Vacation Rentals by Owner

"Best Vacation Ever"

Guest: Mari (South Bend, Indiana, USA)
Date of Stay: 03/23/12 Review Submitted: 04/11/12

Our family stayed at Casa Terra for our spring break this year. Along for the trip were our 18, 16, 13 and 10 year old children. We couldn't have been happier with our stay. Casa Terra was beautiful, and had everything we could possibly need while we were there. I had read the numerous reviews before going, and had high expectations, but was delighted to find that it was even better than expected. The pool was very clean, and the beach was outstanding. We loved "Canelo" the La Puntilla dog, We also loved the beautiful view, looking across the bay at the mountains every morning and evening. We tried a number of restaurants in Bucerias and La Cruz. We were happy to find the food to be outstanding, and very affordable for our group. The market in La Cruz on Sunday morning was wonderful. We bought a number of authentic foods which we enjoyed preparing throughout the rest of the week. We also drove to Puerta Vallarta for an afternoon and were happy to find that it was easy to get to and there was so much to do, we hardly knew where to begin. We did rent a car, and I can't say enough good things about Gecko car rental. Adam was a wealth of information, and tremendously helpful. They made that stressful time (landing at the airport, and then worrying about getting to where you need to go with a minimum of hassle) much easier. They also helped us book at tour through Vallarta Adventures. That was truly one of the best things we did. I highly recommend the Outdoor Adventure to anyone with children, it is a never to be forgotten experience. The last thing I want to comment on is the safety. Several people expressed concerns about traveling to Mexico when I told them that was where we were going. I am so glad that I didn't listen. I felt safer in Mexico than I did in many parts of my home town. The people were wonderful, friendly and so helpful. We slept with the beach doors open every night so we could hear the ocean. Literally, on the last night we were there, my husband and I went into Bucerias for a nice, "grown up" dinner, and sent the kids to walk into La Cruz to get their own dinner. They had a wonderful time, and again, there were no worries. Canelo literally escorted them to town, and hung around while they had dinner...I can assure you, we would have never allowed our children to be walking around (with no cell phones...since I confiscated them ) if we had not felt extremely secure. All in all, it was truly our best vacation!

Owner response:Thank you for your kind words, Mari. I'm so glad you enjoyed your family vacation at Casa Terra. It always amazes me how many very good (reasonably priced) restaurants there are in La Cruz and nearby Bucerias. The new Sunday Market at the marina in La Cruz is a bonus to the area with beautifuly crafted "Made in Mexico" gifts -- no "beach junk" and wonderful food treats as well as the fresh fish markets for fish, shrimp, lobster, oysters, etc. I'm also happy your car rental worked out with Gecko Car Rental and I have alwasy found Adam, Denis and Lalo so easy to work with. It is unfortunate the media focuses on the drug related violence in Mexico -- and that is exactly what it is -- drug related violence. If tourists only knew what they are missing by staying away from this beautiful, quiet area and the very friendly and helpful local people. Your trip to downtown Puerto Vallarta sounds like fun, and yes, there is so much to do and see there--but then it is nice to get "home" to your own quiet oasis that is Casa Terra -- to say nothing of the PRIVATE swimming pool! Again, thank you for your comments and I hope to be able to accommodate you another time. Marilyn

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.

Loved it

Guest: Tanzi (Abby BC)
Date of Stay: 12/15/11 Review Submitted: 12/28/11

Awesome roomy comfortable home & must be 2000+ sq ft. So private & quiet, yet so close to anything you could want. Like shopping or adventure tours, even horses right on the beach, dining or out & about. Don't worry abt driving here either!!!!

Owner response:Im glad you enjoyed your stay at Casa Terra. It is unfortunate a passenger on the plane told you it was not safe to drive in Mexico--but you rented a car in any case and did some sightseeing in the area. It was a pleasure doing business with you and I hope to be able to accommodate you and your family another time.

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

We love "Casa Terra"

Guest: Daniel, Mexico City
Date of Stay: 07/23/11 Review Submitted: 09/09/11

Thank you for letting us spend our family vacation at Casa Terra. We are "regulars" to Puerto Vallarta and the Bay of Banderas area and absolutely, this is one of the best properties for a family vacation we have had. We want to recognize eepecially, Gloria the housekeeper for Casa Terra, who was very helpfull. We will return next year and hope to rent Casa Terra for a month.

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Wonderful 3rd Visit to Casa Terra

Guest: Karin and Vince, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date of Stay: 03/27/11 Review Submitted: 09/09/11

Hola Marilyn and Dave: Once again, thank you for providing a most relaxing, stress free holiday. Everything one could wish for was at our command. We enjoyed walks on the beach, barbeques overlooking the bay, great restaurants and great fun! We look forward to another return visit!

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perfect vacation

Guest: deb (midwest)
Date of Stay: 03/13/11 Review Submitted: 03/27/11

When we walked in, my son said "this is the first time that a place is even better than the pictures" He was right! We could have stayed right there without ever exploring other cities. While the boys were off on a canopy tour, my daughter and I had wonderful massages by Maria. That evening we had a fantastic meal prepared by a wonderful couple. Casa Terra is in a safe gated community complete with a guard on the beach. We never felt unsafe in this area and the town of La Cruz is charming with some great restaurants. I hope we get to go back next year. Thanks, Marilyn, for all the thoughtful suggestions and recommendations!

Owner response:Thank you for your kind words, Deb. It was a pleasure doing business with you and I look forward to being able to accommodate you another time. Marilyn

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.

Amazing Dream Home

Guest: Streamhome (Bala, Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 03/05/11 Review Submitted: 04/05/11

I brought my wife and 14 yr old daughter to stay at Casa Terra, What an incredible place, it is very clean, well appointed, amazing pool, excellent location, comfortable beds, just a dream home. my daughter walked to the store by herself at night and we felt safe and so did she,. a short walk south to Hidden Paradise, good food. Roberto,s was the place for my wife's 50th birthday party, and also Mia's with friends, good italian food. I felt at home, it was easy to dream of owning such a place if it was in my budget. Very relaxing and private home. I was wondering how the money transaction would work and Marilyn had it down to a science, with the lockbox and transfer of funds made it so simple. Thanks for making our trip touble free. Bill, Lisa , Lutanya

Owner response:Thanks very much, Bill, Lisa and Latanya. I'm so glad you enjoyed your stay at Casa Terra and that you chose Casa Terra for your vacation to celebrate Lisa's birthday. It was a pleasure doing business with you and I hope to be able to accommodate you again. Marilyn

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.

Casa Terra -- wonderful retreat!

Guest: Pamela Mueller, Tacoma WA
Date of Stay: 02/12/11 Review Submitted: 09/09/11

We had a terrific stay at Casa Terra and the house is perfect for three couples. During our two weeks in Mexico we stayed in three different properties in the Puerto Vallarta area but this was by far the most retreat-like of all our accommodation. Casa Terra has all the amenities and it is definitely a retreat! We enjoyed the patio and pool, loved walking the beach, sunrises and blue ocean, the weather and the comfortable beds! We all enjoyed La Cruz and we discovered some very good beaches when we went on a boating trip and even saw whales, and RELAXED. Our men outdid themselves by preparing evening meals of fresh fish and shrimp we purchased every day from the La Cruz Marina. John and Gloria were both friendly and helpful. On Valentine's Day the chocolate cake, orange cake and flan were yummy! Thank you for providing us with this lovely home and for the great place to stay.

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Quiet Oasis near Puerto Vallarta

Guest: Lyn (Mill Bay, BC, Canada)
Date of Stay: 01/15/11 Review Submitted: 02/13/11

We had a wonderful holiday at Casa Terra. I had walked by the house several times during previous holidays in La Cruz, and had high expectations of what it would be like to stay there - not only did the house meet my expectations, but it exceeded them! It is a lovely house, and is very well equipped for a holiday rental. We appreciated all the outside furniture, as we always had a choice of upright chairs or loungers for the many hours we spent in the beautiful little yard, and around the pool, reading, sunning, or just enjoying the glorious view. We loved the housekeeper, Gloria, and it was always a pleasure to see her arrive. She kept the house immaculate, and was able to help with finding restaurants and the best places to buy things in La Cruz and Bucerias as well. The book of local info. was also very helpful. I enjoyed returning to La Cruz, and was happy to see that although there had been some new building since I was there last, it was still a small, friendly fishing village at heart. We loved the new fish market, and walked into La Cruz most days for shopping, lattes or smoothies, or meals at one of the many restaurants. We also ate at Vallarta Gardens, just a two minute walk down the beach. It's worth noting that their security guard led us back to La Puntilla - great, because he had a large flashlight, and knew the best route to take. We never felt worried about safety anywhere, and our own security guard, plus Cannelo, made us feel even more secure. We didn't rent a car, but found that getting around by bus was easy, if an adventure at times. And we also used taxis, finding them cheap and clean. Casa Terra is very well situated to take advantage of all that La Cruz, Bucerias, Punta Mita and Puerto Vallarta have to offer, but it was wonderful to get back to a little oasis of calm and quiet. We have already talked about a return visit, possibly bringing another friend for the third bedroom, in a few years. I would have no hesitation in recommending Casa Terra to anyone interested in visiting that area, and my family have already seen my pictures and are quite aware of what a great holiday they could have there. I am so pleased that you offered us Casa Terra, when I called you about a rental in La Cruz. Having met Dave and Vicky, and also John and Carol and their friends, and been made to feel so welcome by all of them, we really felt we were staying with friends. Thank you all for a great holiday!

Owner response:Thank you, Lyn. I'm so glad you and your friends enjoyed your three week stay at Casa Terra. It was a pleasure doing business with you and I look forward to being able to accommodate you another time. I'm pleased to hear that Cannello (the resident dog and mascot for the complex) is still there. I guess he knows when he has a good thing going for himself! When I have been at the house in the past he has wandered by and if we invited him onto the property, he would come and sit quietly by the pool, but otherwise he would just sit out on the lawn and enjoy the sun! Such a life! I have been thinking fondly of the beautiful fresh fish and large shrimp we purchased at the new Marina Riviera Nayarit which is so easy to walk to. What I would't give for a meal of those tasty shrimp! I know you will enjoy your next two planned winter vacations and look forward to hearing from you again Marilyn

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Our stay at Casa Terra in 2010

Guest: Terri and Rick (Seattle, Washington USA)
Date of Stay: 12/19/10 Review Submitted: 01/19/11

We just finished a two week stay at Casa Terra. We arrived on December 19, 2010 and left on January 2, 2011. What a vacation! The house exceeded our expectations as did the amazing service and suggestions from Marilyn, the wonderful property manager. The house has everything you would ever need; loads of beach towels, floating devices for the pool, beautiful linens for a fancy or casual dinner, comfortable beds (and we are picky!), laundry detergent, spices, every pot, pan and serving dish you would ever want. It exceeded all of our expectations. The maid Gloria, is a breath of fresh air and Jesus and Lettie made a fantastic dinner for my birthday. Next door is a FABULOUS restaurant, very old Mexico, called Hidden Paradise. We had many meals there, don't miss the camarones al mojo de aho. When you walk in the front door your breath is taken away - really. The most beautiful view, quiet and safe; we slept like babies. The Mega market is perfect with very reasonable prices. Have breakfast, lunch or dinner at the Marina in La Cruz and then pick up some fresh seafood caught that day - fabulous! We spent a lot of time in Bucerias, please eat at El Brujo, right on the beach, amazing views, fabulous food and authentic Mexican fare. Marilyn is a wealth of information on where to go (or not go!) what to do, where to rent cars, etc. We loved the service and people at Gecko car rental - they went above and beyond and they will pick you up at the airport and take to back - easily worth $70 round trip. This was a trip of a lifetime and we hope we have another occasion to use it again. Don't hesitate to rent this amazing property!

Owner response:Thank you Terri and Rick. I'm so glad you enjoyed your Christmas and New Years stay at Casa Terra. Hopefully the rest of your family will be able to join you "next time". It was a pleasure doing business with you and I hope to be able to accommodate you again. Marilyn

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

Guest: Billy & Cheryl, Jerry & Marsha
Date of Stay: 01/05/09 Review Submitted: 01/05/09

Hello Marilyn:Casa Terra was beautiful, comfortable and everything the website advertised. The property is absolutely fabulous and I'm sure you will hear from us again in the future. We have nothing but HIGH praise for the entire experience, starting with you. From the first time we talked on the phone and from the first e-mails, you made me feel very comfortable renting your property. All the information you provided to us prior to our arrival was wonderful. Then when we saw the house--well, what can I say but "WOW"! Thanks again for a wonderful vacation and we will be in touch again in the future.

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Guest: Karen
Date of Stay: 10/31/08 Review Submitted: 10/30/08

Good Morning, Marilyn:We just arrived home yesterday and wanted you to know what a wonderful vacation we had at Casa Terra!! Everything was just perfect. We were able to go on a Vallarta Adventures trip to Las Caletas, explored beaches in Punta De Mita, Sayulita, San Pancho and Bucerias, ate in some wonderful places including John and Carol's new restaurant, Arriba (twice!). We went horseback riding on the beach in Bucerias and spent many happy and relaxing days by the pool! Our daughter learned to swim during our time in La Cruz! She just loved spending hours on end in that pool! We want to thank you SO much for allowing us the opportunity to spend our vacation at the perfect place! We went into Puerto Vallarta just twice and were so happy that we had decided to stay in a smaller, less populated area and especially in the privacy of a personal home. We loved Gloria and we had Maria come over twice to give us massages and pedicures! All in all, it was a dream vacation and we will certainly be going back to Mexico and La Cruz again one day. Again, it has been wonderful working with you and we hope we have the opportunity to do so again in the future.

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Guest: Linda, Pentti & Family
Date of Stay: 04/01/08 Review Submitted: 03/31/08

Hi Marilyn: Unfortunately, we had to come home. We had a wonderful three week holiday at Casa Terra and still were not ready to come home. As we had never been on a three week vacation before, I thought I would be ready to come home, but no, I could have stayed much longer. When we first got to Casa Terra and opened the door I looked at Pentti and said "It feels like we've come home and we hadn't left" (since last year). It is such a wonderful home. Everything was great. Gloria, the cleaning lady is wonderful and the house was spotless. We went out on a boat tour of the harbour which was one of the many highlights of our trip. The people from Gecko are great and I will definitely recommend them to anyone I talk to. I had left the car rental to the last, but they were able to come up with an older van for us and we fit right in--just like locals! We are already trying to plan a trip for next year. Thanks again.

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Guest: Ted & Sandra
Date of Stay: 12/04/03 Review Submitted: 12/03/03

Your home is GREAT! The little things like the boogie boards, picnic cooler, etc., make it like a "home away from home". We would like to thank Marilyn for the efficient way she handled arrangements. The staff are excellent! The whole area is great, but having "Casa Terra" to come home to makes it greater. Thanks again, hope we can come again!

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Guest: Darcy & Bill
Date of Stay: 11/12/03 Review Submitted: 11/11/03

Once again, a perfect vacation--so nice to see the same friendly faces. Hope to be back again soon!

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Guest: Joe & Michelle
Date of Stay: 09/26/03 Review Submitted: 09/25/03

Thank you so much for opening your beautiful home. It truly is a sight and everyone is very friendly. Thank you for the help on where to go and what to do. We will definitely be back next year!

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Guest: Lisa & Bryan
Date of Stay: 09/09/03 Review Submitted: 09/08/03

Our stay at Casa Terra was pure heaven. You have such an amazing Villa. Our vacation was one of the best I have had. We enjoyed relaxing and reading around the pool, walking to both Bucerias and La Cruz, and most of all the food and drinks!! Everything about our stay was just fabulous and I cant say enough about how truly wonderful everything is.Thank you, Marilyn for all your communication and assistance. It has been extremely valuable as sometimes planning a vacation can be a little stressful. You have made the process nothing but pleasant.I have nothing but wonderful things to say and would have no hesitation in recommending Casa Terra to family and friends! Thanks again,

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Guest: Markley & Colwell Families
Date of Stay: 03/04/03 Review Submitted: 03/03/03

Having about 9 trips to Puerto Vallarta between us collectively, may we say this was absolutely THE BEST! Dave, you have a fine home and we felt very comfortable and welcome here. The beach and pool were so much entertainment for us! The little villages with their restaurants most charming. The casa was perfect and we have hopes to rent it next year at this time, if you will have us. It couldn't have been more perfect. Marilyn, thanks for all your help. Hope to talk with you soon regarding our next trip. Many, Many thanks.

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