Fantastic!

Guest: Elizabeth G. (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Date of Stay: 12/20/11 Review Submitted: 01/08/12

What a wonderful little house. We loved it. There is lush foliage and a breathtaking view of the Pacific. The tropical sounds are so soothing, and the resident wildlife is really cool. We had a couple afternoon visits from the Capuchin monkeys, who come in groups of 15 or 20 or so, jumping from a palm tree, to the roof of the casita, to the other side of the casita. There are points when I was standing within a couple feet of them. AMAZING! The driveway to the house is pretty intense, which we determined was a method of calorie-burning so we could eat more of the delicious food at the wonderful restaurants in the area. El Avion, which is about a 30-second walk from the house, has a good menu, and a beautiful view of the ocean. Cafe Milagro, which is about a 10-minute walk from the house, was our favorite spot, great food, great people, and exceptional coffee. We did, in fact, cook at the house a couple times, and every utensil we needed for food preparation was available in the kitchen. If you like to sleep with a lot of covers, bring a thin down blanket. I used the blanket I brought for the beach, which was fine - this is a strande peculiarity of my own, so almost doesn't deserve to be mentioned. Thomas was so nice and helpful. The house staff were so thorough and very friendly. We can't wait to get there again some day in the not too distant future. Thank you to everyone, and especially Ralf and Nina for Making their beautiful villita available to others.

Recommended for:

The perfect vacation property

Guest: Christine M.
Date of Stay: 08/06/11 Review Submitted: 12/31/11

We had a spectacular time in your beautiful Villa LunaTica. It exceeded our expectations in every regard. The views are spectacular, the grounds are lush and the accommodations are perfectly appointed. We also loved being so close to so many fantastic restaurants. We will surely want to return to Manuel Antonio and Villa LunaTica.  

Recommended for:

Stunning view!

Guest: Laurel Marc-Charles (Miami, Florida)
Date of Stay: 09/27/11 Review Submitted: 10/06/11

My husband and I just loved this place!. There is a stunning view of the Pacific and you are surrounded by lush vegetation and beautiful flowers. The most exicting thing about staying here is the Capuchin monkeys which come and visit in the early morning. They come in droves, climbing over the roof and jumping on the trees nearby, some with baby monkeys holding on to their backs!. My husband's constant comment was "can we buy this place and just stay?" The outdoor sounds will stay with me for a long time. Although their is a full kitching there are also great places to eat just a walk away. Try El Avion, which has the fuselage of a C-134 which it uses as a bar (sister ship of the one which crashed during the Iran-Contra affair in the early 1980's, on its way to the CIA's clandestine air strip in Costa Rica with a CIA operative on board). Great view there as well! Listen to the howler monkeys in the early evening and early morning hours; really something to listen to. And, yes, it does rain this time of year, but mostly during the night (which sounds fabulous on the tin roof), and clears up to leave more than enough time for the beach and hiking. Everyone was so friendly and helpful -- from Ralf, the owner, Thomas and his wife Liliane, the manager, as well as the staff, Xinia and Ervin -- there wasn't a thing you needed they couldn't provide. We are back a day, and already missing Costa Rica. I promise, Ralf, we'll be back!

Recommended for:

PERFECT!

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/01/11 Review Submitted: 08/15/11

Great location and fabulous ocean views! The friendly and knowledgeable staff showed us everything and helped us with our tours & activities - since we love to hike, the Park was our favorite! A complete kitchen, even a gas BBQ outside, a comfy king bed with a view (!) and two hammocks on the great balcony, perfect for reading - what more do you need? The little washing machine sure came in handy - and bring your iPod, there is a nice iPod stereo! Most of the time the ocean breeze and the 2 fans kept us comfortable and we absolutely loved the scents and sounds coming in from the garden through the large screened windows, especially around dusk and dawn - unfortunately our new friends the monkeys swung by only twice... Coming back soon!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car.

BLISS

Guest: jule (germany)
Date of Stay: 07/23/11 Review Submitted: 08/14/11

Yo Ralf & Nina, what a place you have here, LOVED it - very comfortable and beautiful, hands down the absolute highlight of our trip! Only disappointment was, that this week was over so quickly and we had to vacate for the next lucky guests - so, next time we bring 2 weeks, at least! Shouldn't have wasted our precious time in rainy-grey Monteverde and boring Tamarindo - oh well, now we know. Thank you for sharing your gem with us! jule + matthew

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car.

Beautiful property, helpful staff, not for everyon

Guest: sethg (Oakland, CA, USA)
Date of Stay: 07/14/11 Review Submitted: 07/26/11

Villita Lunatica is unique - romantic, private, a stellar and expansive view of the ocean from the deck, villa (bed, dining/living room), beautiful grounds/wildlife, and a friendly, helpful staff. We enjoyed the true jungle-like views, and saw monkeys, toucans and other wildlife from our deck. The villita itself is spacious and very pretty for two people. The kitchen and dining room were nice for home cooked meals/self-blended drinks, but you will need to shop for basics and food. Very helpful, friendly staff. In my opinion, it is a wonderful place for more self sufficient couples who are looking for a romantic location, but are not afraid of a bit of physical exertion. I would recommend this for a few day stay, rather than 1-2 nights. You should know what you are getting into: - No air conditioning. Coming from Monteverde, it took a bit of getting used to, but open air design, mountain breezes, large shower helped. - Steep steps to/from road, and long hill walk to beach. Great bus, though, and pleasant walk. - We went in the "green" season. Rain in the mornings, major storms late afternoon/night. We enjoyed the lower crowds, had several hours of pleasant weather most days, and found the afternoon thundershowers sort of romantic in the villa, with the sound of rain on the roof, pleasant breezes, active wildlife during the storms, and well... a great excuse to stay indoors. - At night, there is definitely a fair bit of noise on the weekend from the restaurants down this hill (loud music, tourists). I have the feeling that ANY open air accommodations on the hillside would experience the same. Fortunately, the music seemed to end at 10:30pm. A few small items would improve the experience even more. 1) Some brighter deck lighting. The large deck with two chairs/hammocks are beautiful. Would like to hang out and read/eat at night. 2) Small conveniences:Extra sheets and towels given sand and humidity would have been nice. Two house umbrellas for the rainy season. 3) Kitchen staples for those who like to cook. Pepper, condiments, cooking oil to supplement the pineapple, coffee and orange juice that you provided. 4) Note: I understand that there is a new mattress. We found the king sized bed very comfortable. Bottom line: unique, beautiful place for those looking for a romantic, centrally-located spot away from crowds.

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

Great View and Location!

Guest: Caro (Austin, Tx)
Date of Stay: 05/31/11 Review Submitted: 07/06/11

We stayed at Villa Lunatica the first week of June. Kathryn was very friendly and gave us a tour around the house and provided her and Thomas number incase we needed anything during our stay. The house was great and bigger than we expected. The view is unforgettable. There is two hammocks and two very comfortable lounge chairs to relax in the front porch. Really enjoyed the new stove, used it every day for home cooked meals. My husband did experience a problem with the coffee maker. The power button was stuck, but he managed to fix it. The other negative was that I specifically booked this place because of the washer, but when we got there Kathryn explained it was temporarily broken. I paid for laundry service, but because there was a note specifally stating that the cleaning lady would like a $15.00 dollar tip per load. Please note, that this house does not have AC, it has screen windows only. During the day and when you cook it gets pretty HOT inside. In the evenings it rains everyday and temperature cools down at night. So, if you plan to stay here make sure you bring extra t-shirts because you will be changing atleast two or three times a day.The bed is pretty stiff, you are probably better off sleeping in the hammocks. Another problem with the house was the infestation of ants in the kitchen counters, the dinning table, the bedroom! We experience some giant flying ants all over the bed one night. We really didn't know how to make them stop, there was probably more than 100. We finally gave up and turned the lights off and they dissappeared. At night, use the dim lights in the living room only; unless you want giant flying ants as guests. Other than these problems, the Villita has a great location. Walking distance from Hotel Si Como No, where they have a great restaurant to eat. A 20 minute walk to Josette's Grocery Store. Use the local bus for transportation only 50 cents a ride. Taxis charge 15.00 per ride or more. For adventure seekers, book your tours with Iguana Tours; great friendly staff. The best tour of our trip was with Amigos Del Rio. We booked a 10 in One, which included horse back riding, hiking, tarzan swinging, waterfalls, rappel, canopy zip line, and a delicious lunch; totally worth the money!

Owner response:- mattress is brand new, type "orthopedic medium firm" with a soft padding on top (replaced Apr 15) - coffee maker is new - washing machine is working

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing, romantic getaway, tourists without a car.

A great find in paradise

Guest: Retta (Seattle, WA)
Date of Stay: 05/10/11 Review Submitted: 06/08/11

We stayed in Villita Lunatica for 9 days in May. The house is nicely furnished. The bed was comfortable and the kitchen had what was needed to prepared meals. Unfortunately the washer was broken during our stay, I knew we were suppose to have a washer so I was a bit disappointed to find out I had to pay the housekeeper to wash my clothes. The descent down to the house is a little steep but it is a great work out and you get use to it after a few trips up and down. We didn’t rent a car we got around just fine on foot and the local bus. The local grocery stores are ok, but more expensive than those in Quepos. We did a couple of tours. I enjoyed the Mangrove but found that having a guide for the National Park was a waste of money. Not that the guide wasn’t good he was but we saw more animals just walking to the beach and sitting on our deck than we did in the National Park. I recommend the reserve across from Si Como No, we went on a night walk there lots of frogs. We walked down to the beach but took the bus back to the house .The walk to the beach is nice and is a great way to spot monkeys and sloths. If you are looking to rent beach chairs I would recommend the end away from town. I did take a tip from a review I read and brought the cables so I could look at my photos on the TV. My only complaint would be that the staff really let us down when it came to our transportation back to San Jose. I was told when I got my confirmation for the leg from La Fortuna that we didn’t need to worry about getting to San Jose that we had plenty of time and they would arrange that for us. I had to call to remind them that we need transport to San Jose the day after my phone call my husband went to talk to the staff about the trip back to San Jose, we found out that nothing had been done; my husband gave them the info again and was told they would take care of it. When we got back to the house the next day there was a piece of paper with a schedule on it and a note saying we needed to go to Quepos to schedule the trip. We rushed to Quepos, when we got there they didn’t have any room for us.The woman at Interbus got us on the 8 am van because of the late reservation our pickup info was never given to the driver, we were left in MA the next morning the staff at The Falls saved our day, they got on the phone and got the driver to turn around and come back to pick us up. Other than the problems with the transportation our stay was just what we needed.

Owner response:Dear Loretta, we appreciate your comments. I am glad that Kathrin and Thomas did a good job on the more complicated connection from La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio. Disappointing to hear that the easy connection from Manuel Antonio to San Jose was somewhat messed up. You shouldn't have been charged for the laundry, that was a BIG faux pas and the refund is already in the mail. Come back again! ralf+nina ps: happy to hear that you enjoyed our brand new mattress and stove! pps: washing machine works!

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

Charming place to stay, lovely view

Guest: Romana (Austin, TX)
Date of Stay: 04/28/11 Review Submitted: 05/14/11

Great place to stay! There are two hammocks on the porch - perfect for relaxing away the entire day and taking in the ocean view. Excellent location - easy walk to restaurants. The owner, Ralf, was very easy to communicate with and accomodating of our schedule. The place is very clean. We spent a few days at this Villeta Lunatica and then moved to the fancy Villa Lunatica. Stay at the villa if you can afford it - its quite an experience!

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

great stay

Guest: mike (Farmington, UT)
Date of Stay: 03/23/11 Review Submitted: 04/10/11

My wife and I had a wonderful vacation in Costa Rica and loved, loved, loved Manuel Antonio. We were here the middle of March (2011). This condo was a great, affordable place to stay in the perfect location at Manuel Antonio. It is near lots of great spots to eat, walking distance to the beach (though I'd recommend taking the bus right at the top of the driveway to save a major hike home!), and has a beautiful view of the ocean and jungle. The front porch is the best place to hang out. The setting really is surreal. The Condo was beautifully decorated, very simple, yet classy. There was even a small washing machine, which we were surprised to find and everything else we needed in the kitchen. It was very clean and the screened windows just gave it the perfect touch to hear the wildlife and really soak everything in. Kathrin was very energetic and friendly and helped us plan some great excursions, though our favorite day was the one we spent touring through the national park with Henry just down the road and enjoying the beach. We wished we had taken more beach days in the national park. The only reason I gave this place 4 stars instead of 5 was because the bed was on the stiff side and not too comfy. A luxury bed would have made this place heaven! We also had trouble connecting with the internet, it seemed like the router was down the driveway at the "big house" and was kind of hit and miss for us. It was a bit frustrating when we tried to skype home and chat with our kids. Otherwise, I am in full agreement with all you naturalists that we didn't come to Costa Rica to surf the web. All in all, it was a beautiful place and after walking around the area and seeing other condos and hotels, we felt really lucky to have found such a quaint, clean place to enjoy a few days together. And you really can't beat the price. It was definitely our best trip yet! We hope to be back some day. We wish we were still there.

Owner response:- Thank you for your kind words, Michael, and sorry for your internet inconvenience - I wish you would have brought it to the attention of Thomas, so he could have assisted you right away with this. We actually do have 2 WiFi routers, one is for the distant large Villa and another one for our VILLITA. You probably had unknowingly connected to the weaker (= far away) Villa signal, instead of choosing the dedicated VILLITA network. 'Skype' though, can be a little spotty in Costa Rica, especially at times of high net-traffic. - Wow, you are our first "mattress" feedback! One thing is true about mattresses, some like it hard, some like it soft - since we had no mattress comments until now we had assumed that the firm mattress was a good one. So, in an effort to archive the highest number of happy sleepers, the mattress will be replaced with one in the middle of the firmness-scale with a soft layer on it for added luxury. - for the record: The VILLITA is not a Condo - it is a free-standing private house in its own private setting. Thanks again for your feedback and come back soon! ralf+nina

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, romantic getaway, tourists without a car.