Royal Grand Resorts says its new gay resort in Costa Rica opens in November 2026 in Manuel Antonio, on the country’s central Pacific coast. “You should be thinking about who you want to meet, not whether you can be yourself,” Wayne Taylor, the company’s chief operating officer, said in an Oct. 7 announcement on PR Newswire.
The company describes the property as a 30-room, adults-only resort for gay men. Its announcement does not give an exact opening day or nightly rates. The resort’s website links to a reservation system, but travelers should confirm availability and opening plans before booking flights.
Inside the Clothing-Optional Gay Resort in Costa Rica
“The pool area is clothing-optional, ensuring a relaxed and inclusive atmosphere for all guests,” the resort’s website says. That pool has a swim-up bar, a hot tub and a lounge with a full bar, and a rooftop bar adds a second hot tub, according to the release.
“Designed exclusively for guys, the play area is the perfect place to make new friends and unwind,” the site says of a space with a steam room, a sauna and a third hot tub.
Rooms come in five categories, from the 290-square-foot Royal Queen Room to the 527-square-foot Royal Grand Suite, each with a private balcony and its own air conditioning, the release says. “The idea is simple: upscale stays without ultra-luxury rates, in a beach town that has welcomed LGBTQ+ travelers for decades,” it says.
Breakfast is included every day, according to the release, which says the Mango Tango Restaurant and Lounge becomes a nightclub Thursday through Saturday, with a DJ from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. “Dinner and the dance floor are in the same room, so nobody needs a cab home,” the release says. “Let our Royal Boys guide you to the gay section of Manuel Antonio’s beach,” the resort’s Resorts page says. Royal Boys is what the company calls its staff, and it says they’ll set guests up on Playa Espadilla with chairs, towels, drinks and picnic lunches.
“Royal Grand Resorts is a member of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA),” says the release, which names Stanley Kania as the company’s founder. (Stateside, the clothing-optional INNdulge in Palm Springs turned 30 last year, and Palm Springs Pride runs Nov. 6 to 8.)
Flying From San José to Quepos for Manuel Antonio
“Fly into Juan SantamarÃa International Airport in San José, Costa Rica,” the resort’s destination page advises. From there, the domestic airline SANSA flies direct to Quepos “with an approximate flight time of 30 minutes,” according to its Quepos page.
The resort’s site says a private car and driver can get guests there from San José in under three hours. “Manuel Antonio National Park sits less than a mile from the property,” the release says, and “The beach is a 3 minute walk away.”
Costa Rica Travel Advice for Gay Visitors
Costa Rica became the first Central American country to legalize same-sex marriage on May 26, 2020, the Tico Times reported. “The modification that comes into effect eliminates five words in one law,” then-President Carlos Alvarado said in a statement, according to the paper.
A San José family court threw out the attorney general’s 2016 bid to annul Costa Rica’s first same-sex marriage, a 2015 wedding, the Tico Times reported June 13. Judge Walter Alvarado Arias wrote that the union “is absolutely legal under constitutional and conventional norms.”
“We’re very happy this finally happened, because we’ve waited a long time,” Laura Flórez-Estrada, one of the two spouses, said, according to the paper.
“There are no legal restrictions on consensual same-sex sexual relations,” the State Department’s Costa Rica page says, or on “the organization of events focused on sexual orientation.” Its April 2 advisory reads, “Exercise increased caution in Costa Rica due to crime.”
U.S. tourists may be admitted without a visa for up to 180 days, according to the State Department. That full stay is not guaranteed: immigration officers determine the permitted length at entry. A return ticket is required.
Manuel Antonio National Park: Tickets and Visitor Rules
SINAC, Costa Rica’s national conservation agency, keeps Manuel Antonio National Park closed on Tuesdays. “Tickets are only obtained through the website,” its park page says, and foreign adults pay $16 plus IVA, the country’s value-added tax.
Visitors can’t bring in food or drinks of any kind, except as park management allows, SINAC says, and umbrellas and hammocks are banned, too. “It also has excellent beaches: Espadilla Sur, Manuel Antonio and Puerto Escondido,” the Costa Rica Tourism Board says of the park.
