Vacation Rentals by Owner

Greatest Vacation spot for family and kids

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 01/13/12 Review Submitted: 01/25/12

We just got back from 9 nights (Jan 13-22) in this wonderful vacation home. We had a large family group of 9 adults and 9 children from 2 months to 12 yrs old. The home was clean and all the ameneties were exactly as described.Having all the linens especially the beach towels was particularly helpful. We were surprised to see that a full size mac computer was available for our use as well. The view from the covered front porch was astounding and the water was very tame since it is somewhat of a bay the kids weren't overwhelmed by large waves. For the most part we had the beach to ourselves and could walk forever at low tide and never run into anyone. The most impressive feature is the thoughtfullness put in by gary (the owner) and his family in providing things for the family to use during the stay. the kayaks were great and since the water was so calm we could even let the smaller kids use the 4 Kayaks. They had a great time with the foosball and ping pong tables, loved the tire swing and the family volleyball game was a real highpoint. The Pool was clean and clear and they even had floats,swimmies and life jackets for the kids to use. We spent every night around the pool after coming back from building campfires right on the beach. The outside grill was another nice extra for cooking hamburger and hot dogs and chicken during our stay. Having a washer and a dryer and a maid everyday who cleaned the entire house made it easier to enjoy the whole day. Gary really was a pleasure to deal with. He picked 11 of us up at the airport and we then rented his 2 suv 7 passenger cars for our stay. He also made arrangements for the entire group to go to Manuel Antonio by van for a day. He is knowledgeable of the area and his resturant recommendations were fantastic. He also transported us back to the airport for our departure. Having satellite TV also allowed us to watch all the NFL playoff games along with other American channels. Gary has a small home on the property which is another plus for security as well as immediate attention to any problems or just general questions we had. I cannot say anything but thanks to Gary and Family for providing my Family with the vacation of a lifetime . We only hope we can go back again before too many people find out about this piece of Paradise.

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

Great family vacation spot

Guest: Casey (United States)
Date of Stay: 12/24/11 Review Submitted: 01/28/12

We visited Costa Rica during the Christmas and New Year holidays and absolutely loved it. We had 14 people (4 kids) and the house was a perfect accommodation for our entire crew. The beach is just steps from the house so swimming, walking, and bonfires were quick and easy. It was our first time in the area so it was great to Have Gary available to help book excursions, get tips on beaches, restaurants, shopping, etc. He really made my trip, since I was the "planner" it made my job much easier. We also rented his 2 suvs which again fit all of our party and was a much better deal than going with a airport rental company. We definitely would recommend this to anyone who wants to experience the real Costa Rica and not just a resort. It was great to shop, surf, eat, and hang with the locals to gain the real experience of what its like to be in Costa Rica. We will be back!!

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

A cubic zirconiun in the rough

Guest: Chrispy (Tacoma Washington USA)
Date of Stay: 07/05/11 Review Submitted: 01/15/12

We had a great stay in Costa Rica in spite of the fact that our accommodations were not as expected. I think the pictures on the listing are a bit old. The house has great potential and is in a great setting, but need some attention and maintenance. There are 3 bedrooms inside the house, one with a double bed, one with a queen bed, and 1 with 2 sets of bunk beds. The kitchen and living room are open and bright. The refrigerator doesn’t stay closed without the added gate latch bolted to the outside of the fridge. There are 2 more bedrooms outside the house in an attached metal roof shed. Bugs are a problem in these rooms – sort of like sleeping in an open tent. These rooms are definitely meant for someone used to camping. The hot water for the showers is provided by electric shower heads. It was a bit un-nerving to use the shower heat because the wires for the shower heads are just taped to the pipes without shielding. On top of that, only 1 of the 3 showers actually had a working hot water head. We were a bit concerned about not having air conditioning, but actually the breeze coming off of the beach does cool the house down fairly well at night. Additionally, there are ceiling fans in each room which helped with the heat but didn’t help much with the humidity. The pool area has the potential to be nice but there were a lot of crawling bugs present during our stay which made for a lot of bug bites on your legs if you stood in one place for long. The owner, who lives onsite, says he normally treats the yard for bugs but hadn’t had the time lately. The cabana next to the pool was missing most of its roof, which made it hard to use due to frequent rains. The beach is very beautiful but because there is a river outlet very close to this beach, the water is dark brown and murky. I recommend a car for anyone that wants to spend any time away from the house. There is plenty to see within about 3 hours of the house in any direction you travel. Jaco, the closest town is about a 15 minute drive from the access road. Add another 10 minutes to get from the beach to the main road. We used a National Geographic Travel guide and it was very useful. The property owner had some good suggestions for a few restaurants and attractions but not much else. As far as rental cars go, the property owner had 2 cars he rents at the time we were staying. We had good luck with the Mitsubishi, but the LandRover had transmission trouble so we ended up renting

Owner response:I value every guest we have ever had, and want the best for them. I have apologized to this person that our accommodations were not up to her standards. I once had a Costa Rican visitor come to our property, who was really taken back with what he saw. He said, “this property is so nice it should belong to the president of the country.” Personally, I have not seen a nicer beach-front property in Costa Rica, and I have had others tell me the same thing. Concerning the woman who wrote, "there are 3 bedroom inside the house", this is carelessly inaccurate. There are 4 nice bedrooms inside the larger section of the house that she is referring to. She forgot to mention the King size bed that is in another bedroom. The double bed she mentioned is a single bed. She harmfully wrote about, "two bedrooms in an outside attached metal roof shed ..." This is far from the truth, and very unfair. Ninety percent of Costa Rican homes have metal roofs. These rooms have concrete walls, ceramic floors and expensive hand carved cedar doors, and cedar closets, celling fans, two big windows each with screening and curtains, good lights, etc. They are a part of the house off of a nice 3 foot walled in porch area. The showers work good and are safe, and what most Costa Rican homes have; but this lady did not apparently know how to use them, and did not ask me how the temperature settings on them work. The bugs in the pool area was a line of leaf cutter ants (harmless to humans), across one corner of the pool patio area. I have killed that nest of ants. Also, those who have stayed here know we have almost a zero to no misquotes, which is very fortunate for a property in Costa Rica. Some people go through life and see the beauty around them, while others seem to zero in on the flaws. The person who wrote this review above stayed here for two weeks. A short time after this she wrote a complaint to me about scratches in the plastic plates, and chips in the ceramic dishes. I went and found two ceramic dishes that did have a small chip in both of them, and yes there were a few plastic plates with scratches in them. This person demands perfection from me, but then makes several inaccurate and harmful false statements about the property here. Gary

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers.

We had a great time!

Guest: Pete (Manhattan, Kansas)
Date of Stay: 05/29/11 Review Submitted: 06/09/11

This is a unique property, very private, clean, and safe. We weren't sure what to expect, and although it wasn't exactly as I had envisioned, it turned out to be a great place for our group. Gary has done a good job updating most things on the property, but it is still what I called a bit of a "Diamond-In-The-Rough", just a few more polishing touches here and there and it would be an exquisite place. However it is very functional and pratical with a great layout. The beach, the pool and BBQ area, and the back patio were all great places to relax and visit with our friends. The BBQ area (probably the part of the property that needs the most attention) was a wonderful place for us "wanna-be" pitmasters, everyone loved the cuisine we burned out on the grill- Ha! The nearby towns and villages were very accessible, we shopped, we zip-lined, deep-sea fished, rented motorcycles & A.T.V.'s, and ate at some very interesting restaurants all within a 5 to 20 minute drive from the house. All in all we were very pleased with our stay. If you're the one who needs a penthouse on 5th ave., or the suites at the Bellagio, this might not be the place for you, however if you can overlook minor imperfections, then put yourself in low gear and get ready to relax at a very "calming" spot that will give you a feel for the "Tico" lifestyle and culture. If I return to Costa Rica I'd definately return to this house for it's charm, character and soothing atmosphere. Gary was a great 'host' helpful with any of our needs, I fully recommend renting this place. Nature lovers will especially love this place!!

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

Great Place to Stay with Family

Guest: Jason (San Diego)
Date of Stay: 01/29/11 Review Submitted: 02/18/11

I have stayed many times at Gary's house and just returned from Costa Rica 10 days ago. The location is nice as you have the beach almost to yourself and are close enough to anything you may need (groceries, activities, dining, etc.). I fully recommend this house. Gary and his family are extremely nice!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.

Great place!

Guest: DMSR3121 (Norwalk, CA)
Date of Stay: 08/21/10 Review Submitted: 09/01/10

I came here not knowing what to expect. We drove into Playa Agujas on a dirt road leading us towards the beach area, although the surrounding beach was public, the vacation home is private and beautiful! Great place to have a family and a bunch of friends enjoying a vacation away from home. The house was placed beautifully overseeing the beach and the sound of the waves that you can hear all day and all night long was music to my ears! The pool was warm and a good size for friends and family. Gary, the owner, was warm and helpful!! He even gave us good advice of where to shop and where to go ziplining...I enjoyed staying in Playa Agujas and I wouldn't mind staying at this beachfront home again. Gary offers a cook and housekeeping. We didn't use the food service, but were able to cook up meals in the kitchen and even have a barbecue in the poolside area. The housekeeping service was awesome! She did her job VERY WELL and kept us super neat and clean! The vacation home was a great place!!! Pura Vida!!

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

What a great place!

Guest: Donna65 (Alabama)
Date of Stay: 06/30/10 Review Submitted: 07/14/10

We stayed here on a multi-family vacation in July 2010. We had a group of 11 with children ranging from 5 to 17 years. This house was perfect for us. The property was very well maintained and beautiful. The rooms were spacious as was the common areas of the house. There was so much to do here that everyone had a great time. The pool was very nice and well landscaped with a shower and bathroom facilities available. The house was beachfront with a beautiful view. We even saw some wildlife; iguanas, macaws and others. It was nice having the propery gated from the beach with very easy access. The owners are wonderful. They are onsite so that they are available for any help you may need. We had someone cook for us (for a fee) a few days. What an amazing cook she was! Well worth it! The only downfall was the distance from Jaco and other facilities. It was a little further than I thought. A car would be helpful if you plan to go to Jaco or do other trips away from the house. We will definitely be back here!!

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

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 01/01/09 Review Submitted: 01/27/09

Stay here in June of 2008. This house is awesome. The property is awesome. I can't say enough. Very reasonable rate too! Right on the beach and tons to do in the area. Zip lined twice and rode horses, shopping, etc. Nice! Will definitely come back.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 10/01/08 Review Submitted: 10/28/08

It has been 3 days back into the daily grind and I'm still unable to get last week's vacation out of my head. The accomodations were so great that I felt compelled to write this comment. Gary's place was spectacular. It truly was a slice of heaven within heaven. The place literally offered everything you could think of including some that I would never dream of. These were the slack line, zipline and rope swing. The view was straight out of a Conde Naste magazine. Gary and his family were exceptionally helpful. They promptly handled every request we had. I would highly recommend this rental to anyone in the neigborhood.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 03/01/08 Review Submitted: 03/17/08

We had such a lovely stay at Gary & Deanna's. Nine of uf us had plenty of room in the beautiful oceanfront home. We especially enjoyed the pool area, veranda's and fabulous views. Each of Gary's travel suggestions were great. Hazel, our maid, was wonderful- she even cooked dinner for us one night, Costa Rican style!! this was truely one of our groups' best trips yet!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 12/01/07 Review Submitted: 12/26/07

Just got back a couple of weeks ago (our stay-Dec 8-14, 2007). Wish we could have stayed longer. We went horseback riding and saw 4 monkeys. Rode horses on the beach too. Caught 4 sea bass one day and 5 another day, right in front of the house. We ate them and they were delicious! Went body surfing almost everyday. Macaws visted us several days on the property, they are beautiful. Used the kayaks and walked the beach. Drove to Monte Verde and did the zip lines in the rain forest. Gary and Deanne were great. A wonderful experience for us. Hope to go again!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 04/01/07 Review Submitted: 04/24/07

It has been a year since we stayed at this lovely place and I can’t seem to forget it. I can't imagine a better place for a group of 3 families with kids. It was a total of 12 people staying here. Gary and Dianne were great and the house was exceptional. We will never forget the great dinners at the pool and the wonderful beach access along with great views every morning while eating breakfast. At first I was not sure, the home is not in a resort, however it is best place I have ever stayed. This statement means a lot since I have worked in the vacation rental industry for 15 years and have had the pleasure of staying at wonderful locations all over the US. I will state that what makes it great is its location (beach access) and its price. You cannot go wrong with this choice. However do not expect that you are at the Hyatt or Four Seasons. This is for families and for people who want to enjoy being in Costa Rica with its culture. We hope to come here again. Thanks again, Gary and Dianne Rae Anne DeBonville

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 01/01/07 Review Submitted: 01/22/07

Our extended family -- parents, three siblings & spouses, and four grandchildren (ages 1 to 6) -- stayed for a week and loved every minute of it. We had never been on an all-family vacation -- let alone to Central America! Gary and his family made us feel at home. The location, the house, and the property were outstanding. There was enough space so that no one felt crowded. We came home with so many beautiful pictures -- but none did the place justice! Thanks again for a wonderful vacation! Best, Kristen

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 03/01/06 Review Submitted: 03/19/06

We were along with the Murray party of 11. What a dream of a vacation spot! The views and sunsets are spectracular. The indoor and outdoor living spaces are all beautiful.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 02/01/06 Review Submitted: 02/18/06

We highly recommend this beautiful house. There were eleven of us and there was plenty of room and privacy for all.The property and location in C.R.make for easy access to many exciting venues.The birds and sunsets are beyond belief. I wish I was sitting on the front porch right this minute.Thanks Gary and family !

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 02/01/06 Review Submitted: 02/15/06

We just completed our stay at Gary's beach house and were thrilled with the experience. The house is wonderful and the sunsets over the Pacific are to die for. Within a two hour drive are terrific opportunities for several national parks and untold beaches. If not driving you can be picked up at the house on the beach for sportfishing; we did and had a great 1/2 day trip. Don't miss the Carrara or Manual Antonio national parks.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 09/01/05 Review Submitted: 09/05/05

Thank you again for such a beautiful place! All 17 of us had a GREAT time staying at your house. I had read one comment that the photos don't do the place justice-and I'd have to agree. It's even more beautiful than the pictures you have on your website show, and those were good photos! I was skeptical of the photos at first because I wasn't sure when they were taken (for all I knew they were taken 50 years ago). But for those reading this comment, the photos ARE recent and the place is even better than it appears!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/01/05 Review Submitted: 08/23/05

50th wedding anniversary. 5 family units. Children and grandchildren ranging in age from 7-71. Very successful, thanks in large part to the positive features of Gary and Deanne's condo - Very kid friendly, games. Private pool, immediate access to beach. No crowds. Kayaking great, south to white sand and waterfall. My favorite - hiking north along beach to open air restaurant, about 1 hour walk. Difficult to gauge timing because of abundance of nature for everyone to look at. Moved at kid-pace. Kids loved the many crabs washed up by the surf. Restaurant took care of us immediately. Majority walked back along shore, remainder by taxi, called by restaurant. Return along shore by early PM, to beat the tide. Kids had a great time with the sporting features. 10 year old granddaughter proved very adept at wall peg climbing. We loved the privacy of the area, and easily scheduled several excursions. Kids had a great time in the ocean, did some body surfing. At approx 2pm daily, 7 pelican in-line flew by. Youngsters liked the nature of bird noises, watching long caravans of cutter ants, iguanas, huge toads, crabs, fireflies at night. Seclusion of area was great, with many different sounds blending - surf, geckos, birds, very relaxing and soothing, day and night, especially the ocean. We never tired of thesound.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 02/01/05 Review Submitted: 02/16/05

I just returned from 10 glorious days at Gary & Deanne's beautiful beach house. This was my second trip and I enjoyed it just as much this trip as the first time and am looking forward to spending my vacation there again next year. Gary & Deanne, their family, and Hazel, our housekeeper, were all wonderful and took great care to make sure that everything went well while we were visiting. Thanks Again!!! Nancy Loper, Algonac Michigan

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/01/04 Review Submitted: 08/08/04

Staying at Gary's beach house was absolutely wonderful. There were 14 of us and we had plenty of space ....... never felt like we were underneath each other's feet. The house is spacious, has a BEAUTIFUL setting and is clean (we especially appreciated the daily maidservice and wanted to bring Hazel home with us!!!) We enjoyed wonderful meals (awesome fish and seafood) that we could prepare at our convenience and the table on the huge porch overlooking the ocean acommodated all of us!!! Even when we weren't out seeing the awesome sights, the kids (ranging in age from 10 to 18) were never bored ....... the pool and bodyboarding on the awesome waves kept them busy for hours!! Falling asleep at night with the sound of crashing ocean waves in the background was wonderful. It truly is a piece of paradise and we will visit again!!!!!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/01/04 Review Submitted: 08/07/04

August 1st. Gary and Deanne, We enjoyed our stay so much. There is just not enough time to see it all! Guess we'll have to come back! Our compliments to your staff. God Bless,

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/01/04 Review Submitted: 07/27/04

We spent 11 days at the Stalley's house. There were seven of us, 5 young adults. We found plenty of nearby activities to entertain but truely enjoyed the beautiful views. The peace and quiet and isolation was very relaxing. The morning visit from an iguana hunting bugs on the roof was quite entertaining. The porch toad and the beautiful scarlet macaws all added to the experience. It was wonderful to have someone clean up every day for us! I would recommend this place as a wonderful family retreat.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/01/04 Review Submitted: 07/20/04

We had a great time! There were 3 families – my sister, her husband and daughter from Virginia, my oldest daughter, her husband and my three precious little grand daughters, my husband and myself and our 3 teen-age daughters. The house was able to accommodate all 13 of us very comfortably. The view was absolutely beautiful! THIS HOUSE AND ITS VIEW OF THE OCEAN WAS THE BEST I’VE SEEN WHILE IN COSTA RICA. I wish we were staying another week. I would recommend Gary and Deanne’s beach house to anyone wanting to visit Costa Rica. Thanks Gary and Deanne for allowing us to stay here. This was truly a wonderful vacation.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/01/04 Review Submitted: 07/15/04

Eight members of the Rayburn clan had a WONDERFUL six-day visit. House and grounds were a great staging area for nearby adventures. Easy one-day access to Monteverde, Manuel Antonio Park and La Caterata waterfall (highly recommended for the ambitious hiker!). Especially enjoyed the attempts with preparing local cuisine in your well-equipped kitchen. The waves at Agujas are perfect for bodysurfing. More than enough to keep four teens and pre-teens busy and happy. Hope we can visit again!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 09/01/03 Review Submitted: 09/09/03

Gary and Deanna's house was ideal for my family's summer vacation. It was like having your own private resort and not having to share. The beautiful sunsets, private beach and pool, abundance of fruit and palm trees, awesome animals, and great hosts made this one of the most spectacular and memorable trips my family has taken.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 04/01/03 Review Submitted: 04/14/03

The house in Playa Agujas was a dream of a home. The house's location is elevated on a hilltop where the breeze is invigorating and the view spectacular. Being on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, the beach yielded a wonderful view for some truly magnificent sunsets. Gary and Deanne were extremely helpful in recommending activities nearby, of which there were plenty to choose from. Overall, this was the best trip I've ever taken. Thank you Gary and Deanne for a wonderful time.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 04/01/03 Review Submitted: 04/12/03

I would definately recommend Gary and Deanne's house to anybody traveling in Costa Rica. The area is just beautiful. As I sit here looking through my pictures I can't believe how many INCREDIBLE sunset pictures I took in a single week there from our porch. For those not familiar with Costa Rica, this is a very good area to visit; for it's beauty, people, and proximity to other destinations such as Manuel Antonio. Gary and Deanne were more than kind while we were there; they went as far as to set up an beautiful sail boat trip at sunset one evening. (definately something worth asking about.) Should I return to Costa Rica, I will be sure to make a stop there. Thanks again Guys.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 03/01/03 Review Submitted: 03/12/03

I had an incredible time at Gary and Deanne's place in Costa Rica. Their beachfront house is an ideal location to stay at during your trip. The view of the pacific from the front porch was phenomenal and it was nice having the beachfront pool and the rest of the property to hang out on. Gary and Deanne were very helpful in giving us advice on our activities that we planned and helping us out in other situations as well. Also the proximity to Jaco beach is ideal. Jaco was only a short drive away, yet the place was far enough off the beaten path that it was quiet and relaxing. I would definitely recommend this place for your vacation.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 03/01/03 Review Submitted: 03/10/03

The place was amazing, I have absolutely no complaints with the house...it exceeded my expectations. The only thing I would say is the website does not give the place justice. A better website needs to be made.

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