Vacation Rentals by Owner
Casa La Serena - a Tropical Refuge Nestled in the Trees [#219216] | View Property
San Juan Del Sur
House, 2 Bedrooms + Convertible Bed(s), 2.25 Baths (Sleeps 4-6)
$175-$250/nt - $1050-$2000/wk-
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Traveler Reviews (14)
A great refuge
Guest: Eric (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 03/18/12
Review Submitted: 04/18/12
We want to express our gratitude for such a wonderful place to stay. We've recently bought a home, so we are appreciative of the many great touches -from the twisted wire light fixtures to the stone table I am writing on now. We spent the week alternately adventuring (Granada, Isla de Ometepe) or lazying (Playa del Coco, this house!) and Casa La Serena was a great refuge to come back to after that. We were also woken one morning by strange screams and discovered three howler monkeys in a tree
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We loved all of Nicaragua!
Guest: Barbara J.
Date of Stay: 11/25/11
Review Submitted: 12/17/11
We absolutely loved the house! We loved all of Nicaragua! Everything was better than I imagined from the friendly people to the beaches, to the food and the accommodations. We were both so sad to leave. There is no way to capture how beautiful it is looking down into the jungle and across to the ocean from the pool deck. I tried to take pictures but they really didn’t do it justice. We felt absolutely safe at all times. The security at the house was great but really, I just felt safe in the country. We gave people rides to and from town and my broken Spanish was sufficient to meet a number of new friends. We stayed a couple days at Jicaro as well and it was very nice but didn’t have the same authentic feeling as your house. We will definitely go back to Casa Serena next year, hopefully at the same time. Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful home with us!
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"We had the best time"
Guest: Matt and Joy, New York
Date of Stay: 10/22/11
Review Submitted: 11/27/11
By: Matt I Wow we had the best time here at Casa La Serena. My wife and I spent one month here for our honeymoon and had the most amazing time. The house is a really special place and definitely makes you feel like you are visiting the home of the animals of which there are a plenty. It is a bit of a drive from San Juan Del Sur and you definitely need a 4x4 in the rainy season. If you are looking for somewhere to get away from everything, this is the place as it is amazingly peaceful with a beautiful view of the ocean and surrounding jungle. There are quite a few insects around as it is in the middle of the jungle but that is part of the charm and the cleaning staff are very good at keeping the place clean. There is a great kitchen and bbq for cooking and if you are looking to cook then you can buy groceries in town at the Pali (grocery store), Pan De Vida ( an amazing earth fired bakery in town) and buy your fish at the port which is all the way to the left when you face the ocean in San Juan Del Sur. If you want to eat out, then you can call ahead to Morgans Rock, which is the fancy resort near Balcones- they accept reservations for dinner (though it helps to speak spanish) and the food is great and reasonably priced. Go there and catch the sunset before dinner. There is also a very simple local restuaraunt down the right near balcones, if you take a left out of the exit its on the left after about a 3 min drive. The staff at Balcones are extremely helpful, though it really makes a difference if you speak spanish. If you have time take spanish lessons at the Latin American Spanish School in San Juan Del Sur- they are great. We had the best time in Nicaragua and loved the people and the culture dearly. We are in Costa Rica now and missing Nicaragua alot. Gioconda was an absolutely pleasure to deal with and was very helpful and the house is absolutely gorgeous. Definitely stay here if you can. We will be back as soon as we can for sure. !! Recommendations
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Paradise at Casa La Sirena
Guest: Sachi C.
Date of Stay: 10/12/11
Review Submitted: 11/16/11
We arrived to Casa La Sirena during a brief respite in a several day downpour and couldn't have been happier with our accommodations. What a perfectly lovely place to hole up during the the wet season. We woke each morning to the bellow of howler monkey—sometimes they sounded as if they were in the room with us. The architecture of the house—with its screens and shutters in place of solid walls—allows you to fully enjoy the setting even when you're making coffee in the morning or laying in bed. You always feel immersed in the setting. We took walks down to the beach where we explored the craggy point up the coast and even surfed the one day the weather calmed a bit. Maderas, the beach just a five minute walk to the south has some of the best surf in the San Juan Del Sur zone. When the sun poked through we'd plunge into the pool and fix ourselves a Flor de Cana on ice and just watch the clouds float by. The views of the rainforest tapering down to the ocean are breathtaking. The kitchen has everything you could need, right down to a lime squeezer and we cooked all our own meals. Despite the storms, we were never left without power, and the onsite guard was always very responsive with any request. Casa La Sirena is the perfect spot for a couple (or two) looking to get away from it all.
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Views are amazing!
Guest: Jereme
Date of Stay: 08/12/11
Review Submitted: 08/30/11
"What an amazing property! The architecture is iconic yet fits within the surroundings perfectly and the views are amazing! Everything has a purpose, the louvers open/close depending on the amount of sun or breeze you want to let in, screens throughout to allow the nature experience in but keep the bugs out, to the thoughtfully selected building materials (reclaimed wood, natural stone, etc). My wife and I spent 5 nights of our honeymoon at Casa la Serena and every day was a new adventure. The beach was a short walk away, the first time we drove but much preferred the walk after that since it passed through little farms and woods full of monkeys (also heard tons from the porch). The property is definitely private as well with a secluded infinity edge pool that opens up to wonderful views over the Pacific ocean. The wifi enabled us to get work done while away which was also a nice feature. This is definitely an exotic retreat and the 30 minute drive makes you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere, yet close enough to San Juan Del Sur to get supplies and rent surfboards." -Jereme
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Unreal!
Guest: Jeff and the Amped Team
Date of Stay: 06/29/11
Review Submitted: 07/18/11
Place was unreal! Came to Nicaragua to do work for my NGO. I took a few days off here. It was above all expectations. Go check out Playa Maders if possible. We'll deinitely be back!
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We had a lovely time!
Guest: Vogel, Morris
Date of Stay: 06/19/11
Review Submitted: 07/18/11
We had a lovely time.Playa Pitahaya was our favorite! The house is so lovely and the people were too. Thanks for a wonderful stay!
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BEAUTIFUL HOUSE
Guest: John and Emily
Date of Stay: 05/27/11
Review Submitted: 07/18/11
Beautiful house, so quiet and tucked away! The bugs were gargantuan (rainy season). Everything we needed was here. Thanks so much! We had fun exploring local beaches. Good beginner surfing at El Remanso and fun at Playa Coco (beware of stingrays, shuffle when entering the water) Can't wait to return. We so enjoyed your lovely retreat! Best wishes. John and Emily
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Lovely house
Guest: Emily H.
Date of Stay: 05/27/11
Review Submitted: 06/22/11
Dear Gioconda I am just dropping a note to say how lovely we found your casa at Balcones - we had such a lovely weekend relaxing there a few weeks ago. Can't wait to come back to Nicaragua! best wishes, Emily
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Beyond perfect!!!
Guest: Judi Wong
Date of Stay: 04/18/11
Review Submitted: 05/12/11
Casa La Serena was beyond perfect for us (still dreaming of lazy days and shooting stars - we each saw a couple of them). Each family in their own private house joined by the pool and kitchen - how genius? Everything and everyone was close enough to feel a part of things but far enough to have quiet private time if desired. The modern and simple design is gentle on the eye and blended in flawlessly with the jungly landscape (smooth stone inlay floors, perfect use of reclaimed teak, screens for sliding doors and windows, reliable plumbing, comfortable and well designed furniture, expansive views of the valley and ocean, a million bird songs every morning along with the howling howler monkeys, the well appointed kitchen, bbq, outdoor shower). Every piece was easy and far more tasteful than most homes - simple but with every comfort imaginable..... The boys decided that naked was the way to go from the day we arrived, so needless to say we felt "very" at home there. You have a very special home - we have already recommended it to friends and intend to return in the future. We found our favorite beach at Hotel Remanso - perfect for body surfing and a surf lesson (the waves were a little big for the boys). The town was charming and had some terrific food too. Denise (the concierge) was fantastic and arranged Wendy to cook for us for a couple of days which was such an affordable and delicious luxury. She was able to organize all transfers and car rental which was incredibly smooth. Everyone at Balcones was friendly and incredibly helpful. Sorry to go on about this, but not one of us was ready to leave after 7 days... both boys said they wanted to live there!
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Beautiful view, peaceful, secluded
Guest: Sophi M.
Date of Stay: 04/16/11
Review Submitted: 06/23/11
The house was great. It was very peaceful, secluded and had everything we needed. The views from the house were beautifuI. The concierge service that came with the rental made getting settled in extremely easy. I would definitely rent Casa la Serena again if I were returning to San Juan del Sur with 1-3 other people. I actually recommended it to someone who went with a friend and their two young boys. They also had a really nice time there and also found the setting idyllic and hassle-free.
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The most relaxing and enjoyable time
Guest: Sergio e Indiana De Castro
Date of Stay: 12/29/10
Review Submitted: 01/29/11
I spent New Year´s 2010-2011 with my family at Casa La Serena and we had the most relaxing and enjoyable time. The house is beautiful to look at, well designed and perfect for hanging out or entertaining. The rooms are comfortable, clean and original. We loved to sit out and read at the balconies, and swimming in the pool in the afternoon while watching the sunset was a treat. The house is well equipped and very secure. It is for sure a "serene" house. Sergio and Indiana De Castro
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Among the trees and the beach
Guest: Silvio&Lola
(Nicaragua)
Date of Stay: 08/28/10
Review Submitted: 02/12/11
My wife, our two daughters and I have stayed two times already at Casa La Serena, We love the place! It is beautiful and quiet and we love the walks to the beach and the exploring there is to do in the area. The house is very well taken care of, the master bedroom is simply phenomenal and we loved the design of the house which allows both for privacy and for great times in the social area. This house is especially good to reconnect with nature and with one's own soul after a season of grueling work!! I advise you to stay, at least, a whole week to get relax. In addition it´s 20 minutes from Playa Madera, one of the best surfing beaches.
Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.