Téva Eco Retreat - Hostel

Old lady hippie traveling alone couldn’t have chosen a better spot. Super friendly staff, and even though they have dorm style rooms for groups of traveling young people, they enforce quiet time at 10 pm. Was picked up there for a tour of Manuel Antonio park and had a great time. Oh, and the food in the hotel restaurant was excellent. Saw a sloth right outside my room first morning. It’s small, no tv, which is fine with me, and clean and comfortable and quiet and surrounded by gorgeous jungle and connected to lots of walking trails. Hi, Alan and Oscar!

We couldn’t quite believe we were at the right place when we first arrived! It has a very luxurious and modern spa feel to it. The staff were so welcoming and friendly and we were even given a free welcome juice. We had booked a twin and were given a double. When we said we had reserved a twin they apologised and said the booking websites don’t pass on the info but that we could switch when a twin became available the next day, which we did. The pool is great and we were so impressed with how dedicated the staff were. They keep the whole place including shared showers and toilets absolutely spotless. The restaurant and bar are a great facility as well. We went to the supermarket and bought breakfast which we stored in the well equipped kitchen. The only downside is that it is on the road between Manuel Antonio and Quepos. There is no pavement and it is a VERY busy road that I wouldn’t even walk along in the day let alone at night. There is a cut through in the forest at the back to get to Manuel Antonio, but I also didn’t feel safe walking that at night. So the only option to go out for dinner was to get the bus, which is unreliable and infrequent, with the last bus being at 9:30. We went into Quepos one evening and caught the penultimate bus home. Great, until the driver wouldn’t stop at our stop, leaving us stranded in Manuel Antonio. It was frustratingly only about 600m down the hill to the hostel but it felt way too dangerous to walk along the road in the dark. In the end we got a taxi which was ridiculous but felt like the only option! The next day we just ate in the hotel as it was too much hassle. If you’ve got your own car or are cooking in the hostel, definitely stay here. If you want to eat out in the evenings stay in Manuel Antonio or Quepos.

When I first arrived I didn't think it was the right place, so ended up going to another place and then back again so make sure you check it's the right one when you're there. Receptionists were very friendly and helpful when booking tours etc. The room itself was fairly simple, but clean and nice. Was terrified of getting a stain on the towel or bedsheets because you have to pay extra if you do, which was challenging due to the rain and mud, whilst also being a makeup wearer and on my period, so maybe bring a spare towel that you can actually use... Whilst I didn't go in the pool, it looked very inviting, and I am also aware that they offer some yoga classes there too which everyone said were good. The kitchen area was nice, met some friendly people in there, although be prepared for the many lizards on the walls! The food from the restaurant was also nice however...PLS READ IF YOU HAVE FOOD ALLERGIES! Make sure you double double check that the waiters have understood your allergies! I ordered a meal, and told the waiter I was allergic to sesame seeds, and asked if what I wanted o order was going to be okay to eat...I told him in Spanish as well, it wasn't even like he had to try and work out what I said. He then brings the food out and I take one look at it and instantly feel like there's something wrong. I asked what seeds they had put on the chips and he tried to tell me that they were pepper seeds. Luckily I kept asking until he finally went to check with the chef. Turns out the entire side of chips were absolutely covered in sesame seeds! Not everyone might have been as persistent as I was, and if I had just trusted what the waiter told me I would've ended up eating the food. I am severely allergic to the point I could die if I ate them, and the most I got was "sorry about that". Also make sure you don't do any of the trails they have at night. I wanted to walk into town to get some food, and according to the hostel it was a quick easy walk through the forest. However, when I was walking it started to get dark and the signs weren't very clear. I ended up going the wrong way - on one of the harder trekking routes through the middle of the forest. It had been raining a lot so the mud was thick and slippery and there were lots of hills. I got completely lost, and was absolutely terrified, I couldn't see one of the bridges so ended up in a swamp like area and thought I was going to lose both shoes. I also fell over when trying to go down one of the steep hills and got mud everywhere. It also went in my charging port meaning my phone wouldn't charge (my only form of contact with anyone, as a solo traveller). So after a lot of crying and panicking and having a poisonous frog climb right out in front of me, I finally made it out, but then couldn't even use the towel to help with the mud and rain. This is just my experience and I should've gone during full daylight, but also the paths should definitely be clearer, as to where you're going. Just be