Almonds and Corals Hotel

Overview

Description

Hotel Almonds and Corals is located in the heart of the Gandoca - Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, on the southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. It is a delightful and relaxing place with the magic touch of nature, and is very unique.

The hotel was built with treated pine wood and some hardwood that was legally purchased in the areas outside of the refuge. The style of each bungalow is designed to maximize ventilation and lower the temperature felt from the humid climate, as well as enhance the elements of the rainforest such as the views, the sounds, and the breeze.

The colors used for the buildings have also been carefully picked as to avoid disrupting the natural scenery in any way.

The entire hotel is embraced by the rainforest. Plants and trees are only pruned when they start to interfere with walkways or buildings. The rest of the rainforest has been totally left untouched. Absolutely no exotic plant or animal species have been introduced into the nearby rainforest to avoid alterations to the ecosystem. The gardens of the hotel have been naturally created by the rainforest.

The lodge offers a zipline canopy tour, hikes on private trails in the refuge, and the most beautiful beach on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.

Rooms

24

Making a Difference

Number of employees: 35

Percentage of local employees: 50%

The involvement of the owners of Almonds & Corals has been strong from the beginning, as they have always been interested in the well-being and development of the community. Currently, the hotel is involved in the Blue Flag Program that keeps the beach clean and unpolluted.

The hotel has worked with local school children by giving talks about the importance of having a clean environment and organizing periodic beach clean-ups.

When the hotel was built in 1993, there was no garbage collection system available for the area. The owners, along with some friends from the community, decided to organize and finance a garbage collection system that is still currently used, along with a recycling center.

The hotel has also provided assistance to the community police to provide a more secure environment.

Most of the hotel staff comes from the Manzanillo community. The hotel has brought representatives from the National Learning Institute (INA) to give different training courses to staff, thus improving their résumés and future employment opportunities.

Rates

$150 and up

Prices are per person and include breakfast, dinner, and taxes.

For more information about rates, please visit:

• www.almondsandcorals.com/rates (available in English).
• www.almendrosycorales.com/precios (available in Spanish).

Getting There

Nearest international airport: San José (SJO)

Nearest local/national airport: Limón (LIO)

Travel time to nearest airport: 1 hour and 30 minutes

It isn’t hard to reach Manzanillo de Limón from San José. The highway is well-marked along the entire route with signs indicating the distance to destinations and turnoffs, although you stay on essentially the same road for the whole trip.

The first step is to reach the San José-Guápiles highway, known as the Braulio Carrillo Highway or Route 32. This highway transits Braulio Carrillo National Park and goes through the Zurquí tunnel. After driving through the park, you go past three rural towns along the highway: Guápiles, Guácimo, and Siquirres. After Siquirres you reach Puerto Limón, where you take a turnoff to the right marked with a sign for Cahuita, Puerto Viejo, and Manzanillo. There is a TEXACO gas station on the corner where you turn. Take this coastal road, cross the Estrella River, pass the Penshurt gas station and continue on to the village of Cahuita. At this junction, take the turnoff for Puerto Viejo (watch for the sign), a picturesque village full of restaurants by the beach. Hotel Almendros y Corales is 15 minutes from Puerto Viejo and 2 km before Manzanillo. You will know that you have arrived after you cross a narrow, two-lane bridge; the turn for the hotel is 200 meters ahead on your left, with a big “Almendros y Corales” sign; go another 300 meters to the big wooden gate.

The route is:

San José – Braulio Carrillo Highway (Route 32) – Guápiles – Guácimo – Siquirres – Puerto Limón – Río Estrella (Valle de la Estrella) – Penshurt – Cahuita – Puerto Viejo – Manzanillo.

Additional Information

Date This Information Was Provided

September 2011.

Photos courtesy of Almonds and Corals Hotel, Costa Rica, for SustainableTrip.org.