FAQ

We recommend flying into SJO Juan Santamaría International Airport as it is the closest international airport. We also recommend asking your personal concierge to organize a private shuttle to pick you up upon arrival and drive you to Tulemar. Without stops or traffic, the drive typically takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Your driver will be happy to stop along the way for photo opportunities, a meal, or grocery shopping. There are also local flights available but since those are not reliable (sometimes due to weather or other reasons), we tend to recommend a private shuttle instead.  

The Tulemar Beach is a secluded strip of beach where you can relax and enjoy the warm tropical waters, soft sandy beach, and shady palm trees. There you will find many amenities including lounge chairs, umbrellas, kayaks, boogie boards, towels, and food & beverage service. Tulemar offers free shuttle service to and from the beach, or you can easily walk there on the Tulemar road.  Although it is easier to walk down than it is to walk back up.

Although Tulemar is located in the middle of the lush jungle, mosquitoes surprisingly aren’t as troublesome as many would think. If you’re worried about bites ruining your vacation fun, we have a few tips for you.  Don’t fear the geckos. You’ll find lots of little lizards in and around your Tulemar home. Don’t be afraid, and don’t try to usher them outside! They love eating bugs and more geckos means fewer mosquitos in your home. Bring repellent from home. Repellent in Costa Rica is the exact same as repellent you’d buy in the States, but it comes with a much heftier price tag. If you’re finding bugs inside, close your screen doors or windows. 

If someone in your party becomes ill or if any medical concerns arise while vacationing in Tulemar, rest assured that you will have access to wonderful medical care in Costa Rica. Tulemar partners with Dr. Kevin, a general physician and the head coordinator of the Manuel Antonio Medical Center which is conveniently located right outside the gate to Tulemar.  Dr. Kevin is fluent in English and makes house calls to Tulemar or guests can visit him in his nearby clinic.  Simply let your concierge know about your medical concern and they will gladly arrange a visit with Dr. Kevin.

Built on 33 acres of hilly jungle, Tulemar has plenty of roads to hike, walk, and jog on if you’d like to get some cardio in while you’re on vacation.  While we don’t have a gym facility on site, there are a few homes that have gym equipment for the exclusive use of guests staying at those home.  Or there are local fully equipped gyms and a yoga studio within walking distance of our front gate.  The closest gym is a 5 minute walk and the yoga studio is also a 5 minute walk in the opposite direction.  If you prefer to have a trainer come to you, just ask your concierge about arranging a private or group yoga or workout class in your villa!

With plenty of beaches, hiking trails, waterfalls, and mountains in the Manuel Antonio and surrounding areas, there is never a shortage of activities to keep you and your family occupied during your stay at Tulemar. We encourage our guests to plan all of their activities through your personal concierge.  This helps ensure the best experience as each concierge has already vetted all vendors before recommending them and will not recommend those that may not provide the safest or best guest experience.

If you are interested in visiting the world-renowned Manuel Antonio National Park, you have a few options:

• Take a Private Tour:  Your concierge can arrange a private tour for you with one of the highly trained national park guides.  Each guide carries a state-of-the-art telescope and is an expert in spotting wildlife, so you are always guaranteed a close-up view of the action.
• Join A Group Tour:  Group tours provide the same experience but with a group of other visitors.  If you’re interested in meeting other travelers, this is a great option for you. The maximum size of the group is typically 8-10 people and this tour is usually a little less expensive.
• Navigate The Park On Your Own:  If you’re wanting to get through the park quickly and don’t care to see every animal along the way, you’re welcome to pay the entrance fee and enjoy the park at your own leisure.

The park‘s walkways will end at three beautiful and secluded beaches that are exclusive to paying visitors. So, be sure to bring your swimsuit and sunscreen if you’d like to enjoy the beaches! 

Since this is a National Park, your passport number is required when purchasing entrance tickets to the park.

1 Bedroom Units:  A couple of our 1 bedroom units do have a washer and dryer available for our guests. However, most of our 1 bedroom units do not have a washer and dryer. Either way, your concierge will be happy to arrange for your laundry to be taken care of during your stay.  Just ask your concierge if there is a fee for this service. 

2 & 3 Bedroom Units:  All of our 2 & 3 bedroom units have a washer and dryer that you are welcome to use at any time during your stay.

Private Villas:  Sit back and relax! The daily housekeeping staff in our private villas are happy to wash, dry, and fold your dirty laundry for you at any time during your vacation or in some of our private villas, if you prefer, you can do it yourself.

Whether you are wanting to soak up every second you can in your private villa, you want a romantic night in with your significant other, you have some fresh caught fish from your deep sea excursion, or you are just too tired to rally the family for a night out at a local restaurant, our private chefs are the perfect option for a relaxing and delicious night in.

For a flat fee plus the cost of groceries, one of our highly trained private chefs will grocery shop, come to your villa, cook and serve your food, and clean up before they leave! You have the option of a private chef for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even all your meals for the duration of your stay.  Check with your concierge to be sure that the unit you rented has the equipment needed for a private chef to cook and prepare meals.

Also, many homes only allow select chefs to provide services in the home.  Only the concierge assigned to the home can book the chef services for you.

For the most part, Costa Rica is very laid back and casual.  As such, there is no dress code at the resort or at local restaurants and bars. Dress comfortably and casually, and worry about nothing other than which delicious meal to order.

While Tulemar does not have a spa facility, we do provide outstanding spa services directly in your private casa, bungalow, or villa. You have the option to have just one treatment or a full spa day complete with multiple services and food & drink.

If you prefer your treatments to be done at a spa facility, your concierge will be happy to arrange an appointment at one of the local spas.

At Tulemar, there is an abundance of wildlife to see every day. After all, our slogan is Where Nature Lives© for good reason!

Some of the most common sightings include iguanas, agoutis, scarlet macaws, two types of toucans, two & three-fingered sloths, capuchin monkeys, squirrel monkeys, and howler monkeys, most of which are typically seen every day inside the resort.

While it’s always exciting to see the wildlife, please remember to never touch or feed any of the animals. This is extremely unhealthy for the animals.

Because of Costa Rica’s proximity to the equator, the sun rises and sets around the same time year-round. You can expect sunrise around 5:30 AM and a breathtaking Costa Rican sunset most days around 5:30 PM.  Sunset happy hour is very popular in Costa Rica.

There are two international airports in Costa Rica: Liberia (LIR) and San José (SJO). The closest, easiest, and most popular airport for guests to fly into is SJO, which is approximately a 2.5 to 3 hour drive from Tulemar.

The most popular transportation options from San José to Tulemar are a private shuttle van, a 20 minute flight from SJO to XQP, or a private charter flight.  Your concierge can help arrange any of these options for you.

• A private shuttle van:  we work with very safe and reliable private transportation companies that will get you here in a comfortable air-conditioned shuttle. These friendly drivers do their best to communicate in English and they are happy to make stops along the way for snacks or bathroom breaks as needed.  
• A short 20 minute flight with one of our local airlines to XQP located in Quepos which is a quick 15 minute drive to Tulemar.  Your concierge can arrange for a taxi to pick you up and drive you the resort.  These airlines offer limited departure times each day.
• A private charter flight gives you the flexibility of having a plane ready to depart when you are.
• A rental car: Since a car is not necessary to get around while staying with us in Tulemar, many guests decide not to rent a car.  If you do want to rent a car though, we highly recommend that you go through your concierge for this as renting a car can be a bit complicated.

Both U.S. dollars and Costa Rican colones in the form of cash or credit card are accepted at most restaurants and shops in Manuel Antonio.

There is an ATM within walking distance of Tulemar that dispenses both US dollars and Costa Rica colones for your convenience while you are visiting.

There are several grocery stores and markets within walking distance of Tulemar, which makes it very easy for you to stock up on essentials during your visit.

If you prefer some help with your grocery shopping, you have a few options for getting groceries during your stay:

• Provide your concierge with a grocery list and he/she will gladly do the grocery shopping for you. Your villa can be fully stocked before your arrival, or your concierge can grab anything you need throughout your stay. Please note that you must pay your concierge for your grocery bill in cash (US dollars or Costa Rica colones).
• Have your private transportation driver stop at the store on your way into Tulemar on check-in day so you can stock up on groceries yourself.
• Your concierge can escort you to the store to help you find all the items you need.

Some of Manuel Antonio’s best restaurants are within walking distance from the Tulemar entrance. Check out our Dining page for our favorite restaurants.  

If you prefer staying in, we also offer wonderful private chef services in your villa!

No! It is very important to never feed, hold, or interact with the wildlife in Tulemar and within the country. Not only is it illegal in Costa Rica to feed the wildlife, but it can be very harmful to the animals, and to you, to feed or to hold them.

Blow dryers, towels, soap, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion are provided in every Tulemar property. We also provide kitchen essentials such as cutlery, flatware, glassware, coffee, sugar, salt, and pepper. Every villa also comes equipped with a safe for your valuable belongings.

Yes, towels can be found in every villa and at the Tulemar beach.

The weather in Manuel Antonio is great all year round! Warm, tropical weather with sunny skies and the occasional rain shower to keep things green.

Costa Rica has two seasons: dry season, and green season. Despite the different seasons, Costa Rica has similar temperatures year-round typically ranging from mid to high 80s (farenheit).

Dry season is from December to April, with very little rain, lots of sunshine, gorgeous sunsets, and warm temperatures.

Green season, sometimes referred to as rainy season, is from May to November, with sunny and warm mornings and some rain in the afternoons or evenings. It’s better to schedule your tours in the morning during these months, but even with rain, tours usually continue as normal as it’s a warm rain.

You may see that the forecast usually shows rain every day. With so many microclimates in Costa Rica, this information is typically inaccurate, so don’t be discouraged if your forecast shows rain for your entire trip!

Tulemar has a very special partnership with The Sloth Institute (TSI) of Costa Rica which has its Research and Release facility inside Tulemar’s gates. In fact, our company provides financial support to TSI by making a monthly donation based on the number of nights booked by our guests.

The Sloth Institute’s mission is to enhance the well-being and conservation of wild and captive sloths through research and education. They work tirelessly to rescue and rehabilitate abandoned or injured sloths all throughout Costa Rica.

In an effort to discourage human contact with the sloths, The Sloth Institute’s facility is not open to the public. However, their release of rehabilitated sloths inside Tulemar does allow for a high population of visible sloths within Tulemar, which means spotting a sloth (or many!) during your stay is very likely.

While you cannot tour their facility, The Sloth Institute offers a daily “Sloth Walk” exclusively for Tulemar guests. On the Sloth Walk, a Sloth Institute researcher brings guests on a short guided walk through Tulemar to spot and discuss sloths and other various wildlife found in Tulemar.