Reviews for Playa Ocotal Vacation Rental - VRBO 286166 - 3 BR Guanacaste Villa in Costa Rica, Serenity on the Pacific-Beachfront Villa in Worldclass Resort

Perfect spot on the beach in Guanacaste

Guest mutah
Date of stay 02/15/13
Review Submitted 02/22/13

Stayed for a week during dry season. Absolutely perfect for our family with 2 kids - beachfront, near pool, snorkel gear and boogie boards. Birds, howler monkeys, hammock with a view. Carolanne and Al provided lots of good information and directions - very responsive owners. We hope to return sometime very soon... Magical place!

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

Owner response: Thank you so much for your review. We love Costa Rica and are always happy when we are able to share it with quests. We are glad that we were able to assist you with your vacation planning, our goal is to make sure everyones vacation is a memorable one.

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WHAT A DREAM COME TRUE!

Guest Leslee
Date of stay 03/29/12
Review Submitted 09/01/12

This beautiful home was perfect for our first vacation to Costa Rica, well within reach of everything we wanted to do, such as zip lining, fishing, snorkeling, and just laying by the pool! The bungalow was everything and more. The resort staff were amazing as well, we became fast friends with all the staff, and definitely look forward to returning in the near future. Thank you Carolanne and Alvin for letting us enjoy your little slice of Heaven!!

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

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Peace & Adventure

Guest Nikki
Date of stay 08/02/11
Review Submitted 09/07/11

Having stayed in both remote and not-so-remote locations of Costa Rica, I was surprised to find how peaceful this villa was with others staying in the same resort and the pool/restaurant nearby. Truly steps from the beach/ocean, you have a mix of privacy with the small number of people that share this private cay. I was very encouraged by the fact that I could see many species of bird in a short walk -- the variety that fished in the lava tide pools was a bonus -- and again at seeing the same with aquatic life when snorkeling in my "front yard." Two pairs of different rays within minutes of one another were seen while just standing on the beach. This was truly a mix of peace and adventure, as relaxing or as sporting (both there & with businesses in the nearby towns) as we wanted to make our trip. The icing on the cake was the responsiveness of the owner in answering questions that I emailed while there. Being a foodie, I thought Picante was so-so on taste (Costa Rica isn't known for its food) but it made up in ambiance and service. This is a place to which I would consider returning.

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

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Amazing stay at this beautiful villa

Guest Emily M.
Date of stay 07/08/11
Review Submitted 07/19/11

We are always skeptical about photos shown on traveling web sites, however I can assure you that the photos shown of this villa are very accurate. It's probably even better in person. We couldn't have been happier with our decision to stay here with our young kids and extended family. There was plenty of room and it was VERY CLEAN. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. The owners were always willing to answer any of our traveling/tourist questions before we arrived as well. We have been telling all of our family and friends that they must book this villa on their next trip to Costa Rica.

Recommended for: Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Owner response: We are always pleased when our guests find the same enjoyment we do when staying at out villa. BPV is a special place on the Northern Pacific coast and our villa has a unique location.

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Wisconsin Visitors - April 2011

Guest Mike
Date of stay 04/02/11
Review Submitted 05/24/11

Our family of four had a great time at the villa! Everything went very smooth from check-in to check-out. Al was extremely helpful. He gave great directions and had many helpful ideas for tours and sight-seeing. The villa was spotless and had plenty of room. The location and view were great too. The black beach was amazing! The villa is close to many attractions including volcano's, zip lining, snorkeling and horseback riding. We even went to Nicaragua. It's very close to many nice restaurants and shopping was only minutes away. We would recommend staying at villa, it was well equipped with everything you need for enjoying the beach. Mike

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

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Baker/Svare vacation

Guest Steve
Date of stay 02/26/11
Review Submitted 03/28/11

We really enjoyed the villa. It was the perfect spot and the best location of all villas at this resort. The people at the restaurant were very nice and helpful with everything. Our only regret is that we didn't get to Coco earlier than our last night. It is a very nice town with plenty of place to eat and shop. We initially missed our turn to the villa but eventually found it. Next time we will keep our eyes open. If we return to this area in Costa Rica we will rent this villa again. We've been to CR now 3 times and ths was the best place that we've ever stayed at. We also rent a vacation home in the US in Minnesota and pride ourselves in keeping it clean so we were very happy to see how clean this villa was. Only one suggestion we'd have and we get this at our place - a gas outside grill would be nice. Other than that we have no other suggestions - PERFECT!

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

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Garry & Tillie from Dunrobin, Ont., Canada

Guest Garry & Tillie
Date of stay 02/05/11
Review Submitted 03/04/11

The villa was very clean with a beautiful view of the ocean. Beach was at our doorstep and the workers were very helpful. Just a short walk to Ocatal along the shoreline when the tide was out to a nice restaurant named Father Rooster. The restaurant at the resort was also very good. Weather was nice and warm. Only regret is that we missed the turtle that came on our beach during the night. We walked a lot and felt safe.

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

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Amazing Service and View

Guest April
Date of stay 01/09/11
Review Submitted 01/23/11

We stayed a little over a week in Villa 11. I have nothing but positive things to say about the owners, Al and Carolanne. My husband and I are avid travelers, and I can say without question that Al is in a league of his own in terms of responsiveness and service provided. He not only answered all of my many questions before we left, but he went out of his way to ensure that our vacation was memorable. He even put us in touch with one of his friends in Costa Rica in case we wanted to enjoy some of the local activities (like a nearby rodeo). Once we arrived at the villa, Al also called us just to make certain that everything was to our satisfaction and to see if we had additional questions. As I said, he really went above and beyond our previous experiences in terms of service, even compared to the exceptional service we received at various five star hotels. The staff and Bahia Pez also were incredibly friendly and always willing to provide us with information about excursions in the area. I mentioned in passing during check-in that I was excited to see monkeys in the wild, and one of the guys in the office called me a couple days later just to tell me there were some monkeys outside the office at that moment. I could not believe he even remembered me saying this, much less that he made a point to call me. The villa itself is exactly as pictured (http://homepage.mac.com/marketman2/Sites/gecr/pezv/sm11/index.html), minus the hammock on the back porch. Everything is clean and comfortable, which really helps ensure that you feel at home during your stay. Of course, I don't have an amazing view like this at home! I loved getting up every morning, drinking a hot cup of coffee on the patio, and just enjoying the tranquil surrounding of tropical birds and the ocean crashing on shore right in front of me. It is a perfect place to get away from it all!

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

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Guest Elisa
Date of stay 12/27/10
Review Submitted 01/06/11

Hello, I just wanted to tell you what a great vacation we had! Thank you again for allowing us to spend some days in Paradise! The staff was great; Ronny and the rest of the crew at Picante were wonderful, even the racoons and the White-throated Magpie-Jay or "Piapias" were extremely friendly. We really loved the place, we didn't want to leave; hopefully we'll be able to go again soon. The villa itself has everything you can think of and more. It's close to shops, restaurants, night life, but still secluded enough to be in your own little world if you wanted to. Thanks again for your kindness, Sincerely, Edgar, Elisa, Mom and Mami

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Guest Katie
Date of stay 11/13/10
Review Submitted 12/09/10

Hello! Sorry for the delayed response. Holidays get a little crazy around our house. There is just never enough time in the day. We had an incredible time! The house was fantastic, and location was perfect!!! We spent lots of time with Rosie at the pool/Picante next to the house and absolutely LOVED that we could just hop down to the beach! We did the massages on the beach and spent one of our days up at Buena Vista, which was quite possibly my favorite day ever of all time. I can't think of a better place to spend a birthday! We definitely plan on returning, so don't be surprised if you see an email from me again in the near future. And thank you again for all your help getting things planned. It was without a doubt the best vacation we have ever had. -Katie

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We are loving Villa Mariposa!

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We are loving Villa Mariposa!

Guest Kelly, Jackie, & Michele
Date of stay 09/14/10
Review Submitted 12/12/10

I hope this email finds you well. We are loving villa mariposa! So much so that we would like to see if we can extend our stay an additional night. Please let us know. Thank you, Kelly, Jackie, & Michele

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Guest Kyle and Sandy
Date of stay 07/11/10
Review Submitted 12/09/10

Carolanne and Alvin, Sorry it to so long to send you this but we have been traveling quite a bit and just returned from Oregon/Washington this week. Thank you so much for letting us stay at you wonderful Villa in Costa Rica. I think that must be one of the best vacations we have ever had and the location and Villa were a big part of that. The folks at Bahia Pez Vela were so friendly and helpful, heck everyone we ran into was. We went on some of the tours that were just magnificent. Really quite a paradise. Thank you so much. We hope to stay there again in the future, heck in a few years we might be neighbors we liked it so much. I was thinking of posting some of our pictures on-line. Let me know if you would like me to send you the link once they are up. If you ever need references or testimonials on these Villas you can certainly give the person our name, email, and phone number. You are so gracious, and your Villa was so nice, I can't thank you enough for helping us create such timeless memories. Thank you ever so much, Kyle and Sandy

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Guest Lisa
Date of stay 07/08/10
Review Submitted 12/09/10

Hola, Now I know what Pez Vela means besides Sailfish....Pura Vida. We just returned last night back to foggy SF! I wanted to say thank you for having such a wonderful place indeed. I have already recommended it to a few people so I hope that brings you some more happy folks. We found the villa to be just as promised, loved the lay out-it worked so perfectly for friends to visit with us or spend the day. We both had two massages with Fanny and Phil even had a major moment getting one during a major lightening storm. We did a lot of good snorkeling and the swell even came in to give us a few slammin' boogie-boarding days. The list is long of our many adventures and yesterday we spent the last day of our trip back on sunny Ocotal where we saw a sea turtle and a very big green eel while snorkeling. Perfecto! Muchas Gracias , espero que rentemos la villa an otra vez en la futura. Lisa

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Guest Freda
Date of stay 09/12/05
Review Submitted 09/11/05

Hi Carolanne and Al I just wanted to drop you a quick line to thank you again for making your house available to us in Bahia Pela Vez. It has been one week now of back-to-work and back-to-school routine and Costa Rica seems eons away, how quickly one becomes re-immersed into the routine of daily life. But I just wanted to tell you that we enjoyed our visit to Costa Rica immensely; we undertook so many activities including horseback riding (in Buena Vista and Rincon de la Vieja), rafting, canopy tours, suspended bridge tours, hiking to waterfalls, etc. not to mention the amazing scuba diving where we saw sooo much marine life, it left us quite breathless. It all added up to an action-packed and yet very relaxing adventure. We ended our holiday at Arenal and did get to see the volcano, a remarkable experience and the hot springs and gardens were the icing on the cake. So thank you again for making your house available to us and for all the extra touches and amenities. Freda from Montreal

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Guest Rick
Date of stay 07/06/05
Review Submitted 07/05/05

Al and Carolyn...thank you ..thank you..had a wonderful time..our last full day we went to Catalina Islands..saw rays bigger than a car...lots of large white tip sharks...dolphins...unbelievable... thank you for allowing us to stay at your beautiful home..everything we needed was available...I did leave the $45 (maid) with Mary..she is great...Dennis was great and checked in to make sure all was set.... We would love to return Regards Rick

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Guest Gary
Date of stay 05/01/05
Review Submitted 04/30/05

We got back from Costa Rica last night at midnight, and wanted to tell you that our week at the Villa Cala was just wonderful. Bahia Pez Vela is a beautiful place, quite magical in its setting and fauna! It was a memorable week for our family. Gary

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Guest Gary
Date of stay 04/28/05
Review Submitted 04/27/05

Al, we had a great time at your place. The accomodations were terrific. Thanks for all you did. We made it over to Arenal and stayed at the Tabacon Resort, and squeezed in a 3 day adventure down the Paquare River (I probably spelt it wrong). All went well. Thanks Again. Gary

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Guest Liz & Elena
Date of stay 04/08/05
Review Submitted 04/07/05

Al and Carolanne, Elena and I (and our families) had a spectacular time! It was an huge effort to leave paradise! Our only consolation was promising each other to return next year. You have a wonderful, comfortable home at Villa Calla. We feel grateful for opportunity to share it with you. Thank you. Liz

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Guest Susan
Date of stay 03/28/05
Review Submitted 03/27/05

Hi; Just wanted to write you a quick note to tell you how much we enjoyed your place. We sadly departed today - it was such a relaxing spot! We met a guy with a boat called Eliza in Playa Hermosa that took Ian and the kids out snorkelling one morning for $10 bucks for about 1 and a half hours out at some islands. It was super if you have never done that - way more fish and lots of neat stuff they hadn't seen. We also really liked Palo Verde Park with Vargas tours. We did not do Nicaragua and I was glad - it was nice to kick back.... Quite the animal kingdom there. We are now in Manuel Antonio where monkeys are everywhere. The drive was fairly busy being Holy week starting - especially north of Punteraneas. Anyhow, thanks again. If you ever want to do a swap for a Rockies house in the summer for a week or so, let me know. I think we would like to go back to Bahai Pez Vela -much better than Hawaii - but I want to learn some espanol.... Susan

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Guest Bev
Date of stay 07/26/04
Review Submitted 07/25/04

Hi Al and Carolanne, Thank you so much for your hospitality and the use of your beautiful accomodations. We had a wonderful holiday!! The area was fantastic, snorkeling is great at your beach near the rocks. Bob was a great help, he arranged a tour guide for us in Nicaragua and he answered all our questions. We really enjoyed eating at the resort. Mary and Ethan were very helpful and nice. We never hooked up with Eric, but I spoke to him once on the phone. I really recommend that visitors take a two day trip to Arenal, the drive up is breath- taking. We also drove to Sashi (wrong spelling I'm sure). We went here to look at the woodwork. My favorite thing to do however was visit the different beaches. The kids enjoyed staying at your beach when we were driving around. Many Thanks, Bev PS. I will highly recommend your place if anyone asks me about Costa Rica.

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Guest Alice
Date of stay 07/24/04
Review Submitted 07/23/04

Hi Al, I am sorry that I did not e-mail you sooner. I meant to, but after I returned home, I got so busy with other things. I know you must have heard from June by now and I was feeling guilty that I had not written to you yet. All of us had a wonderful time in Costa Rica. It was the best vacation we have ever had in our lives! Jay and I had the master bedroom (of course we payed more for it, but it was well worth the money) and loved it! Your villa was very comfortable and we took good care of it (I hope you were pleased with the condition with which we left it). All of us thought that the pots and pans you already had were very nice, but now you have another set that is of very good quality. Your neighbor Bob invited us to a party he had while we were there. He had a big fiesta and roasted a pig. He had a very outgoing guy there (Donato) who made pizzas. His villa was packed! By the way, this guy Donato is very good with his hands, as he built Bob's stairs and sitting area in the back of his villa. I guess June told you we did the Canopy Tour. I was nervous and about to quit after the first zip line, but I composed myself and completed the whole thing. They had 2 yellow nape parrots on the premises and I fell in love with one of them. While we were in Guanacaste we went to Buena Vista, rode a tractor, and then hiked to their spa which was located in a remote area. At the spa, all of us slathered hot mud from the volcano all over our bodies, took a shower, and then bathed in the hot waters of the volcano. Oh, we ate at Angelo's (a nice guy) and had body massages in Coco Verde. We saw some gorgeous sunsets in Guanacaste too! In Arenal we had a blast. We did a 4 hour horseback ride up the mountain to the Arenal Vocano. It was POURING!! We were all wearing raincoats, but still got soaked! Now that was so much fun! We did some nice things in Monteverde (took a hike) and then in San Jose, a guy told us about this fabulous hotel and spa owned by a mosaic artist. It just opened, so the four of us took a taxi and spent the day there. First we did a hike on the grounds, following one of the resort's hiking trails. The place is relatively new. I think it has been open less than 2 years. Alice

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Guest June and David
Date of stay 06/29/04
Review Submitted 06/28/04

Hey Al and Carolanne, We are writnig you from the Internet Cafe in downtown near the Coco Verde Hotel. Just wanted to let you know what a fabulous and superb vacation this has been. All of your letters and photos were wonderful, but they could not really describe this place to the fullest. We will be leaving tomorrow for Arenal. The house is left as found and I know you will see we have been terrific tenants. Laurie and Ed are waiting with bated breath for your arrival. They are great people! We met lots of your neighbors at Bob's house (your next door neighbor). He threw some big bash last night! We will be in contact soon if we are not swallowed up by the volcano in Arenal. Regards, June and David

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Guest Jen and Chris
Date of stay 06/06/04
Review Submitted 06/05/04

Hola Carolanne and Al! Thank you for all of your help and information, we really enjoyed your villa and all of your toys you provided We had a blast with our parents and look forward to coming back to stay in your villa. The restaurant (Picante) was great, as well as the congo canopy tour, and we loved the fishing. Iris and Dennis were very informative as well. Thanks Again Enjoy your day Jen & Chris Smith

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Guest Mara
Date of stay 04/24/04
Review Submitted 04/23/04

Hi Al! So sorry I haven't written you sooner, it's been a little chaotic getting back! Anyways, thank you sooo much for the villa rental. We had the most amazing time and will never forget all our memories from Costa Rica. The resort was absolutely beautiful, I felt like we had the whole place to ourselves! The people and accomodations far exceeded our expectations. We couldn't have asked for anything more. Thanks! We really appreciated the guest book as well, we did all sorts of fun activities, such as Tamarindo for surfing, Rincon de la Vieja park for hiking, and all the wonderful restaurants. (the food was so good!) All in all, it was a super vacation, and thanks again for all your help! - Mara p.s. we decided that at least one of us needs to get married at Bahia pez vela!

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Guestbook Comment

Guest Anonymous
Date of stay 02/01/04
Review Submitted 02/24/04

Our first time in Costa Rica and we loved it. Great location, the accommodations were perfect. Ed, Lorie and Merry at the Picante Restaurant cooked up a storm. The temperature was warm and comfortable. My jogging on the trials and to Coco village was challenging yet enjoyable. A vacation that will be remember forever. Steve and Ruth Boyce

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Guest Sandee & Rod
Date of stay 01/20/04
Review Submitted 01/19/04

Our best vacation in 20 years. The Villa accommodation was superb for our 3 couple getaway, offering lots of space and individual privacy. The Resort had everything you could want - view of the Pacific; steps to the Ocean, great food, snorkelling, kayaking, a refreshing pool - all with friendly and personal service. Can't wait to return next year. Sandee and Rod

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Vacation Rentals by Owner

Serenity on the Pacific-Beachfront Villa in Worldclass Resort [#286166] | View Property

Traveler Reviews (26)

Perfect spot on the beach in Guanacaste

Perfect spot on the beach in Guanacaste

WHAT A DREAM COME TRUE!

WHAT A DREAM COME TRUE!

Peace & Adventure

Peace & Adventure

Amazing stay at this beautiful villa

Amazing stay at this beautiful villa

Wisconsin Visitors - April 2011

Wisconsin Visitors - April 2011

Baker/Svare vacation

Baker/Svare vacation

Garry & Tillie from Dunrobin, Ont., Canada

Garry & Tillie from Dunrobin, Ont., Canada

Amazing Service and View

Amazing Service and View

We are loving Villa Mariposa!

We are loving Villa Mariposa!

Guestbook Comment

Guestbook Comment