Vacation Rentals by Owner

Amazing views

Guest: family traveler (Bay Area, CA)
Date of Stay: 04/15/12 Review Submitted: 04/27/12

Perfect location with amazing views. The property is very well kept and the owners are delightful. Samara beach is very close (about a 10-15 minute walk). We'll definitely be back again!

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

Amazing!!

Guest: M&M (bracebridge)
Date of Stay: 01/05/12 Review Submitted: 01/21/12

We so enjoyed our stay here. The view from the balcony is breath taking, as is watching the howler monkeys, hawks and birds that circle the area. The apartment is clean, spacious, beautifully furnished and very comfortable.The pool was wonderful after a day at the beach and again the views simply amazing! Samara is a laid back town with friendly people and lots to do. We spent many days at Carrillo ... the picnic beach and enjoyed snorkeling and boogie boarding. At Playa Samara we learned to surf and walked the expansive, safe beach. The restaurants in Samara are wonderful. Great seafood at Gusto's and El Lagato. Our hosts Sherry and Larry were so helpful and kind and we enjoyed spending time with them at happy hour. We will be back!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

The perfect spot!

Guest: Hillary (Raleigh, NC)
Date of Stay: 12/08/11 Review Submitted: 12/13/11

Samara is a fantistic little beach town and staying at Sherry and Larry's Villa is the perfect compliment. The views are simply amazing (we loved opening up all the doors and windows to get a nice beach breeze through the apartment), Villa is extremely clean with everything you would need (we loved sitting on the rocking chairs on the balcony all hours of the day!) bed was extemely comfortable and the air conditioner in the bedroom was the best. We walked into town several times (about 15 mins) it is hilly in spots but we enjoyed seeing the sights, cabbing home was cheap and very easy but we walked it too. Breakfast at Sheriff Rustic's, good shrimp at Brasa, Locando and Ancla were both great beach bars/restaurants to hang out at. My advice would be talk to the locals, everyone is beyond friendly and eager to help you out and give you tips on the area (we wound up at a surf competition in Playa Caramonal - what an experience!). Cannot wait to come back and spend more time!

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

Throughly Enjoyed Samara and Villa Veranera

Guest: Pancho & Joey (Alexandria, VA)
Date of Stay: 11/07/11 Review Submitted: 11/13/11

From the moment we walked into the apartment and saw the view, we knew we had made the right choice in both location and lodging. The charming owners, Sherry and Larry, made sure we were comfortable, told us about the town and surrounding areas. Oh yeah, the apartment was spacious, nicely designed and well appointed. Couldn't have enjoyed our stay more. Pura Vida a la Playa!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Couldn't Be Happier

Guest: Cami/Seth (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 07/07/11 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

We decided to work remotely for several months in Costa Rica with our little dog. We had lots of questions for the owners Sherry and Larry leading up to our arrival. Internet speed, transport to their place, their area in general, dog friendly issues. And loads more questions once there. We arrived late one night and Sherry and Larry stayed up to welcome and greet us. We were so thrilled to walk into our beautiful new apartment with our lovely pool. The photos DID NOT do it justice. Gorgeous bathroom, fixtures and furniture, comfortable bed, and unbelievable view of Samara and Carillo Beaches. We never got tired of that. Over the two months we stayed, we became friends with Larry and Sherry who are (by day) super knowledgeable and always ready for questions about what to see and do and (by night) gracious happy hour hosts. They were invaluable resources during our time. For us, it was perfect to be a little above town. We were still working during the week and liked the peaceful separation. When we didn't feel like walking to the beach, we had the pool right there. It's 15 minutes to walk downhill to the beach and 25 minutes to town. There are several options for getting to town although we found the walk lovely as you typically see/hear Howler Monkey families along the way. They have bikes you can borrow for when you want to ride down. To get back up you can get a cab in town if you don't want to walk back. It's $4 one way. There are even a few cabs with bike racks. And at night, we found it easy to call a cab if we didn't want to walk. I can't say enough good things about this place. Gorgeous property, lovely owners. Fabulous experience that we will never forget. Would highly recommend this peaceful apartment.

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

Guest: Liz and Kevin
Date of Stay: 06/03/11 Review Submitted: 06/23/11

Larry and Sherry: Thank you very much for the use of your beautiful home!! You are such wonderful and friendly people. Staying in Samara for a week was an amazing experience. Lots of relaxation and playing in the ocean. Pato's Surf Shop was the most helpful. We got boogie boards, surf boards and did some ocean kayaking to the island. Overall, great experience. Thanks for everything! Hope to come back again soon.

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Guest: Mia and Ray
Date of Stay: 05/04/11 Review Submitted: 05/13/11

A HUGE thank you to both Larry and Sherry for their wonderful accommodations, hospitality and friendship over the past month! We had such a wonderful stay in Samara and their apartment is indeed a gem. We loved sitting out on the deck overlooking both Carrillo and Samara Beaches, and the pool was an absolute delight, especially after a morning run or after the walk home from town. We didn't get to see the howler monkey family, but we did enjoy watching the hawks soar by. I attended classes at Intercultura which I highly recommend. The teachers are excellent and I loved meeting and studying with people from all over the world (my class had folks from Germany, Austria, Sweden, Holland and the U.S.). Ray really enjoyed his surf lessons from Pato who was also the cheapest - only $25 for 1 lesson and the surfboard rental for 7 days! We also liked the Thai restaurant, but agree with other visitors that the service and atmosphere isn't the best. Ray's favorite restaurant was El Manglar. They have wonderful pizza and are very friendly, but if you are gluten-free like me, you don't have many options there. There is a small German cafe called Cafe Carola that has music Wednesday nights and her dinner of the day was quite good. She is known for her desserts, though. La Vela Latina is a good place to hang out on the beach and their chicken machos were terrific! If you like to golf, we heard Punta Islita was the place to go - gorgeous views and only $40 a round, but take your own golf balls as they charge $12 each and we hear it's easy to lose them. Hotel Leyenda in Carrillo has good food - more upscale breakfasts that at most places. If you need a taxi, Fabio (red 4-door car) is great! Cost is $4 from town to here. Thanks again Larry and Sherry! I'm sure we'll meet again!!

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Fabulous!!

Guest: Jan (Weatherford, TX)
Date of Stay: 03/30/11 Review Submitted: 04/07/11

We just returned from our stay with Larry & Sherry in Samara. We enjoyed our stay so much that we made time each day just to sit on the veranda and take in the views! Each morning we would get up with the sun and watch the world wake up - from the never ending variety of tropical birds to the howler monkeys :} The hosts are wonderful and are there when you need them but not hovering. The apartment has everything you could ever want and the bed was like heaven (much better than Tabacon's). Throw in the blender and I was in PARADISE !! I highly recommend Villa Veranera !!

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

WOW! What an amazing, beautiful, incredible spot to stay!

Guest: JOJO (Barrie, Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 12/20/10 Review Submitted: 12/30/10

My husband, 2 small children and I LOVED our stay here. The views were incredible, the pool refreshing and gorgeous, and the villa was modern and clean. We would reccommend this rental to anyone travelling to Costa Rica and looking to stay near the most beautiful beaches in the country. A perfect location for a couple or family with children over the age of 4 (the stairs are a bit dangerous for a toddler but we were able to block the area off with chairs). Larry and Sherry (the owners) live next door but we rarely saw them and they were very courteous and friendly.

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

Charis and Jesse

Guest: Charis and Jesse (Denver, Colorado)
Date of Stay: 10/23/10 Review Submitted: 12/18/10

Thank you Larry and Sherry!! We have truly enjoyed our 2 month stay here. Samara is a hidden gem; you get a taste of a small Costa Rican town with comforts of home and very nice locals. The views are breath taking and were thankful for the great amenities!!!!! If you are at all interested in learning Spanish the Intercultura Language school which is right on the beach is truly a great investment of time. They have a great staff and a lot of extras outside of Spanish class which make it a great deal. Food is more or less U.S. prices, there is a great bakery in the Patio Colonial Shopping Center, definitely try the iced cappuccino and of course, the pastries are fabulous. Our favorite restaurant to eat dinner at was El Gusto, next to the soccer field. Try the Natural Center between the Elementary School and Hotel Casa del Mar They have a small modern gym with ellipticals, treadmills, and weights etc. They also have a spa and a small healthy food court, which serves, fresh salads, good quality meat and vegetables which were very reasonably priced. This is a great place to learn how to surf, the waves are small great for beginners and there are a lot of great surf schools to choose from (we went to Choco’s surf school). If you are a big dog lover you are in luck, because there are a lot of random dogs, especially on your walk to and from town, along with monkeys and birds. The exercise was great especially going up the hill. It was easy to catch a cab from town back to the house if it was dark or we were tired from surfing. I would suggest taking public transportation too, either to Carrillo or to Nicoya people will bend over backwards to make sure you get where you need to go. Larry and Sherry went above and beyond to make our trip fantastic and are thankful for their friendship; they are absolutely wonderful hosts that enriched our overall experience. We look forward to coming back!

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

Guest: Jill and Pierre
Date of Stay: 08/03/10 Review Submitted: 12/10/10

Many thanks, Larry and Sherry, We feel blessed to have had the opportunity to stay in this fabulous place with the best view ever!! Larry and Sherry were amazing hosts who shared their knowledge and experience of Samara. We truly enjoyed every aspect of Samara - it is the perfect place to start a honeymoon. From Carrillo Beach, to seeing the turtles to eating at El Legarto, yum!

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Guest: Phil and Cheryl
Date of Stay: 07/13/10 Review Submitted: 12/10/10

Thanks, Larry and Sherry, We loved it here and the view was amazing! The Villa was beautiful and well stocked with everything we needed to make this a great stop on our Costa Rican adventure! Larry, you were so kind to give us a bottle of wine for our birthday celebration and you were quick to help with anything we needed.

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Guest: Sylvia and John
Date of Stay: 06/01/10 Review Submitted: 12/10/10

Loved the view so much that we painted and drew it several times. I was acquainted with the lady who owns the small gallery next to the wine bar, etc., from Intercultura where I studied Spanish last year. She was kind enough to hang two of my pictures "Balcon" and "Regalos del Mar". Enjoyed Lyle and Leo, the beautiful cats, found the info book with the birds very useful and identified a "laughing falcon"and "guaco". The book collection was wonderful and something for everyone. Also thankful for the assortment of dishes, pots and pans and the blender. Everything we needed (except machete for coconuts!) Thanks for a wonderful vacation. John loved surfing and we made the long but rewarding trip to Islita and saw a beautiful resort hotel there and had ceviche, Imperials and creme brule. Pricey but quite an experience. Forgot to say that a howler monkey family greeted us when we first arrived, in the tree next to the balcony. Also recommend going to Guatil to see the ceramics. We attended a fiesta there that had over a hundred people. The stop in Nicoya was fun also. Rented a motor bike to go to Carrillo. Great beach!

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long way up

Guest: Jol (UK)
Date of Stay: 05/09/10 Review Submitted: 09/01/10

The journey from Liberia airport was about 2 hours and would be best done by hiring a car as transfers are $100 each way and unless you don't intend to go out you really need a vehicle to stay here. The villa is a good 1/2 hour walk from the beach/centre of Samara and is up a very steep hill which is partially paved but mainly a very rough dirt track and not lit. It is not a suitable walk if you are not fit or have young children as it would be impossible to use a stroller. It is a new build and the road isn't really signed so the taxi drivers also have trouble understanding where the property is. The advantage of the position is the view which is interrupted and beautiful. The villa is part of the owners residence so you are not secluded and the pool which is small but beautiful for lazing in, is within the property garden, so not completely private. There is only one air con unit which is in the bedroom so it takes a long time to cool the villa unless you leave it on all the time which is not a good thing to have to do. There are no screens on the windows so you cannot leave the windows open as the villa rapidly fills with every type of bug you can imagine especially in the evenings when you have to put some lights on. There is everything you need for cooking meals etc, the use of the owners washing machine and dryer (downstairs, not in the villa), tv and Wi-Fi access. The supermarkets are very expensive, it is almost as cheap to eat out. As you will read in any travel guide,s Costa Rica is not know for great food and the restaurants were no more than average. Sitting out on the balcony reading etc the view is superb. There are plenty of surf schools near the beach for lessons or hiring boards and Samara is probabaly a good place to learn but probably not big enough waves for the experienced. Travel is difficult in anything but a 4 wheel drive and you have to go with the understanding that getting to your chosen destination may take you a while as there are no road signs once off the one and only main road, good luck its and adventure!!!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers

Guest: Valerie and Gearhard Paulus (Barrie, Ontario)
Date of Stay: 03/19/10 Review Submitted: 03/19/10

VENI, VIDI, VICHI, - We came, we saw, we were smitten by the picture which presented our view. Casa Veranera is delightful, the garden and pool are picturesque and the view over the hills and valley and the beaches and ocean – whoa! But the best was our hosts Larry and Sherry. We came as guests and left as friends. Always helpful and accommodating, not to mention the happy hours – exchanging life’s stores and journeys. Watching the morning glow and sunrise or the crimson colours of the sunsets or the constellations of the night sky while we were cooling off in the pool – what a beauty. Plunging in the pool, standing by the ledge, I felt like the king of the castle looking down over the realm. Carrillo Beach was our favorite, by 8:30 a.m. still deserted, by noon it was “crowded” with about 30 people over the 4 km stretch of fine pale grey/golden sand. The centre of Samara Beach is where the action is with surfers and bronzed bodies but the south beach is more pristine and the place to watch the sun sinking into the ocean. Unless you are the sporty, adventurous type riding buses or bicycles to explore the back country, rent an SUV!! Even in the dry season. Al Manglar became our favorite restaurant. Authentic Italian pizza and gnocchi to die for!And then there are the howler monkeys – first it sounded like wild dogs, but it grows on you. And they came visiting, hanging out in the trees close to the pool. I seems it is the Alpha Male which bellows out their presence while the rest of the family snoozes – except the 3 babies which were playful. Sitting on the balcony I counted about 15 species of birds – and during my walk-abouts I counted many more.Larry and Sherry, thanks for your hospitality and sharing this piece of paradise with us. We will take home with us many wonderful memories – but right now it’s time to dip into the refreshing pool and then it’s off to Carrillo Beach, the most beautiful in all of Costa Rica (according to FODOR’S).All the best wishes,Gerhard and Valerie PaulusBarrie, OntarioP.S. The Ticos are a delightful, friendly people. Don’t forget – when you are in Rome, do as the Romans do!

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Guest: Pierre and Danielle Dagenais (Montreal, Quebec)
Date of Stay: 03/07/10 Review Submitted: 03/07/10

To our dearest hosts, Sherry and Larry,It’s time to go back but we are filled with wonderful memories. Your place is so comfortable and so charming! We were delighted.We were also very pleased with all the amenities surrounding Samara and the nice people living here.We were also very amazed with the quality of the restaurants, mainly Sol Azteca and Al Manglar, not to mention Laconda on the beach!Thank you an awful lot for the use of your pool and to have tolerated our friends from next door also.We are sad to leave but it is only a goodbye. We will be back shortly, maybe to settle for a longer period. Many thanks.Danielle and Pierre Dagenais, Montreal, Quebec

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Guest: Stephanie106 (Jackson Heights, Queens)
Date of Stay: 12/28/09 Review Submitted: 12/28/09

December 13, 2009 Villa Veranera is the greatest place on earth! The spectacular views are only topped by our gracious hosts Sherry and Larry. We spent 13 days in Samara and highly recommend the following: La Locanda - great for drinks on the beach Arriba - great night time spot. El Vino - BEST SEAFOOD! Sol Azteca - 5 stars, best food, a little pricey but delicious and really fun after 10pm. We went fishing and horseback riding in town - highly recommend the tours but definitely negotiate the prices wherever you go! Carrillo was our favorite beach, warm waters and nearly isolated, it felt great to find such a gem! We would love to come back, Samara is a great beach town! The ticos are very sweet people and very helpful. Enjoy the villa, we felt very safe at all times and loved having all the benefits of staying in a home! Pura vida, Ed and Steph

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Guest: Erin Setka (Heredia, San Jose, Costa Rica)
Date of Stay: 12/21/09 Review Submitted: 12/21/09

Thank you for everything as before. Your place is amazing! The view is spectacular! I came 3 weeks ago with my parents and just like them, the beach, the apartment, everything was perfect. We appreciate the generous hospitality and don’t worry – we will be back!Erin Setka and Max Ortiz, Heredia/San Jose, Costa Rica

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Guest: Gary and Kathy Setka (Okotoks, Alberta)
Date of Stay: 11/25/09 Review Submitted: 11/25/09

Thank you so much Larry and Sherry. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay with you. The view is so awesome and we enjoyed sitting on the balcony and watching the world go by. The sounds at night are so wonderful, even the music coming up from the town. Thank you so much for opening up your home to this wonderful experience. Awesome, Awesome, Awesome. There is not another description for Larry and Sherry's place and for Larry and Sherry as hosts. Sherry was completely accommodating with our internet booking. They are totally receptive to taking you into their home and allowing you to make it your home while you are here. But they are ex-Albertans so that speaks for itself and their hospitality. We stopped going to the all-inclusives years ago. We have experienced Larry and Sherry's style of accommodation in Mexico, Dominican Republic and twice before in Costa Rica. Theirs has been the best!! Samara, Carrillo and our many drives to explore have been our greatest experience in our 3 trips to Costa Rica. You guys have been great allowing us to feel like friends as well as customers. Our daughter (lives and works in San Jose) was totally impressed with Samara, your place and especially your hospitality. As always, the most difficult part is having to leave. When we return, it will be to here! "Future guests" - God is not making views like this anymore!!!

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Guest: Tasha and Eric Faidley
Date of Stay: 10/29/09 Review Submitted: 10/28/09

Thank you, Sherry and Larry! We really enjoyed our time here in Samara. We just wish it didn't have to end so quickly! This place is so peaceful and the view is magnificent. We loved watching the Howler Monkeys in the trees and exploring the area. Highlights of our time here were the Wingnut Canopy Tour (the guides were superb) and the turtle-nesting in Camaronal. Though we really enjoyed everything - even reading on the couch when the rains came in. Sol Azteca was a great place to eat. The Ticos are so great. We appreciated the advice from Sherry and Larry and the fact that they have opened up this beautiful place for others to experience. We would love to come back.

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Guest: Angela and Magnus Gredstig (Queensland, Australia)
Date of Stay: 10/17/09 Review Submitted: 10/17/09

We have really enjoyed this place as we had already travelled for 5 months when we got here and really just wanted to chill for awhile. So we booked for 1 month and stayed for 2. The view is definitely something we will never forget and not to mention Larry and Sherry being the best hosts ever with their willingness always to help out or giving great advice. We practically lived in the pool and it was great exercise walking up and down the hill every day, thank God for the pool to jump into after that. We used this place as a base to go visit the rest of Costa Rica by jumping on a bus with just the essentials in our backpacks for a few days. If you are like us and don't have transport, there is an Alfaro ticket office in town near the bus stop. Also the bus to San Jose (7,000 colones for 2) and the bus to Carrillo Beach every 30 mins. to an hour at the end of ths road. It also goes to Nicoya. You can hire a scooter for $25 but the one we got wasn't worth $2 so rent a 4x4 from Budget or Alamo or catch a bus to Nosara and rent a quad. I hope you also get to enjoy the family of Howler monkeys that hang out in the trees around the pool. They usually come around once a week. We truly recommend the Mexican restaurant Sol Azteca which is at the end of this road. We really hope you enjoy this place as much as we did, just keep an open mind about the roads in Costa Rica. After this it is Nicaragua, then the Osa Peninsula, Los Angeles and back home to OZ to save for the next hard-earned holiday. PURA VIDA

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/17/09 Review Submitted: 08/17/09

We really enjoyed to stay in this house. We planned to stay 6 days, we finaly stay 10 days. What else to add. Sherry and Larry are wonderfull hosts and for me, we'll keep in mind their unique beautiful view for long, long time. Pura Vida! Carine and Jean-Philippe

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Guest: Allen3 (Sarasota, FL)
Date of Stay: 08/15/09 Review Submitted: 08/15/09

A sparking villa with a pool and private entrance including all the comforts of home. Step out onto the balcony and you’ll be blown-away by the fantastic views of both Samara and Carrillo bay. A 15 minute walk takes you to the beach itself and another 10-15 minutes into the wonderful town of Samara. The proprietors, Sherry and Larry, are great hosts and are eager to assist in providing tips on places to go and the area in general. I hate to mention all of this because it’s my little secret. However, I hope you will experience the same that I did while here- Pura vida.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/25/09 Review Submitted: 07/25/09

We traveled with two kids 4 and 6 and had a great time at Sherry and Larry’s house in Samara. The beach and the town center are a 10 to 15 minute walk away, driving takes 2 minutes – just far enough to escape town when it gets busy on weekends, but close enough to pick up pastries and smoothie ingredients as needed. The house’s elevation ~60 meters above the town offers some of the best views of Playa Samara and Playa Carrillo from the living room, the balcony and the pool. We used the house as a base to explore the Samara and Carrillo beaches and the coast north and south of here.The house, kitchen, furniture, and bathroom are brand new and very clean.We found the private pool a great place to relax after a hard day’s work on the beach - surfing, kayaking, snorkeling, and boogie-boarding.The local canopy tour is great, offers beautiful views of the area and starts less than a kilometer from the house. Our 4 year-old daughter was too light for two of its 10 zip line rides (our friendly and competent guides accompanied her on those rides).If you plan on driving a car in June/July, get a 4x4 – some of the more remote and private beaches and tide pools beyond Samara and Carrillo are only accessible by dirt road. We had a few afternoon rain showers – some quite heavy. They were rarely a reason to leave the beach but the 4x4 came in handy when the depressions in the dirt roads had turned into deep puddles after a shower. Because Samara is roughly 9 degrees north of the Equator – we tried to stay out of the sun between 11am and 2pm. We got sunburned on partly cloudy days or when our sun screen wore off – two hours after we put it on. Lunch, a shower and smoothies usually filled this gap in beach time.Perhaps the best thing about the house were the owners Sherry and Larry. Their friendly and helpful advice and good knowledge of the area made us feel like we were staying with friends. Niels, Wenlin, Kaliyana and Suya

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