Costa Rica: Manuel Antonio
To close out this segment of my Costa Rica travel guide, I wanted to share with you some of the restaurants, shopping, and activities of the seaside village, Manuel Antonio.
Manuel Antonio Restaurants
El Wagon Right on the main drag of restaurants in Manuel Antonio, a large wagon wheel may draw your attention to this popular pizza parlor. On our first night in Manuel Antonio we were met with torrential rain fall and easy parking and entry guided our decision on where to enjoy dinner. Add to those two factors that I am an avid pizza lover, and you’ll understand why we stopped into El Wagon. Crowded with locals and tourists alike, El Wagon boasts a large wood fire pizza oven and full bar. The pizza has a very thin crust. The wood fire gives it a nice flavor. I think a little more char on the crust would have elevated it a bit more. But add a side salad and some vacay cocktails and El Wagon offers a pretty good pizza pie and fun spot for a dinner date.
Oceano Whenever you travel somewhere new, it’s a great idea to ask the locals where their favorite spots to eat are. Oceano was recommended to me by our driver for the day as a great spot for seafood and stunning views. Oceano is an open air restaurant with a great panoramic view overlooking the pacific ocean. The seafood was really fresh, fresh caught in the area. We ordered the seafood plate for two which came with two whole fried snappers, octopus, crab, lobster. It was a really good meal. Really great flavors and garlic butter. We enjoyed sipping on passion fruit Caprinhas and by the time we made our way through the seafood platter with traditional Costa Rican sides, there was no room for dessert.
Arbol Food & Wine located in Hotel Makanda, Arbol Food and Wine is another spot known for its stunning views. Their signature cocktail is the Makanda also made with fresh passion fruit. To be honest, the food was serviceable but disappointing. The components on each plate didn’t really compliment each other or make sense to the dish. When on vacation it’s easy to overlook the bill and I later caught that they overcharged me….by a lot. Fortunately they were easy to work with in rectifying the overcharge but it was still a pain to deal with. I suggest stopping by for a cocktail, the romantic vibes, and the view. Then go and enjoy dinner elsewhere.
Manuel Antonio Shopping
Quepos Cigar Shop: One of the first things I do when I set foot outside of the USA is procure some good Cuban cigars. On a sunny day, post hike, my wife and I explored the shops of Manuel Antonio and headed to the Quepos cigar shop. It was closed but the proprietor, took notice of our presence and opened shop for us. He was very friendly, making long and interesting conversation and had some great Cuban cigars to select from. This is a great shop to stop in.
Cafe Milagro You can’t go to Costa Rica without getting excited about the coffee. Cafe Milagro is a great place to purchase bags of beans—all sourced from Costa Rica and roasted by Milagro—to bring home and share with friends. We also enjoyed a hot cup of French press and an iced Americano.
Farmer’s Market: If you’re in Quepos during the weekend, be sure to stop by the Farmer's Market. Open Fridays and Saturdays, here you’ll find fresh fruits and vegetables as well as artisan jewelry and specialty jams that make great gifts.