Private, Gated Community - on the Pacific Ocean!

• A Pura Vida trip!

  A Pura Vida trip!

  • Guest Nuki
  • Date of stay 04/15/09
  • Review Submitted 05/06/09
  Four in our family stayed ten days at Villa Sol and had a marvelous time. The home provided all we required for our family vacation: private pool, lounges, outdoor dining table, air conditioning, lovely decor, cooking equipment, TV, etc. We did not rent a car and found that within the complex a hefty up or downhill hike could be traded for a shuttle ride. Being on the end of a row of homes gave an extra measure of privacy and separation from the public music. It was close enough to walk to the front desk, mini mart, or exercise room and a half mile walk to a grocery store. We mostly cooked our meals or took a taxi to nearby restaurants. La Finisterra was a favorite. We were disappointed with the meal at the Heliconia in Villa Sol. The only minor personal wish in the home was a softer mattress. A provided visitor's packet of information was very helpful prior to our arrival. We booked adventure tours with Avispas Adventures. The owner acted like a personal consierge/all around visitor support person helping us pick tours to suit our personal interests and providing the taxis for us to venture out to Coco or the restaurants. We also enjoyed a snorkeling trip with a local who recruits his customers from Hermosa Beach for two hours trips inside the bay. We had some issues with the ATMs being out of money but had a back-up option of travelers' checks which we cashed at a bank. Wish the hotel had an ATM. Most stores and restaurants took credit cards, however. I would recommend this home away for a comfortable, enjoyable stay. We heard some rather disgruntled hotel guests voicing their complaints while we visited the hotel and one must be ready for close neighbors and loud music in that venue. In this Villa we were separate enough from the other guests, but could readily join them at the pools or dance lessons etc. if we wished. We truly had all the rest we required and all the adventure we desired. We were treated to visits by Howler monkeys and iguanas in the area along with spectacular sunsets. Truly a Pura Vida wonderful vacation!

  Recommended for: Age 55+, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, families with young children, tourists without a car, girls getaway, sightseeing.

  Owner response: Thanks Sharon, I'm so glad you had such a wonderful time. Thanks for your nice comments; it makes me homesick to be back there again! Best wishes, Chris

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

• Wonderful Villa

  Wonderful Villa

  • Guest the wanderer
  • Date of stay 01/12/13
  • Review Submitted 01/20/13
  Our family had a fantastic stay here. The villa is spacious with a great layout in a very safe community. The pictures don't do it justice. Good water pressure, fully equipped kitchen, great view from the patio, zone air conditioning with an easy walk to a beautiful beach and 3 swimming pools. We had 2 troops of howler monkeys in the trees at the beach and saw many beautiful birds right in the community including parrots a turquise browed motmot and smooth billed ani. The owner was quick to answer any questions and very helpful hooking us up with reputable guides. This was a great value and I wouldn't hesitate to return. Now that I'm home and it's 20 deg, tomorrow wouldn't be too soon.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, families with young children, tourists without a car, girls getaway, sightseeing.

  Owner response: Thanks so much for your kind words Paul. My guests seem to see more howlers than I do!! I'm so glad you and your family had such a wonderful time and once again, thanks for renting! Chris

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• family t

  family t

  • Guest cat
  • Date of stay 04/10/12
  • Review Submitted 04/18/12
  It was beyond a doubt our best family vacation to date! the villa was beautiful and comfortable. The tours were unbelieveable and all the people were friendly and helpful.

  Recommended for: People with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, families with young children, tourists without a car, girls getaway, sightseeing.

  Owner response: What a great review! I'm so please that you and your family had a memorable vacation. That's the way it should be! Thanks for renting. Pura vida, Chris

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Mary in Madison

  Mary in Madison

  • Guest Mary In Madison
  • Date of stay 04/03/12
  • Review Submitted 04/10/12
  The condo is very nice and had everything we needed for our stay. We especially loved the soaking pool right on our patio!! It's a very long, steep walk back up to the condo from the beach, but the shuttles ran often enough so that it wasn't really a big inconvenience. We also enjoyed hanging out at the swimming pool with the swim up bar and participating in the activities like triva and dart tournaments.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, families with young children.

  Owner response: Hi Mary. Thanks so much for your nice review. I'm so pleased that your vacation was everything you had hoped for (and more). Pura Vida, Chris

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Great intro to Costa Rica!

  Great intro to Costa Rica!

  • Guest K&C
  • Date of stay 02/29/12
  • Review Submitted 03/14/12
  We had a fabulous time at Chris' villa in Playa Hermosa! The Villa was immaculately clean and had all the amenities we needed for 2 couples. It was our first trip to Costa Rica and Chris got us in touch with Amy from Avispa Adventures, who literally held our hand throughout our stay, and took us on amazing adventures we would never have experienced w/o her help! Highlights were the bullfights in Liberia and our trip to Nicaragua. The tour guides were like family in a matter of minutes! Miss everyone already! Thanks for all your help, Chris - you have a piece of paradise and we appreciate you sharing it with us!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, tourists without a car, girls getaway, sightseeing.

  Owner response: Hi Kelli, Thanks so much for your glowing review. A lot of work goes into achieving the results you experienced. It is always so worthwhile as guests leave with a true "Pura Vida" experience!

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Our trip was perfect!

  Our trip was perfect!

  • Guest Tom
  • Date of stay 12/28/11
  • Review Submitted 01/12/12
  We had a group of five who stayed at this villa; it was very nice and accommodating for all of us. This Villa was really clean and had all the amenities you would need for your stay. Chris helped with getting into contact with a lady named Amy who was from the states and she was more than helpful on making sure we did the things we wanted to do. We did white water rafting, a day trip to Nicaragua, surfing in tamarindo, deep sea fishing, zip line through the jungle and hot springs. I’m am pretty well traveled and haven’t had this great of an experience my whole life even at 5 star all-inclusive resorts. The resort allowed us to purchase and all inclusive day the few days we just kicked back and relaxed at the swim up bar. That came with breakfast, lunch, and dinner also all the beverages we wanted as well, the food was great and the staff was as well. We were all impressed and want to go back for next New Years and stay at the same villa I would highly recommend this Villa to anyone! Thanks again Chris for helping us have a great experience in Costa Rica we are looking forward to going back next year and staying in your Villa!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, families with young children, tourists without a car, girls getaway, sightseeing.

  Owner response: Thanks for your great comments Tom, Amy with Avispas Adventures said you seemed to be having a wonderful time which is always what I like to hear. I'd love to have you as return guests next year; just let me know. I'm heading there myself on Saturday and can't wait to experience the "Pura Vida" life again! Chris

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Travel To Villas Sol

  Travel To Villas Sol

  • Guest Tom
  • Date of stay 12/28/11
  • Review Submitted 01/12/12
  Everything was perfect!

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, families with young children, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• A Wonderful Sibling Reunion

  A Wonderful Sibling Reunion

  • Guest Barb
  • Date of stay 11/18/11
  • Review Submitted 12/05/11
  The villa offered the perfect setting for group activities for the 8 of us (4 stayed at the villa and 4 elsewhere). We especially enjoyed using the well-supplied kitchen to prepare some meals and loved being able to eat outside around the table on the patio. We also loved sitting in the pool and talking. The men were able to keep up with their favorite football teams via cable t.v. The "carts" gave us door to beach service. We appreciated walking on the beach and swimming in the relatively protected cove.We also thoroughly enjoyed several nearby restaurants: Ginger, Finesterra, and the low-key Aqua Sport. We appreciated the proximity to the beach town Coco where the modern, well stocked grocery store AutoMercado is located and where there are many souvenir shops. We would also recommend 2 tours that we took, one was a private tour with the 8 of us organized by Amy/ Avispa Tours (floating down a river, seeing monkeys, iguanas, crocodiles, all manner of birds etc.), the other was a cruise on the bay organized by Charley's (office right next to the entrance to the beach.). It was called an 8 in 1 and offered everything from snorkeling to fishing, to a barbecue on the beach etc. We would highly recommend the villa. It was the perfect setting for a wonderful time.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

  Owner response: Thanks Barbara, I so appreciate your positive comments. I'm glad your stay was everything you were hoping for (and more!). I enjoy the same area restaurants that you do and reading your review makes me anxious to return for a visit myself. thanks for renting. Chris

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Costa Rican Vacation 5/25-6/4

  Costa Rican Vacation 5/25-6/4

  • Guest trish
  • Date of stay 05/25/11
  • Review Submitted 08/06/11
  We spent 10 glorias days in Costa Rica - 5/25/11 through 6/4/11. Chris was a wonderful resource for us when we planned our trip. The villa is spacious, comfortable, and attractive. A perfect retreat for an active family of five - a daughter (22) and twin boys (19). We were walking distance to the beach and the resort offered an all inclusive option which was a great option when we were not out and about on our Costa Rican adventures. Chris put us in touch with Amy at Avispas and I can't say enough about our experience. We did the zip line tour, river tour, whitewater rafting, and a private beach touring adventure that included snorkeling and surfing. Amy and her staff were courteous,flexible, and accomodating. We felt like we were her only clients. We are not people who like big tours and we love to experience the people and culture when we travel. Our Costa Rican experience was all that and more. We truely experienced the culture through the eyes of the locals. Amy selected fabulous resturants on our tours and her staff was top notch. Our "main man" was the kind and accomodating Carlos. The whole family became attached to him and it was with great sadness that we said our parting good-byes at the airport. We loved JC's enthusiasm on our zip line tour. With great excitement he pointed our the nearly extinct Zirabu and made sure our zip line experience was safe and fun. If you are looking for an authentic Costa Rican experience than I would recommend staying at Chris's villa and working with Amy at Avispas. Chris and Amy are an incredible team and your vacation will be "Pura Vida". Thanks your for your hospitality - Trish and Family

  Recommended for: Age 55+, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, families with young children, tourists without a car, girls getaway, sightseeing.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Home Away From Home

  Home Away From Home

  • Guest Barb
  • Date of stay 02/21/11
  • Review Submitted 03/23/11
  My husband and I stayed at "Pura Vida" in February....It was wonderful.. spotless,peaceful,quiet,relaxing and felt like home...The place had all the things and more that you would need in a house....Beach was 5 min walkking and the pool was cleaned everyday...Had a lot of activities to do near. Roads were good..Had good supermarkets close....Great place for a family to enjoy,...Thank You Chris....The information you sent before the trip helped get us ready.... Armando and Barbara Salado, Texas

  Recommended for: Age 55+, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, families with young children, tourists without a car, girls getaway, sightseeing.

  Owner response: Hi Barbara, Thanks so much for your kind comments. I'm so glad you had such a wonderful time. Costa Rica is a true paradise! Pura Vida, Chris

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

$1000-1300/week except Christmas, New Years and Easter
Summer 2013 SPECIAL June-August $1000/week
Call for rates for Christmas, New Years and Easter .......
All rentals include taxes and cleaning

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.