Whether looking to celebrate your anniversary, Costa Rica destination wedding, honeymoon or to have a romantic Valentine’s Day vacation, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica makes for the perfect special getaway-location. As Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, I’ll focus this blog on this particular holiday. Although this is a commercial holiday that a lot of people don’t celebrateor that makes people feel obligated (or nauseated) to buy red roses, chocolates and teddy bears, it can actually be a great day for celebrating love and friendship. Personally, I don’t care about the commercial stuff, but I do enjoy a celebration and will take any excuse to step away from the mundane and rejoice in the little things in life and doing something fun with someone or the people I care about. So here is a short list of cool ways you can spend Valentine’s Day doing something unique and non-commercial.

Rent a luxury villa in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica in the heart of lush jungle and overlooking the beautiful Pacific Ocean. Here you will indulge in the tropics, soft sheets, first class villa service amenities and an on-call staff to have chilled wine and hors d’oeuvres ready so that you can sit on your patio and enjoy the sun setting over the ocean while you simply sit back and enjoy sharing the moment with your loved ones. Have your personal villa concierge set you up with a couples’ massage or other in-home spa treatments to really infuse your stay with relaxation.

Have a private dining experience with a personal chef and live musicians. What better way to do something unique than to have an executive chef prepare a customized meal just for you and your loved ones while having musicians play your favorite music in the background? Trust me on this one, this is a hit!

Rent a boat and take a private cruise during the day or for sunset.

Travel tip:

Sunsets in Manuel Antonio are INCREDIBLE from mid-December through March!

There is a boat rental and private tour company called Tres Ninas that offers the opportunity to take a sunset boat trip for two, or for your whole group. This is a must for your itinerary at some point as it is a super romantic trip and also makes you feel so alive and in awe of the beauty of nature while giving you a different waterside perspective of the area. Enjoy a glass of champagne as you cuddle up with your loved one or laugh about with friends, out on the water, under the setting sun- there is something very special about watching the sun go down while at sea.

Take a jungle hike through one of the many Manuel Antonio trails leading to private beaches and have a picnic lunch there. Not only will you observe awesome wildlife along the way such as sloths, monkeys, blue morph butterflies and coatis, but you will also catch amazing vistas of the coastline and beaches. A perfectly romantic and healthy half day activity that is certainly better than chocolates and roses!

So, even if you can’t make it down to Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica to enjoy the wonders of the area and one of our beautiful vacation rental homes this Valentine’s Day, consider it for next year. I promise your loved one/s will thank you!