Nearby Towns

The Central Pacific region, where Portasol is located, includes a chain of villages parallel to the coast. Quepos and Dominical are considered to be important tourist centers, offering a wide variety of services and attractions.

Pasito, El Silencio, Portalón, Matapalo, Hatillo, Barú and Dominicalito are colorful towns, fishing villages and agricultural plantations. Portalón and Matapalo, dedicated mainly to agriculture, livestock and fishing, are the closest to Portasol.

Nearby National Parks

Both, Manuel Antonio National Park and Marino Ballena National Park are the closets to Portasol (22 miles away). Within 100 miles away you can find Carara National Park to the northwest, and Corcovado National Park to the southeast. Corcovado is, according to National Geographic, “ the most biologically intense place on earth”. It has been said that 2.5 acres of Corcovado has more biodiversity than Canada & United States combined. Between those two parks there are other national parks and reserves worth visiting.

Nearby Beaches

The Central Pacific beaches and nature are, unquestionably, the reason for the region’s recent awakening. Starting at Quepos and going south you can find Espadilla Manuel Antonio, Del Rey, Savegre, Portalón, Matapalo, Guápil, Linda, Barú, Hatillo and Dominical.

Matapalo Beach is the closets beach to Portasol, only 2,5 miles. A long open beach with a beautiful natural shadow given by the tropical almond trees.  The Matapalo town is small and most inhabitants are Costa Ricans. Small bars, restaurants, lodges and basic services are available; it is perfect for those who love to enjoy nature with quiet comfort provided by people who follow a normal daily life besides the ocean.

At these beautiful beaches the mountains touch the sea or end in extensive coastal plains. In combination with the mangroves and river deltas, the beaches provide a beautiful and exuberant landscape. Some of these beaches are unspoiled; others have small hotels and restaurants.

Dominical beach completes this lineal coastal section neighbored by bays, islands, and headlands that, eventually arrive at Marino Ballena National Park and Punta Uvita only few minutes away from Portasol.

Local Flora and Fauna

Rainforest ecosystems host a great variety of flora and fauna, some of the typical species of flora are: large variety of colorful flowers (Heliconias, Bromelias), different types of ferns and a wide representation of tress (Pilón, Lechoso, Guanacaste, Gambas, Teca, etc).

Fauna is represented by a large number of birds (Great Tinamu, Little Tinamu, magnificent Frigate Bird, Tucans, Crested Guan, Violaceous Trogon, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, King Vulture, White Hawk,, , among many others) small mammals (Collared Peccary, Coati, Ocelot, Vampire Bat, Agouti, etc), butterflies, insects, reptiles,  among others

Every year Matapalo Beach welcomes the Olive Riddley Turtles and  the Black Turtles, which arrive to lay their eggs from June to November. The Leather Backs are rarely seen, since their laying season is from October to March.  ASVO (Asociación de Voluntarios para el Servicio de las Areas Protegidas) and ATOMA (Amigos de la tortuga marina de Matapalo), are two groups of volunteers that care for the turtles by guarding the beach at night, reserving the turtle nesting and leading the turtle release program.

Lodging

Besides Portasol Bungalows, in the area you will find small and medium size hotels, established and managed by residents that arrived from all over the globe. Inspired by their countries of origin, they offer a wide variety of architectural designs, atmosphere, international flavors and delicious cuisine.

Restaurants

The increasing economic development around the Portasol area has attracted a large number of people from diverse nationalities. Due to this, the variety and quality of restaurants is surprising. Visitors can find a world of flavors, textures and aromas from Mexican to French food, without leaving behind Costa Rican, Thai, Argentinean, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese. Furthermore, there is an ample range of vegetarian food, fast food, ice cream parlous, cafes and bars for the most demanding tastes.

Commerce and Services

 In Manuel Antonio, Quepos, Dominical, Uvita and Matapalo, there are supermarkets, fruit and vegetable markets, liquor stores, handicrafts and souvenir shops. Specialized shops for beach articles and accessories are easily found. There are also many stores offering sports equipment, needed for mountain biking, fishing, surfing, kayaking and scuba diving, just to name a few. Portasol Wilderness Spa is very well known for its concept of physical therapy and relaxation treatments, services that are very appreciated in the area. Quepos offers plenty of services such as a local airport, hospital, pharmacies, banks, supermarkets, hardware stores and a wide range of hotels and restaurants with cuisines representing some of the most diverse gastronomical regions of the world.

Tours

The area offers a wide variety of tours to exotic, scenic places, starting with Portasol Aventuras. Water and mountain sport activities including canopy, mangrove, ocean and river kayaking, sport fishing, horseback riding, boat rides, yacht cruises, hiking, scuba diving, white water rafting, hanging bridges, mountain biking or ATV rides, snorkeling, ultra light flights, bird watching, among others.

Rental Cars

There are several options available, including: Adobe, Alamo, Payless, Economy among others.

Airport