Nature Observatorio, Manzanillo: Hours, Address, Nature Observatorio Reviews: 5/5
Nature Observatorio
Nature Observatorio
5
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
Nature Observatorio is a beautiful treehouse suspended 25 meters up on a tree in the middle of the jungle in the Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge at the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Enjoy wonderful nature hike through primary forest, exercise yourself climbing up the tree with ropes, and sleep up on the tree in the middle on the jungle. This is not just your ordinary accommodation. We are offering the ultimate 3-in-1 Costa Rica Tour Adventure: 1. Hike through real prime rainforest. Watch wildlife in its real natural habitat and listen to the sounds and whispers of the nature. 2. Climb 25 meters (8 stories) high up the tree. Use our safe climbing technique to hoist yourselves up to Nature Observatorio. 3. Spend a night up on the tree in the middle of the jungle. Enjoy one of the most memorable nights of your life and feel like Tarzan and Jane. To prepare yourselves for the adventure we suggest to read Frequently Asked Questions on our website.
Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
Features animals
Learn more about animal welfare in tourismSuggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingFull view
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Address
Best nearby
Restaurants
17 within 5 kms

Colores Restaurant And Beach Lounge
80
0.4 km$$ - $$$ • Latin • Seafood • International

Cool & Calm Cafe
323
0.3 km$$ - $$$ • Caribbean • Seafood • Central American

Soda Mima
60
0.2 km$ • South American • Central American • Costa Rican

Coccoloba Lounge
50
0.5 km$ • Caribbean • Latin • Seafood

Soda Wuacho
42
0.2 km$$ - $$$ • Caribbean • Seafood • South American

Maxi's Restaurant
623
0.2 km$$ - $$$ • Caribbean • Bar • Seafood

Soda La Playa
43
0.2 km$ • South American • Central American • Costa Rican

Soda Mimas Spot
5
0.4 kmCaribbean

Bar & Restaurante Mista Cook
11
0.6 km$ • Caribbean

Atardecer Dorado
1
0.4 kmSeafood • South American • Central American • Costa Rican
Attractions
10 within 10 kms

Gandoca - Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge
207
0.9 kmNature & Wildlife Areas

Playa Manzanillo
43
0.7 kmBeaches

Ara Manzanillo
154
2.6 kmNature & Wildlife Areas

Nature Park Walk
76
1.1 kmHistoric Walking Areas • Nature & Wildlife Areas

Playa Punta Uva
764
4.2 kmBeaches

Chocorart
247
Farms

La Ceiba
156
4.8 kmNature & Wildlife Areas

Playa Cocles
513
Beaches

Finca Tierra
10
Farms

Los Guardianes Wildlife Refuge
3
National Parks • Nature & Wildlife Areas
Contribute
Popular mentions
5.0
271 reviews
Excellent
268
Very good
2
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
0
mgmadero
Mexico City, Mexico5 contributions
Apr. 2022
We stayed at the tree house for the night and fell in love with the forest, view and sight! A beautiful forest filled with wildlife and protected with love and dedication by Peter who knows every tree, animal and inch inside and out. It was a pleasure speaking with him, and we are thankful with him for protecting such a sacred space and bringing so much of himself to the experience. I am person generally scared of spiders and am not a total nature nut, but this was an experience worth having and I would totally repeat. I cannot wait to go back and thank you to Peter and his team for sharing!
Written May 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Kat
San Francisco, CA28 contributions
Jan. 2022
What an awesome and unique experience! I was so impressed by Peter's knowledge about the jungle and how good he was at finding amazing little critters for me to photograph! I had an amazing time exploring the jungle and learning about this incredible structure that he designed and built. Spending a night up in the canopy was incredible!
Written April 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
ByronMorganFan
Las Vegas, NV5 contributions
Apr. 2022
An amazing experience in the Costa Rican rainforest. We spent one night in the treehouse and this is an opportunity unlike any other. The hike in was amazing, the treehouse was fantastic and the views incredible. Peter was an awesome host! We did the 'VIP' experience and enjoyed dinner and breakfast in the treehouse as well.
Written April 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Ondrej S
1 contribution
Mar. 2022 • Friends
What an amazing experience! It was exactly how I imagined it and better. You spend night right in the heart of rainforest and will get closer to the wildelife than ever before.
Unique touch of pure nature and the best part of my trip to Costa Rica.
Unique touch of pure nature and the best part of my trip to Costa Rica.
Written March 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Char Roe
2 contributions
Mar. 2022 • Friends
We had the most terrific stay in the nature observatorio. Peter gave us a fascinating and in depth tour of the jungle on the way and way back from the observatorio. Getting up into the tree house was brilliant and a once in a lifetime experience. You are completely at one with nature, removed from modern life surrounded by toucans, parrots and monkeys. We nestled into the night, accompanied by a bottle of wine and a delicious local meal. Waking up to breakfast in the morning surrounded by nature was unforgettable. Thanks so much Peter!!
Written March 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Isabella F
1 contribution
Feb. 2022 • Solo
I have just started my trip around Latin America when I came across this magical house up in the treetops. For a treelover like me or people trying to reconnect with life and nature in its truest form, it is more than worth it - the climb, the view, the story behind it. I loved every bit if this trip, this tree gives you the unique opportunity to let you see the jungle as it is, with all beings supporting each other. May you all cherish this special tree and leave with a memory of a night you will dream about back home.
Written February 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Curiosity14269302173
8 contributions
Jan. 2022
I have arthritic hands and was nervous about how well I'd do on the climb up to the treehouse, but I was relieved to find out the climb was relatively simple - not that it didn't wear me out! But you can take your time so it's no hassle. This was a really great experience and it was delightful to talk with Peter and with Teresa as they have both had such interesting lives. My engineer husband was impressed with the engineering of the treehouse. We had a sloth sleeping close to the treehouse which was fun to watch. Squirrel monkeys raised a ruckus nearby, though we never actually saw them. We got a new bird for our trip - a Pale-billed Woodpecker, which delighted the birdwatchers in us. On the jungle tour we saw about 5 species of frogs in the daytime, which was great, plus a scorpion and millipedes and squirrel monkeys. My husband quizzed Peter and Teresa endlessly on the big tree species which Peter loves climbing. For the rest of our trip my husband kept finding Nispero trees (which is what the treehouse is built around). This stay was a bit out of our normal price range but we utterly loved the experience and would do it again in a heartbeat! Plus most of the profits are likely to go to expanding the amount of jungle conserved so that makes the money spent a great investment in the future.
Written February 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Gabriella Š
1 contribution
Feb. 2022
We highly recommend this experience! This is a unique project of its kind and an engineering gem. We've never experienced anything like this before and we really enjoyed it! Peter is an amazing man - kind, patient, with a great love for nature. He can also pass that love for nature on to you along with an incredible amount of interesting information. Together with Tereza they will take care of your safety and maximum possible comfort. They simply arrange that you are not afraid in the jungle on the treehouse at night, but on the contrary you enjoy a lot of connection with nature :-)
Thank you very much for this life experience!
Velmi doporučujeme tento zážitek! Jedná se o jedinečný projekt svého druhu a inženýrský skvost. Nic podobného jsme nikdy předtím nezažili a neskutečně jsme si to užili! Peter je úžasný člověk - milý, trpělivý, s velkou láskou k přírodě. To vám také dokáže předat společně s neuvěřitelným množstvím zajímavých informací. S Terezou jsou sehraná dvojka, která se postará o vaše bezpečí a maximální možný komfort. Oni prostě zařídí, že se sami v noci na stromě v džungli nebojíte, ale naopak si užíváte hodně propojení s přírodou :-)
Velmi děkujeme za tento životní zážitek!
Thank you very much for this life experience!
Velmi doporučujeme tento zážitek! Jedná se o jedinečný projekt svého druhu a inženýrský skvost. Nic podobného jsme nikdy předtím nezažili a neskutečně jsme si to užili! Peter je úžasný člověk - milý, trpělivý, s velkou láskou k přírodě. To vám také dokáže předat společně s neuvěřitelným množstvím zajímavých informací. S Terezou jsou sehraná dvojka, která se postará o vaše bezpečí a maximální možný komfort. Oni prostě zařídí, že se sami v noci na stromě v džungli nebojíte, ale naopak si užíváte hodně propojení s přírodou :-)
Velmi děkujeme za tento životní zážitek!
Written February 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
travelingrnmom
Boise, ID9 contributions
Jan. 2022 • Family
This was the highlight of our trip to Costa Rica. Our children 6 and 9 loved this. For families who love nature and experiencing the nature as it is, I highly recommend this. My children haven’t stopped talking about Peter and everything they saw while hiking.
Written February 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Leanne F
Cambridge, Canada4 contributions
Jan. 2022 • Couples
This experience was amazing and highly recommended (for those who are physically fit)!
Peter (our guide) speaks many languages and explained everything so well for us (English). He has a very trained eye for the smallest of jungle creatures. We saw many types of poisonous frogs, a tarantula and a boa nest among other things.
It was a lot of fun hauling ourselves up into the tree house. Felix (Peter’s assistant) was very sweet and helpful too.
We highly recommend this experience. It is one of the most unique activities we have ever done.
The jungle is peaceful and the tree house itself is an incredible engineering feat.
Thank you Peter for such a memorable time!
Don & Leanne Franklin🙉🐸🦋
Peter (our guide) speaks many languages and explained everything so well for us (English). He has a very trained eye for the smallest of jungle creatures. We saw many types of poisonous frogs, a tarantula and a boa nest among other things.
It was a lot of fun hauling ourselves up into the tree house. Felix (Peter’s assistant) was very sweet and helpful too.
We highly recommend this experience. It is one of the most unique activities we have ever done.
The jungle is peaceful and the tree house itself is an incredible engineering feat.
Thank you Peter for such a memorable time!
Don & Leanne Franklin🙉🐸🦋
Written January 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
biblioterka
Fort Myers, FL35 contributions
What is the price of staying there overnight? Is there a way of getting us up the tree if we are not able on our own? We are two elder ladies.
Veronica L
Valdosta, GA43 contributions
Hi everyone!
I’m searching for things to do in Costa Rica and this definitely caught my eye for many reasons!
BUT (there’s always a big but right?! Haha) can anyone tell me if any animals (lizards, frogs and such) would be a problem?!
Also, many mentioned bugs, I have no problems with bugs but what type of bugs?!
I LOVE nature, but I just wanted to know about how much of the nature’s animals would be in the observatory. Haha!
Thanks for any help! :)
Ole M
17 contributions
I don't think any animals will be a problem, you are pretty safe high up in a tree and you have access to an emergency phone :) on the tree there are some ants, but of a kind that doesn't bite and we saw several moths and butterflies and larger animals I have mentioned in my review. Of course there are also some mosquitoes, but fewer than on ground level and you have net for the bed.
On the walk TO the observatory however, we saw several different spiders, bullet ants, milipedes, a number of different butterflies, as well as the frogs I mentioned in my review. Just like a healthy nature reserve should have:)
Heather98_12
Seattle, WA246 contributions
Hello - We have 2 kids (9 and 12) and we are trying to figure out it we stay one or two nights. If we stay two nights, I am assuming that we stay in the tree house for the entire time because we won't be able to climb down or up by ourselves. If that is the case, then we have to bring all of our food for the entire time? I think the only provide fruits and snacks, so we would have to bring at least lunch and dinner right?
Thank you,
Heather
NatureObservatorio
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica4 contributions
Hi Heather, we are glad that you booked the stay, hope we answered all your questions. Thanks a lot.
daisylady24
Martinez, CA34 contributions
Hello,
I am having trouble getting a hold of someone to ask questions about availability and cost of staying in the tree house. Can someone help me get in touch with who i need to speak to?
Thank you!
coco-nut59
Vancouver, Canada151 contributions
Peter is pretty good in answering his email in timely manner, but try again. You could also see his listing on Airbnb,you kinda tell the availability through the calendar.
Foffi73
Follonica, Italy463 contributions
Hello,
I suffer from vertigo. According to you it is possible to sleep on the tree?
NatureObservatorio
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica4 contributions
We had guests staying in treehouse with different levels of vertigo. Hardest part would be climbing up but one's you are there it is a very rewarding feeling of accomplishment. While you climb there is one guide assisting from the treehouse and other guide is assisting from below. All the time you are completely safe and secure.
newreview5
Edmonton, Canada
We will be on a cruise stopover (Princess Cruises); how long does it take to get from Limon to this tree and is this a reasonable stopover excursion given the time available (11 hrs)? Do you have a van or bus to pick us up and drop off? David
Tracey B
Rotherham, UK11 contributions
David,I think you would need 2 hours each way to be on the safe side.I don't know if you would manage it however you could e-mail Peter who owns and runs the observatory,you need to be mindfull that you hike through primary jungle to get to the tree house .Peter has a web site look for it on google it won't let me send this if i type it in He can answer any questions you have.
Frequently Asked Questions about Nature Observatorio
- Nature Observatorio is open:
- Sun - Sat 12:00 a.m. - 11:59 p.m.
- Hotels near Nature Observatorio:
- (0.00 km) The Amazing Treehouse and Nature Observatorio Manzanillo
- (0.05 km) Casa Del Mar BeachFront Rental Manzanillo - 30% DISCOUNT 15th to 23rd May
- (0.05 km) Casa Del Mar - Beachfront Manzanillo
- (0.12 km) Mar Y Sol Hostel
- (0.28 km) Cabinas Yamann
- Restaurants near Nature Observatorio:
- (0.17 km) Maxi's Restaurant
- (0.19 km) Soda Mima
- (0.34 km) Cool & Calm Cafe
- (0.37 km) Colores Restaurant And Beach Lounge
- (0.22 km) Soda Wuacho