Vacation Rentals by Owner

Fabulous Family Vacation

Guest: linohio60 (Ohio, USA)
Date of Stay: 12/24/11 Review Submitted: 01/02/12

We (family of 5 w/teenage/college-age kids) spent a wonderful week at this lovely property, enjoying the beautiful beach and exploring the Guanacaste region. House is immaculate, and the staff and property manager are exceptionally welcoming, helpful and kind. Ocean views from the terrace are spectacular -- sunset with a glass of wine or the local beer was a daily treat. If you like dogs, the resident canines are so cute and really added to the fun. The owner provided wonderful recommendations for restaurants (don't miss Las Brisas beach bar for ceviche and fresh fish, and "killer margaritas") and activities, and the property manager assisted us with everything from tour bookings to rental car reservations. We tried zip lining, surfing lessons, ATV tour, all within 45 minutes of the house. Do keep in mind that the main living area (living room, kitchen, dining room) is not air-conditioned, and it does get very hot during the day. This bothered some of us more than others, and an afternoon nap in the air-conditioned bedrooms isn't a bad way to spend the hottest couple of hours (1-3 pm). A rental car is essential for getting around.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children.

Close enough but far enough.

Guest: Lou (Cartersville, GA)
Date of Stay: 05/14/11 Review Submitted: 05/26/11

This was a perfect balance between being located near restaurants and stores and not being in traffic. Adding to that was the beautiful view, well outfitted house and the immaculate grounds. I went there with some old college friends and everything was better than advertised. Plenty of room and everything worked. The property manager, grounds keeper, and housekeeper were great. They were there when you needed them and not when you didn't. Jorge, the property manager, was friendly and very informative - a highly underused resource. Ernesto, the grounds keeper, tolerated my attempts at his language but was still able to provide the services as requested. Anna Marie, the housekeeper, was always charming and very industrious. Kanga, Misty, Skye, and Jack, the dogs, were a special treat. Hint: Don't take the dogs to the beach unless you intend to walk on the beach. I walked down to the beach with three of them on leashes just to take a look at the surroundings. When I turned to walk back to the house without going onto the beach, the three dogs turned to stone and wouldn't budge until we took the walk ON the beach. They were smarter than me. The house and very large yard was enclosed by a high fence. Ernesto and Anna Marie were always around so locking the door to the house didn't seem necessary. A few items that were noticeable but not necessarily detractors: The Mayans, Incas, and Aztecs were going to fight over this land but they saw the TV at this house and left. Big enough but ancient. Hey - who comes to Costa Rica to watch TV. Plenty of channels and DVDs to watch if needed. The provided Wifi was quick and continuous. The house is located on a dirt road, like 80% of the houses here. Fortunately, Ernesto was available to wash the car as needed. There were the obligatory tropical critters that were more vocal than visible. Bring your Spanish/English dictionary. While many of the locals speak some English, many in this area don't and you can't survive without a number of basic phrases and the ability to understand the responses to those phrases. To me, this added to the local color. I learned the word "despacio" which means slow. We flew into San Jose and drove from there. Do yourself a favor and fly into Liberia. The added expense to fly to Liberia is worth it. The drive from San Jose was 6.5 hours. Liberia is about 1 hour. The drive back was only 4 hours because we drove at night when the radar carrying police were in bed.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Unreservedly Seductive!

Guest: Cheryl G. (Ashland, Oregon)
Date of Stay: 03/02/11 Review Submitted: 04/03/11

Be prepared to fall madly in love with Villa Buena Vista, because it WILL happen. It happened to us. Three of us stayed here for 3 weeks in March and became hopelessly addicted to the life. You will fall in love with Anna Maria the sweet and tireless housekeeper who will spoil you shamelessly, and her cheerful, hard working brother Ernesto who keeps the grounds immaculate. You will sit on the veranda, mesmerized by the scene before you; the green parrots who burst onto the scene, darting and squawking every evening at sunset and then just as suddenly disappear until morning, the flamboyant blues of Potrero Bay, and the sunsets that turn the sky from indigo to flamingo and gold. You will fall asleep listening to the surf roll in and roll out. All that stress you left back home will fade, and then suddenly, way too soon, it will be time to say goodbye to this glorious life of indulgence. And I guarantee you will be sad to leave. I would go back in a heartbeat.

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

Wonderful home for a family

Guest: Christine R. (Fairfield, CT, USA)
Date of Stay: 12/26/10 Review Submitted: 01/05/11

Our family of 5 (3 kids aged 12-21) had a wonderful stay here. The house was set up so that everyone had their own space, with a large great room/kitchen area for gathering. But the best room was the veranda, with the fantastic view over the tree tops and down to the ocean. Facing south, we could watch the sun rise and set. The location was good for diving, surfing, and a short walk to the beach. We had a highly enjoyable stay.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sightseeing.

What a pleasant surprise

Guest: Warren999 (Herndon, VA)
Date of Stay: 01/11/10 Review Submitted: 01/29/10

This home is even better than advertised. Excellent accomodations and a great view. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

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

Jan 2010 at Buena Vista Villa

Guest: Sweet Liz (Herndon, VA, USA)
Date of Stay: 01/04/10 Review Submitted: 01/20/10

WOW I can't wait to return! This is an incredible home, beautifully furnished, clean, just as described. Colorful landscaping, pool and cabana, view of the bay and a 5 min walk to two beaches. Caretaker swept the orchid blossoms from the pool - imagine! Housekeeper even did our laundry & kept the home spotless. Owner called tfrom the US to greet us and to share local information. The property manager met us & led us to the home. Huge master bedroom (we won the toss), view of palm trees, bay and pool. Awoke to the parrots in the palm. WOW again. Easy access to many sites, guidebooks provided. Am recommending to all my friends.

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

This place was perfect!!

Guest: Alpal (Denver, CO)
Date of Stay: 05/23/09 Review Submitted: 07/28/09

My friends and I went down to Costa Rica for a relaxing and fun vacation. This house was perfect. Within walking distance (500 feet) of three of the most beautiful and fun beaches. The house had planty of room so everyone had some privacy and a great outdoor living area and living room for everyone to gather and play games and laugh. It is fully stocked with everything you need. The maid and the caretaker are two of the nicest people you ever want to meet.

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

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 03/01/09 Review Submitted: 03/22/09

We had a wonderful time at your property in Costa Rica. The house is even nicer than the pictures, and the sunsets seen from the outdoor patio are fantastic! The maid Anna Maria was so friendly and such a hard worker. Jorgez saw to our needs and found us a fabulous cook who bought local groceries and cooked up a wonderful meal every night. The beaches were great and very private. My family enjoyed the dogs. The house was perfect for 4 adults and 2 teenagers.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/01/05 Review Submitted: 07/22/05

Absolutely wonderful home. The view was great. The maid, the property manager, and the groundskeeper (and resident dogs) were extremely hospitable. We were treated like royalty and felt at home. Horseback riding nearby with Marvin was fabulous. Canopy tours on the monkey trail was great. Couldn't give this home any better comments. A++++

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 05/01/05 Review Submitted: 05/13/05

The trip was great! We loved every minute and staying at your home was the highlight. Anna Maria and Donald were amazing and Horge was great. We found everything we needed and more. The journal you kep in your room was very useful and we loved seeing what the other people wrote. We are coming back and plan to visit the volcanoes. Thank you for following up, your house is great and Costa Rica was amazing.

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Guest: Debra & Mitch
Date of Stay: 02/03/05 Review Submitted: 02/02/05

We had a wonderful time in Potrero and really loved your place! Jorge & Elvira each stopped by to make sure everything was going okay and we enjoyed their perspective. Anna Maria (the housekeeper) was really a blessing...and is a wonderful person to have around. We traveled to Playa Grande, Tamarindo, and Guaitil for pottery; looked around Pacific Heights; checked out Playa Penca and Prieta; played with your dogs and saw monkeys on the road to Costa Esmeralda. Most of our meals we cooked at the villa as we purchased seafood at the little stand you recommended. Best regards!

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Guest: Margaret & Steven
Date of Stay: 12/27/04 Review Submitted: 12/26/04

We had a great experience! Jorge, Ernesto and Anna Maria were just wonderful. The house was even better than expected. We took beautiful photos from the porch - we miss the view every morning! We had a great trip and would return again when we can.

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