Playa Samara: Sweeping Ocean Views, Space and Privacy Galore!

• Wonderful visit

  Wonderful visit

  • Guest will s.
  • Date of stay 04/13/13
  • Review Submitted 06/01/13
  Three couples spent 6 days at this restful home, which seemed to be made for us. The private setting offered wonderful views of the Samara bay from the inviting swimming pool. A/C in each of the three bedrooms made the nights very comfortable, and sea breezes during the day were delightful, even in the hot weather. The rental managers were very helpful in helping us feel comfortable, and in help us with travel arrangements in Samara. Sights and sounds -- like geckos and howler monkeys - only added to the exotic atmosphere. We were glad to have a vehicle to get around. Walking to and from the beach is possible, but longer than we would want to do on a regular basis. Definitely recommend this place, especially for groups of couples! Thanks for being such gracious hosts!

  Recommended for: Age 55+, romantic getaway, adventure seekers.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Escape winter

  Escape winter

  • Guest Jane
  • Date of stay 01/20/13
  • Review Submitted 02/13/13
  Lovely spacious and peaceful house with gorgeous views over the ocean. Close to the beach, shops and restaurants. The owners are very helpful, and the property exceeded expectations. I would highly recommend this rental, and hope to go back.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, girls getaway, adventure seekers.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Beautiful views

  Beautiful views

  • Guest Lorrainita
  • Date of stay 01/20/13
  • Review Submitted 02/10/13
  Excellent views from the beautiful pool. Enjoyed walks to the beach. Lots of fresh fish and produce available for those who love to cook. Many great restaurants in the village. House was very clean and the grounds were lovely. Heard monkeys every day and even saw them one day. Celebrated my birthday here. would recommend it to anyone. Great for families!

  Recommended for: Families with young children, adventure seekers.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Pura Vida

  Pura Vida

  • Guest Tina
  • Date of stay 03/10/12
  • Review Submitted 04/10/12
  The property was beautiful, comfortable, clean and very well maintained. The views from the home were spectacular and the swimming pool was fabulous. The 10 minute walk to the beach was easy once we got our directions straight. The owners were above and beyond helpful with all the information they gave us from grocery shopping locations and taxis to the information booklet they keep inside the home. We booked a few activities during our stay, such as zip lining, gyro-copter and fishing, but the main purpose of our trip was to relax and gear down from our hectic lives. Sleeping late, reading our books, swimming in the pool, napping during the day, watching the sunset and sharing good conversation with one another were the things we loved the best. Our favorite restaurant in Samara was El Lagarto .This house and its' location created just the right atmosphere for us to enjoy all these things. We felt very much at home and would definitely come back again and recommend to friends and relatives.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, girls getaway, adventure seekers, tourists without a car.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

• Had a wonderful time!

  Had a wonderful time!

  • Guest Jane
  • Date of stay 03/17/12
  • Review Submitted 03/26/12
  All six people in our party had a wonderful time in Costa Rica. The house was amazing and we looked forward to coming home to the pool after every adventure. We grilled our own dinner several times so that was a welcome addition. I got great photos of wildlife while just hanging out at home--howler monkeys, a huge iguana, squirrels, birds, and something I believe was similar to a ring tail lemur. We would love to visit again!

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/4

• Picture perfect week in Samara

  Picture perfect week in Samara

  • Guest Piddler
  • Date of stay 12/31/11
  • Review Submitted 01/26/12
  We had actually been wanting to go to Costa Rica for the last few years, and finally made the trip January 2012. We were thrilled with the chance to come and enjoy the beauty of this beautiful country. We had a fabulous week with our family (5 adults)enjoying the splendor of Samara. We were astounded by the AMAZING view from the house. Probably one of the best and most memorable aspects of the trip was just spending time at the house, lounging by the pool and soaking up the sun. We loved the wild life surrounding the home and got some great pictures of iguanas and heard the Howler monkeys every morning. We can’t say enough about the house! It was clean, homey, so open and airy, well equipped kitchen with everything we could need and more. The area was so picturesque and felt very safe. The weather was PERFECT every day! The home owners really go the extra mile in making sure you have a great trip. The reading material in the house was very helpful and informative. We took the owner's advice and did the ultra light tour (a helicoper tour of the area) which was amazing!! We tried the restaurants suggested in the guest book...our favourite was the Pacific Lodge (great food, wonderful service). Other highlights were the turtles laying eggs on the beach and Howler Monkeys swinging through the trees close to the beach. We also rented some kayaks and snorkeled off the nearby island (forget the name? maybe it was Isla Cora??) The staff who took care of the home were very friendly and did a great job keeping the house clean and the grounds looking beautiful. The gentleman that took care of the pool was very friendly and suggested some fun things to do in the area. The neighbour’s son who kept the grounds looking beautiful was always courteous and did his job very well! We are so thankful for such a relaxing and memorable vacation. Our family was thrilled with the house and we all had a really great time. Thanks for everything!!

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 6/6

• Rest and Relaxation...

  Rest and Relaxation...

  • Guest David
  • Date of stay 11/07/11
  • Review Submitted 11/30/11
  My wife and I rented the home with another couple for 10 days at the beginning of November. We had spent considerable time on the internet looking at rentals and settled on this property. We're very glad we did. The property manager was prompt in her email communication before the trip and helped us by scheduling pick up and drop off from the Liberia airport for a very reasonabl price as well as answering our general questions about the area and home. The home was well equipped with cooking utensils. The wifi worked great and had a surprisingly fast connection. I had to complete some work the first couple days and we used Skype phone and video daily with our families back in the U.S. We spent the majority of time at home on the patio and in the pool. As the locals constantly commented, we had the best weather we could hope for. The sunsets from the patio were amazing. We made friends with the neighbors dogs and the trees around the house had howler monkeys in them almost every day. The Pali grocery store in town was a convenient place to shop and had everything we needed for all of our meals. We simply couldn't have hoped for better. Samara is a wonderful place to vacation - with enough shopping and entertainment to keep you busy if you like, yet still small enough to make you feel like you're in on a secret. I would recommend this property to anyone wanting to explore Quanacaste Province.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 5/5

• Casa Vista del Mar - Owner's Description is Spot On

  Casa Vista del Mar - Owner's Description is Spot On

  • Guest JT NYC
  • Date of stay 08/21/11
  • Review Submitted 09/29/11
  Returned before Labor Day after 2 wonderful weeks here with my family (my wife, 80 yr old mother-in-law & 7 yr old and 9 yr old children). It is magical to awake and fall asleep each day to the sound of the howler monkeys, frogs, birds and cicadas. It's good for your soul here. Owner's description of house is accurate and Wifi and satellite TV work well (not sure about the claim of a 10 minute walk to nearest beach). You definitely need a 4x4 to fully enjoy your time in and around Samara and getting to the house (maybe not the case in the dry season -- the house is off a short bit of unpaved road). Although there is a house directly below the pool area facing the Pacific/Samara Bay, you cannot see them (we never did) and you cannot hear them. If fact you can't hear much of anything except the wildlife. The house is perfectly located about a 5 min drive away from town. Samara has several adequate grocery stores & a good butcher. Samara as described has the best beach for families because it's protected by an outer coral reef. Carillo is 8 min drive and a knock-out of a beach (but can have rough tides). The local property mgr is very professional, accessible and helpful. The owner is also accessible and quite helpful and friendly. Things to know: * This is not the typical sugar-white sand Caribbean experience -- you're in the jungle -- and nature is everywhere including crocs in many of the rivers and abundant wildlife if you're willing to take the time to explore it -- if not, this is still an incredibly relaxing place to just chill out. * The water is drinkable from all faucets -- none of us ever got sick. * Be extra careful with the pool and small children/non-swimmers. There are several broad steps into the pool, then a sharp incline and then it goes straight to something like 10 ft/3m. * There are enough good restaurants in town, but prices aren't Mexico/Central America levels -- dinners for 4 without dessert, alcohol is about US$60. * If creepy crawly things freak you out (like I said, you're in the jungle), be aware you may see scorpions (sting is like a bee here), tarantulas, colorful spiders and others (we did) - but next to no mosquitos. * Stay off the beach at/near dusk - the "no see 'ums are brutal. **** Enjoy this special property and place. **

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 7/7

• Amazing

  Amazing

  • Guest s1109
  • Date of stay 01/15/11
  • Review Submitted 01/26/11
  This property is one of the best we have ever stayed in. It is on a hill overlooking the ocean but very close to town. The owners are extremely helpful and the pictures dont do enough justice to this amazing property.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 6/6

• Samara home

  Samara home

  • Guest Susan
  • Date of stay 12/22/10
  • Review Submitted 01/13/11
  Thank you for the opportunity to stay in your beautiful home. The view from the backyard was absolutely spectacular. Seeing the sun set into the ocean each day was a special treat. The house was beautifully maintained and contained everything we wanted. The nearby beaches of Samara and Carrillo were easily accessible and lovely. We will recommend this property to our friends!

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 9/9

Rates Excluding Air Conditioning:          Daily .. One Week .. Two Weeks
Summer: 14 Apr 2013 to 20 Dec 2013          $190     $1,200      $2,200
Christmas: 21 Dec 2013 to 3 Jan 2014                 $2,300    (2 wk min.)
Winter: 4 Jan 2014 to 12 Apr 2014           $300     $1,750      $3,400
Easter: 20 April 2014                                $2,300    (1 wk min.)
Air conditioning: $10/bedroom/night. Minimum 4 night stay. We accept domestic bank
transfers/deposits for UK and Canadian guests. 50% reservation deposit, balance
30 days prior to arrival.  $250 cash damage deposit held with property manager.

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