Vacation Rentals by Owner

On the Beach - Beautifully Appointed Luxury Penthouse! [#156042] | View Property

Flamingo Beach
Condo, 4 Bedrooms + Convertible bed(s), 4.5 Baths (Sleeps 11-15)
$1200-$5000/wk
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Traveler Reviews (17)

• Great Family Vacation!

  Great Family Vacation!

  • Guest MT WY
  • Date of stay 04/20/13
  • Review Submitted 04/30/13
  This was a great family vacation. The property was very nice and accommodated 9 of us very comfortably. The location was great because it was very private and away from all of the hustle and bustle of the big resorts. We had a wonderful beach that did not have a lot of traffic and the waves were great to play in and not worry about the kids. It is located in a nice small local community where you really get the feel for the local Costa Rican people and you can walk to the grocery store, local fruit stand, and various restaurants. The open air patio was great to view the pool, yard, and ocean and stay out of the sun if you were too hot. You can get by without a rental car, but we rented one for 3 days and it was nice to be able to drive around a little and explore on our own. The yard and the pool were also great for all of us to relax and enjoy ourselves. The staff around the complex was very helpful, courteous, and polite and it was great to get to know them a little while we were there. Overall, a great vacation and would love to go back again sometime.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car.

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• Highly Recommended VRBO

  Highly Recommended VRBO

  • Guest Jon & Barbara
  • Date of stay 04/02/13
  • Review Submitted 04/15/13
  We just returned from a fabulous week at El Destino. From our initial inquiry to reluctantly returning the condo keys, we enjoyed a top notch experience. The owner, Chris, was timely, efficient and thorough as she booked our reservation and answered our many questions. El Destino was perfect for our family of 7 (parents and adult children/spouses). The entire condo (inside and out) was elegant and spotless! There was ample room to spread out, giving each of us our own space. When not eating out at an area restaurant, we found the kitchen to be large and well equipped. We enjoyed preparing meals - we brought some of our favorite foods from home and then filled in with items from the local market. There were also plenty of places where we could all be together. One of our favorite past times was sitting on the balcony enjoying our morning coffee, listening to the ocean waves and the cacophony of birds while watching for huge iguanas in the trees or wandering cows on the beach! It was wonderful to have beach front property! We loved taking long walks on the beach, swimming and body surfing in the warm ocean, lounging by the beautiful pool, and daily walking to the fruit market and smoothie bar. We also took three tours while staying at El Destino. Our favorite was the day long trip to Arenal Volcano, zip lining and visiting a hot springs resort with Javier, an extremely knowledgeable tour guide, passionate about what he does and serving his customers. We would gladly stay at El Destino again and will definitely recommend this perfect condo to any of our friends who plan to visit Costa Rica!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car.

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• El Destino was perfect for our family!

  El Destino was perfect for our family!

  • Guest Ann
  • Date of stay 03/23/13
  • Review Submitted 04/01/13
  We spent a fabulous week at El Destino and loved every moment! It's perfect for kids. The beach was clean, quiet and warm. We spent many, many hours in the pool with all the great toys and floaties. The condo had everything we needed to be comfortable, relaxed and pampered. And the sunsets on the patio.....amazing and our favorite part of the day! We would recommend this condo/location to anyone. Very relaxing, no bugs, beautiful views and close to great restaurants, beachside bars and anything you may need!

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

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• Great Stay!

  Great Stay!

  • Guest Camera Crazy
  • Date of stay 02/04/13
  • Review Submitted 02/18/13
  We had an excellent stay at El Destino. All of the staff were wonderful...Chris, Elsie, Rosalind, and Olger. They all went the extra mile to make our vacation the best it could be. This is a perfect vacation destination for famililes with children. The condo came stocked with all of the essential kid items and the beach was calm enough for our two 2-year-olds to enjoy the waves. Every night we finished our day with a sunset swim and then a dunk in the pool. Ahhhhhh. I definitely recommend this condo and Costa Rica in general.

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

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• Luxury on the Beach

  Luxury on the Beach

  • Guest LuxuryBeachFan
  • Date of stay 11/10/12
  • Review Submitted 11/27/12
  Costa Rica had been a destination we've wanted to visit for a very long time and when we saw this beautiful penthouse at El Destino we knew we had found the place! This property exceeded our expectations in many ways with the spectacular view of the ocean and the beautifully kept grounds. Chris answered all of our questions and addressed any concerns we had with visiting a foreign destination. The condo was perfect...equipped with everything we wanted and definitely true to the description on VRBO. There's lots to see and do if looking for adventure, but if you're looking for a quiet and relaxing time, then you can find that here too!! We will definitely be going back to El Destino and highly recommend this property!!

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

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• Dream Vacation in Costa Rica

  Dream Vacation in Costa Rica

  • Guest havekidswilltravel
  • Date of stay 10/07/12
  • Review Submitted 04/14/13
  We stayed in this breath taking ocean front penthouse condo for two weeks and had the vacation of a lifetime. The condo was straight out of a move set. We spent the better part of each morning and evening on the balcony taking in the unbelievable view.Then we'd walk down the stairs past the pool to the ocean and boogie board (using the equipment thoughtfully provided at the condo), gather shells, or walk up the beach to dinner. Before we ever left the United States, the condo owners sent us all sorts of information about the area to help us plan the trip. The building concierge arranged for a driver to pick us up at the airport, and the same gentleman set up the unforgettable sight seeing trips around the area. He also drove us to Tamarindo, where our daughter fell in love with surfing, considerately stopping at the largest market in the area so we could stock up on supplies. The owners provided all kinds of helpful information, including reviews of local eateries, contact information for fresh fish, and even pizza delivery. The location was ideal. Down the block is a fresh produce stand, and it is only a a few streets to a small market, a bakery, bars, and restaurants. We went during the rainy season, but if I was worried the precipitation would spoil our trip, I shouldn't have been. Even the few days that it poured, it was still warm enough to swim. The country is especially green and beautiful during the rainy season. The accommodations were world class. Every room was professionally decorated and luxuriously appointed. It was during American football season, and we had no trouble finding the game back home on either of the large flat screen TVs. We cooked many meals in the gorgeous kitchen, and if we knew anyone in the area I would have thrown a dinner party just to show the place off. The bathtub in the mater suite was so large, I almost felt guilty soaking in it. Almost. Our kids loved the bunk bed in the room off of the kitchen, and made good use of the TV with built in DVD player in the evenings. Twice a week a maid came and scrubbed every corner or the condo. A security guard was on duty day and night, and made up feel secure. If I have any complaints, it would be that we had to come home.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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• WOWWWWW!!!!!!

  WOWWWWW!!!!!!

  • Guest Shaw
  • Date of stay 08/01/12
  • Review Submitted 08/29/12
  What a fantastic piece of heaven! We stayed in this fabulous house to start our Costa Rica adventure. It was plenty big for the 8 of us. Everyone we met in the area was friendly and helpful. The house and grounds are kept immaculant. The beach is beautiful and often we were the only ones there! We appreciated the water toys also. Chris was a wonderful help in making our stay comfortable and painless. We enjoyed several restaurants nearby including El Coconut, The Shack and the restaurant at the Bahai hotel at the end of the street. We used the concierge service to hire drivers to take the Monkey/Crocodile boat trip which was a fantastic experience. We LOVED our driver, Douglas, be sure to ask for him. He showed us absolutely everything of interest along the way! Be sure to buy the bulk of your groceries before getting to town as the store nearby is very small! Fantastic time!! Thank you Chris!!!

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

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• Heaven!

  Heaven!

  • Guest Family vactioners
  • Date of stay 07/09/12
  • Review Submitted 08/14/12
  Somewhere between heaven and earth is this fabulous condo and community on the beach. My family (including 3 young boys) spent 3 weeks in this home. We had friends and family come and go. The condo is big enough to provide privacy but still be together. Priceless for us were all the kids beach toys. Our 4 year old learned to swim in the fabulous pool. The property is always kept very clean and everyone was so kind to us. The beach could be considered private - we were the only ones on the beach on many occassions. The water is calm enough that the adults could sit back and relax while the kids enjoyed the surf. I honestly felt safer living in the Protreto community than on any other vacation. We rented a car on and off during our stay, and could walk for groceries (an experience for spoiled Americans), and ate at restaurants close to the condo (which were delicious and friendly). Just amazing. Thank you to the owners for such a wonderful place to call home on vacation!

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

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• Beautiful condo on Potrero Beach

  Beautiful condo on Potrero Beach

  • Guest MD Max
  • Date of stay 06/25/12
  • Review Submitted 07/28/12
  The condo was wonderful and very spacious for our group of 7. We stay somewhere in this area every year, and this house was one of the nicest appointed we have seen. The owners are very responsive and have put many extras in the house that make the stay pleasant. We particularly appreciated the large collection of beach toys and gear. Potrero is an excellent safe beach and one of the least crowded around. Highly recommended!

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

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• A Review of El Destino

  A Review of El Destino

  • Guest maron
  • Date of stay 10/29/11
  • Review Submitted 11/10/11
  We were looking for a 4 bedroom arrangement for our group of 7 adults and 3 small children (18 mos. to 5 years) El Destino seemed to fit the billl. In fact,, it was better than expected. The 4 bedrooms/4 baths were great. The property and penthouse are maintained very well and the pool was perfect. The pictures show it as it is....beautiful and well equipped. The beach is wonderful with mostly calm waters; we even got picked up for fishing right in front of the condo. The two restaurants within easy walking distance have pools to enjoy as well as great food. We recommend El Destino highly. The owners and the property managers were very helpful.

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

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• Bill Fort Worth, Texas

  Bill Fort Worth, Texas

  • Guest bill
  • Date of stay 10/08/11
  • Review Submitted 10/24/11
  My wife has never wanted to go to Costa Rica, but after seeing this beautiful condo right on the beach, she finally relented. If you are looking for a rental that has all that the owner describes, this is the place to go. Three or four couples of have rented many places in the Carribbean, costing more than El Destino, only to find there were not enough place settings, or cookware for our needs. This place is the exception . Everything we were told by the owners was accurate and more than we ever expected. So if you want a truely relaxing vacation on a great beach in a great house consider El Destino. You won't be dissapointed.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

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• Excellent Vacation Spot!

  Excellent Vacation Spot!

  • Guest Karen
  • Date of stay 03/05/11
  • Review Submitted 04/04/11
  Awesome place to stay in Costa Rica, El Destino! Highly Recommend! We had a wonderful week. Relaxed and had fun. What a Perfect vacation. Six of us decided on Costa Rica for our birthday “girl’s trip”. We looked at many options on VRBO. When we saw Chris and Tom’s Penthouse we said “this is the one for us”. We definitely made the right choice. The Penthouse was perfect. It was clean, comfortable, close to the ocean and plenty of room for the six of us. We could have invited more friends! After a day of excursions it was nice to come back to the Penthouse and relax with friends. Relax, sit on the porch and listen to the waves from ocean. Walking on the beach in the morning, just outside our door, was an added plus! Sleeping at night you can hear the ocean, what a wonderful sound. We miss it! Six women from the states going to another country, we felt very safe with a guard all hours of the day and night. We were close to the excursions. Erika and Britta were very helpful in planning our excursions since we didn’t have transportation. Our excursions were the Adventure Park, Congo Trail, Monkey and Crocodile Adventure, Tamarindo, Flamingo and wonderful seafood dinners! Now we wish we would have stayed at least two weeks! As I said at the beginning, Highly Recommend! Thanks Chris and Tom!!

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

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• We love it!!!!!!

  We love it!!!!!!

  • Guest Gail
  • Date of stay 10/16/10
  • Review Submitted 10/27/10
  Love it! Love it! Love it! It's unbelievable! We just spent a week with our family and had the best time! We live in LA and Chris arranged for her chef, Miguel to have dinner prepared for us upon arrival. What a treat to walk in from a long flight and and sit right down! The meal was delicious! After dinner we went swimming in the ocean which is just out the door! Walk across the lawn and walk right in! And we had the most beautiful view from our spacious master bedroom. Oceanfront! The condo is huge and more than enough room for the six of us. There are so many wonderful things that we experienced on our trip. Hiking in the rain forest was fantastic and the kids especially like the ATV tour. Chris and Tom, I can't thank you enough for sharing your wonderful vacation home with us! Memories to last a lifetime!

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

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• Oct 1st - Oct9th 2010

  Oct 1st - Oct9th 2010

  • Guest Tim
  • Date of stay 10/01/10
  • Review Submitted 10/16/10
  I am not sure how to begin. The condo is awesome with all the perks expected. What an awesome place to stay with no exceptions. This home comes with everything you need. If you want a chilled out time on the beach, you got it. If you want to be close to (within 1:30) from rain forest you got it. If you want to be close to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, you got it. I cant say enough about El Destino. I love to fish and the 1st day there we took the sea kayak out 400 yards off the beach and caught a 20 pound snapper. What a GREAT catch that was totally unexpected, can you say fish for dinner. Chris (the owner) was so awesome in helping us in finding the right person to help us with someone to show us around. That gets to Javier and Carlos AKA Uncle Charlie, do not use anyone else but these guys for anything. Javier knows everyone and is there to please without a doubt. Like I said I like to fish and Javier hooked us up with a local that took us out in his skiff and when he actually jumped overboard and speared the bait we fished with, we were amazed. I can go on and on about El Destino and everything that is within walking distance, if you rent a car you made a mistake. The pics posted on VRBO can only say so much this place is so much better we will be back without a doubt.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

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• Simply Wow!

  Simply Wow!

  • Guest TJE
  • Date of stay 01/28/10
  • Review Submitted 02/09/10
  Having traveled the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica for several years I decided to bring the family and another couple along so they could see this beautiful country. The Playa Flamingo and Playa Potrero areas are the most beautiful, family friendly, spots in the Country. This particular condo was fabulous and the nicest place I have had the pleasure of staying at in Costa Rica. Clean, well appointed, spacious, beautiful views and a great location. Within an hour drive is the Airport, Africa Mia, an interactive zoo, Playa Tamarindo, surfing capital of the world, Flamingo Beach, an elegant area but with only one spot for condo's actually on the beach. This property was easily accessable, not crowded and located so we could find adventure in a few minutes without having to stay in the middle of the action. It was the perfect restfull spot that allows one to easily partake in all the area attractions. We took a trip up the estuary in Tamarindo to see the Howlers and gators, visited Africa Mia, a rodeo in Huacas and dinner at a variety of restaurants from Tamarindo to Flamingo to Potrero. Yes, I reccomend this property, Just don't book it when I want to rent it again as I will return. Truely 5 stars............................

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

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• Excellent location, property and family friendly

  Excellent location, property and family friendly

  • Guest L@S
  • Date of stay 06/12/09
  • Review Submitted 06/24/09
  My wife and I spent our 30th anniversary at this condo on June 12, 2009. We could not of had a better experience and more fun. The maintenance personnel, management, and maid service are impeccable. Chris and Tom have personnel tour guides that speak perfect English and pick you up at Condo and the adventure begins. The Country is beautiful but we also recommend renting Bikes or Scooters and seeing some of the many close restaurants and Bars on your own. Great trip , we will be back with the Kids. Lloyd and Susan

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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• Our Two Weeks in Playa Portrero

  Our Two Weeks in Playa Portrero

  • Guest Dar/Car
  • Date of stay 01/03/09
  • Review Submitted 01/22/09
  We had an absolutely wonderful time on the beach. The Penthouse is beautiful and the setting so peaceful. We had fun exploring the nearby beaches and small beach villages. Playa Tamarindo wasn't too far away and we had fun looking in the little shops there. We went on a Canopy Tour and experienced the zipline for the first time. We would all do that again. We also went snorkeling one afternoon. We tried several of the local restaurants and loved the outdoor dining and the food was spectacular. It was a vacation of a lifetime.

  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: 3/3