. Breakfast beautiful. Carlos makes this place, full of life person. We had an amazing time here. Thank you.

“Fabulous! A true 10/10 rating”

We stayed here with for a full week in a double queen room. This room was superior to other accommodation nearby with a great shower, 2 queen beds, a lovely balcony and amazing views of the pool and jungle. The mattress and pillows were extremely comfortable. This is a family business with Carlos and his wife doing the early shift and son Charlie taking over in the evening. They are all lovely and so helpful from day 1 through to day 7. Nothing was any trouble for Carlos or Charlie and they regularly alerted guests to wildlife passing through. We saw a sloth, Jesus Christ lizard, kingfisher, woodpecker, scarlet macaws, blue morpho and large yellow butterflies, iguanas, squirrel, capuchin and howler monkeys, centipede, frogs … all over the space of a week on the grounds alone! Chillax Bistro is just that, chilled quality dining to the sounds of the jungle. Breakfast was amazing as was dinner and the menu for each was superb. We found the quality and presentation of food on the premises beat most other places and was competitively priced. We didn’t have a car during our holiday but it was easy to walk down the stony track about 7 mins to the main road where the frequent local bus takes you anywhere in Manuel Antonio or Quepos for 400 colones (under $1). Be prepared for howler monkeys announcing their presence early morning! You wouldn’t come to Costa Rica if you didn’t enjoy being surrounded by wildlife. It was thrilling hearing them. We highly recommend Riverside and if we ever return would stay here again in a heartbeat. On the long journeys home now and missing it already.

“Lovely villa in the jungle surrounded by wildlife”

Lovely location, very nice room, lots of wildlife

“If you truly want to experience the real Costa Rica — its nature, wildlife, and genuine warmth — we highly recommend st”

Our stay at Riverside in Manuel Antonio was more than perfect. My husband, our best friend, and I stayed in a charming bungalow within a beautiful family-run property surrounded by lush jungle. We traveled to several places in Costa Rica, but never before had we experienced a place so immersed in nature — we saw more animals and birds here than in any jungle or forest we’ve visited, including monkeys, iguanas, and countless bird species. Of course, Manuel Antonio National Park is stunning, but what makes Riverside truly special is how the wildlife is right at your doorstep. The property is spotless, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and the hospitality from the family is exceptional. Their dogs are wonderful, the food is delicious, and the drinks menu has everything you could want.

The surroundings were nice, especially in the evening when it was all lit up. The pool was nice. Nice walks around the property.

“A beautiful place with very ice people!”

Very nice people! Beautiful environment.

Riverside Villas/Bungalows is a very good place to stay in Manuel Antonio. It has parking and is a short drive to restaurants and shops. It consists of a small number of villas set adjacent to a pool and restaurant area, and is close to a river leading to the rainforest. There is wildlife such as iguanas, agoutis and macaws. The villas have different layouts, but each has an ample bedroom and bathroom and a good sized balcony. The rooms are well equipped. The villas are family owned and everyone is exceptionally helpful and friendly – particular thanks to Carlos senior. The breakfasts and dinners are good.

“Amazing stay!”

this was an amazing little oasis. A family run business that clearly took great pride in their service. the room was excellent and clean and surrounded by an amazing garden, we saw hummingbirds, scarlet macaw and a sloth! Breakfast was the best on our trip and dinner was lovely too. It was not far from the national park. Carlos was an exceptional host and Charlie looked after us well in the evening! thanks to all!

“Riverside Bungalows - Fantastic!”

Great cabina, spacious. Loved sitting on the deck watching wildlife. Pool was wonderful. Carlos is a great host.

“Wildlife wonderland and special retreat to nature, with a passionate and zesty owner”

Carlos and his family have created a little bit of paradise. He's immensely proud of his country and wants guests to have the very best experience. Within the first 5 minutes of arrival he had shown us a macaw and sloth. The place is teaming with wildlife and nature: toucans, macaw, sloths, lizards to name but a few. We saw almost more here than in the park. The place is designed for you to enjoy what Carlos describes as paradise. Hammocks are put up in the trees to quietly enjoy all the natural space has to offer. We had breakfast everyday which was delicious. Carlos makes this place a special place, helping with every question you might have. I've never stayed anywhere with as much character and clearly run with love. He helped both with every travel, restaurant and park query. He lined up a guide for Manuel Antonio which meant we saw much more than we would have done independently We didn't have a car and found it easy to do the 7 minutes walk from the accommodation to the main road, and get the bus which was extremely cheap and regular. We found taxis expensive at 10 dollars a trip and were not necessary. Good balance of rustic and comfortable.

“Good location to set your base and enjoy Manuel Antonio”

Right in the middle of the nature while being close from the Manuel Antonio National Park and other restaurants.

“AMAZING!”

1. Carlos, the owner! He was extremely friendly, knowledgeable, helpful and made you feel like you were family. 2. Carlos, the son! Just like his dad. 3. Maria, the daughter! It was nice to see the family working together. 4. The dogs! Oh, we loved having the dogs around. Like I said, you felt like you were part of the family. 5. The location! Just hanging out, you were able to see all the wildlife: White Face Monkey, Howler Monkey, Macaws, Toucans, Birds, butterflies, lizards! There is a creek along side the property and a nature trail! 6. The on-site restaurant! The Chef was AMAZING!! Everything was made fresh and smelt delicious! 7. Everything about the stay exceeded our expectations!