Reviews for El Verde Vacation Rental - VRBO 145852ha - 3 BR Puerto Rico House, 3 Bedroom Home with Pool, Ocean Views, Wifi, Near El Yunque

Perfect in every way!!

Guest Judy
Date of stay 01/29/13
Review Submitted 02/08/13

We had such a fabulous time here at Villa Sevilla! Its even more beautiful than the pictures show. Amazing view of the forest and the ocean from the covered porch. Flowers and fresh fruits all over the property. Our hosts Marina and Wally were very attentive and so helpful with suggestions and tips. Fajardo Beach and the restaurant Kiosks were a favorite destination for us. Also the Carabali Rain forest park for horse back riding and ATVs was a thrill. Old San Juan was fascinating with architecture and history. Everywhere we went we sampled the deliciouos local food and of course, Mojitos! The bed was so comfortable, our kitchen all set to go, and the livingroom was breezy and spacious. We particularly enjoyed having our coffe in the morning on the covered porch using the wi-fi for internet while surrounded by the gardens with the fabulous view to the ocean. Wow!

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The stuff dreams are made of!

Guest Laura M.
Date of stay 03/31/12
Review Submitted 05/03/12

What a wonderful week we had!! We are all still dreaming of it. We came with our 4 young adult kids--2 post-college and 2 college-aged and they were immediately at home. Wally and Marina are great hosts with lots of helpful information; they have kept the place stocked with anything you might need (except for groceries). We loved the warm homemade bread the first morning and picking ripe little bananas every day. I felt like they read our minds with what we would like. (We used the TV--a nice flat screen-- twice: once to see UK win the NCAA finals and on our last night to play a slide show of the pictures we had taken.) The grounds are gorgeous, to say nothing of the view! We all fell in love with the tropical rain forest plants Wally had landscaped with. We were able to fit a lot into the week, including several beaches (Luquillo is wonderful and close), hiking to the top of El Yunque, a night tour of Las Cabezas Nature Preserve (highly recommended!), a Sunday afternoon and evening in Old San Juan (we enjoyed the many families flying kites near El Morro), a day trip to Culebra, and a beautiful drive along the north coast to see the beaches and Arecibo Observatory. We made sure to spend some time EVERY day at Villa Sevilla; we either relaxed in the morning or came back in the afternoon to enjoy the breezy, warm evening by the pool. We actually had fun driving up and down the mountain side--you never knew what interesting things you would see through the neighborhoods, and the views all the way up and down were stunning. We had debated staying down by the beach, but we are SO glad we chose to stay here, even our sand-loving daughters. We stared at the ocean from our high vantage point, relished the breezes and coqui songs, and enjoyed being somewhat removed from the craziness and traffic near the beaches. We can't wait to go back!!!

Owner response: Thank you so much for taking the time to submit such a lovely review of your stay with us. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting you and your wonderful family and look forward to welcoming you back to Bella Vista Chalet someday!

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Great place to get out (and up) into nature

Guest Richard
Date of stay 01/14/12
Review Submitted 01/26/12

Villa Sevilla was a most pleasant place to stay, as we wanted to get away from the tourists, congestion, and resorts. The atmosphere is very rural, with a constant symphony of coqui frogs, roosters, dogs, and innumerable birds and insects. Up in the hills, it is about 5 degrees cooler than the beach and essentially untouched by tourism. It will often be cloudy or raining in the hills while it's sunny on the beach. You will see people riding horseback on the roads, particularly on Saturday night. The view from the covered porch, overlooking the ocean (a few miles away) to the front, and El Yunque to the side, is panoramic and superb, particularly from the hammock. We ate all our meals outdoors on the porch. The house is aesthetically basic and very comfortable in the general living areas, kitchen, bathrooms and the 2 big bedrooms. The third bedroom is only for kids, separated from the kitchen by a curtain. The beds are excellent. The stocking of the kitchen with basics and paper products as well as cooking and serving implements was most appreciated. There was a microwave and toaster oven, but no large oven, perhaps not needed with the large outdoor grill. Linens and towels were very nice. Everything was clean and immaculate. The focus here, however, is on being outside. The pool was nice, but not very warm this time of the year (mid-winter), as it often was in the shade. The pool deck is also a superb spot to hang, as well as the porch. We appreciated the provision of beach chairs and coolers that we could take wherever we went. Wally and Marina were excellent hosts. Full of info, always available, but not intrusive. The accumulated "book" of recommendations from prior guests was great. This is not the place for you if you don't like driving windy mountain roads, particularly at night, or would mind a 20 minute drive to get to the beach (Luquillo is beautiful) or the restaurants on the coast (recommend Antojitos- great food and service, reasonable prices). While it borders El Yunque, you have to drive down to the coast to get road access. Mt. Britton and Bano Grande hikes there were awesome. It was only a 40 minute drive to get to Old San Juan. If it's raining in the hills, it's likely dry somewhere down below. Highly recommend this property for people who want to be away from it all in nature and don't mind (or even might enjoy) a curvy mountain drive to get to the beach or restaurants.n

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A Perfect 10

Guest Ron T.
Date of stay 12/23/11
Review Submitted 01/15/12

A 2500 character limit is barely enough to truly describe what an amazing experience we had. I grew up in PR as a child from the time I was 5 until 18, but have not been back in many years, and my kids (22 and 18) had never been, so I wanted to provide them with an experience they'd never forget. Wally, Marina and Villa Sevilla did just that. Our goal was to rent a home in a relatively remote location, away from the hustle and bustle of the city and away from the tourist sections of Condado, and Villa Sevilla perfectly fit that bill as it's located about 15 minutes up the mountains of Rio Grande, yet close enough to get to the main roads of town in 15 minutes, Luquillo Beach within 30 minutes and Old San Juan/Condado within 45 minutes. Lush greens, amazing views of the ocean, fresh cool mountain air, private swimming pool, the restful sounds of the coquis at night to soothe you to sleep. Wally and Marina were hosts extraordinaire...warm, inviting, helpful...but never intrusive, and they provided everything a visitor would need - towels, sheets, kitchen utensils, soap, shampoo, hammock, pool toys, washer/dryer, BBQ... I could go on and on and on, but rest assured...our family will be back. If you have any questions about our stay, or questions about the area in general, feel free to email me at ron.tuchin@mindspring.com

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A Wonderful Vacation Destination for Families!

Guest Reed
Date of stay 06/11/10
Review Submitted 06/22/10

This was our first time visiting Puerto Rico. After spending our first night in San Juan we headed toward Villa Sevilla, Rio Grande, El Yunque. We stayed at Bella Vista Chalet which is on a shared property with La Casita. Our hosts Wally and Marina Lawson were most attentive to our needs, while not being intrusive, they were just a phone call away. We were greeted upon our arrival and shown the property amenities. The property is surrounded by extensive tropical gardens, which includes many fruit trees including, banana, limes, guayabas, grapefruits and passion fruits. The property included a shared pool which is located on the terraced gardens in front of the property. Views of El Yunque and the ocean are expansive. On our first morning our host brought us fresh bread and fresh fruit. This was a truly enjoyable destination for our entire family. The river, falls and swimming hole are located down the hill from this lovely property.We would highly recommend Villa Sevilla to anyone who wants to have a great time!!

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

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Amazing Time at Villa Sevilla

Guest angiemomto4
Date of stay 12/01/09
Review Submitted 12/17/09

Since we home school our children it gives us the opportunity to travel during off season and we came upon Villa Sevilla while researching possible accommodations for our family and extended family. We stayed in Bella Vista Chalet, their large 3 bedroom accommodation while the children’s grandparents stayed at the smaller cottage on the property. The accommodations were spotless, beds very comfortable, and just about anything you could want was provided making this a fantastic deal for our family. Traveling with children can be tricky but the beautiful pool, vast property, many lizards chickens and frogs, pool toys and games kept the kids happy and entertained.. The full kitchen and great grill allowed us to prepare many of our meals which really helped with our budget as eating out in PR for a family can be pricey. The property is within easy driving distance to many attractions (all within 20-45 min from the property) and we enjoyed several of the area beaches which we practically had to ourselves, along with a nice day in OSJ, and hikes in the rainforest and to the nearby waterfall. Our favorite time as many others have said was relaxing and enjoying our time together at Villa Sevilla. The amazing views, cool breezes and ever changing vistas really provided just what we needed to reconnect as a family. Thank you Wally and Marina for sharing your small slice of heaven with our family; we’ll hopefully be back someday soon!

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

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Heaven on Earth!

Guest April G.
Date of stay 10/19/09
Review Submitted 10/26/09

The pictures do not do it justice. Our jaws dropped when we got out of the car and looked at the property. Marina and Wally have carefully landscaped a beautiful botanical garden on their property. The house was spacious and spotless and their company was much appreciated in the mornings. We also loved their two little companions, Brownie and Zora. This is by far the best kept secret in the rainforest. We aren't so sure we want to share, but we decided that everyone should have a chance to see this. There is no reason to ever stay at a resort again. This was a much better value. Thanks again, guys, for a great trip!

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

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Excellent

Guest ETM
Date of stay 07/27/09
Review Submitted 07/11/10

We loved the hill side location overlooking the country side to the ocean. At night the sounds of nature around us were relaxing. The location of beaches and restaurants were within a 20 minute drive. All directions and activities were cataloged in a book binder provided by the Host. The rooms are cozy and very clean. The best thing we liked were the grounds,they were beautifully landscaped and maintained with vibrate flowers and plants of Puerto Rico. One recommendation, if you own a GPS unit bring it with you and use it. It saved us from getting lost.

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

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The Best Vacation

Guest Amandafromcalifornia
Date of stay 05/23/09
Review Submitted 06/16/09

My husband, my friend and I stayed at the Villa Sevilla Bella Vista Chalet for one (short) week. It was better than a home away from home! In just a short beautiful drive up through lush vegetation this beautiful home sits with breath taking views and a relaxing atmosphere. I knew we had found our favorite vacation spot when we looked acrossed the front balcony and saw the amazing view of the valley and ocean. The grounds were so beautiful with plants that I have never even seen before. I spent hours walking around the property taking pictures of flowers and wildlife. There is a gorgeous river with a waterfall just down the road. The house is clean and furnished with comfortable furniture and amenities. The pool is a clean, salt water pool. There were floaties, noodles and lounge chairs to relax on. My husband and I really enjoyed the coqui frogs. It's so nice to sit on the balcony at night, listen to the coqui frogs sing, and watch the fire flies (which was the first time I had ever seen them). We loved the freshly baked bread and fruit in the morning. Marina and Wally were great hosts and were very knowledgeable about local attractions, restaurants and activities. There are chickens with baby chicks walking around outside! (So cute). In addition to staying in this beautiful home we were able to learn how to surf, go sailing and snorkeling. This was the best vaction I have ever had. I recommend this place to any family or group of friends. I can't wait to go back!

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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The Perfect Vacation Home

Guest Jen B.
Date of stay 04/20/09
Review Submitted 04/28/09

My family and I just returned from a visit to Puerto Rico where we stayed at the Bella Vista Chalet. This home is everything described on the website plus more! The grounds are beautiful! We took many pictures of the tropical flowers and trees. The view is amazing and we spend many hours on the porch enjoying it. We used the kitchen often and found that we had everything we needed to prepare our meals. The layout was perfect for our family with the four kids in the downstairs bedrooms and my husband and I in the master bedroom upstairs. Erevything is well maintained. The pool is awesome and we made good use of it. The boys (age 14) walked down to the river each day to swim in the waterfalls and jump of the rocks into the pools. We were never too hot due to the nice breezes on the mountain. The location suited us well with plenty to due within an hour or less drive (snorkeling, horseback riding, hiking, Old San Juan etc.). The binder they provided had descriptions and directions to nearby activites and was VERY helpful to us. The owners provided excellent service without being intrusive. I would most definitely recommed this property!

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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Home away from home

Guest tonsofun
Date of stay 03/07/09
Review Submitted 04/21/09

Our rental experience was amazing! The house was everything that we had hoped for it - was exactly as pictured, Wally and Marina were great hosts, and we can't wait to go back. The property is beautiful, well maintained, and was such a great price. Wally and Marina have put a great book together with information about beaches and great places to stop for a taste of local cuisine. This is the perfect place to stay if you are looking for a great vacation experience and want to avoid being confined to a hotel room or busy resort area.

Recommended for: Families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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Stephens Family Vacation in Puerto Rico

Guest FLWaterbabies
Date of stay 10/30/08
Review Submitted 11/07/08

Our families stayed in the Bella Vista Chalet and the LaCasita villa as they are in close proximity and easy for our families to walk back and forth. The villas were equipped extremely well with everything you could possibly need and then Marina and Wally brought over fresh fruit and fresh baked bread on our first morning stay. Like every other review, the view from the back porch down the forrest and valley was breathtaking. The lights and distant view of the sea was beautiful during the day and even better at night. Most nights we had a nice breeze. The bedrooms in the Chalet are a/c and the LaCasita is entirely a/c. Our family had two huge dinners we cooked and made breakfast every morning and packed a lunch every day. You can stop at the Wal-Mart to get your groceries on your way to check in. Don't buy soaps and toilet paper and paper towels and spices. Its all already there. Even pool toys and two ice chests are stored in the room below the porch. Be sure to take the time to explore the grounds which are behind a gated entrance. One feels very safe and at peace in these two villas and the grounds are so beautiful, you don't want to miss just taking walks around. There is plenty of parking also. The 956 abd 958 roads are a bit narrow and winding, but after a while they grow on you. We had no trouble getting to our various activities which included El Yunque, biobay kayaking, Nature Preserve tour, sailing, Luquillo Beach and more. Because of the terrain, I would not recommend the villas for someone with mobility problems, however Marina and Wally have laid out the landscpaing with very nice access with steps and sunning areas and trails that make the villas super special. We spent way under our food budget because we had such good cooking facilities as eating out in Puerto Rico is rather pricey. If you go do out for a night dinner, Carliza restaurant in Luquillo was wonderful. The service was good, the food excellent and it was an open air atmosphere. The villas are well maintained and stocked well also. I can't say enough about the view from the back porch. Its everyone's favorite place and its plenty large enough to sit around and talk and look at the view. My grown children fought over who got the next turn on the hammock. We had 6 in the Chalet and 4 in LaCasita. The 2 that took the bedroom with the trundle in the Chalet would have liked it as a full size bed instead of a twin and part trundle bed.

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

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4 City Boys in PR

Guest CityBoys
Date of stay 09/20/08
Review Submitted 09/30/08

Three of my friends and I rented this wonderful house in September. Unfortunately for us our week was filled with rain, but we made the most of it. The views from the house are simply beautiful! My favorite part of the house was definitely the porch over-looking the pool, mountains and coast in the distance. One of the coolest things about the property is that fresh fruit grows on it and Wally would leave us some every morning. We had fresh bananas, star fruit, lemons, limes and even avocado. Another interesting thing about the house was the many coqui frogs that surround it. They were very vocal but it was a nice, relaxing change from the noises of Philadelphia. The house is equipped with many of the conveniences of home, including WiFi which came in very handy for us when looking up various sites to see and keeping track of the weather. The house is very close to El Yunque Park and the Bio Bay (both highly recommended), major roadways are close, as well as San Juan and the wonderful beach of Loquillo. It's a wonderful place and Wally and Marina couldn't have been nicer. I would not only recommend this house but would rent it again if I come back to Puerto Rico in the future.

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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Awesome!

Guest ChicagoFamily
Date of stay 06/04/08
Review Submitted 06/17/08

I cant tell you how comfortable my family & I were in this beautiful chalet, it had all the amenities of home. The landscaping was breathtaking and the hospitality and service excellent, price was just right also. I would definately reccome nd.

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

Beautiful property

Guest Maritz
Date of stay 03/01/08
Review Submitted 03/25/08

This is a wonderful place to stay. The views are terrific! It is a peaceful, scenic and comfortable location on top of a mountain, relatively close to the rainforest, beaches and San Juan. The landlords are very helpful with a written guidebook for everything!

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

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 5/5

A Wonderful Vacation Spot!

Guest Stasi
Date of stay 08/01/07
Review Submitted 12/21/07

Bella Vista indeed! On our recent trip to Puerto Rico the highlight was staying in this wonderful mountain retreat with its amazing view. The house, which is surrounded by amazing tropical plants, flowers and trees, is outfitted with everything a family could need - all the basic housewares and toiletries, but also pool and beach toys, coolers for our excursions, beach chairs, all the way down to books and games for the kids and adults. For those who can't live without being "plugged in" there is even satellite TV and WiFi access. You won't want to stay indoors, however, as the upstairs balcony and the pool deck offer amazing views of the valley all the way down to the beach! Undoubtedly our favorite place to be. Swimming in the lighted pool at night, with the coqui singing all around you, is a wonderful way to end a busy day of sightseeing. The drive up to the house is slow and winding, but is also very pretty and gives you a glimpse of local living. Wally and Marina were terrific hosts, coming by every morning to see if there was anything we needed, inviting our children to help feed their chickens (the kids looked forward to this every morning!), and giving us a tour of their house and garden down the road. They were just the right mix of available, but removed enough, so that we felt the house was truely "ours" for the week. We definitely recommend Villa Sevilla (and already have to many of our friends!) to anyone looking for a quiet, private, beautiful place to stay in Puerto Rico!

Recommended for: Families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 9/9

My Sons vacation

Guest Very Sexy
Date of stay 01/01/07
Review Submitted 02/12/08

One word outstanding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Everything you need to getaway.

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 5/5

Vacation Rentals by Owner

3 Bedroom Home with Pool, Ocean Views, Wifi, Near El Yunque [#145852ha] | View Property

Traveler Reviews (17)

Perfect in every way!!

Perfect in every way!!

The stuff dreams are made of!

The stuff dreams are made of!

Great place to get out (and up) into nature

Great place to get out (and up) into nature

A Perfect 10

A Perfect 10

A Wonderful Vacation Destination for Families!

A Wonderful Vacation Destination for Families!

Amazing Time at Villa Sevilla

Amazing Time at Villa Sevilla

Heaven on Earth!

Heaven on Earth!

Excellent

Excellent

The Best Vacation

The Best Vacation

The Perfect Vacation Home

The Perfect Vacation Home

Home away from home

Home away from home

Stephens Family Vacation in Puerto Rico

Stephens Family Vacation in Puerto Rico

4 City Boys in PR

4 City Boys in PR

Awesome!

Awesome!

Beautiful property

Beautiful property

A Wonderful Vacation Spot!

A Wonderful Vacation Spot!

My Sons vacation

My Sons vacation