Cielomar.its Wild! Sea Vista Lodge and Private Preserve

• As Advertised But...

  As Advertised But...

  • Guest Anonymous
  • Date of stay 03/29/13
  • Review Submitted 04/15/13
  First and foremost. We enjoyed it and had a good family time. There are some things that are not quite as advertised or in need of maintenance that you may want to be aware of. Bedrooms: It is advertised as 3 bedrooms BUT only one of those is fully enclosed. The master is in the basement, down a staircase from the front porch as advertised but it has a curtain that acts as a "door". This wasn't a problem until the last night we stayed when some type of beetle got into bed with my wife and I. The 3rd bedroom is either the open air front porch or the open air top level. Both have a bed (even some mosquito netting) but does that make them bedrooms? The main floor bedroom is advertised as having "an extra twin bed". It does not. This might have been the bed that was on the front porch but I don't know. Pool and Walkway: It is advertised with a pool area that is "romantically lit at night for evening entertainment or swimming" but the walkway lights no longer work. Nor does the light in the pool work. We didn't walk there at night in the dark to see how romantic it could have been. The kitchen is very functional. The main floor is quite nice. There is a TV with a DVD and some movies but the TV doesn't work in color any more. This was OK. We didn't watch TV. We spent every night playing cards at the kitchen table. Great family time trying to identify the bugs and killing "bullet" ants that would join us. Mornings were wonderful. Wake up to howler monkeys or toucans, grab a cup of coffee from the french press (the carafe for the coffee maker is broken) and head upstairs to watch the toucans, parrots, and occasional monkey troupe. Days were spent on the beaches, touring the area (Jeff gave great directions to the "coffee lady" and a waterfall or shopping in nearby Puerto Viejo. Overall - a nice area and a nice house in need of some repairs but still a nice family vacation.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, sightseeing.

  Owner response: We are truly sorry this person,did not appreciate Cielomar for it's strengths, and chose instead to concentrate on a few small annoyances. This person's family was treated to a guided hike in the jungle preserve, free,by our caretaker and he does not even mention that!. We do our best to accommodate our guests and respond to any needs they might have. The pool and walkway lights are fixable, and since being brought to our attention have been repaired... the carafe for the coffe pot had broken just before this person arrived, so he was forced to choose between 3 or 4 other ways to make coffee. Please, if you come to Cielomar come with an open mind and a reasonable attitude! You won't be sorry you did!

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• a month at Ciel Mar

  a month at Ciel Mar

  • Guest Frances Julia
  • Date of stay 05/13/12
  • Review Submitted 06/22/12
  How fortunate was I to stay at Cielo Mar for a month! I had a wonderful working holiday - morning walks to the beach, writing in the canopy room, afternoon swims in the glorious pool, jungle walks with Jeff. We hung out with the howler monkeys, watched the sloth in the nearby tree, delighted with the toucans and parrots. Cielo Mar is truly a bucket list destination.

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

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• Truly Amazing!!!!!

  Truly Amazing!!!!!

  • Guest Rae V.
  • Date of stay 02/14/12
  • Review Submitted 06/01/12
  (My Review below was supposed to be 5 stars!!!) My husband and I along with our best friends stayed at Cielomar Lodge in February, it was such an amazing place. Jeff, the owner was awesome, he is so knowledgeable about the surrounding jungle, and even took the time to take us on jungle hikes. The house was absolutely beautiful, we loved the open air room as well as the pool overlooking the jungle and ocean. Bruce the caretaker was great too. He provided us with fresh fruit each day and made sure we didn't miss the sloth and monkeys. The house's proximity to surrounding grocery markets and beach is perfect, just secluded enough to enjoy the beautiful jungle but close enough to "run" into town. The four of us loved our time at Cielomar Lodge and cannot wait to return! Thank you Jeff for providing such a retreat!

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

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• A Nature's Paradise

  A Nature's Paradise

  • Guest Maceo
  • Date of stay 04/14/12
  • Review Submitted 05/17/12
  What a great find this was. Both my wife and I are into nature and wildlife and for that, this place was positively perfect. The top floor is open on all sides with amazing 360 views of the jungle (this is where we spent most of our time). You even have a nice view of the ocean. You’ll want to bring a good set of binoculars to take advantage of the many birds in the area. We saw both Chestnut Mandibled toucans and Keel Billed toucans on a regular basis. Other birds we saw, to name a few, included Aracari, a White Hawk, Laughing Falcons, and Oropendolas. Jeff provides a spotting scope for really zooming in on the wildlife. We also saw several sloths. One of the things that makes this property unique is that it comes with its own trails. It’s a very large property and trails snake throughout it taking you along a river, through mature jungle, and up to a high point that provides a really nice view of the surrounding jungle. Jeff was gracious enough to take us out on a tour of the different trails our second day there. I should mention that even though this property is tucked back in the jungle, you are a very short walk or drive to the ocean. We found the beaches down in Manzinillo, which is a short drive south, to be some of the prettiest we have seen anywhere. The property has a saltwater pool that we used on a regular basis to cool off after hiking. Both Jeff and his caretaker Bruce are a pleasure to talk to and are good hosts. This place truly is unique and I highly recommend it.

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

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• Rare Opportunity to Experience True Jungle

  Rare Opportunity to Experience True Jungle

  • Guest Jill
  • Date of stay 03/04/12
  • Review Submitted 03/11/12
  Thank you Jeff and Bruce for making our stay at CieloMar a great experience in the jungle. Our stay from Sunday, March 4th to Friday, March 9th was wonderful - from seeing the white-faced monkeys near the pool, to waking up to the howler monkeys and toucans and to all the little touches you did such as the fresh flowers in the house, the freshly picked bananas near the pool and the many up-to-date magazines you provided as reading material. Our favourite part was both looking out into the jungle from the 3rd floor canopy room (seeing both the ocean and the dense jungle) and the jungle trek with Jeff. We also enjoyed the many services available in Playa Chiquita and the neighbouring towns. Just walking down the road, we were able to see blue morpho butterflies, iguana and a sloth behind Botanica Organica. We loved El Refugio (excellent steak) and our visit to the Jaguar Rescue Centre. Had we had more time, we would have gone on a horseback tour through jungle and beach with Playa Chiquita Riding Stables. This house is a great place to explore the jungle and the many facets of flora and fauna - including ants, spiders, frogs, reptiles, sloths (there's one behind the house) monkeys, toucan, parrots, , etc. My husband and I are in our 40's and our parents came with us - they're in their 80's and we all enjoyed the experience. Thank you for making this place possible and sharing your piece of paradise with us. Pura vida! Rick and Jill Jones

  Recommended for: Families with young children, adventure seekers, families with teenagers, sightseeing.

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• Sandra, liz and kids

  Sandra, liz and kids

  • Guest Sandra
  • Date of stay 02/21/12
  • Review Submitted 02/27/12
  This lodge is amazing!! It exceeded all of my expectations!! We had two children 9 and 11. The lodge itself is nestled in the jungle with a view of the ocean and rainforest. The house is very clean and Jeff and Bruce work to make the grounds beautiful and maintained impeccably. We heard monkeys every day and were fortunate to have a visit of about 15 one morning in a tree right above us. We also saw a sloth, coral snake, posin dart frog, bull frogs, two types of violet snakes. Just awesome. So quiet, safe and peaceful. We did not even lock our door!! My children and I loved having Bruce there, who has a stable on the huge property. We had the most amazing memories and wonderful experience riding with him for two days on the beach. He is very kindhearted and was amazing with my daughter. She will never forget riding the horses on the beach. He was so nice in bringing us fresh limes and coconuts!! The house is close to town where you have endless chooses of places to eat. We loved going to the beach and riding the waves. Most of all we enjoyed our night walks into the jungle to find any critter we could, it seemed that a whole new life came out at night and the house has wonderful trails that go for miles. It was exciting, mysterious and lots of fun discovering what was there. Bruce and jeff are a wealth of knowledge of the plants and wild life. It is great having them close by so they were always checking on us to make sure all our needs were taken care of. They both went above and beyond to help us. The laundry was great to have. There is a wonderful pool and bar area that would be fun to entertain at. Can't say enough how much we loved it. My 11 year old is so sad that we had to leave and they both are saying it was there favorite holiday. We have gone on many trips but ate lobbying on returning already. I highly recommend this lodge. You can veg out or go seek adventure it offers it all.

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, families with young children, girls getaway, adventure seekers, families with teenagers, sightseeing.

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• Breathtaking

  Breathtaking

  • Guest Costabride
  • Date of stay 10/01/11
  • Review Submitted 01/19/12
  I stayed here with a group of friends for my wedding and we had an amazing time. A lot of places boast about being in the jungle...YOU ARE IN THE JUNGLE! Wonderful people and the coolest house! Words can't really describe how amazing this place is, but defintely worth staying at! I hope to be back soon to hang out with the creatures and stare out at the ocean while sitting by the pool. A truly unique and satisfying adventure.

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

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• Highlight of our three week trip to Costa Rica

  Highlight of our three week trip to Costa Rica

  • Guest farnorth
  • Date of stay 12/12/11
  • Review Submitted 01/12/12
  Off the beaten path with great views- woke to monkeys each morning at daybreak. Bruce was very accommodating, we regret not to have had the right weather to go horseback riding with him. He brought us fresh fruit from the property each morning! Jennifer is the other host, and several of us had excellent massage from her- she has a different style of deep tissue that was very healing- especially the neck and shoulders. The layout of the house is really interesting- my wife and I took the upstairs open-air loft double bed with mosquito netting. That was really special to be able to lay in bed and see all around a 360 degree view of jungle and ocean, and waking and viewing howler monkeys from bed is unique! The pool was great, and although we did not use it had a kitchen area with bbq. The only downside was the kitchen gear was far beyond its useful life, but we heard that the owner was bringing new pots and pans so that should not be an issue. Local restaurants were excellent, but we enjoyed the house so much that we only ate out one of three nights. The local hiking trails were very nice- a private walk that one should not hurry through. Everyone talks about the bugs- they too were a highlight. Praying mantis, a 'headlight beetle' was our favorite, and we got far fewer mosquito bites there than in other areas of Costa Rica- we observed most of them on the mosquito net just after sunrise for about half an hour then they seemed to be gone. Being situated on top of a small ridge made for really nice breezes- and again the view is waht really sets this place aside. This is not for the high-maintenance types, but for the traveler who wants to have that unique and special place away from the masses. Our only regret was in not staying longer. Fears about how the Caribbean Coast has such drug and other issues, including much rain, had us decide on only three nights. The rains are not an issue- take an umbrella or just get wet- it is warm! And the rains were infrequent. The owner Jeff was quick to respond to emails, and we can tell that he has a passion for the place and does much work there. There are many things to see in the area, and time here seems to pass too quickly each day. If we are ever to return to Costa Rica, we will be sure to stay longer at Cielomar.

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

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• jungle lodge

  jungle lodge

  • Guest Eric
  • Date of stay 11/05/11
  • Review Submitted 12/09/11
  My wife, 5 years old son, plus my inlaws - down from Mexico, and I spent a week at Cielo Mar in November 2011. We arrived shortly after sunset after a long drive from San Jose (I recommend trying to avoid driving the road from Limon at night!). Cielo Mar is at the very top of a steep, mostly dirt road of about perhaps a quarter mile from the main road. Four wheel drive should not be necessary, but extra clearance is good for the road and more generally for the potholes one encounters on the Costa Rica roads. The place is completely tranquil, other than the sounds of the jungle. There are no lights from other houses, no sounds from the road. Sligthly spooky the first night for my mother-in-law, but once the sun rose the next morning, and she got her bearings, she was fine. We had a terrific week. We explored the jungle trails in the reserve every day (saw spider monkers, howlers, two eyelash vipers and an ebony keelback, toucans, parots, oropendulas, blue/black poison dart frogs, etc.). Jeff joined us for several excursions, and was quite knowledgeable about the animals. In general, Jeff was an excellent host: informed, laid back, helpful, with a good sense of humor, and not intrusive. My inlaws appreciated as well that his Spanish is fluent. The house is truly unique in its setting, views, and especially, the open-sided third floor. The jungle hardwoods used throughout give a nice feel, and my son especially liked climbing up and down the spiral staircase. But, it is not a luxury property (and does not pretend to be): some insects get in (nothing problematic, and mosuitos were actually not bad), the beds are a bit sqeaky, and the kitchen is simple, though functional. On balance, though, I have to say we were plenty comfortable, and I would not want to trade the wonderful jungle sounds, smells and sites for a higher end and more steril place. The place is hard to convey, as it is unique in so many aspects. A typical day was to get up at dawn, eat a breakfast of eggs and very fresh fruit (including cacao and papaya provide by Jeff), spend an hour hiking in the jungle, smim in the pool, eat lunch at the house, walk down to the beech, walk back, swim in the pool, and then head down to "Jungle Love" restaurant for a well-prepared dinner. Then early to bed to the sounds of the jungle. Repeat. We all agreed we definitely want to return.

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, families with young children, pet owners, age 55+, adventure seekers, families with teenagers, sightseeing.

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• Truely Amazing Experience - Just know what your getting into

  Truely Amazing Experience - Just know what your getting into

  • Guest Mark C.3
  • Date of stay 08/26/11
  • Review Submitted 12/02/11
  My wife, parents and I stayed at Cielo Mar in late August. The setting is absolutely gorgeous and a one of a kind experience. My parents in particular LOVED the location and the bird watching was like nothing I have ever experienced. My Mom and I hiked the pathways and spent hours outside. You are quite literally in the jungle so you will absolutely will be in the middle of all of the flaura and fauna that comes with it so keep that in mind. The house itself is beautifully built. The nature of its location makes it naturally damp and dark and you absolutely will have close encounters with many, many bugs. We didn't have any more problems with being bitten than anywhere else we were in CR but if you are not tolerant of damp / dark conditions or are not a "bug person" you might consider it "kind of like camping" as my wife described it. Bruce (the caretaker) was immensely helpful, generous and very interesting to talk to (He's got great stories of his many travels). All in all, we had a great experience in a truely unique location that we will never forget.

  Recommended for: Families with young children, adventure seekers, families with teenagers, sightseeing.

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Additional information about rental rates

BASIC RATES ARE FOR UP TO 4 PEOPLE. ADDITIONAL GUESTS

(UP TO 9) ADD $25/ nt or $150/wk.

CHILDREN UNDER 10 STAY FREE

HOLIDAY RATES: (CHRISTMAS/SEMANA SANTA):

Dec. 22 - Jan 2: $300/nt. $2000/wk

March 24- Mar 31: $300/nt $2000/wk

Fees:

• Pet Fee: $1
• Taxes Not included

Cancellation policy:

100% refund if canceled at least 30 days before arrival date.