Like being welcomed into the exotic home of friend

Guest: DFW58 (SF area, California, USA)
Date of Stay: 07/21/09 Review Submitted: 08/06/09

This was a great beginning to our 16-day trip - like being welcomed into the exotic home of friends. Overall rating: 5 House: 4.5 - The description barely does this place justice. This is a real house, cool airy design & easy to keep clean. Huge comfortable beds, nice seating areas and outside spaces, and an amazing, ever changing view of the lake nearby. Lots of DVDs, satellite TV/radio, etc. The washer and dryer were a godsend after rafting. The unheated pool was a little cool for our Green Season stay, but our two 10 year-olds used it every day anyway; I bet it's perfect during the hot season. The internet was down, but we weren't craving email that early in the trip, so that wasn't a factor for us. Kitchen: 4.5 - Not a big fan of electric ranges, but this kitchen was still a pleasure. Nice size fridge w/good freezer, range, and oven, with lots of pans, utensils, and appliances. I really enjoyed the adventure of working with the local supplies to make some pretty good meals. Location: 5 - Elegant base for day trips to Fortuna and other adventures, though Monteverde is better as an over-nighter (we did it on our way to Manual Antonio [property 150823], which worked well, though I don't recommend the hotel Helaconia). You do need a car to get around. We alternated horse riding, rafting (class 2-4), & zip-lining w/days at just hanging out at home. A few nice walks near the property: we saw howler monkeys, lots of birds, and some truly wild bugs (mantises, moths, grasshoppers, etc.) up close. None of the bugs seemed to be biters despite the lake being so close. There are a few nice restaurants within 15 mins drive, though we generally ate in. Welcome: 5 - The owners stayed in contact with lots of great information, answers to questions, and suggestions. They, and their rep in country, really went out of their way to be welcoming. Billing was easy and spread across two payments, which was nice. The price was a real value!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+, families with young children, romantic getaway.

A Jungle Paradise

Guest: Bob & Joan (Crete, IL)
Date of Stay: 09/17/11 Review Submitted: 11/21/11

For a long time I've wanted to visit Costa Rica. After searching through a multitude of VRBO accommodations I came across Casa Gavilan de Arenal and felt good about the place. There was enough room for a party of four with everyone having their own bathroom. The caretakers of the house, Ed and Leslie, are congenial and helpful far beyond expectation. There are plenty of supplies, so there's no need to pick up spices or paper towels or TP at the store. There's plenty of food available nearby in Nuevo Arenal. The people are friendly and helpful even though few speak any English. You can also pick up food supplies, snacks, drinks etc. in Liberia. We landed at Liberia airport, about 90 minutes drive from Casa Gavilan. If you arrive in the evening I strongly suggest you stay your first night at the Hilton near the airport. The first part of the trip is straight road, but the drivers are reckless and if you drive on a weekend night you will encounter drivers who are extremely reckless. The last half of the drive is on hilly, twisty roads and the locals consider the yellow line as optional. Expect to see vehicles straddling it while speeding around a curve. If your return flight is in the early morning I suggest staying at the Hilton the night before your departure as well. If you book ahead of time the hotel is a little cheaper and it is very reasonable in cost. The food there is good and the hosts are very cordial. There are many activities near Casa Gavilan...horseback riding, hot springs, zip lining, hiking trails, tours, etc. You may have a difficult time tearing yourself away from the property, though. If you enjoy photography you will find plenty to photograph. My fiance and I love photography, especially wildlife. This location does not disappoint as we took many more keeper photos here than anywhere else we visited in Costa Rica. Our close encounter with a howler monkey family was the highlight of the trip, never to be forgotten. If you don't feel like cooking in the morning head over to The Lucky Bug for breakfast. You will enjoy beautiful scenery, friendly service, and wonderful food. People have recommended Gingerbread but our party of four cannot. The entire experience there was unpleasant. As for Casa Gavilan I cannot say enough good things. The owners, the caretakers, the house itself are all top notch and I cannot recommend it highly enough. I should bite my tongue and keep it a secret but some things are just too good to not be

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Perfection!

Guest: Leastfast (Austin, Texas, USA)
Date of Stay: 07/03/11 Review Submitted: 07/23/11

It's hard to find anything to add to all the other glowing reviews of Casa Gavilan. We just spent 9 nights here and everything about the place exceeded our expectations. We were originally set to stay at a different place that cancelled due to a booking error, and for that mistake we'll be eternally grateful. Casa Gavilan's location is stunning and the house is beautiful and comfortable, and extremely well-equipped. The multi-level yard is gorgeous and the house, pool, and grounds were immaculate. The Las Flores neighborhood where the house is located is lovely and the paved neighborhood rainforest trail was really nice to hike. It's conveniently close to Nuevo Arenal, a town that we found really appealing. (Hint: It's cheaper to buy fruit at the Frutas y Verduras shop next to the bank than at the larger grocery stores, and you'll want a lot for yourself and the birdfeeders.) I brought 5 books to read and spent so much time watching birds and other wildlife that it was pretty much wasted luggage space. We saw howler monkeys in the trees at the house across the street and a coati walked right by my husband as he was sleeping by the pool. A large flock of Montezuma oropendolas occupied one of the big trees on the property, and I saw dozens of beautiful tropical birds; at one point, there were five redlegged honeycreepers on the hummingbird feeder. We loved Casa Gavilan and will go back as soon as we can. In fact, the three days after our stay were open and we seriously considered extending our stay, but felt a little uncomfortable about cancelling our next reservation. The only downside to the house is its distance from La Fortuna, where most of the big tourist activities are centered, but it's a beautiful drive and it was nice to be a little removed from the hustle and bustle of that town. Ian and the property manager, Ed, were both very helpful with advice. I second everyone who recommended eating at Gingerbread, which really was fantastic by any standard, and the Lucky Bug was a beautiful place for breakfast. After some of the drives back from La Fortuna, we didn't feel like cooking so we picked up pizzas in town. The one from the little bar/soda on the same side of the street as the bank was the better of the two. We enjoyed ziplining at Sky Trek and rafting the Rio Pacuare with Exploradores, but I think the excursion that we wouldn't have missed is the Cano Negro outing with Desafio. We can't wait to go back.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+, people with disabilities, families with young children, romantic getaway.

Quite simply the best place we have ever stayed in

Guest: Robert (Atlanta,GA )
Date of Stay: 05/21/11 Review Submitted: 06/05/11

The house was spotless and spacious. The garden and pool was amazing and Ed was very helpful. The day we had to leave we literally cried. My 3rd trip to CR my wife's 7th and the surrounding area Arenal is perfect, the house has a view of the lake, amazing scenery. We will stay here again. We are loathed to tell anyone else about Casa Gavilan for our own selfish reasons !!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

excellent home away from home

Guest: michael (canada)
Date of Stay: 05/09/11 Review Submitted: 05/24/11

all of the amenities of home with the surroundings of paradise. Birder's heaven.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+, people with disabilities, romantic getaway.

I didn't want to leave!

Guest: Becky (Boring, OR)
Date of Stay: 05/01/11 Review Submitted: 05/23/11

We loved Casa Gavilan! It is a beautifully decorated home with equally beautiful landscaping outside. So much better than staying in a hotel! The boys loved the private pool and we all enjoyed watching movies together each night from the huge movie collection available. We saw lots of birds and wildlife right on the property and heard and saw more nearby. The rental process was easy and the owners and managers were great to work with. The kitchen is well-appointed and had just about everything we needed. The house had fresh cut flowers when we arrived and even food for our first day's breakfast! I wouldn't hesitate for a minute to rent this house again!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+, people with disabilities, girls getaway, families with young children, romantic getaway.

I didn't want to leave!

Guest: Becky (Boring, OR)
Date of Stay: 05/01/11 Review Submitted: 05/22/11

We loved Casa Gavilan! It is a beautifully decorated home with equally beautiful landscaping outside. So much better than staying in a hotel! The boys loved the private pool and we all enjoyed watching movies together each night from the huge movie collection available. We saw lots of birds and wildlife right on the property and heard and saw more nearby. The rental process was easy and the owners and managers were great to work with. The kitchen is well-appointed and had just about everything we needed. The house had fresh cut flowers when we arrived and even food for our first day's breakfast! I wouldn't hesitate for a minute to rent this house again!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+, people with disabilities, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Very pleased with Casa Gavilan!

Guest: Margot (Minneapolis)
Date of Stay: 03/15/11 Review Submitted: 04/02/11

We thoroughly enjoyed our 4 days at this perfect house. There were 6 of us and we had more than enough space. The grounds are lush, the view is beautiful and the privacy is unmatched. Ed and Leslie (the caretakers) couldn't have been more gracious or kind. Ian (the owner) was extremely helpful with answering questions and helping us to plan. The drive to the activities by Arenal is about 45 minutes, but it's not a big deal and it was great to come "home" to our own, quiet space. We even had the chance to watch howler monkeys right on the property. I'd recommend Casa Gavilan without hesitation.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, age 55+.

Wonderful trip once again!

Guest: Lauri & Rob (Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada)
Date of Stay: 02/05/11 Review Submitted: 03/03/11

My husband and I just returned from our 4th visit to Casa Gavilan. We're addicted! Every year we say we're going somewhere new next year, but it never happens because we can't miss being away from this beautiful little spot. Every years gets better! The gardens are absolutely lovely and as everyone else has mentioned, the house is amazing as well. We have a wonderful time feeding the birds. This was the first year we've had a toucan visit our feeder. It was totally amazing to see one so close. Other years we've just seen them in the air. The monkeys were present in the yard almost every day as well. They're very entertaining! The property managers, Ed and Leslie take excellent care of you and the owners are wonderful people as well. You won't regret renting this beautiful home.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+, people with disabilities, romantic getaway.

Guest: Wendy (-)
Date of Stay: 01/21/11 Review Submitted: 02/19/11

My husband, my one year old son and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Casa Gavilan. The house has EVERYTHING you would need - especially in the kitchen. It is very clean, spacious, quiet and just 5km from Nuevo Arenal. Highlights for us included: howler monkeys in the trees beside the house, the wide variety of birds, the excellent resource library, El Establo (the local soda), learning to windsurf and kite board on the lake with the company Tico Wind, the hanging bridges hike, finding a free spot to enjoy the hotsprings with local Ticos and the waterfalls hike outside of Tilaran. We love to speak spanish and found many opportunities to use it in the local towns: Nuevo Arenal, Tilaran and Canas. The family at El Establo is lovely - we ate there all the time and really enjoyed their company. The guest book and bird book at the house were very interesting as well - we completely forgot to write in them! We are also grateful that there was a telephone. There is a nice little hike to a pond that you can do around the property through the rainforest as well. Thanks so much for a great vacation!

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