Large Beautiful Country Home in Monteverde with View

• What a wonderful experience!

  What a wonderful experience!

  • Guest Bob and Mary Jane
  • Date of stay 02/08/13
  • Review Submitted 03/01/13
  My husband and I cannot say enough great things about this home, Ken and Carol, Alex, Shirley, Allison and, even, Dokey, the dog. Ken communication with us prior to arriving was excellent - he gave us exact description of everything we needed to know and made wonderful suggestions which made our trip even more pleasant. Alex, Shirley and Allison were a joy to be around - Alex arranged all our tours which were fabulous. On three of our tours, we had Adrian as our guide - I would suggest you ask for him - he was very knowledgeable about plants, animals, etc. He even found a male Quetzal for us to see - this is a very elusive bird and quite an event to see one. Definitely do two things while you are here - go on Alex's night tour and have Shirley and Allison fix a Costa Rican dinner for you - yummy! The house is gorgeous - plenty of room, beautiful views from all rooms. We felt such a sense of community in Monteverde and Santa Elena. Everyone was so gracious, warm and willing to help us with any questions or needs we might have had. I think if you lived there for a month you would be accepted as member of this pleasant community. This was our first stop in Costa Rica so we didn't have the money exchange down yet. On numerous occasions my husband would give the taxi driver, grocery clerk, waiters money only to have them give him money back telling him he had over paid them. What lovely people! We would be delighted to go back there anytime! Pura Vida! Bob and Mary Jane

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Wish we'd stayed longer!

  Wish we'd stayed longer!

  • Guest Karen R.
  • Date of stay 01/29/13
  • Review Submitted 02/01/13
  What a lovely home - it exceeded our expectations! Ken and Carol were wonderful to work with, communicating promptly and were very understanding when we mistakenly cancelled their charge on our credit card. The caretakers, Alex and Shirley were warm and welcoming, answering all our questions and organizing tours for our party. The house itself was very clean and cozy. There was tons of space to stretch out, and beautiful views from every window. Everything you could possible need was provided. The house was a quick drive from the towns of Santa Elena and Monteverde - we actually found the location quite nice as we branched out in pretty much every direction during our three days there. If I had to dig for criticisms, I'd say that the upstairs queen bed is quite hard (and springy) - though the other beds seemed comfortable. And though this is no fault of the owners or caretakers, the wind was a big factor overnight. It really howls and slams against the windows so much so, that I had trouble sleeping both nights. I think this is a nightly occurrence, so if you are a light sleeper, bring ear plugs! Overall, we were thrilled with our trip! Highlights: Night tour through Alex's company, Ficus Trails, dinner at Sabor Español, and breakfast with the monkeys at The Common Cup!

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, age 55+, girls getaway, families with young children.

  Owner response: Thank you for you kind words in reviewing our property in Monteverde. The wind is a problem during certain seasons; sorry it disturbed your sleep. We will check out that bed. Aren't Alex and Shirley a kick? Glad you had a good time. Ken and Carol

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Charming stay in Monteverde

  Charming stay in Monteverde

  • Guest GV
  • Date of stay 11/17/12
  • Review Submitted 12/06/12
  WE arrived here in late November and really enjoyed our stay. Ken and his wife were not in town when we were there, but they have a family living next door and the couple (Alex and Shirly) let us in and showed us the place. It is just as it appears in the review, nice and clean. Alex and Shirly are just wonderful, friendly and speak very good English. Shirly will cook an authentic Costa Rican meal for you if you desire and Alex is great for giving you info about the region and booking tours for you. WE did ziplining tours, coffee plantation tour, cloud forest tour and nightwalking tour. It was all booked or recommended by Alex and everything was wonderful and well organized. The only negatives about the place were that the wind really howls at nighttime and is very loud. THis could be the location of the house on the hill or very likely we were there at a windy time of year. We had a few small issues with the wifi at first but after a few hours without success, it worked fine for the 3 day stay. Monteverde is a great little spot and would be recommended for people looking for activities and stuff to do. Its not a place to go and sit around, go to the coast/beach for that. To be aware the road up to MOnteverde is windy and curvy and a gravel road so its best you have a 4X4 and be careful if driving at night. Ken (the owner) will give you directions and is very responsive over email. A great stay indeed!!

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, age 55+, sightseeing, families with young children.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Very Beautiful, Spacious and well maintained

  Very Beautiful, Spacious and well maintained

  • Guest Brian
  • Date of stay 07/21/12
  • Review Submitted 08/12/12
  We stayed here for a little over a week in late July 2012 and I highly recommend it. Very spacious, well appointed, and clean. It's situated just a mile or two outside of town so it has a feeling of being private while still accessible to stores, restaurants, etc. The views from the house are wonderful! Mountains and adjacent fields with horses grazing in them. The owners were very attentive and there is a lovely family living adjacent to the home that takes care of it and are very kind and helpful with anything that comes up. The only thing that I should note is that while the listing stated that there was wireless broadband internet service, there wasn't any internet service at the house at all. Occasionally you could get a week signal from neighbors. The owner was apologetic for the mistake and said they would update the listing or insure that there was service for suture guests.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Relaxing getaway

  Relaxing getaway

  • Guest Paul
  • Date of stay 02/22/12
  • Review Submitted 08/10/12
  My wife and I shared this house with another couple for a relaxing 2 weeks. The house offers privacy with master bedroom on the main floor and bedrooms, bath, and sitting area upstairs. The well outfitted kitchen enabled us to enjoy fresh fruits, vegetables and coffee from local farmers at the farmers market in Santa Elena. While we were there we hiked in the cloud forest, went on a night walk, rode zip lines over the forest canopy and took a side trip to Manuel Antonio National Park, all of these can be arranged by Alex and Shirley, the wonderful caretakers that live next door. They also enjoy sharing their Tico culture with guest.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• This Is A Gem!!!

  This Is A Gem!!!

  • Guest Susan
  • Date of stay 05/23/11
  • Review Submitted 05/09/12
  Staying at this beautiful home provides a unique opportunity to mix with local Costa Ricans, experiencing the cullture more directly, while being close to several major destinations of Costa Rica.Nature activities abound. The small village within walking distance of this home is quaint and friendly and a source of some excellent Costa Rican restuarants. The caretakers, Alex and Shirley (English Speaking), are wonderful--helpful, kind, generous, knowledgeable, and fun! The listing description and photos are very accurate--everything about this home and the close environment is superb. It is a great vacation home for couples, small groups, and families (basically everyone!)

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• A Magical Place!

  A Magical Place!

  • Guest Patti
  • Date of stay 08/02/11
  • Review Submitted 05/04/12
  We stayed for most of a week with four close friends. We were all comfortable and impressed with this lovely home. We sat on the patio and watched flocks of toucans visit the trees across the field, along with many other varieties of tropical birds. The warm and knowledgeable folks who are care-taking arranged our transportation from San Jose to the Pacific Coast and Manuel Antonio Park, a side trip to Mt. Arenal, on to Monteverde, and back to San Jose for our flight home. While in Monteverde we explored the cloud forest, an easy cab ride from this property. We also toured a coffee plantation and just plain relaxed. The home is quite new with all the amenities we expected. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. What a pretty place!

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

Additional information about rental rates

$100 deposit upon reservation, refundable up to 7 days; balance charged at end of stay.

Additional Fees and Taxes:

Rate is for 4 people. $10 per person per day additional charge for people over 4.