Vacation Rentals by Owner

heavenly Family Vacation

Guest: Betsy (Vermont, USA)
Date of Stay: 03/04/12 Review Submitted: 04/07/12

Our family, including a 5 year old and a three year old grandchild, had the most extraordinary time together here, way beyond our wildest dreams. At first we were concerned about having a pool so close, but it worked out very well as there are steps down to the pool area and the open living room was tiled in red, so we just told the kids to stay on the red tile. And they were having so much fun there that inspite of wanting to always be in the pool - when not on the beach, they played happily away from the pool. Linda could not have been more helpful in answering questions and putting us in touch with friends David and Lesdy at Samara Travel who planned our outings and transportation. And having their caretaker, Geraldo available just increased our fun. He took us on a special monkey viewing walk; set-up dinner at his sister's fabulous, authentic Tico restaurant and ordered the fruit truck to come directly to the house. We could not eat enough fruit. On top of all this, we each had our own private space at the house, cooled by air-conditioning and fans. And there was a view of the beach from the pool. If we wanted more action, it was quick ride into Samara, but the unspsoiled La Carrillo Beach was amazing. We did not want to leave and we can't wait to go back!

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

A piece of Heaven

Guest: Barb S.
Date of Stay: 02/18/12 Review Submitted: 03/02/12

Thank you Linda & Michael for sharing your beautiful Costa Rican home with us. Our group of eight spent a wonderful week enjoying this fantastic home. Although we knew it was open air, we were surprised and a little unsure when we arrived if it was too open. In no time at all, we found we wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. With a large group, it made it so easy to be in house and yet still hear and be part of what was happening with the group. Plenty of room to gather around the table for a meal or to play cards. Everyone would gather around the pool to discuss the upcoming day’s activities or in the evening to enjoy the beautiful nights. Gerado was the greatest. We all fell in love with him and he took such good care of us. One suitcase didn't arrive and after many frustrating calls with the airline, we put Gerado on the phone and within 30 minutes the missing luggage was delivered. The first morning, Gerado took part of the group on a mile walk to see a colony of monkeys with their babies. Those of us that slept in that morning were so disappointed! But not to worry, the next day we went back and there they were - so close and so cute. We made the walk a couple other days and were never disappointed. Gerado also set the guys up with a Captain for fishing a successful fishing trip and then surprised us with his ceviche . When were not enjoying the pool we could take the short walk to the beautiful beach. Clearly the most beautiful beach in Costa Rica. We hiked one morning and probably saw only a handful of other people. We enjoyed the use of the boogie boards and the water was wonderful – warm and very little under tow. Everything was so convenient - a GREAT restaurant literally right across the street, a grocery store within a 5 minute walk, a 5 minute walk to catch the bus into Samara ($.70 for the ride!!) and other restaurants within just a short walk. Our group was moving further north to Potrero for another week’s stay and we didn’t want to leave this house! Had we realized how much we would love this area and this house we would have spent our two weeks here and never been disappointed that we missed out on another area. We all agreed that we will be back to Costa Rica and Ventana Del Mar!!

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

"oh yeah, the house we stayed in we stayed in was awesome," (as declared by a 13 year old)

Guest: nativesanfranjo (Portland, Oregon)
Date of Stay: 07/16/11 Review Submitted: 07/27/11

July, 2011-Green season the best time to visit!! We could have not been happier with Casa Ventana del Mar, in Playa Carrillo...but it didn’t start that way. Cruising in our 4x4 proved a challenge from the monsoon rain forests of Arenal. We learned the standard phrase “two hours” was not an accurate forecast of the time it would take to arrive in Playa Carrillo. It was well worth the “viaje largo” when we arrived in Playa Carrillo guided by internet cafes, Skype telephone, and the very helpful Ventana del Mar, host, Gerardo. As a mother of overindulged teenagers, I panicked upon entry into this spectacular house in the dark of night, noticing the lack of TV?! No worries however, with the break of dawn, I emerged from the comfy master bedroom to...more rain. Okay, now I would have to do a rain dance! I did it on the the infinity pool deck which honed in on the jungle sounds around us, which were rampant with a chorus of monkeys, tropical birds, and the dancing iguanas on the roof. Within the hour, the sun radiated upon us and stayed by our side for the entire five days. Casa Ventana del Mar proved to be worth its weight in Costa Rican gold. A short walk down the hill, will familiarize you with Playa Carrillo which is the secret (and please don’t tell anyone) jewel among all the “playas”. It is “blue flagged” by the Costa Rican government which means: no bacteria, no garbage and freedom to park and explore-basically a five star beach. On your walk back to the Ventana del Mar, look for the little blue, yellow, and red crabs that crawl among the flora and fauna. Ventana del Mar has a fully equipped kitchen, a gas grill, and a fabulous quincho... if you are inclined to partake in a culinary evening. However, I-a haggard soccer mom-suggest you walk (1 minute) to the delightful “El Colibri” restaurant where host Roxanna and Fernando Carre will indulge you in perfect Argentinean BBQ. Need a suggestion for lunch, try the Guanamar Hotel ( a 4 minute walk) for an instant transportation to Tahiti...via Costa Rica. Other good stuff nearby is a “Trader Joe-esque licoreria”, which has tasty local groceries as well as an ample supply of Euro staples. Now back to Gerardo, the VDM guru of all things “muy bueno”. Ask Gerardo to cut you some young coconut off the trees, its pulp will melt in your mouth, and ask him to take you on a trip to the waterfall with private beach nearby. All and all, my teenagers and the rest of us had a sublime “visita”. We will return muy pronto.

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

The perfect house and vacation

Guest: Kathleen (Maryland)
Date of Stay: 07/01/11 Review Submitted: 12/03/11

Our family of 6 (3 adults and 3 teenagers) had the most wonderful stay in this house in July 2011. The house description is very accurate, although we all thought the house was even better than described. The house works very well with the open areas and the private bedrooms. The kitchen was well-stocked for cooking and the rest of the house was very clean and well-equipped, including plenty of towels and beach equipment. This was our first trip to Costa Rica and we could not have picked a more lovely, comfortable and relaxing spot. The owners were very helpful in the booking process and we received our deposit back promptly. Gerardo was just lovely. He took great care of us, including arranging for the restaurant across the lane to stay open for us when we ran into a terrible traffic delay due to bridge construction and didn't arrive until after 9 pm our first night. He also gave us consistently good recommendations for everything that we tried, including restaurants, kayaking, surfing, and snorkeling. We especially liked the great fresh chicken and baked goods from the local vendors who drove down the lane and sold their wares from the back of their pickup trucks! We highly recommend this house.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers.

Magnificent House, Magnificent Location

Guest: Brad (Steamboat Springs)
Date of Stay: 04/16/11 Review Submitted: 04/29/11

A truly spectacular property. Everything is within walking distance: world class beach is a two minute walk down the road; spectacular restaurant across the way and the local market is no more than 5 minutes down the road. We had two families - 4 adults/4 kids and the set up worked great. We really enjoyed the open air setting of the house and of course the kids enjoyed the pool. Gerrardo, the house guy and true local, helped us organize everything - fishing, kayaking and surfing. Would go back in a heartbeat - just need to find the time.

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

TRULY A FIVE STAR!

Guest: Joan (Grand Lake, CO)
Date of Stay: 04/02/11 Review Submitted: 04/14/11

Can a property really be rated a 5-star by everyone that rents it? That was my first thought after reading all 11 reviews for the Carrillo Bay Hideaway. The answer, after experiencing a wonderful 7 day vacation in Costa Rica is, YES!! Everything that was written about the home, the people, the beaches, and the surrounding area were all accurately described. We had five teenagers between our two families and everyday was an adventure for all of us. Such a variety of activities to experience!! From early morning jogs on the beach to beautiful sunsets at night, we enjoyed every single minute at Carrillo. An added bonus for us was the perfect surfing at Samara which was an enjoyable 10 minute bus ride from our house. We did rent a car for the day (in Samara) and headed up to Nosara. FUN time on the beach, but was ready to return "home" to our hideaway by the end of the day! We wouldn't change anything about our first visit to Costa Rica and look forward to a return trip in the near future.

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

A perfect house for HOT weather!

Guest: Diana Eric Hanna and Elena (Minneapolis, MN)
Date of Stay: 02/17/11 Review Submitted: 03/04/11

We were drawn to this house by the open air great room, and it was as wonderful as we'd hoped! The space provides a great opportunity to feel the warm breezes of Costa Rican high season without being out in the blazing sun. And of course, the pool is a great place to be too! The best pool we've ever had the pleasure to enjoy, between the slide on one end and the palapa bar on the other. If you stay here, don't walk, RUN up the lane to arrange an expedition (or two or three) with Popo (Tad). Not only does he lead a fantastic trip accessible to all ages (we had our 8 and 5 year old daughters with us on our river kayak trip) but he also is wonderfully gregarious and eager to share what he knows and loves about Carrillo and the surrounding area. We felt we gained a friend and a glimmer of insider's insight into Costa Rica that one cannot easily access on a brief visit to another country. We also greatly enjoyed the Argentine grill restaurant across the street--can't get more convenient than that! Carrillo Beach was not quite as pristine and deserted as we had expected, probably because we came there from Playa Pan de Azucar in Potrero, which truly is a most magnificent and deserted beach. But it is very picturesque and has other great features, like 4:30 yoga on the beach M-Th and a 10-foot crocodile who waits at the mouth of the estuary to catch incoming fish as the tide rushes in. An impressive spectacle!! Also, the trees have grown up since the photo on the listing and there is not much of a view out--the upside is that one has a sense of utter privacy. The caucaphony of noises around 5:00 am is amusing--howler monkeys mixed with parrots and other exotic birds, mixed with roosters and geese from the neighbors! We don't wake up to that combo in Minnesota... All in all, a very comfortable and exciting place to stay! Thanks to the owners for making it available to others!

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

Perfect!

Guest: Family from Chicago (Chicago)
Date of Stay: 01/29/11 Review Submitted: 02/13/11

Our family had an excellent time. The home is absolutely beautiful, the pool is amazing, and Carrillo beach couldn't be any better. We felt like we were living in a treehouse and enjoyed the birds in the treetops around us as we relaxed and played in the pool. Our daughters (OK all of us) loved the slide too. We were surprised how quiet and remote the location is while still being walking distance to groceries and restaurants. And Samara town/beach is such a close drive too. Lots of fun activities and action there. Gerardo, Tad, and the locals were all very friendly. We absolutely loved it and would definitely stay again!

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

Fabulous

Guest: Molly (Texas)
Date of Stay: 01/02/11 Review Submitted: 03/02/11

Best vacation with our 6 adult children that we have ever had. Enjoyed the beach during the day, beautiful sunset and wonderful family cooked meals at night followed by games and lots of wine. Perfect!!!

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Spacious, Tropical, Comfy and Loved The Pool!!

Guest: Stacy S. (Boulder, CO)
Date of Stay: 04/25/10 Review Submitted: 05/03/10

My six girlfriends and I just spent a great time at this wonderfully furnished and spacious house. The home and backyard were so comfortable- a great place to relax and get away from it all!! The pool is immaculate and Gerardo, the caretaker who lives next door, was there every morning sweeping and tidying up the main living area. The kitchen is completely stocked with everything for us to make great meals (including a blender for those tropical drinks). The living room is very open, so you really feel a part of the nature. The local art that decorates the home is beautiful. One of our highlights was when Gerardo arranged for us to embark on a morning horseback ride; it was so fun and convenient to literally have the horses arrive and depart from our driveway. We rode to a different small beach and along dirt roads to above Carrillo Bay area and it was really lovely. The walk from the house to the larger swim beach, Carrillo Bay, is only about 5 minutes and the ocean had perfect waves for body surfing and the water was so warm!! Be sure to look up in the trees while walking to the beach because we saw monkeys - my first time seeing "wild" monkeys! :) The house is awesome and working with Linda was awesome too! Thanks for all!!! We had such a great, relaxing and memorable time!!! PS: It was very convenient having the washer/dryer at the house, especially because we arrived following a multi-day Pacuare River rafting trip.

Recommended for:Girls getaway

Perfect in every way

Guest: Joe (Denver)
Date of Stay: 04/14/10 Review Submitted: 09/24/11

We all felt so confortable here. It is central to everything. Eat in eat out its all here for you. Clean, relaxing, the days are slow and secluded at the pool.

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

Guest: Beth & Brent (Mountain View, CA USA)
Date of Stay: 03/03/10 Review Submitted: 03/03/10

This is a lovely home in gorgeous Carrillo Bay. Carrillo is so much nicer than Samara and this house is perfectly situated to enjoy everything - the beach, the local restaurants, the animal refuge, the views. We walked everywhere except when we went once to Samara (and never returned...) The house is private, open air, beautifully appointed, and fun (the kids loved the slide and the swim up bar!) and the Woods and the caretaker are great to work with. We'll definitely stay here again. We can't recommend this property highly enough....

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Guest: peter regan (new berlin ny)
Date of Stay: 01/04/10 Review Submitted: 01/04/10

Our family of 7 stayed a week at this fantastic home. We enjoyed walking to the beach, swimming in the infinity pool, checking out the neighborhood, bird and monkey watching and relaxing. We fished two days offshore (we walked down to the boat!) and caught 3 marlin, 4 sailfish and 7 dorado aka mahi-mahi. The house is perfectly set up for families with plenty of space and the open design was breezy and delightful. We never even used the AC! The light, the warm air, the full moon and the tropical flora and fauna kept us all enthralled day and night! What a great place!

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Guest: Ken & Dot Hazlin (Mystic, CT)
Date of Stay: 11/29/09 Review Submitted: 11/29/09

What a fabulous setting! Our week-long stay in Carrillo and at this lovely villa was a highlight of our trip to Costa Rica. The open-air living, personal attention by Gerardo, adventure tours by Tad of Popo's Adventure Tours all contributed to a wonderful experience. The nearly-deserted Playa Carrillo is only a 5 minute walk away. We enjoyed the sights and sounds of the abundant nearby wildlife including colorful parakeets and howler monkeys....A must-do for anyone visiting Costa Rica!

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Guest: Reid1 (salt lake city, utah)
Date of Stay: 11/02/09 Review Submitted: 11/02/09

Our group of six people stayed here for almost a week and had a wonderful time. The beach is only a few minutes away, along with small grocery stores, restaurants and even a zoo! We rode horses that picked us up at the house, went on a snorkeling tour and did alot of relaxing by the pool at the house. Samara is a short drive away where you can do some shopping and check out some more restaurants and bars. The house was very well maintained and the open-air aspect was incredible. We felt comfortable at the house and enjoyed making dinner in the kitchen that is stocked with all the pots, pans, utensils and everything else you need. Playa Carillo is an amazing place and this house is beautiful. We would stay again in a heartbeat!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 06/26/09 Review Submitted: 06/26/09

A beautiful home that comes with all the amenities.The great room open to the pool and garden really enhances the Costa Rican experience.Carrillo Beach is a short 5 minute walk away. The owners are wonderful people who are very easy to work with. Highly recommended

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 04/22/09 Review Submitted: 04/22/09

Our family was very nervous about the "open air" home, but now that we have had a chance to stay there we know we wouldn't have wanted it any other way! We all fell in love with Playa Carrillo and all of the people that live there. During our 2 week visit to CR we went to an all inclusive resort and a beautiful hotel at Arenal and this place was by far the best!!! Such a clean comfortable home to relax in or to have a little fun too. We will try to be back again very soon! Hello to Gerardo, Tad, Chicho, Suzanna, Lilly, Massimo and everyone who makes up that fantastic area of the world.

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

A beautiful home that provides a private and relaxing vacation setting. We had a great time hanging out by the pool and the beach. The home is just a few minute walk to the nicest beach I have been to in Costa Rica (Playa Carillo). Of course, the kids were able to do all the activities they had the energy for - fishing, canopy tour, 4 wheeling, horse back riding, etc. With restaurants and Samara so close by, there is really no vacation dimension missing when staying at this house.

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