AWESOME Beachfront House! PERFECT for Kiting!

Guest: Jonathan (Seattle)
Date of Stay: 11/19/11 Review Submitted: 12/22/11

We have now stayed at The Dunes 3 times, and each time we've been there it's been AWESOME! This is the ideal place to stay for kiting in La Ventana. Further south the wind is choppy and the shore has more rocks, etc all along it. Out in front of The Dunes you can walk about 50 yards up-wind and have a perfectly sandy beach for launching and landing. The 'downwinder' site is maybe 1 mile further upwind, so you basically have the bay to yourself, not crowded as it is down by the campsite. Great place to stay, we'll be coming back every year!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers.

Wish I lived there!

Guest: chapy (Penticton, BC, Canada)
Date of Stay: 11/04/11 Review Submitted: 11/16/11

Great setup, everything we needed was there. Having access to the beach right off the patio made the trip! So did watching the incredible sunrises from bed! Outside shower a nice touch. Incredible spot overlooking the ocean, pretty good snorkelling right off beach too. Must be that warm water! Wish I was still there!

Recommended for:

Fantastic House and Location

Guest: James (Penticton, BC Canada)
Date of Stay: 11/04/11 Review Submitted: 11/16/11

We have just returned from a one week stay at The Dunes. The house was fantastic, everything we needed was there. The house itself is amazing with only fifteen stairs down to the beach. The location being right on the beach definitely added to the whole ambiance of the house. The house itself was great with it's open concept kitchen, living room and dining room. The bedrooms and bathrooms were also great. Having such a huge patio out front overlooking the ocean also added to the great feel of the house. Being kiteboarders the location was fantastic. The Dunes location in El Sargento gets wind a lot earlier in the day than La Ventana. The wind starts backing out of La Ventana Bay at the end of the day earlier than El Sargento as well. All in all giving us a lot more kiting in the day right in front of the house. It was also great to do a downwinder from the house to Baja Joe's for an apres beer or start upwind at the hotsprings and do a downwinder to the house. Terry was great to deal with and all transactions were very smooth. Kevin, the local contact, was also great and was there to make sure everything ran smooth for us. I would highly recommend this house as a perfect kiteboarding/windsurfing destination in the La Ventana area. We are already planning our next trip and can't wait to get back to The Dunes. James Shalman

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

Our Greatest Family Vacation Ever!

Guest: tookie (California)
Date of Stay: 12/04/10 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

I have been traveling to La Ventana for the past 7 years and stayed at The Dunes for the last 4 years. My family always has such at great time in La Ventana. The kiting is usually fantastic, the people are great, the foods good and not expensive and the house is perfect for us. Terry always makes sure that we have everything that we could possible want. She's even set up spanish lessons for my 7 year old. The house is located right on the water which makes it so easy for us to keep track of the kids. If the wind isn't blowing super hard then it's safe for the little ones to wonder down and play in the tide pools. I can be inside and still monitor them because the house has windows everywhere. If your looking for a great vacation spot with lots to do, or you just want to relax and hang out the Dunes in La Ventana will be perfect for you. We have already booked our vacation for next year.

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

The most fun ever!

Guest: Linda (Agoura, ca)
Date of Stay: 03/19/11 Review Submitted: 08/27/11

This was our first trip to La Ventana but it won't be our last. We booked with another couple and we all had the best time. The house was perfect for us and certainly gorgeous, the views were breath taking. Everything was provided for us and we even had a cook come in one night and make us a traditional Mexican meal. Terry was so helpful before we booked the house but she even called us after we arrived just to make sure we had everything we needed and to translate our menu to the cook! Perfect weather, perfect friends and the perfect vacation spot!

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

Paradise

Guest: mark (New York)
Date of Stay: 08/06/11 Review Submitted: 08/27/11

All I can say is I love this place and that we will return to hopefully buy property one day! We went with 3 other couples to kite and just relax. When we walked in the house our mouths dropped. The pictures don’t do it justice. You walk in and there in front of you is a panorama of the ocean and this gorgeous island. My wife thought that she had died and gone to heaven. When Terry told us that her house was right on the beach she wasn’t kidding. We were on the sand and could launch right out in front. She did warn us to check the path for sea urchins before our first day out. We did and cleared a couple to make the path wider. The wind was blowing almost everyday and the fishing was also great, if you went out early. She arranged for a boat with captain and the 4 guys went to the island. We caught so much fish we were giving it away. My wife wasn’t a kiter and I talked her into taking lessons. Terry suggested that we have our instructor meet us at the house and do a down winder. This turned out great for my wife as she was able to just concentrate on learning and not staying up wind. We highly suggest this to others that are just beginning. All in all this had to be one of the best vacations of our lives. Thank you Terry for sharing your beautiful home with us, we will see you next year!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+.

Awful Experience

Guest: unhappy (Los Angeles, CA USA)
Date of Stay: 06/13/11 Review Submitted: 07/27/11

The home was filthy, the windows and the floors were really dirty, the bed sheets obviously hadn't been changed since there was sand in the 2 beds we used. The cutlery was filthy, all the shelves, counter tops and the plates on the shelves were covered in dust. There were old empty beer cans and trash under the sink. The shower was unusable. The exterior table, grill and chairs were filthy. It took 2 girls almost 7 hours to get the place to an acceptable condition. In my opinion, it still needs a few more hours of work, however we had had enough of strangers in the home. The pool is actually 400 yards away and not on the beach. She said she owned it, she doesn't. By implication we assumed it was either on the property or immediately adjacent and the owner did nothing to dispel that notion. Secondly, she said it would be private, it is a community pool that people pay to use. Every time we used it, people while friendly were there. Since it wasn't adjacent and we have a 2.5 year old and 3 month old, we had to travel via car to get there and this severely limited our ability to use the pool. Quite frankly if we had known this, we would not have selected this property. Babysitting, She neglected to tell us you fired the housekeeper and nanny who helped babysit her kids, we were left with the option of using untried Elizabeth. Our kids are the most important things in our lives and it is quite disconcerting and worrying to be the guinea pig to try out a new babysitter in a foreign country. It worked out well and I would recommend her, but the first day away we were both tense and on edge the whole time. Internet, instructions are incorrect regarding logging on. The code has a typo. She gave us the local contact's phone #, but never explained how to dial it, I finally figured it out from one of the magnetic business cards on the fridge. The oven is unusable as it won't close. There are no provisions in the house at all, no sugar, no cooking oils etc Carving knives are so blunt they are unusable. We agreed to split the cost of a pack an play, she reneged. I asked for a partial refund she refused, eventually we settled on a number. she then charged us $100 for 3 phone calls one of which was to her to complain about the condition of the home.

Owner response: I've lived in La Ventana for nearly 20 years. Myself, Baja Joe and Angie, Capt Kirk and a few others were pioneers of a sort. I have received so many emails from past renters thanking me for being such a great hostess and for a vacation of a lifetime. This man's negative email is the first I've ever received. I built the Dunes and it is my pride and joy. I want each clients experience to be wonderful. The few times in the past 8 years that there was a problem I've addressed it immediately. Peter arrived late at the Dunes with his family and he was upset because the house was hot and he said filthy. He called me and I immediately told him that I would make sure to get the maids over first thing in the morning. I told him right than that I would happily move him to a different beachfront home either that night or in the morning. He said "no" the house is beautiful. Two women cleaned the house that very morning for 6 hours each, but if he wasn't happy with its condition I told him I would do WHATEVER it would take to rectify the situation. I never said that I owed the pool and I certainly never mentioned that it was on the beach, it is located 365 feet not 400 yards from the Dunes. He chose to drive the 365 feet to get to the pool. With regards to the babysitter Elizabeth or Cheekie and we locals call her. I have known her family for 20 years. I am the only American woman to have her baby in La Ventana so believe me I know almost everyone in this 350 person community. The oven works fine. As far as provisions go we always have bottled water, salt & pepper, coffee filters etc, we do not leave oil to go rancid. During Peter's stay I spoke or emailed him daily to make sure all was OK. When he returned home he DEMANDED a full refund. When I reminded him that I had offered to move him to a more "suitable" accommodation he threatened me with I will post the worst review on every website I can find, you'll never be able to rent your house again. I gave him a partial refund and that was that. I paid his fee for use of the pool. I'm so sorry to have to write all this as it makes me sick to have this negatively but you all should hear the other side of the story. Peter recently emailed me a nasty email. My commitment to my clients is that I want your time in La Ventana to be cherished; it is such a beautiful community of like-minded people. I am always available to my clients, as I want to make sure your stay is a fabulous experience.

Recommended for:

Kite Vacation

Guest: NWkiters (Seattle, WA)
Date of Stay: 02/27/11 Review Submitted: 03/08/11

We had a great time kiting here. The view is fantastic, and the house's open-plan main room/kitchen and big windows gave it a light and airy feel. Each room has a double or queen bed, so it's best for couples, or people who don't mind sleeping together. The owner was also helpful and easily accessible. We found a good launch/land area about 50 yards up the beach, and kited from the house all week. The breeze here (further north than most of the kite locations and the campground) was generally steadier and less rotary, and the water was also much less crowded. Though, as with everywhere in La Ventana, make sure to scope out your launch/landings carefully; if you get blown too far downwind, there are some rocky spots. Overall, we had a ton of fun, and will be back.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers.

Can't wait to return to the Dunes and La Ventana

Guest: Steven (Aspen, Colo)
Date of Stay: 02/05/11 Review Submitted: 03/01/11

We just returned from La Ventana and my wife 3 kids and best friends had the best time. The house had everything we could ever need and the location was perfect. We were right on the water. Being able to use the pool/rec room was a big plus especially for the kids. Thanks Terry we will see you again next year!

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

Like a Greek Isle

Guest: Aly (Sherman Oaks Ca)
Date of Stay: 06/15/10 Review Submitted: 08/11/10

Staying here was a perfect retreat. The whole house is windows, and you can just sit on the couch and watch the light change. It was awesome. I got up every morning to watch the sunrise on the water. If you want to relax, this is the perfect place.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, age 55+.