Reviews for Manuel Antonio Vacation Rental - VRBO 36796 - 4 BR Manuel Antonio Area Villa in Costa Rica, Casa Blue Wind - Commanding Ocean & National Park View Villa

Great family home for spring break

Guest Karen
Date of stay 04/08/13
Review Submitted 04/19/13

We rented Casa Blue Wind with another family for spring break. The layout and setup were ideal. We spent most of our time on the veranda enjoying the ocean views, dining and checking out all the wildlife that happened by. We even had our own tree sloth a few feet away. The home was within walking distance to several restaurants and shops and within a short drive to the Manuel Antonio Park, the beach and the town of Quepos. Ricky was very helpful in suggesting activities and places to dine. I look forward to visiting this area of Costa Rica again and would definitely consider returning to Casa Blue Wind.

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

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Fantastic in every way!!

Guest coach r
Date of stay 02/20/13
Review Submitted 03/22/13

This was our 2nd time at Casa Blue Wind. It was better than ever, if that was possible. The owner constantly strives to improve. The property manager, Ricky, and the owner, Charlie, do everything possible to make you stay wonderful! Ricky even arranged taxis for us and was available instantly by phone for anything we needed. Since we were last there, a skybridge was added to cut out half of the steps from the property to the street. The new tile around the pool is beautiful, and the windows added to both downstairs rooms let in alot of light. We absolutely love the outdoor living veranda! The view is spectacular! We enjoyed the monkies and took so many pictures of them. We saw a mama white-faced monkey carrying her baby on her back, and experienced about 30+ squirrel monkies treking across the veranda from one end to the other as if they owned it. Even the iguana was interesting. When we weren't on the veranda, we were enjoying the beautiful pool with the swim-up bar and plenty of shade. We cooked in most of the time, and found a nearby grocery store that's walking distance, or they deliver for $2.00! There are several excellent restaurants within walking distance. The location of Casa Blue Wind couldn't be better. Walking to the places mentioned is all fairly level. Friends with us took in many of the activities in the area, all arranged by Ricky. They loved the four-wheeling adventure and the canopy zip-line. They fished, and snorkeled. We ladies were pampered by a wonderful massage at The Raindrop. Casa Blue Wind is so very comfortable, clean and beautiful. It is our favorite place to be for a get away vacation.

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

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Wonderful Vacation!

Guest Karen
Date of stay 01/07/13
Review Submitted 03/26/13

A great time was had by the 6 of us at beautiful Casa Blue Wind! We especially enjoyed the huge, spacious veranda where we spent most of our time when not in the lovely cool, refreshing pool. The monkeys passed by almost every day, and we even got to see some sloths, along with several iguanas, right on the property. What a treat! The Property Manager, Ricky, was always easy to reach when needed and was very helpful with any small concerns that we had. We hope to get back to Casa Blue Wind some day!

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

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Casa Blue Wind - Most beautiful view ever

Guest Jimmy K.
Date of stay 06/22/12
Review Submitted 07/22/12

My family and I stayed at Casa Blue Wind in late June 2012. The entire experience was unsurpassed, from start to finish. Charlie, the owner, provided us with perfect driving directions from San Jose, and the drive was a breeze. Upon arrival, we were met by Ricky, the property manager. During our stay, Ricky was able to set us up for all the adventure trips we desired, as well as pointing us to a number of quality restaurants and markets nearby. This duo of Charlie and Ricky did everything possible to make our trip easy. The property itself was beautiful and had everything we desired. The pool area is beautiful and made for fun. One evening, a troop of capuchin monkeys took over the trees around the pool and veranda. What a show! We got innumerable photos and videos of this capuchin party. It was a truly unforgettable experience. Overall, the property is much more beautiful and comfortable than can be shown in pictures. The first morning we awoke at Casa Blue Wind and walked out on the veranda, it felt as if we had woken up in heaven. The view must be one of the most beautiful in the world. The house was immaculate with a great sound system to play our own music, and a kitchen equipped for serious cooking. We ate about half our meals at Casa Blue Wind, and half out. Several outstanding restaurants are within walking distance. If you miss Starbucks, just visit Cafe Milagro, about 70 yareds from Casa Blue Wind. Next time you visit Starbucks, you will miss Cafe Milagro. We would recommend all the activities we engaged in, including a guided tour of Manuel Antonio Park, jet skiing along the coast, zip lining through the canopy, and playing golf at a beautiful course at the Los Suenoe Resort in Jaco. The golf course is beautiful and has scarlet macaws in the trees around the course. It was about an hour drive, but an enjoyable drive. If you are a golfer, I highly recommend it. The rental clubs are good quality Nikes, so you need not pack your sticks. The roads headed south were very good, so we were able to drive to the southern beach areas and also drive up into the mountains. We hope to travel back to Casa Blue Wind again in the future. As appealing as the website and video made Casa Blue Wind seem, we were not prepared for the reality. The pictures do not come close to capturing the all-consumng beauty of the place and area. Costa Rica in general, and Casa Blue Wind in particular, have risen to the top of our favorite vacations.

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

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Beautiful Home

Guest Sherry B.
Date of stay 06/12/12
Review Submitted 07/09/12

We stayed at Casa Blue Wind for eight nights and had a wonderful time. Ricky, the property manager, was very friendly and helpful. He was waiting for us when we arrived and gave us a detailed overview of the house. We rented the 2 bedrooms on the upper floor only and it was perfect. The veranda was amazing and we used the BBQ several nights because it had such a great view! When we did go out to eat, we were able to walk to most all of the restaurants and bars. We could easily access the beach, but also enjoyed lounging by the pool. I would highly recommend Casa Blue Wind, I doubt there is any place better to stay in the area. Charlie, the owner, was great to work with and even made sure there was a hair dryer available for me. Thanks again! Scott, Sherry and Claire Bechard

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LOOK NO FURTHER!

Guest Judy
Date of stay 03/09/12
Review Submitted 04/10/12

Everything was exactly as described and then some! What a lovely house, with an amazing view! We've been to MA several times and the only regret I have is that we did not find this house sooner! Everything you might need is within walking distance, even though we hardly left the house! The pool is amazing and the patio is the perfect place to hang out! This will definitely be our MA "home" from now on! You just can't go wrong! The house is perfect and so is the price! The house manager, Ricky, is just a phone call away and Cleo will make sure everything is clean and neat. This is what vacation is all about! DON'T LOOK ANY FURTHER!

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

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Wonderful Costa Rica Vacation Spot

Guest Pauline A.
Date of stay 02/04/12
Review Submitted 03/07/12

The description on this property is accurate and offered our family exactly what we were looking for. Everything we needed was there which provided for a comfortable stay. The property was clean, the pool area is fantastic and the upper deck provides an incredible view and lots of space to enjoy. The owner, Charlie was a pleasure to deal with, the property manager Ricki was friendly and always available to answer any questions about local tours, restaurants, etc and he also arranged transportation to and from the San Jose airport with a friendly and dependable driver.We would not hesitate to recommend this home and hope to return again some day soon.

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There's nothing that compares!

Guest MadmanWI
Date of stay 03/11/11
Review Submitted 03/06/12

My group stayed here from March 11-18 and it was PARADISE. The house is fantastic. Had everything we needed. Balcony area is unbelieveable. The bedrooms were great, especially the huge master on the top floor. Air conditioning was great in bedrooms, doors everywhere else to open up the house ...turned speakers out the doors to jam to some Marley while hangin in the pool. Had free wifi that worked like a charm. Too bad Pandora blocks Costa Rica!! Location is amazing with an awe inspiring view of the amazing Punta Cathedral and all the islands. Also there was a constant wonderful ocean breeze that made the consistent 90 degree weather feel like 85! It was great to be in the middle of everything yet so private. We were right down road from Cafe Milagro, Cafe Agua Azul, and Barba Rosa. We walked everywhere except for the beach since there is a bus stop not more than a 5 minute walk from the property entrance that gets you to the beach in 5 minutes for 50 cents. I am a huge wildlife and bird guy and I was NOT disappointed. Last year we stayed somewhere on the other side of the hill closer to beach and there were alot of tanagers and creepers. This year however we had daily parrots and parakeets, Aracari sightings every morning, a Mot Mot in our tree, and a Toucan in tree directly 30 feet in front of the balcony! Fantastic. Not only that but even though the Capuchins were near non existant at the park and beach this visit....which was strange...they passed in front of the house nightly around 4:30pm. We also walked up by Agua Azul and saw Howlers near the rope and a baby three toed sloth come down to relieve itself by Jungle Villa driveway. Also everyday we were there we had Bert the HUGE Basilisk Lizard that hung out behind the pool bar and up in the screen between Casa Blue Wind and Manuel Antonio Villa. The pool was one of the bigger pools we saw of the properties we checked out. It was not a splash pool or a plunge pool...it is a full sized pool with a full 4 seat swim up bar. Lots of sun in the morning to tan and warm pool....plenty of shade later when you need it. Also plenty of patio furniture, loungers, and a big table so there was plenty of space to hang out. The bar is also wired so you can bring out the blender, fill the sink with ice and have a great time without running to the kitchen. Lastly, I have to mention that the owner and all his crew were great. They were quick to assist and very friendly. I felt at ease after the first phone call.

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

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Incredible location, beautiful home and view!

Guest coach r
Date of stay 01/16/10
Review Submitted 01/25/10

I read the last review and must say it must have been written before all the renovation. The walls all go completely to the ceilings with beautiful decorative rafters and complete privacy. The bathrooms are gorgeous and we all (4 couples) would like to emulate their features in our homes. The large outdoor-living upper veranda is beautiful. The interior has all first class amenities, furnishings, cooking appliances and cooking equipment. The fabulous pool with swim-up bar was perfectly kept. We marveled at the cleanliness of the entire property, with beautiful views in all directions. We miss our morning coffee on the upper veranda looking out at that beautiful water. Wish we were there now watching the monkeys play and swing through the trees. A great plus is location, location, location! Easy walking to restaurants, grocery, and a fabulous spa. This is important as most walking in the area is up or down steep slopes, and much longer. The property manager can literally help you with anything! He and the owner are extremely accommodating.

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

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Best Vacation Ever @ Casa Blue Wind!!!

Guest Colorado Traveler
Date of stay 05/07/09
Review Submitted 06/03/09

I have traveled everywhere, but I finally took a vacation, and Casa Blue Wind was our home for 10 days! Wonderful location, makes every aspect of Manuel Antonio and the Quepos area easy and quick to access....Charlie and "big" Ricky were priceless in how they extended their hospitality and knowledge of the local options!!! Me and my friends will visit CBW again...what a patio!!! Wish I were there right now! thanks Charlie and Ricky!!! Pura Vida! Cory

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

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Great times at CBW!

Guest JRLinDC
Date of stay 02/21/09
Review Submitted 02/27/09

I just wrapped up a quick stay at Casa Blue Wind with 5 friends (Feb 21-25). It was heaven! The house is wonderful with 3 key must-haves: 1) POOL: It's big, clean, and has a wonderful bar with in-water stools! 2) LOCATION: Walk to the best breakfast spot in Manuel Antonio (Cafe Milagro), THE BEST dinner spot (Agua Azul), and a killer sunset viewing spot (Ronnie's, I think) 3) VIEW: The view from the GIANT veranda is second to none. You won't want to spend a minute inside. Charlie (the owner) and Ricky (property manager) are incredibly accessible and helpful! HIGHLY recommended. Stay away from the resorts, and stay at Casa Blue Wind! JRL

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

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/5

Ideal rental, great location

Guest whitewaterdave
Date of stay 12/20/08
Review Submitted 01/07/09

We stayed here just before Christmas 2008- this was perfect for my family of six (w/ 4 teenagers). Spacious, well-maintained, beautiful views, within walking distance of some of the best restaurants and bars in Manuel Antonio area. The pool is gorgeous, hugh patio/deck was great place to relax and enjoy.

Recommended for: Families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

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Dissapointed at Casa Blue Wind

Guest Orveto
Date of stay 06/05/08
Review Submitted 08/13/08

Hi, I kind of stayed at Casa Blue Wind in Manual Antonio this past June. We actually left Casa Blue Wind after the first night and stayed next door at La Mariposa the remaining 4 nights, which incidentally was a very nice place to stay. We would not have stayed the first night if we hadn’t gotten there at 9pm without an alternative for accommodations. We barely slept that night. We were glad we salvaged our vacation by staying at La Mariposa. The upper unit has no privacy inside because the entire ceiling is vaulted. The interior walls only go up 10 or so feet, so you can be heard from any place in the upper unit. So because of this there is no privacy in the bedroom or the bathroom. There are 4 large blue garage doors on the windows of the upper unit. Because the garage doors are on the inside there are no curtains. So any privacy from outside requires the garage doors to be closed. The entry doors on the lower unit are big steel doors with automatic locks and they sound like jail doors when they are pushed closed. The entry to the lower unit is outside of the upper unit and is a bit creepy. Again, 4 huge blue roll up garage doors down in the lower unit. The bathroom in the lower unit has discolored tile grout, the soap holder by the sink is glued onto the wall with brown glue all over, and there are several cheap roller type storage carts for your use. The bathroom is a bit dank without much light and very small space at the sink and shower. There are 30-40 steep steps from the road down to the entrance, and the house is not disability friendly. The A/C units were out when we were there, but these should hopefully be fixed. Not much A/C though, the units seemed small for the area. The nice leather couches and chairs you see in the photos on the Casa Blue Wind website are now very worn and torn. You can see where repairs have been made to get every last use out of the couches rather than just replacing them. The pool is very unsafe for small children with no security fence around it. The stone surfaces surrounding the pool are very sharp and course. Be careful sliding off the pool bar stools. The huge deck off the front of the upper unit is nice but has miscellaneous wires and sockets in sorted states of disrepair. Loved the trip, loved Costa Rica, but I can not and would not recommend or stay at Casa Blue Wind. I can send lots of pictures of the place if requested.

Owner response: We are always disappointed when the rare occasion arises that any guest at Casa Blue Wind did not enjoy their stay. This is only heightened in this instance when two of the guests in this four person group felt the need to find other accommodations. We respect all our guests’ opinions. We do, though, strongly disagree with this poster’s characterizations of our beautiful home. What this guest fails to mention was the other couple in their group remained at Casa Blue Wind for the entire duration of their 5 night stay. Though, this poster slept at the Mariposa, they spent most of their waking hours at CBW. The lead person who actually made the reservations, not this poster, called us after their stay to relay that his brother and girlfriend basically did not like the décor and house in general. Thus, they decided to find other accommodations for sleeping. We asked if the other two of them that stayed enjoyed themselves or had any real problems with the house. Overall the lead person said they did have a good time, liked the house, and would consider returning to Casa Blue Wind again if and when they ever came back to Manuel Antonio. We also believe it speaks volumes that in more than three years of listing CBW on Great Rentals this is the first person that has ever felt compelled to write such a critique. You will notice this guest’s comments stand alone. Out of respect for our guests we do not engage in point-for-point retorts to their comments in an open forum. We will say with conviction, though, that our home is light, bright, cheerful, safe and very secure. It is equipped with modern amenities, quality furniture, comfortable beds, new appliances, new kitchen, new doors and windows, four new to newer A/C units and a well thought out integrated security system. We agreed to and did refund a reasonable portion of their fee as a good will gesture. The lead guest concurred on our call that we did not misrepresent our house in anyway and that we substantially delivered what was promised. Rest assured this reviewer is certainly in a very, very small percentage of those that have vacationed at our beautiful home over the years and not enjoyed their stay. It is inevitable that this will happen on occasion when you rent your property to others as much as we do Please do not let this one lone post keep you from considering Casa Blue Wind for your next vacation in Manuel Antonio. We love our wonderful home in paradise!!!

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Have stayed in the past and definitely will again when our budget allows it!

Guest T Bird
Date of stay 12/08/07
Review Submitted 11/14/11

My husband and I have stayed at Casa Blue Wind 3 years in a row (December of 2005, 2006, 2007) and loved it! Ricky, the property manager was knowledgable, friendly and very helpful. The accomodations were splendid. We loved the sloths hanging out in the trees. The view was outstanding and beautiful. The best part was the property's close proximity to our favorite breakfast hangout, Cafe Milagro. We have not been back to Costa Rica since 2007 due to fiancial reason but we hope to come back again very soon and will definitely reach out to Charlie to rent his fabulous home again. I cannot wait to experience first hand all the upgrades that Charlie has done to the property since we were there last in December 2007. The cold weather in Cincinnati is enough to lure us away to beautiful, sunny Casa Blue Wind!

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

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

Vacation Rentals by Owner

Casa Blue Wind - Commanding Ocean & National Park View Villa [#36796] | View Property

Traveler Reviews (14)

Great family home for spring break

Great family home for spring break

Fantastic in every way!!

Fantastic in every way!!

Wonderful Vacation!

Wonderful Vacation!

Casa Blue Wind - Most beautiful view ever

Casa Blue Wind - Most beautiful view ever

Beautiful Home

Beautiful Home

LOOK NO FURTHER!

LOOK NO FURTHER!

Wonderful Costa Rica Vacation Spot

Wonderful Costa Rica Vacation Spot

There's nothing that compares!

There's nothing that compares!

Incredible location, beautiful home and view!

Incredible location, beautiful home and view!

Best Vacation Ever @ Casa Blue Wind!!!

Best Vacation Ever @ Casa Blue Wind!!!

Great times at CBW!

Great times at CBW!

Ideal rental, great location

Ideal rental, great location

Dissapointed at Casa Blue Wind

Dissapointed at Casa Blue Wind

Have stayed in the past and definitely will again when our budget allows it!

Have stayed in the past and definitely will again when our budget allows it!