Vacation Rentals by Owner

Great Vacation two years running

Guest: Reggie (Charlotte North Carolina)
Date of Stay: 01/14/12 Review Submitted: 02/03/12

We had the good fortune to vaction here for the last two years, the first time there were 8 of us the second 10. In each case the house,pool 7 beach was all you could ask for. Providing for gathering placers or for places to be alone if you wanted. Can not say enough good things about Nellie, here cooking was outstanding I was eating dishes i had always said I didn't like but she made them taste great. Also her friendly manner and smile were a pleasure to be around. Also Jonus was a perfect tour guide, he sure helped us get the most out of our tours and was a tremendous help with a problem.I would strongly recommend this for either a family or couples as we were.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, girls getaway, tourists without a car.

Was everything we hoped for and more!

Guest: Tina (United States)
Date of Stay: 01/14/12 Review Submitted: 02/02/12

My husband and I traveled to Costa Rica January 14th, 2012 with a group that had been last year and stayed at this same house; they had prepared us regarding what to expect. House was so very close to the beach (just steps away); pool was an added bonus. At the end of the beach where house is situated, not a lot of foot traffic so beach is not at all crowded; very clean--beach and house! The housekeeper, Nellie, was what made the house so great. She made the trip fun and is an amazing cook. Her guacamole, fajitas, beans/rice and fried plantains were magnificent. Her advice was priceless when deciding on a restaurant for a dinner out and she even secured reservations for us at Mar Y Sol (they come and pick you up!) Jonas was our Tour Guide (he's the owner of Adventours-CR); can't say enough positive about Jonas. If you contract with him, I can guarantee you he'll be prompt, efficient and ensure that you have a positive experience from start to finish. Our overall experience while visiting Costa Rica for the first time was A+ even though within an hour of being in the country, one of our group had her purse stolen. Because of Jonas's command of three languages, his knowledge about what to do in such a situation and his calm demeanor, what could have completely ruined a vacation was bearable because of his actions. Between Jonas, Nellie and the house, VRBO #58494, we had a splendid time and will more than likely return in the not-too-distant future with this same group or another group of friends.

Recommended for:Age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Thank You and "Pura Vida" to our 2011 Guests

Guest: Mark
Date of Stay: 12/30/11 Review Submitted: 12/30/11

“Excellent property. Great staff. Perfect weather. Group of seven with four year old grandson. Fantastic trip. We have stayed at the Four Seasons just to the North on two prior trips. Never again. This house has the best beach and location in Costa Rica. Forget the car and have Mark and the staff do everything. It is worth every penny.” It's your comments like these that keep us striving to leave you with the feeling of PURA VIDA (Pure Life). We would like to thank all of our new guests of 2011 as well as all of our loyal returning guests for giving the Beach House on Flamingo Beach another banner year. Apart from all of the other wonderful reviews we have this year on VRBO and HomeAway, I thought I would toss in a few more from the 2011 guest book in the Beach House. Please read all of the 5 star guest submitted reviews below these as well. They are some of the most informative as owner submitted comments are limited to space. Thank you on behalf of my family and our highly praised staff, Pura Vida, Mark Owner - The Beach House, Playa Flamingo (aka. Casa Playa Blanca)

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Exceeded our Expectations

Guest: Sue
Date of Stay: 12/21/11 Review Submitted: 12/30/11

This morning we sit drinking our coffee, watching the waves, sad to be leaving. The house was everything advertised! Great location, Awesome country.?First and foremost, Nelly. There are so many great things written about her in this book and online and she was all of those things. She was a friend to us and we enjoyed her company a great deal and loved listening to the stories, Piano is a happy, friendly man who was always nearby without being intrusive. He diligently searched every night for sea turtles for us. Go into town and rent ATV's for the day. Be adventurous and explore. Go to the top of the mountain then to shell beach and maybe the locals will grill you a lobster. During our tour, we found "Maxwell's"... Awesome cheeseburger and company from the California owners. We were 5 great friends spending an awesome week together we will never forget.? Sue,Penny,Kelsy,Melissa,Brady Email from Sue... Mark, I just wanted to drop you a quick note and say thanks for the wonderful vacation we had last week. When booking a trip like this online, using only email, wiring money etc, you can't help but feel nervous at times. ?The house was even more than we expected and the pictures just do not do it justice we felt like we were living the life of the rich and famous. We have done many types of vacations before, cruises, resorts, all-inclusive however, we all agreed, this is the way to go!?I read all the reviews about Nellie and she too exceeded our expectations. A generous and down to earth woman, who we enjoyed her company a great deal. Take good care of Nellie, your customers will keep coming back. Thanks Again, and Pura vida !?Sue

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Heaven on Earth! Pura Vida! DO NOT pass up the beach house or vacation in Costa Rica.

Guest: Nix (Denver, CO.)
Date of Stay: 12/10/11 Review Submitted: 01/05/12

We all sit here on this gorgeous Saturday morning watching the waves crash the shore. The sound will stay with us as we return home today. We are trying to find the words to describe Heaven on Earth. Everything about this vacation has been amazing. First, this beach house and it’s staff, made the trip so very special. Nelly is the best cook on the Planet! Please pick from her menu and have her cook for you everyday. We have never had had such delicious, home-made food and deserts. Now Piano, the night watchman, is the sweetest man. For everyone reading this, please talk to Piano the best way you can. He speaks a little English and is getting better, he understands a lot and is good at signing things to make you understand. He loves the company and enjoys talking with the people that stay here. Take time to invite them both to dinner, drink a beer, talk with them. Trust me, you will learn a lot and appreciate the beauty of life. Jonas is the most helpful, knowledgeable, cute and always smiling tour guide you’ll ever have! Please let him plan your day excursions around this breath-taking country. 5 friends from Denver, CO. will never forget this vacation! I cried when I started to write this. We DO NOT want to leave this paradise. We will be back! Things to make sure you do while there… -Make Nelly cook for you everyday and always sit on the balcony. Absorb the beauty of it all. -Have Piano get you a coconut and drink the milk. Ask him to build you bon-fires on the beach. He loves to do this. Make Smores… he loves this too. Ask him to watch for turtles on the beach and wake you if they come ashore to nest. -Get a massage by Janeth pool-side, on the balcony or beach, at least 90 minutes or more. She has a magical touch. Nelly will make apt. for you. -Zip-lining, walking bridges, mud baths, hot springs, waterslide, horseback riding. Buffet lunch is delicious. -River boat tour. Jonas will stop in Guaytil so you can watch & learn how to make clay pottery from the locals. You will then go on a riverboat tour to search for beautiful birds, Iguanas, Crocodiles and monkeys. I never thought I would hold a young Crocodile from the river or feed a white faced monkey. You will have a delicious lunch as well. -Take the sunset catamarran cruise. -Eat at Maries, Angelina’s (walking distance) Also, make a point to have dinner at Cameron Dorado. It is a restaurant literally on the beach. -Have a day at home where you do nothing but drink rum, beer at the Tiki bar, pool!

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

Look forward to a Return

Guest: Stephen, Jeff
Date of Stay: 11/19/11 Review Submitted: 12/30/11

Nov. 12-19, 2011 Travelled to CR with 14 of my close friends (plus one new friend, thanks Sandy) for my 40th birthday. The trip and house was everything I thought it would be. As most good things, however, this trip must now come to an end. Jonas helped us throughout the trip. We look forward to a return in the future. Stephen (birthday boy), Jeni, Preston, Sally, Jeff, Carla, Jill, Ha, William, Sandy, Amy, Ben, Pat, Meggie, Jeremy, Christy --Now back home to Napa, Vegas, Duncan, Plano, San Antonio, Montgomery (TX).

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Tough Decisions

Guest: Rachel and Jim
Date of Stay: 09/24/11 Review Submitted: 12/30/11

September, 2011 Best trip ever. The toughest decision I had to make was whether to go in the pool or the ocean first. Usually pool- then ocean- then pool. Beautiful weather in the middle of the green season, including one epic thunderstorm. This morning I woke up to play “Banagrams” on the porch while Nelly made Pineapple pancakes. There’s a film crew in front of the house, probably filming a “Best Beaches of the World” segment. Nelly was the best. Her cooking was amazing and she taught me how to make fresh tortillas and guacamole from scratch. We didn’t eat out once, we were looking forward to her cooking every night. Ask her to eat with you. She is great company and so nice! I am definitely coming back with more friends. This is the best house! The beach was never crowded. The weather is mild. There are lots of shells to pick up and lots of wildlife to watch. Can’t wait to come back! Rachel and Jim, OR.

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Dream Come True Vacation

Guest: Lenore
Date of Stay: 09/17/11 Review Submitted: 12/30/11

Sept. 9-17,11 Hello Everyone! This was our first trip to Costa Rica and here we are at Casa Playa Blanca (“the beach house”) on Flamingo Beach, one of the prettiest and most relaxing places on earth. We truly appreciate the owners taking care of this home and property year around, so those of us on a one week vacation have something to remember for a lifetime! There were only four of us on this trip age range from 27-85. We all enjoyed hanging around the beach, the poolside and wave watching from the second story porch. We also did a day of guided quad riding along the many beaches of this area, as well as the high-intensity trip to the Congo Park ziplines. I had good intentions of doing yoga and exercising, but it competed with relaxation, floating and good eating. Speaking of food – Nelly made us tasty, beautifully arranged food for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The setting in which we ate, could not be matched by the best restaurant in the world! We took pictures of her food prior to eating so we can remind ourselves of the lucky fortune of being here. Thank you again everyone here and in Costa Rica for this dream come true vacation. The Williams family, Corvallis, Oregon (Go Beavers, Oregon State U)

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Not one bad day in 3 weeks!

Guest: Debbie
Date of Stay: 07/23/11 Review Submitted: 12/30/11

July 2-23,11 Not one bad day in three weeks! We are already making plans to return. The staff who work here are amazing. Nelly was a cook and a housekeeper and is now a good friend. We will all miss her dearly; not just her cooking (which is amazing) but her stories as well. Piano was very helpful and kept many of us entertained with stories and magic tricks. Thanks for the most amazing, relaxing vacation, The Las Vegas Crew

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Best Vacation Ever!!!

Guest: Patti C.
Date of Stay: 07/23/11 Review Submitted: 08/01/11

That's how our family of 8 (ranging in age from 19-58) felt about our week long stay at The Beach House in Playa Flamingo! Because our family is spread across the country, we make a special effort to spend a week together in the summer at a new and interesting destination. We loved Costa Rica....the beauty, the adventure and the friendly people. The Beach Huose was perfect in every way. The beautiful beach, just steps away, felt like it was ours alone...great waves for boogie boarding and warm, clear water. The private pool and tiki bar really set the house apart. We spent many happy hours in or around the pool or at the bar. When not on the beach or in the pool, we sat on the upstairs terrace enjoying delicious meals, and watching the incredible Costa Rican sunsets. The hammock got alot of use as well! The beds were comfortable and having four bathrooms was great for a large group. The house had just the right feel for an adventuresome beach vacation. As perfect as the house and the beach were, it was truly Nelly and Jonas who made the visit exceed our expectations. You will read alot about them and it is all true!! The best compliment we can give them is that when we left Costa Rica we felt like we had left part of our family behind! Nelly was warm and friendly, always smiling and eager to feed us!! So we took advantage of that and enjoyed four scrumptious dinners and a few breakfasts and snacks during our stay. Some favorites (other than all of it!) were her guacamole, bean dip and cheese dip, her chicken lasagne and chile rellenos...and especially her taquitos that she made us for a picnic lunch that we took with us on a hike. Nelly not only fed us well, but kept the house so clean and tidy, fresh towels, beds made and always a smile! Without Jonas we would have had just another beach vacation. But because of him, we had some of our most memorable adventures! He was professional and knowledgeable and quickly tuned in to our interests. And he was also such great company, sharing lots of laughs with us. We truly enjoyed getting to know him as we spent many hours together! We went zip-lining, hiking, surfing, sailing and snorkleing and wished we had more days to go on other excursions with Jonas. Many thanks to Piano and Elias for keeping us safe at night and keeping the pool and grounds clean and beautiful! We were so sad to leave but took with us memories of very special people and a beautiful country. Pura Vida!

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

Awesome Week!!

Guest: Hilary (Denton, Texas)
Date of Stay: 06/18/11 Review Submitted: 06/27/11

We took a family vacation with 9 people to Costa Rica. 2 people were in their 60's, 6 of us in our 30's and a 3 year old toddler. We had an awesome time! Jonas picked us up at the airport and accompanied us to the grocery store on our way to the house. He assisted us with finding all the food we needed and showed us how to pick out a good pineapple. He was very informative about the Costa Rican Culture. Nelly was an AMAZING cook!! She made the Best Lasagna I've ever had! We also loved her guacamole, Pico, cheesey bean dip, and mango salsa. Oh, the banana pancakes were delicious too! She was such and sweet heart and we loved getting to know her. Our whole group wanted to bring her home with us. Piano was a great night watchman and always made us feel safe. He even pulled a coconut down from the tree for us so we could drink the milk. Alias was always busy cleaning the pool for us several times a day and tidying up the exterior. We loved Marie's for breakfast! Awesome cream cheese French Toast and the best Pina Coladas in the area. Angelina's and Mar Y Sol was very good for some fine dining in the evenings. They will come pick you up if you don't have transportation. Our group had a good time on the zip lining, water slide and hot springs excursion. Our favorite excursion we did was the Manta Ray sailing trip. That was a very relaxing day! We loved hanging out at the pool and having the beach right across the street. My 3 year old had a Great time! There were lots of beach toys and pool toys to entertain us. The guys loved Boogie Boarding in the big surf. There is also an awesome front Patio on the upper deck with a hammock that we sat out on every morning drinking coffee, and saw a beautiful sunset in the evenings. I had a great massage down the road at the Flamingo Resort. We would definitely recommend the Beach House Flamingo to others.

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

Everything was Perfect

Guest: Todd and Antonia
Date of Stay: 04/30/11 Review Submitted: 12/30/11

April 23-30, 2011 We had an awesome week. Everything was perfect, the house,weather, people. One of our best vacations. Thanks to Nelly, Piano, Jonas and Elias, they made the experience even better. We did ATV/Canopy, River tour (monkeys), Arenal and Sky Trek (Wow!) and the Buena Vista lodge. They were all great. What a beautiful country. Thanks for everything,?The Gilberts?Viginia, USA

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Adventure of a Lifetime

Guest: The North Little Rock Crew. Ar,USA
Date of Stay: 03/26/11 Review Submitted: 12/30/11

March 19-26, 2011 Six best friends from little rock decided on an "adventure of a lifetime"... and we got it! We did things we had never done before and have memories we"ll have for a lifetime. We've also decided that this is the happiest place on earth... Just to mention a few - Jonas, Jesus, Nelly, Piano, Elias. Everyone made our stay so comfortable and just lovely.?Thanks, Thanks...Gracias

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Trip to Paradise

Guest: JUDY (North Little Rock, AR)
Date of Stay: 03/21/11 Review Submitted: 04/04/11

Six really good friends decided to make a "trip to paradise" and were lead to Flamingo Bay and this home. We experienced so many new advendures (zip lining, sailing on the Lazy Lizard, boogey boarding right out our front door, four wheeling with a private tour, mopeds and bikes close to town, mojitos and to top it off all the wonderful people that Mark has provided to make you feel so special and just glad you came for a visit. Jonas was extraordinary (along with Jesus). They provided safe transportation and advice on where to go and what to do. We were sometimes a challenge (because of our senior status) but we transported "back to our youth" and made memories that will last a lifetime. This place is a MUST and hopefully you will be fortunate enough to experience it. JUDY, GENE, SUE, BRUCE, CANDY and TOM .....Little Rock/North Little Rock, Arkansas Pura Vida

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

Flamingo Beach is Beautiful

Guest: Kim,Greg,Nick,Tess,Lisa,Glenn, GrannyTrudi
Date of Stay: 03/19/11 Review Submitted: 12/30/11

March 12-19, 2011 Our first trip to Costa Rica and we had a fantastic time. Almost cloudless, seven days of hot but dry weather after a brutal New England winter. Jonas was the ever cheerful and accommodating guide. He guided us for a wonderful day at Rincon de la Vieja, joining us on the zipline tour, waterslide, lunch, hanging bridge, horseback ride (Jonas is an expert rider) and transport. He handled every detail with the service of a 5 star resort concierge. Muchas gracias Jonas.?Words cannot do justice to the service, culinary skills and warm welcome that Nelly provided for us. She prepared dinner for our family on four nights and we ate on the deck with music, wine and candles. No restaurant could compare to Nelly's food and Casa Playa Blanca's ambiance. Shopping with Nelly was a lesson in efficiency and discrimination as she selected the perfect pineapple and passed on "too hard" avocados. We invited her to dine with us on our final night and enjoyed speaking Spanish (our attempt) and learning about life in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. She is a joy and very smart (trained as a lawyer). Mark has all the bases covered with the staff here.?Piano, our night watchman is a sweet and friendly man who brought coconuts and fruits for the kids to try. He made us all feel very secure. Don't hesitate to engage, even if it means a bit of charades. The Lazy Lizard half day sail (sunset) was the best. All in all we had an incredible week at the beach. We have traveled to many spots both in the US and Europe, Caribbean and this ranked with the best of our trips. Have a camera at the ready for wildlife, sunsets and the beauty that abounds. The Tiki kitchen was our favorite for breakfast and we cooked there each morning. We also spent much time on the terrace - the views are like a postcard..?Having the Internet access and the Magic Jack was terrific and allowed us to print NY Times Crossword puzzles and check on news at home.?Flamingo Beach is beautiful! Thanks to all for Pura Vida And Tess (17) writes.. My first trip to Costa Rica we are privileged to spend it here. Piano was hilarious and was always in a great mood. The beaches were fantastic, we got to gallop across the beach on horseback. The excursions were worth every penny, ziplining, riding down the mountain on the waterslide, on and on. I never want to leave, this has been the best vacation ever.

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The Location is Perfect

Guest: Lori,?McKenna and family ?Hudson, WI. USA
Date of Stay: 03/12/11 Review Submitted: 12/30/11

March 5-12, 2011 We had a wonderful vacation at The Beach House! The location is absolutely perfect!!!?Highlights for me were...?- The Lazy Lizard?- Nelly's cooking?- Piano, He is a joy! Arenal tour with Jonas?- Mar y Sol for dinner "sunset"?- Watching the kids (2 husbands) boogie board. And McKenna (13) writes…This was my first time coming to Costa Rica and I loved it! Nelly was sooo nice and her cooking was amazing! Piano was fun to talk to (even though he’s learning to speak English) he was so nice too! My favorite things we did were ziplininning, boogie boarding ( the waves are awesome) and going on the Lazy Lizard. I hope to come back soon Muchas Gracias!?

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Eight Canadians, One Full Holiday

Guest: Richard and Picris, Winn and Man., Canada
Date of Stay: 02/12/11 Review Submitted: 12/30/11

February 5-12, 2011 Eight Canadians?After two full weeks of touring Costa Rica, it was great to Settle in at The Beach House at Flamingo Beach.?Our leisurely days were spent walking the beautiful beach, boogie boarding, splashing in the pool, photographing sunsets and enjoying the delicious home cooked meals. We found the facilities and accommodation clean and comfortable and it felt like a home away from home for four couples. We really appreciated the boogie boards and plastic beach chairs. We did have some issues with the ATM getting cash and departure tax. Most importantly the staff of Nelly, Piano, Elias added a unique personal Costa Rican touch to our holiday at the Beach House. They were friendly, helpful and yet unobtrusive. Piano eagerly made us a bonfire on the beach and a beautiful floral arrangement. Elias kept our pool clean and plants watered and worked an overnight shift to keep us safe. Nelly was especially wonderful. She greeted us with a warm hug,made calls to order taxis and helped with grocery shopping. She prepared delicious local menus and shared her secret recipes with us. The ladies all learned to make tortillas!?We enjoyed the services that came right to the house. Nelly helped us make purchases from the fish truck and bakery truck and even having Janet come to the house to give the ladies manicures and pedicures! As you can tell, we had a full holiday

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Wonderful Memories

Guest: Con Amor ,Juan & Juanita,?Carol & Roberto,?Pauleen
Date of Stay: 02/05/11 Review Submitted: 12/30/11

February 5, 2011 We have wonderful memories of our week at Flamingo Beach, 1/29 – 2/5. Our days started with walks on the beach or coffee by the pool before enjoying one of Nelly’s special breakfasts. Nelly even added Regan’s quiche recipe to her menu repertoire.?Then we were either off to the beach, jungle tour, snorkeling, fishing or shopping in Tamarindo. We also enjoyed navigating the supermercado with Nelly to buy groceries for dinner. Her face lit up when she found a perfect papaya.?Every night we watched a brilliant sunset, followed by Nelly’s delicious dinner or Will’s grilled Mahi Mahi under Jupiter in the night sky. Later, some of us walked the beach with Pablo or Piano lighting the way with their flashlights. We chased crabs and studied the constellations and talked about life in Nicaragua and Costa Rica.?Nelly and Rita were patient “maestros” and enthusiastic “estudiantes”. We laughed and shared stories and learned from each other. Muchas Gracias to everyone at Casa Playa Blanca. We will always remember you.

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Casa Playa Blanca Beach House

Guest: Colleen (Millville, Ca.)
Date of Stay: 12/27/10 Review Submitted: 01/06/11

Our stay was relaxing and we were able to keep as busy as we wanted to be. We enjoyed the breathtaking sunsets from the 2nd story balcony in the evenings. The house is steps away from the beach and had easy access. Housekeeping was excellent. Nelly cooked several meals for us and all were wonderful. Nelly is sweet, thoughtful, kind, and has a wonderful gift of hospitalallity she even suprised us by washing all of our clothes.... Piano is the night security guard. He built bon fires for us on the beach and made sure we felt safe at night. He kept a low profile however, he made sure we felt safe and secure. The house itself was perfect for our group of 10 as we had plenty of bedrooms and bathrooms for all of us. We used Alex to drive us to and from the airport and taxi us where we needed to go. He was available for our schedule, he is well known in the community and help us find fresh fish, etc. Mark was great in scheduling our excursions. He set us up with fishing and catamaran. Mark is very well respected in this community and he set us up with the very best crewmen. Mark keeps in touch with the house staff to make sure all needs are met. The outside pool bar was also great for all of us, if we were not on the beach or in the pool we were at the pool bar relaxing and visiting. I would count this stay as a 10!

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.

Fantastic property

Guest: john (Waci, TX)
Date of Stay: 12/17/10 Review Submitted: 02/04/11

Excelent property. Great staff. Perfect weather. Group of seven with four year old grandson. Fantastic trip. We have stayed at the Four Seasons just to the North on two prior trips. Never again. This house has the best beach and location in Costa Rica. Forget the car and have Mark and the staff do everything. It is worth every penny.

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.

Heaven on Earth!

Guest: Annie (PTnCR) (Portsmouth, NH)
Date of Stay: 05/29/10 Review Submitted: 06/06/10

This place was incredible. INCREDIBLE! 9 women, looking to have a great time, had plenty of space and lots of fun. The few steps to the beach was wonderful as well as the deck overlooking the beach and pool area. The staff/amigos were beyond fabulous. Piano and Pablo kept the grounds looking perfect and Nelly kept our stomachs full. You need to try her guacamole and salsa... unbelievable! The pool area was plenty big enough for getting some sunshine and taking a nap. The tiki bar was a great place for hanging out. Alex did an awesome job with tours, he brought us horseback riding, ziplining, atving, and the crocodile/monkey tour... oh and of course ladies night at Las Brisas! Everyone was beyond friendly and so happy to have us visiting! The house is amazing and we didn't want to leave! I hope to be back sometime soon! Plenty of space with 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, big top deck, two car parking, pool area, beach front property... truly a fabulous place!

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

The Beautiful Casa Playa Blanca

Guest: Katlee (Derry, N.H. USA)
Date of Stay: 04/25/09 Review Submitted: 10/08/09

I had no plans to travel to Costa Rica until 8 of my dearest friends decided to vacation there. We needed to find a property that would accommodate 9 people - 2 couples, 4 single females and 1 single male. I had never heard of the Homeaway web page before but one of our group had. I started to research Homeaway and I was blown away. We found the perfect house - Casa Playa Blanca is spectacular. The house is literally right on a beautiful white sand beach that is totally deserted. The Pacific Ocean glitters in the sun and the waves lull you to sleep at night. The pool is lovely and has lots of seating and the area includes a bar. The area behind the house is home to a family of howler monkeys and our favorite morning activity was to listen for the howling and go outside to take pictures and observe the family. The house is absolutely wonderful - spacious with multiple bedrooms and bathrooms. The house can easily sleep 10. The house comes complete with a grounds keeper who keeps the outside pristine and was kind enough to pick coconuts from the trees surrounding the pool and also build a bonfire on the beach for us one evening. There is a 24 hour guard every night complete with two dogs that we enjoyed petting. A cook and housekeeper is provided who takes care of all housekeeping chores but also cooks amazing meals from a full list of choices. Food was great - lots of local dishes. The house is a short walk from a small town with other restaurants and a grocer is nearby. My heartiest kudos go to the guide the owner recommended. He took us on three excursions that were absolutely amazing - Monteverde Cloud Forest, trip on the water to feed the Capuchin monkeys and crocodiles, and a trip to Arenal Volcano and Hot Springs. He was amazing. He helped to make our trip just spectacular. I can't speak enough about the service and support we received and about this incredible property. I have recommended this property to many people and also Homeaway.com. Read the reviews for this property and every one is accurate and may be considered understated. It is so much better than described. I would love to return. Every amenity was provided and then some. I hope others will book this property from this review. We were 9 New Englanders who got to live the Costa Rican good life for one week. Great memories.

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

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 04/14/09 Review Submitted: 04/14/09

March 7 – 14, 2009No one wanted to leave! We all had such a great time. Nelly’s cooking was fantastic! She made dinner for us on the veranda 3 nights of our stay. Our favorite dishes her guacamole, pico de gallo, frijoles, arroz and pechuga de pollo asada, delicious! The sunsets were beautiful as well as the moonsets. We will also miss howling at the monkeys and feeding the iguana bananas. The bird watching in the back far exceeded our expectations and we will never forget the daily sightings of the resident Turquoise- browed Mott Mott (his portrait is on the wall at Casa Playa Blanca). Alex is an excellent guide and we can’t recommend him enough. He took us to Palo Verde to feed the White faced Monkeys and see a huge array of birds as well as to Arenal for a wonderful day of activities. The hanging bridge hike there was a wonderful way for the family to see the jungle together, we enjoyed swimming at the thermal baths and we were lucky enough to see some lava trails at night even though it was cloudy. We went to Rincon de la Vieja on our own to go hiking and had a wonderful time. Our favorite trail was the one that led to the Catarata la Cangreja. It was a long trail, i.e., at least 4 hours in total but well worth the time – the payoff is spectacular. If you don’t have the time to do that one, the other trail to the fumaroles is also very rewarding.Pablo gave us a warm welcome by cutting open some coconuts to eat and drink on our first night and Jose made a lovely bon fire.All in all, we had an incredible vacation and hope to be back soon.Marcia Holman

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Chris B. (Seattle, Wa.)
Date of Stay: 02/01/09 Review Submitted: 02/12/09

December 2007 We were lucky enough to spend an entire month at Casa Playa Blanca and it wasn't long enough! From our first sunset to our last, everything was perfect. We loved the location of the house-the beautiful and practically deserted beach, the town of Flamingo right down the way and more amenities near by. We enjoyed getting to know the neighborhood. The kids loved going back and forth between the beach and the pool. The "snack shack"(pool bar) was a big hit and the perfect way to enjoy food and drinks outside. Your staff, Evelyn, Pablo and Jose took amazing care of us!! Their help made our trip truly relaxing and more enjoyable. The many highlights included: The amazing sunsets every night, running on the beach each morning, boogie boarding in the surf, snorkeling at Playa Conchal, Evelyn's wonderful meals, horseback riding on Conchal, ATV riding, surf lessons with Gabriel Abner, scuba diving with Aqua Center, dinner with live music Sat & Sundays at Maries, great food at Mar y Sol, El Castillo for family breakfast/lunch, drinks at Sugar Beach Hotel, watching the Leatherback Sea Turtle lay it's eggs, make it's nest and return to the sea right here on Flamingo Beach (thanks Jose), bon fires on the beach,... we could go on and on. We had the trip of a lifetime except that we'll be back! Thanks Mark, Evelyn, Jose & Pablo! Pura Vida,

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 01/01/09 Review Submitted: 12/31/08

Nov 23 - Dec 4, 2008 The Alaskans loved Costa Rica and the 60 degree weather change. We left snow, ice and low temperatures (10 dgrs F) to this beautiful country. The 10 days were fabulous and we did a lot - Fishing on the "Bushwacker" (5 Tunas!), Zip line w/Alex and dinner at the Golden Shrimp were highlights. Evelyn is an angel and we took full advantage of her cooking-and pedicures! She drew a Santa Claus on moms big toe. Too cute!! The accommodation could not have been better, LOCATION,LOCATION,LOCATION! Right on the beach - private pool and enough beds for all - grandparents, parents and kids (72 - 8 yrs old). The internet & free long distance were an added bonus to our 18 & 20 yr old sons. They were out every night until the wee hours. We all felt safe & in good hands with the staff. Thank you so much for letting us stay there. The Karcz and Banks Families Anchorage, Alaska

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 11/01/08 Review Submitted: 11/22/08

We had a fabulous time staying at Casa Playa Blanca from November 12-19. We found the house to be exactly as in the pictures. It was roomy and comfortable for the 10 of us. The beach was beautiful and clean and the water was warm. The kids could not stay out of the ocean. The staff was very friendly and accomodating. Evelyn was a wonderful cook and she always went over and above what was expected. She even taught us salsa dancing! Pablo and Jose were friendly and showed us some of the local wildlife. We just had a wonderful time and cannot wait to return. Thanks Mark!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 10/01/08 Review Submitted: 10/13/08

Our sincere thanks to Mark and his staff for all the help you provided to us for our wedding week. You all went above and beyond the call of duty. since this is the very place we met 7 years ago we had no question where the wedding would be. The new additions to the house are beautiful.The extra space made the accommodations perfect for our group and the wedding party. The guard Jose was friendly and helped us feel safe, while Pablo greeted us early each morning with a smile and clean pool, decks and would cut down and clean coconuts for those who wanted them. Evelyn is a jewel, her cooking was excellent. She amazed me at how quickly she could put together a meal for 10 people and laugh during the process. Even though we had a couple of days of rain, the new outside kitchen allowed us a place to hang out if we got cabin fever. I could go on but let me end by saying We Love Flamingo, it's like a second home to us. So many wonderful memories in the house and pool. We look forward to our next visit. Keep up the good work. Take pride in knowing all of you are helping everyone that chooses this house as their destination in Costa Rica leave there with their own beautiful memories. Casa Playa Blanca owners and staff are the best. Thank you for allowing us to stay there. Vickie and Fred Schultz

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The Smiles of Costa Rica

Guest: Roots Girl (Tulsa Oklahoma USA)
Date of Stay: 05/05/08 Review Submitted: 05/16/08

In my research of Costa Rica, I kept reading about the ready smiles of the Ticos, This is truly not exaggerated. I have never been anywhere, that everyone had a smile on their face. The country is absolutely beautiful and the top of the cake is Mark's staff. They are absolutely charming. If you roam away from Casa Playa Blanca to eat, try the local Tico restaurants, they are incredible and affordable. We never went to the "tourist" restaurants, we can eat that at home. Have Evelyn to cook for you, she makes some wonderful foods. From the pristine pool and grounds maintained by Pablo, to the wonderful bonfire made by Jose, our stay was an incredible experience. If you are in search of peace and solitude, go here, you won't regret it. We are all middle age, the younger party croud may have to go to Tamarindo, as nights are relatively quite at Flamingo. The house is absolutely beautiful inside and out. My one suggestion to anyone is to pack a good seat cushion, as we US Americans are spoiled to soft seats, and the furniture is beautiful wood, but do not have cushions and get hard if you sit for long. As we spent many hours on the balcony watching the endless ocean, we were glad we had our seat cushions. Costa Rica is definitely a winner. For your ventures from the property, Alex is a must. He is very informative. Ask him to take you to the Tico Restaurants, he took us to three while we were there and they were wonderful. The ocean is not calm water, so be prepared to play in waves, some crashing, others just loopy and fun. If you are not a pretty good swimmer, invest in a ski belt, you will enjoy the water still. Mark has created a paradise setting for your vacation.

Owner response:We would like to thank everybody for their wonderful reviews and any suggestions are always taken constructively so that we can address them. As for the "American Tush", the 3 deck seat cushions referred to are back, with 3" inch foam and a color that goes well with the sunset you will be watching on them. You can even spill your margarita on them, no problem. Save your luggage space for more sunscreen!! CPB

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

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 04/01/08 Review Submitted: 04/28/08

Fantastic...everything. My four kids, ages 16, 15, 12 and 15 months, my husband and I, a friend of the boys (also 16), and my father and another friend spend a wonderful week here in March. The staff, the house, the location...everything was perfect. We relaxed, ate, drank and repeated! HIGHLY recommended to anyone who wants to enjoy great sun and relax and enjoy each other's company.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 02/01/08 Review Submitted: 02/21/08

When we first saw this home online we were excited to be on the beach and to have a pool for the kids. I can say the pictures, as great as they are, do not do this location justice. The sunsets each day are picture perfect, the views from each window are great. Evelyn's (cook/cleaning) cooking is incredible. the staff are all friendly. Mark does a great job of making you feel welcome and honest in his suggestions. When you rent this home you get more than you expect. We will be returning! Viva "Casa Playa Blanca"

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Guest: Chris B. (Seattle, Wa.)
Date of Stay: 02/01/08 Review Submitted: 02/10/08

December 2007 The Birkelands were lucky enough to spend an entire month at Casa Playa Blanca and it wasn't long enough! From our first sunset to our last, everything was perfect. We loved the location of the house-the beautiful and practically deserted beach, the town of Flamingo right down the way and more amenities near by. We enjoyed getting to know the neighborhood. The kids loved going back and forth between the beach and the pool. The "snack shack"(pool bar) was a big hit and the perfect way to enjoy food and drinks outside. Your staff, Evelyn, Pablo and Jose took amazing care of us!! Their help made our trip truly relaxing and more enjoyable. The many highlights included: The amazing sunsets every night, running on the beach each morning, boogie boarding in the surf, snorkeling at Playa Conchal, Evelyn's wonderful meals, horseback riding on Conchal, ATV riding, surf lessons with Gabriel Abner, scuba diving with Aqua Center, dinner with live music Sat & Sundays at Maries, great food at Mar y Sol, El Castillo for family breakfast/lunch, drinks at Sugar Beach Hotel, watching the Leatherback Sea Turtle lay it's eggs, make it's nest and return to the sea right here on Flamingo Beach (thanks Jose), bon fires on the beach,... we could go on and on. We had the trip of a lifetime except that we'll be back! Thanks Mark, Evelyn, Jose & Pablo! Pura Vida, Jill, Chris, Chase(10), Spencer(8),Ryan(5) and Natalie(2) Birkeland Seattle, Wa

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Pura Vida is not just a slogan

Guest: diana k. (Cleveland OH)
Date of Stay: 01/01/08 Review Submitted: 03/29/08

We spent a terrific week at Casa Playa Blanca at the beginning of January this year. The location was perfect with the beach in front of us and marvelous sunsets every evening. The beach is beautiful and was not crowded. The property is very well maintained. Mark, owner, was really helpful in arranging trips and giving us general information on the area. Anytime we had a question for him, we called and he responded immediately. And then there were Evelyn, Pagine and Jose who made our visit memorable. They were great with our two year old granddaughter who enjoyed the toys Mark has at the house for the kids, including pool toys. We spent an afternoon making really good tamales with Evelyn. Beware if you do this with her, they are much larger than the Tex-Mex style we were used to. When she asked how many we wanted and we told her about 20, she looked at us with surprise and said ok! Luckily there were a lot of hungry mouths to share them. Evelyn made us chili rellenos too- also very good and different from what we have had before. If you are interested in local fruits and vegetables take Evelyn shopping with you- she is a mine of information. In addition to helping maintan the property, Pagine alerted us to the arrival of the monkeys and iguanas when they appeared in the yard and Jose looked for the turtles on the beach at night for us (unfortunately, we missed them). Having wireless computer access (and phone) was great for those of us who were compulsive about staying in touch with the office. Mark hooked us up with Alex who took us on the river to see the crocs, monkeys and all kinds of birds. He was great with the kids on the trip and made sure they got front seats to all the animals. As for restaurants, we had a very good meal at Mar y Sol and at the Happy Snapper. Everywhere we went the people of Costa Rica were warm,friendly and very helpful. Having a car is useful for grocery shopping and getting to restaurants, but Mark and Alex can also arrange transportation. This was one of our best vacations ever.

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

Guest: Kim Byrd (Woodstock, Georgia)
Date of Stay: 08/01/07 Review Submitted: 08/01/07

July 14-21,2007 Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful home with us. Our party of 9 (friends & family)never felt crowded at any time which was wonderful! We loved to sit on the deck every morning and watch the monkeys in the tree and listen to the waves while enjoying our coffee. The Internet was a great bonus and good feature to the house. We were able to check on our family and affairs back home. we had three teenage boys in our group that would have gone nuts without talking to their girlfriends. We can't say enough great things about the excellent staff. "Pajin" made sure the pool was ready for us every morning and even rinsed our cars every day. Jose's bon fire he built for us on the beach was a hit. We had a good time roasting marshmellows and got some great photos! Evelyn has become a part of our family. We love her! She cooked several times for us - best ever breakfast ( home made tortillas, eggs, bacon, potatoes)and the dinner was fabulous - (fresh fish & chicken w/vegtables, beans, rice, cheese potatoes and more) great, great, great! She also does excellent pedicures. - Highly recommended ladies!!! We went on several tours during our visit and Alex our driver was the best. Call him for tours!!! He was wonderful and took care of all our needs. Here is how we would rate the tours we went on... ***** ATV 4 wheeling - we rode while it was raining and I have to say that was one of the best times we've ever had!! The rain made it even better going through big mud holes and creeks!! Definately a blast! We did this tour twice. ( If you do this in the rain, wear panchos. It didn't keep from getting wet but less muddy). ***** Lazy Lizard tour with Capt. Judd. This is also a must and another one of our favorites! Imagine relaxing on the catamaran while cruising with a drink in your hand enjoying the scenery and listening to the sounds of the Ocean. Great snorkeling with beautiful sea life and it comes with a perfect sunset. Great trip! *** We also did the combo tour which included horseback riding, hiking to the waterfall, zip lining, and the spa with a mud bath. This was a good tour, but a bit tiring for us older folks (40's & 50's). We were very tired and sore that night. Next time we will do these activities on seperate days. If you've never zip lined before, you definately need to try it!! **** Deep Sea Fishing - We got a good price on a an all day fishing tour down at the little hut on the left past the Mariner Inn, which is where th

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Guest: Kim Byrd (Woodstock, Georgia)
Date of Stay: 08/01/07 Review Submitted: 07/31/07

July 14-21,2007 Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful home with us. Our party of 9 (friends & family)never felt crowded at any time which was wonderful! We loved to sit on the deck every morning and watch the monkeys in the tree and listen to the waves while enjoying our coffee. The Internet was a great bonus and good feature to the house. We were able to check on our family and affairs back home. we had three teenage boys in our group that would have gone nuts without talking to their girlfriends. We can't say enough great things about the excellent staff. "Pajin" made sure the pool was ready for us every morning and even rinsed our cars every day. Jose's bon fire he built for us on the beach was a hit. We had a good time roasting marshmellows and got some great photos! Evelyn has become a part of our family. We love her! She cooked several times for us - best ever breakfast ( home made tortillas, eggs, bacon, potatoes)and the dinner was fabulous - (fresh fish & chicken w/vegtables, beans, rice, cheese potatoes and more) great, great, great! She also does excellent pedicures. - Highly recommended ladies!!! We went on several tours during our visit and Alex our driver was the best. Call him for tours!!! He was wonderful and took care of all our needs. Here is how we would rate the tours we went on... ***** ATV 4 wheeling - we rode while it was raining and I have to say that was one of the best times we've ever had!! The rain made it even better going through big mud holes and creeks!! Definately a blast! We did this tour twice. ( If you do this in the rain, wear panchos. It didn't keep from getting wet but less muddy). ***** Lazy Lizard tour with Capt. Judd. This is also a must and another one of our favorites! Imagine relaxing on the catamaran while cruising with a drink in your hand enjoying the scenery and listening to the sounds of the Ocean. Great snorkeling with beautiful sea life and it comes with a perfect sunset. Great trip! *** We also did the combo tour which included horseback riding, hiking to the waterfall, zip lining, and the spa with a mud bath. This was a good tour, but a bit tiring for us older folks (40's & 50's). We were very tired and sore that night. Next time we will do these activities on seperate days. If you've never zip lined before, you definately need to try it!! **** Deep Sea Fishing - We got a good price on a an all day fishing tour down at the little hut on the left past the Mariner Inn, which is where the boat captains hang out. You can negotiate the price. Mark can also help you out with this. The boat we took was the "Hatteras". Big boat with a/c, beds, food and drinks (everything you could ask for). We caught a 150lb Sailfish and some big Mahi Mahi which they cleaned on the boat and Evelyn cooked for us. Great Trip. Thank You again Mark and we are already planning to come back again. The Byrd Family - Ronnie, Kim & Zack. Ross Family - Jimmy, Sheila, Chad and Josh. Gandy Family - Beverly.

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Guest: Charlene Henderson (Seattle, Wa.)
Date of Stay: 07/01/07 Review Submitted: 07/12/07

June 27 - July 9 My family of 10 enjoyed this loction more than we had anticipated. We've been here almost two weeks and have never felt crowded in this spacious, tranquil home. We mixed our time with trips to other bustling towns, and adventures in the jungle and ocean. But we always could return to the soothing sound of waves on the beach. We all relaxed and destressed from our U.S. life. The weather is beautiful here, the sunsets are breathtaking, the ocean warm & sandy beach a delight. The service has been great, our housekeeper, Evelyn, is a real jewel. The guides we hired were a great recommendation from Mark and he checked on us while we were here to make sure we were well cared for. We were! I had found many web sites with lodging, and have seen them there. I thank my lucky stars we found and stayed at Casa Playa Blanca. None of the others came close, and I can't imagine the personal service could have been as good. Thank's Mark, Henderson clan, Seattle,Wa,USA

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Guest: Julie Wiechmann (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Date of Stay: 07/01/07 Review Submitted: 07/01/07

May 12-18,2007 Thank you so much for allowing us to spend our vacation in the luxury of this beautiful home in your beautiful country. What a vacation we had. The paradise lifestyle, a clean enviroment, amazing people (Evelyn, Paulo("Pagine") and Jose). A great learning experience for the entire family. All the extras Casa Playa Blanca offers makes it so much more enjoyable. Ex: tropical pool, beachfront, wildlife at your fingertips and people to accomodate our every need (extremely friendly people... Amigos!)We had a wonderful time in this beautiful home. We are from Jacksonville, Florida and this is the kind of vacation we were hoping to get. You had everything well planned out and organized making our arrival/activity planning a breeze. The best thing about this house aside from the amazing location/paradise aroma are the friendly people you have here to accomodate your guests. Our family loved trying to speak Spanish with Evelyn, and we took her out to lunch with us to the "Happy Snapper", she's an amazing person. We really made a neat friendship. Brittney, our daughter, made a dinner plate for Jose every night that we cooked in. He really enjoyed evenings with us. He even enjoyed a cookout with grilled Tuna. We had a blast. "Pagine" was here first thing every morning to clean the pool and had it prepared for us to enjoy each day. He also kept the plants looking great. Everyone did an awesome job. You guys are the best. The only thing we could want more is to live here. We had perfect weather, sunny all day with cool refreshing evening showers. Restaurants: Happy Snapper*** Golden Shrimp** El Castillo****(castle restaurant breakfast, lunch and dinner) Activities: Canopy tour Zipline by Congo trail - extra friendly people, experienced, beautiful scenery, great fun!! Lazy Lizard - magical ride on a catamaran with Capt. Judd and crew. Great snorkeling, relaxing, awesome sandwiches, beautiful sunsets (we even caught a 15lb. Tuna while trolling). ATV tours by Divers Edge - not too expensive, takes you to Sugar Beach, Penca Beach and up in the dunes of Flamingo, beautiful scenery!(wear tennis shoes). Evelyn - (if you pay her a little extra)does excellent pedicures, very relaxing while listening to the waves hit the sand. Ask her to make rice with chicken for you, best ever! She'll write down the ingredients for you, you buy the stuff. When booking places over the internet, you never really know what you will get. This home far exceeded our e

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Guest: BeachcomberNB (Newport Beach,Calif)
Date of Stay: 07/01/07 Review Submitted: 06/30/07

We just spent two relaxing weeks at Casa Playa Blanca with our family, enjoying our stay immensely. Our host, Mark, made sure that everything went smoothly and our needs taken care of. Evelyn was there for us everyday to make sure our stay was comfortable in every way. As for daily activities, we went scuba diving once, ATV & canopying another day and sailing on the Lazy Lizard for a fabulous afternoon snorkeling, lunch on the cat and cruising the coast. But mostly our days were spent enjoying the pool and playing in the surf. The weather was perfect - 30 dgrs C.+ and a refreshing nautical wind. Shopping and eating at home was simple and good with grocery shopping nearby. Dinners out included Maries (good), Les Arcades (French, friendly & very good) and the Happy Snapper (where we went a second time). If you are adventurous, there are plenty of other excursions, but for us, the beautiful beach of Flamingo kept us entertained and happy. We rented Mark's house via internet. As such, we didn't know 'exactly' what we were getting. After spending two weeks here and getting to know Mark and his family and staff, we can definitely say we will recommend him to others - And return ourselves! Thanks for a great holiday! Marc & Laurence, Anna & Benji - Alameda, Calif. George - Zug, Switzerland Francoise - Dijon, France Dan & Flor - London, England A.K.A. - The Blatt's

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Guest: Julie Wiechmann (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Date of Stay: 07/01/07 Review Submitted: 06/30/07

May 12-18,2007 Thank you so much for allowing us to spend our vacation in the luxury of this beautiful home in your beautiful country. What a vacation we had. The paradise lifestyle, a clean enviroment, amazing people (Evelyn, Paulo("Pagine") and Jose). A great learning experience for the entire family. All the extras Casa Playa Blanca offers makes it so much more enjoyable. Ex: tropical pool, beachfront, wildlife at your fingertips and people to accomodate our every need (extremely friendly people... Amigos!)We had a wonderful time in this beautiful home. We are from Jacksonville, Florida and this is the kind of vacation we were hoping to get. You had everything well planned out and organized making our arrival/activity planning a breeze. The best thing about this house aside from the amazing location/paradise aroma are the friendly people you have here to accomodate your guests. Our family loved trying to speak Spanish with Evelyn, and we took her out to lunch with us to the "Happy Snapper", she's an amazing person. We really made a neat friendship. Brittney, our daughter, made a dinner plate for Jose every night that we cooked in. He really enjoyed evenings with us. He even enjoyed a cookout with grilled Tuna. We had a blast. "Pagine" was here first thing every morning to clean the pool and had it prepared for us to enjoy each day. He also kept the plants looking great. Everyone did an awesome job. You guys are the best. The only thing we could want more is to live here. We had perfect weather, sunny all day with cool refreshing evening showers. Restaurants: Happy Snapper*** Golden Shrimp** El Castillo****(castle restaurant breakfast, lunch and dinner) Activities: Canopy tour Zipline by Congo trail - extra friendly people, experienced, beautiful scenery, great fun!! Lazy Lizard - magical ride on a catamaran with Capt. Judd and crew. Great snorkeling, relaxing, awesome sandwiches, beautiful sunsets (we even caught a 15lb. Tuna while trolling). ATV tours by Divers Edge - not too expensive, takes you to Sugar Beach, Penca Beach and up in the dunes of Flamingo, beautiful scenery!(wear tennis shoes). Evelyn - (if you pay her a little extra)does excellent pedicures, very relaxing while listening to the waves hit the sand. Ask her to make rice with chicken for you, best ever! She'll write down the ingredients for you, you buy the stuff. When booking places over the internet, you never really know what you will get. This home far exceeded our expectations!!! Your hospitality in helping us with so many aspects of our trip went above and beyond and is appreciated more than you know. We are literally telling everyone we know of your wonderful accomodations. We loved your home and the wonderful folks you have in your employ. But I think most of all we fell in love with your beautiful country and it's people. We are already making mental plans to come back as soon as possible. "Gracias" The Wiechmann's

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Guest: Adrian Rosu (Anaheim Hills, Ca.)
Date of Stay: 06/01/07 Review Submitted: 06/27/07

We spent two wonderfully relaxing weeks at Mark's house, Jan 1-15,07. This was our first time renting through VRBO in a country other than the U.S. We were a bit apprehensive, but the house was even better than we expected. The view of Flamingo Beach, the pool, Mark's attention to all our needs made this a truly unforgettable vacation. We will definitely recommend this place to our friends. Thank you for everything Mark, Adrian and Lillian Rosu

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Guest: Matt & Kari Falconer (Santa Cruz, Calif.)
Date of Stay: 06/01/07 Review Submitted: 06/27/07

Feb. 1-15,07 This home brought our family many happy memories - ones which we will never forget. Your hospitality was so generous. You have a beautiful spot in Costa Rica... One in which we hope to visit again. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for contributing to our experience. We truly had a blast! Matt & Kari Falconer

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Guest: Glenda Welsh (Steinhatchee, Fla.)
Date of Stay: 06/01/07 Review Submitted: 06/27/07

3/31/07 Wonderful, Beautiful, Relaxing. What a great place. This house is perfect for a large group. We had a party of 11 for over a week, very comfortable and relaxing. We enjoyed all of our excursions, swinging through the jungle with monkeys, fishing on the Dixie Girl and the Plautus (Billfish Safari's), horseback riding to Brasalito on the beach (ask for Juaquine) and most of all, relaxing on the Lazy Lizard at sunset with Rum Punch. Most of our time at the house was spent in the pool or at the pool bar, we loved it. Good shelling on the beach. Thanks to Mark for all of the tour info before arriving so that we had time to reserve in advance. After sightseeing to different areas, Flamingo is by far the cleanest, most beautiful of all. We love this town! We were so excited to see the monkeys in the large green tree next door and to hear them howling in the morning was something you can never forget! Feeding Iguanas from the pool was so cool. We will definitely be back to Flamingo. Evelyn is so sweet and funny. We had a great time taking her to the Happy Snapper and trying to learn to Salsa! Jr. did such a good job keeping our play area so clean. Jose made us feel very safe each night. Thank yall so much! Glenda, Audrey, Carol, Betty, Pat, Peanut, Dale, Bobby, Randy, Fred and Haydee P.S. Evelyn does great pedicures! Carlos for massage! Grill is perfect for Beer Butt chicken!

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Guest: Marilyn Fitzgerald (Denver, Co.)
Date of Stay: 06/01/07 Review Submitted: 06/27/07

June 12-17, 2007 - The Fitzgerald Family (Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, North Carolina) Casa Playa Blanca and Flamingo Beach are both a GREAT find! Mark was so helpful in planning our transportation and activities. We hired Alex Moreno to drive us in his 10-passenger van from Liberia to Arenal, then to Flamingo. Mark recommended Montana de Fuego lodge/spa - great place. We walked the 'Hanging Bridges' and floated down a river near La Fortuna. Be sure to go up to Arenal Lodge & Observatory at dark to see the red hot lava tumbling down the mountain. Casa Playa Blanca has been beautifully done. Rachael (10), Ryan (9), Olivia (6) really loved the pool, and it was crystal clear thanks to Paulo. Heard howler monkeys early one morning. Coaxed the iguanas in the lower yard with bread. 'The Lazy Lizard'--with Mr. Personality, Judd--was our favorite, for snorkeling and beautiful sunset. Caught a nice mackerel on troll line. Off-shore fishing with Capt. Osmine (1 jackeral) and deep-sea fishing with Chepe (1 sailfish). Bought mahi mahi and grouper off the fish truck, and tuna from the fish stand near Brasilito. Evelyn prepared several tasty meals--her guacamole is awesome! Only restaurant we tried was 'Mar y Sol' and it was a nice experience. Congo Canopy Tour was fun. Boat trip on Tempisque River in Palo Verde National Park to feed bananas to white-faced monkeys and chicken to crocs. This was a 5-star vacation for all of us!!! Thanks to Mark for all his attention. Jim & Marilyn (Denver) Pam (Shreveport) Helen (Detroit) Dar & John and kids (Charlotte).

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Guest: Ringgold / Powell Family (Smyra, Ga & Baltimore, Md.)
Date of Stay: 06/01/07 Review Submitted: 06/26/07

We enjoyed all of the amenities at Casa Playa Blanca June 5-12,07.We had so much fun practicing our Spanish with Evelyn. We recommend: Lazy Lizard w/ Judd Buena Vista Lodge w/ Alex Thanks for all the great memories!

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Guest: Kara Green (Idaho Falls, ID)
Date of Stay: 03/01/07 Review Submitted: 03/15/07

Our vacation to Costa Rica was the best vacation we have ever experienced!! The description of this home was all it says and so much more!!If you are considering renting the Casa Playa Blanca, please do! You will not be disappointed! The staff at the home became our friends and we were saddened when our time ended. Mark, we can't wait to see you and your beutiful family next year! Sincerely, Kara, Herky, and the rest of our crazy gang!

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Better than expected

Guest: BeachcomberNB (Newport Beach,Calif)
Date of Stay: 01/01/07 Review Submitted: 06/30/07

While renting on the internet, we were not sure what to expect. It was a relief to arrive at Casa Playa Blanca and find out it far exceeded our expectations. The information on the web site was not only accurate, but understated. I do not believe you could do justice to the location with pictures and it would be difficult with words. The staff was amazing, everything was taken care of at all times. Flamingo is by far the prettiest beach we found in the entire area. We found the amenities listed to be accurate and then some. Wonderful vacation. Amazing house

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