Luxury Mediterranean-Style Oceanview Villa with Private Swimming Pool

• Rainforest And Ocean What More Could You Want?

  Rainforest And Ocean What More Could You Want?

  • Guest Bill and Karah
  • Date of stay 05/09/13
  • Review Submitted 05/15/13
  Four of us stayed for 4 nights, and had a wonderful experience! We arrived in the dark during a very heavy thunderstorm. I know we were told to arrive during the light, but we didn't make it. We recommend that if you at all can, arrive during the daylight hours. Early the next morning we woke in hopes of seeing what we all despirately wanted to see, the coveted Tucan. We saw them! Actually everyday we saw them! We eagerly watched day and night for these beautiful birds and were NOT disappointed. The sounds of the rainforest were amazing! What is it that makes the noice that sounds like dishes claking, or is it more like bells ringing? Whatever it is, it is amazing to listen to. On top of that we saw the biggest fireflies ever!! Not to mention the amazing ants. We set out a few pieces of papaya, hoping to attract some sort of animal. Well, we attracted the ants... but let me tell you they were amazing. Not only did they devour the fruit but they started taking leaf's along with them too. They looked like an army of "wind surfer's". Not to be overlooked are the amazing views of the ocean that you can see from almost every room of the house. Also, we thoroughly enjoyed the two cabana boys that came with the beautiful, refreshing pool! Oh, wait, I guess those were our men that took on the task of keeping the pool clean while we were there. They really enjoyed cleaning, while we all enjoyed swimming, especially first thing in the morning, and at night to end the day. Thank you Karen, for a relaxing, wonderful, exciting, quiet place to stay. We will definately be back!

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

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• Gorgeous and luxurious experience

  Gorgeous and luxurious experience

  • Guest Annika
  • Date of stay 04/18/13
  • Review Submitted 05/10/13
  My husband and I found Karen's place in a bit of a bind. We had been staying in another part of Costa Rica where our landlady actually tried to rob our house. We were shaken, to say the least, but needed to find a new place fast. Karen was extremely understanding, and restored our faith in good friendly people in Costa Rica. The big shocker came when we actually saw the place in person. We couldn't believe we had gotten so lucky to stay in such a huge and luxurious place! The views were unbelievable, the pool was used about every 10 minutes, and the kitchen was awesome to cook in. It was just amazing. You are totally secluded up there, but not far from anything either. It was just a shame that we hadn't spent all of our time there. Also, our car broke down toward the end of our stay and Karen's property manager Steve was super helpful. It really was the perfect way to top off our trip.

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

  Owner response: Hey, A., thank you so much! I am so glad that we were able to help. That was really an unfortunate incident that happened to you up there on the Nicoya, but at least it gave you a reason to come down here and discover the gorgeous south Pacific coast! Hope you come back soon!

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• Costa Rica's Hidden Treasure

  Costa Rica's Hidden Treasure

  • Guest Holly
  • Date of stay 03/22/13
  • Review Submitted 04/07/13
  We really loved our stay in Costa Rica at Karen’s house on Playa Tortuga. The house was lovely, with gorgeous ocean and jungle views, and well set up for comfort. The kitchen had everything we needed and was great for making our breakfasts! The house was convenient to everything. The cute little village of Ojochal was just minutes away, with so many wonderful restaurants! Our favorite one was Citrus (elegant international food which you can have inside or on a relaxing jungly patio). Steve was helpful in recommending beaches, etc., for us and we appreciated him. We went to Manuel Antonio one day (it’s close, an easy day trip) and we recommend that as a fun day away to see something new and still have a beach day for more swimming. Note that you don't have to hire one of those tour guides who try to grab you out front; you can just pay the general admission, go in and walk the trails and beaches there at your leisure. (The monkeys are everywhere, so you don’t need a tour guide to help you find them.) We saw a mama and baby sloth too! We also loved the zipline tour at Osa Canopy Tour – don’t miss that one! Thanks for everything, Karen (and Steve)!

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

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• John and Wendy B.C. Canada

  John and Wendy B.C. Canada

  • Guest John and Wendy
  • Date of stay 01/20/13
  • Review Submitted 03/14/13
  We started our Costa Rican experience at Villa Canto Del Mar and were very happy here for the 16 nights that we were there. This home was perfect for our family of four plus a toddler, he was our pool boy...the home was well appointed and clean and always had a cooling breeze to help with the great heat. Lots of toucans every morning and night as well as many other birds. We felt very secure here. The town of Ojochal is not far and has many great places to eat, we were surprised as it is such a small place but lots of great chefs fell in love with this part of Costa Rica. There are many beautiful beaches nearby with hardly anyone on them. Uvita is where we did our grocery shopping which is not far as well and the shops were clean and well stocked. You do need a 4x4 so you can get around. Hopefully we will be able to make it back to this part of the world and definately would consider going back to Villa Canto Del Mar.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, families with young children.

  Owner response: Thanks. Glad you enjoyed your stay, and please come back next year!

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• Magnificently serene

  Magnificently serene

  • Guest Reeva
  • Date of stay 12/31/12
  • Review Submitted 02/25/13
  Our trip to Costa Rica was the perfect way to start off the New Year!! We had a wonderful time. We loved that your house was nestled in the rainforest, and very private. It was exactly what my family needed. We drove to Manuel Antonio National Park for a day, and did a nature walk. We all really enjoyed this, because it educated us on the rainforest and the fauna and flora. We saw a troop of howler monkeys and multiple sloths. We also visited Playa Ventana and Playa Uvita for a few hours one day. We thoroughly enjoyed just lounging around the pool at the house and napping in the hammocks. We lead very busy lives, so it was nice to have a break and just breathe fresh air and soak in all the sounds of nature. We saw multiple toucans at the house, and heard howler monkeys almost daily, but didn't see them. We found a lot of great restaurants in the area, that my family enjoyed very much. Thank you again for the opportunity to experience Costa Rica and to stay at your home.

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

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• the great escape !!

  the great escape !!

  • Guest Lauren
  • Date of stay 09/09/12
  • Review Submitted 12/04/12
  Name: Lauren Rodriguez, San Antonio, TX, date of arrival 9/9. I stayed here for a week with my husband and it was the best vacation ever!! For one thing, the pool is so nice, and just the right temperature, that we never wanted to get out! When we did, we just drove a few minutes away to go to one of the beaches. There are enough beaches here that you can actually go to a different one every day, and each one is a little different from the next. Our favorite beaches were Playa Ventanas and Playa [] and they're all just minutes away. We got to know the Cuban couple down the road from Karen's place, Pedro and Marta. They run a little casual restaurant in the jungle a stones' throw away from the house, and they will also deliver meals right up to the house for you and serve you! They will bring a selection of fresh grilled fish, grilled shrimp, ropa vieja, stewed beef and pork dishes, beans, rice, veggies, potatoes, fresh fruit. A feast right to your door! So, if you don't feel like leaving the house, you never really have to. Plus, the gourmet food/liquor store/wine shop is right across the highway, about 2 minutes away. Between Pedro's meals and the wines, cheeses and treats we could pick up at the liquor store, we mostly stayed around the pool area and dined there, and made fresh Pina Coladas. But there are some great restaurants around there too. Citrus was really great. We went ziplining one day. You shouldn't miss that, it's so fun. Recommended vacation house!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, romantic getaway, girls getaway.

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• summer getaway !!!

  summer getaway !!!

  • Guest keith
  • Date of stay 07/10/12
  • Review Submitted 12/04/12
  Name: Keith and Mandy Blancq, Mandeville, LA, date of arrival July 10: I brought my wife and teen kids (14 yo boy and 15 yo girl) to Karen's beautiful house in Costa Rica for a big vacation get away for 2 weeks in the summer. We rented a car in San Jose. Not far from the airport, we stopped in Jaco for fish tacos at this place called The Taco Bar -- fantastic fresh fish! Wahoo, mahi and snapper were just a few of the choices there. It was about a two hour scenic drive from there, past mountains, beaches and coastal cliffs, to get to Karen's house. The drive up from the Costanera highway to her house on the graveled road is short but really fun, with hills, views, coconuts, and the occasional iguana streaking in front of your car. Karen's house is a grand Mediterranean style house 2 stories high with a huge master bedroom and bath upstairs, 2 more bedrooms and baths downstairs, a large kitchen and an awesome pool. We spent our days sipping Cuba Libres and watching Jesus Christ lizards streaking across the water on top of the pool. The huge Master bedroom upstairs has a great wrap-around balcony with a really beautiful view of the Pacific ocean, the mountains, and the sunsets! The house has everything you need for as long as you want to stay, and it has good wifi too. Steve the property manager stays in close contact to check if you need anything or have any problems. Great guy. Our favorite activities were the Osa Canopy Tour ziplining, and the horseback ride to this huge giant waterfall Nauyaca Falls, where you can swim, lay in the sun, swing off ropes or jump from the cliffs into the waterfall pool. Two other really handy conveniences were (1) Marvin's cantina right across the highway from Karen's road, where we could go to get a tasty budget breakfast, lunch or dinner anytime of the day. (Marvin is a local Tico, friendly and a real character; his wife is a sweetheart and does most of the cooking.) (2) Also just across the highway a few minutes away was this great French Canadian woman Kumari, who ran the liquor store Liquorera Feliz, with a gift/jewelry shop next door, and the Mystic Dive Center where she rented scuba and snorkel gear and surfboards. You could rent a surfboard for 24 hours (so you could use it for 2 days really) for like $20! Great deal. There was so much to do here, we never wanted to leave. We've made new friends, and we're coming back next year to the same house.

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

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• Could not have asked for a more perfect experience

  Could not have asked for a more perfect experience

  • Guest Castle
  • Date of stay 09/23/12
  • Review Submitted 10/06/12
  My husband and two of our friends stayed at this wonderful villa. It was so perfect for our situation. We each had our own private space with bedroom and and bath. The listing very much accurately describes the villa to a tee. The area is not your usual tourist trap. The property is clean and maintained. It is located at the end of a road over looking the most awesome views you would ever want to see. This is a birdwatchers paradise!! There must be a thousand birds there...and the butterflies are the most awesome I have ever had the pleasure of seeing in the wild. What I liked the most is the entire house opens up to the outside. The kitchen is conveniently located immediately to the right upon entrance to the house. We spent most of our time sitting on the terrace next to the pool snacking on the most delicious fruit purchased from road side vendors and coconuts picked up off of the beach. Stephen arranged ziplinning and a horseback riding trip which included swimming in the most delicious spring fed by a waterfall. Our favorite Soda was La Costa located across the main highway at the end of the road which leads to the house. We got to interact with the residents of two villages located a short drive away..Ojachal and Uvito. The people were so nice and interesting to talk to and gave us good advice. You can drive further south to a little town that is not on the tourist radar and really feel like a part of the local Tico community. Not mentioned in the property listing is that at one end of the pool are whirlpool jets!! and this just added to the pleasure of just sitting there and getting a jacuzzi experience (there is a jacuzzi tub in the upstairs bathroom also where you can sit and look out over the jungle and the ocean too!).We took a day trip to Mario Antonio Park which was about 1-1.5 hours north on Hwy 34. Along the way are such nice sights. Panama is only 2 hours south...so it would be possible to take a day trip there. We were told that the shopping there was great!!. If you are renting a car, make sure it is a four wheel drive. The road leading to the property is an authentic Costa Rica road. I would advise that you get to the house before sundown..no city lights to help you find your way but you will be amazed at the stars!! I had forgotten how the night sky looks with no lights!!. I spent hours on the balcony watching the sky!!. Our experience staying at this property have all of us anxious to return. You will so enjoy love it

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

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• Beautiful home, fantastic location!

  Beautiful home, fantastic location!

  • Guest Laurie P.
  • Date of stay 07/01/12
  • Review Submitted 08/28/12
  We came for a week in July and had a wonderful time at Karen's house. We planned most days to be out and about early and "home" by late afternoon/early evening since we stayed during the rainy season. We loved hanging out at the house and had our evening cocktails every day on the covered porch and enjoyed the beautiful ocean view while we watched and listened to the toucans sing to each other. The house is fully equipped, so it was easy to cook and just hang out and in the gorgeous pool (I had to bribe my 9 year old to get out!). The house is in a wonderful location to use as a home base for exploring some of the most beautiful and unspoiled parts of Costa Rica. There is easy access to the Osa Peninsula, an hour's drive from Manuel Antonio, and lots of great surfing beaches. Ojochal is known as a foodie heaven in the area, and has some really fantastic restaurants. Tip: be sure to rent a 4-wheel drive vehicle and if you're interested in ziplining, go to the Osa Canopy tour. All in all, we had a wonderful time in Karen's gorgeous, well-appointed house. She responded readily with any questions and had lots of great recommendations. We'll be back!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with teenagers, romantic getaway.

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• Amazing!!

  Amazing!!

  • Guest MacyD
  • Date of stay 07/24/12
  • Review Submitted 08/27/12
  We had a great time in Costa Rica! Karen was very easy to work with and helpful with all of the arrangements. The house was in a good location with great ocean and jungle views, close to nice beaches and restaurants. Steve(the property manager) took great care of us. He checked on us daily and made all our activity reservations. The villa was just right for me and my husband,my two teenagers and my mother. We all enjoyed the pool and spent most of our time outside on one of the patios. We saw lots of wildlife such as toucans ,parrots, and lizards. We could hear monkeys in the nearby trees. We ate out a few times and the food was great! The other times we bought groceries at the store and enjoyed quiet dinners out by the pool. I would recommend this property to others and we are already planning our next stay !!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with teenagers, romantic getaway.

  Owner response: We're so glad that you're planning to come back! You were great guests!!

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Dec 10-Apr 30 .. High Season ... $1075/week
May 1-Aug 30 .. Green Season ... $ 915/week
September 1- December 10 ... Low Season $785/week
ASK ABOUT SPECIAL LAST-MINUTE DISCOUNTS
Monthly: $3500/month High Season; $2800 Green; $2200 Low
Holiday ........ $1400/week (Christmas, New Year and Easter)
$250 Refundable Security/Damage/Reservation deposit required.
3G CELL PHONE INCLUDED WITH YOUR RENTAL (additional $100 equipment deposit).

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.