How can you ever leave your house?

Guest: LauraR (blowing rock, North Carolina, USA)
Date of Stay: 02/20/09 Review Submitted: 03/12/09

Dear Paul, We are packing up and straightening things here at Albacore, as we sadly have to leave your lovely home and Costa Rica to return to "reality." It has been a very special, fun and relaxing vacation for all of us. I'm glad you contacted me from the Yahoo VR group, as I have no idea where we might have ended up in CR otherwise. We stayed within the area for the 7 full days we were here. Since our son is just 2 1/2 and we returned each afternoon for his nap, we didn't want to venture too far. A couple of days we just played on the beach, swam in the pool and walked in the "jungle" behind the house. Your home is beautiful here, how do you leave? I hope you get to come often. What is the story with the location and place next door? It looks like it may have been a restaurant of some sort but also looks like there is a helicopter pad next door. The beach is unparalleled in it's beauty and serenity. I walked almost daily and Matt took many runs - I will never forget the beauty and incredible solitude! I definitely have never seen anything like it anywhere else. We enjoyed many lunches and dinners in the tower. We saw lots of monkeys one day on our trek back to the trees behind the house but we didn't see them again. We saw some macaws here and there, but never the big group that you described. The house is very well equipped, especially considering we are in Costa Rica! It seems as though the living here is actually pretty good compared to some other Central and Latin American countries. It was a great luxury to have a US phone. Our son had a nice time making some calls to his grandparents to tell them about his adventures and my husband was able to receive some birthday calls from his family. The wireless is also great, as well as having a dishwasher and washer/dryer. We find those things have heightened importance now in order to keep up with work and keep after our son. Thank you for everything, Laura Roe and family

Owner response:I appreciate this review as the guest is a Vacation Rental owner herself. It lets us know we are doing a good job at Albacore.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+, people with disabilities, sightseeing, families with young children.

Great stay at Albacore!

Guest: harroody (Northborough, MA)
Date of Stay: 07/03/10 Review Submitted: 09/22/10

Paul, We had a great stay at Albacore. You've got a wonderful house, and we thoroughly enjoyed it! We were there for 8 nights in July, 2010, in two 4-night segments (we went to Arenal for 4 nights in between). Thanks for being kind enough to allow us to leave some stuff at the house in between the rentals, which was extremely helpful. Thanks so much for your recommendation of Zuma Rent A Car. They were great. They’re a small company, with just an office in Jaco, but they’ll pick you up at the San Jose airport and drive you to Jaco (in your rental car). Arriving at midnight, trying to find the house would have been difficult (in fact, the Zuma guy took us to the wrong house initially!). We really enjoyed the autonomy of having our own car, and we were happy that we had a 4WD vehicle. We enjoyed eating at Jungle Surf and Las Olas (both in Playa Hermosa). Dos Gringos and Pizza Bocha (also in Playa Hermosa) were just OK (but, both deliver to Albacore, which was a plus – we left the menus by the phone in the house). In Jaco, we enjoyed Caliche's Wishbone and Lemon Zest, which is an absolutely amazing place. We learned about it from Tripadvisor, and everything that everyone says is absolutely true. It was expensive, but it was our one real splurge, and it was worth it. We enjoyed Manuel Antonio Park. We hired a guide (he was at the official Manuel Antonio Park lot), and it was worth it. He showed us so much that we would have missed (his telescope was great).. We did the Chiclets zipline canopy tour. This was a blast, and the Zuma discount was wonderful (from $60 to $33 – it was supposed to be 40%, but they gave us 45%. We went sportfishing: Josh at www.hookedoncostarica.com was great! We got surfing lessons from Las Olas (Playa Hermosa), and they took us into Jaco for the calmer surf. So, back to the house … The beach was lovely (powerful waves – watch out!), the sunsets amazing. The watch tower was great; it’s amazing to see the ocean on one side and the jungle on the other. We had fun watching the surfers (you have to be on the beach early, though), walking the beach. We enjoyed the pool as well. The amenities in the house are great: gas stove, dishwasher, fridge, and having the washer and dryer was such a help, especially when we returned from the Arenal area with lots of wet and dirty clothes. Thanks again for a great stay at Albacore!

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

Guest: Will 1 (Raleigh, NC)
Date of Stay: 02/25/10 Review Submitted: 02/25/10

I just got back from my stay and recommend this nice home highly! Very comfortable king size bed!! I am an old surfer and can tell you that I rented a long board in Jaco for $10 a day and had a blast. There were a few days when the surf was too big for me but most days you can take your choice of smaller waves or larger ones. I saw a number of younger surfers catching a small tube or two. I think the true test of the house was when we had a huge thunderstorm, raining cats and dogs for about 3 hours. This caused a problem with the pool but Paul, Gary and the rest of the guys really stepped up and solved the problem. We also really enjoyed buying fresh fish, shrimp and lobster from the man that stopped by most nights. Paul's grill is top notch and we used it extensively. Luis the gardener was great! He was there cleaning up but was very low key. I hope you enjoy the hammock I left, just no room in the luggage. Activities I recommend, the butterfly, frog and snake tour about 5 km north of Jaco. The Crocodile Man tour in Tarcoles (we had a great guide). Horse back riding and the zipline tour at Golfo Vista hotel about 15km from Puntarenas. If you have the money fishing in Quepos is great, we got a sailfish, big mahi mahi and a small skip jack tuna on a slow day. Night life in Jaco is a mix. A lot of things start very late around 11pm (late for us). The Plankton club had nice music and good service and the food was good, but dancing was a bit of a challenge due to space and it opened at 9pm. There are a number of clubs for single men that we did not go to, the Monkey Bar, the Jungle Club and I forgot the others. If you are a beer drinker Imperial Beer is the best, and I have a couple of tee shirts to prove it!! Bring lots of sunscreen and insect repellent when you go on the jungle tours. My other recommendations are a probiotic pill and two Pepto Bismal chewable tablets every day to ward off travelers sickness. Our travel nurse also gave us a prescription for Cipro in case of bacterial intestinal infection but we had no issues. Another good travel tip is to bring dry Gatorade in case you need to maintain hydration in case you have problems. I have traveled a lot and these are good tips where ever you travel including in the US.

Owner response:Thanks very much Will for this detailed review! It is very helpful for people planning their trip. Paul

Recommended for:

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 02/22/10 Review Submitted: 02/22/10

We rented this house and brought our family here for 10 days (Feb. 3, 2010 to Feb. 13, 2010. We have adult children and we all had such a blast. This is a great house. Right on the beach with good surf right out front! The pool was fabulous, the watchtower so great, everything about this house we loved. We will definetly be back. It is close enough to everything and also far enough away. It gives the true flavor of the Playa Hermosa area. Las Olas has the best maple syrup I have ever tasted. We love Costa Rica and we loved the house! Pura Vida!

Owner response:Thanks Patty and Larry for sharing your experience of Albacore. Even I didn`t know about the maple syrup! Paul and Pamela

Recommended for:

Guest: Heidi Shannon (Montreal, Quebec)
Date of Stay: 03/17/09 Review Submitted: 03/17/09

Paul and Pamela, Myself and 6 of my close friends stayed at the Albacore home. We all could not believe where we were. Every night on the deck listening to the waves and all the little creatures. The smell of the Ocean and relaxing by the pool, what a life!! The activities were so fun and different, things we can't do in Canada like surfing everyday or zip lining through the jungle. I don't think one of us had a complaint. We will never forget this vacation and what we experienced there. The beautiful sunsets (and sunrise's), the kind, easy going people. This way of life in Costa Rica will stay with us forever. Pura Vida!!!! Thank you so much for this great experience of such an extrodinary place. Heidi Shannon and friends!!!

Recommended for:

Guest: From the Roe family first day (US)
Date of Stay: 03/14/09 Review Submitted: 03/14/09

Saturday, our first full day, we decided to relax at our house and explore the sights around us. We started the day with a walk on the beach where we were treated to "wild" horses, pelicans, neat rocks and sand dollars and gorgeous, quiet black volcanic sand that stretched for miles. We had a great time playing in the warm water and waves. Then it was back to the house for a dip in the pool, lunch and nap time for Tyler. After nap time, we went on a hike behind our house to see what animals we could find in the jungle. We were treated to lots of white faced capuchin monkeys swinging and jumping through the trees. Tyler was in heaven - although he does keep asking to find the lions. Next, we trekked back to the store for a few items, and returned for an evening swim and dinner at the house. What a day!!!

Recommended for:

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 09/17/08 Review Submitted: 09/17/08

In Spanish and English below:La alta calidad en el servicio y las condiciones de la propiedad se unieron a un maravilloso tiempo que en compañía de una familia excepcional hicieron de nuestro fin de de semana en Albacore, unas vacaciones que recordaremos por siempre. El lujo, la comodidad y el placer se mezclaron de manera muy sutil para lograr que los que ahí nos hospedamos, pasáramos un fin de semana en la tierra sintiéndonos como en el cielo. Gracias por su fina atención. Saludos cordiales, Roony Arguedas D.Coordinador de Servicios Generales.In English:The high quality in the service and the conditions of the property was united with a wonderful time that in company of an exceptional family we found our aim of a great week in Albacore, a vacation that we will remember always.The luxury, the comfort and the pleasure were mixed in a very subtle way that we found when we stayed there, we spent a weekend in the Earth feeling to us like we were in the sky.Thanks for its fine attention.Warm greetings,Roony Arguedas D.Coordinator of General Services.

Recommended for:

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 09/01/08 Review Submitted: 09/17/08

Our stay at Albacore will be one of the most cherished memories of my life. From it's scenic views of the beaches and rain forest to the posh amenities and comfort, Albacore had everything we wanted and then some. My time spent in Costa Rica will always be remembered and it could not have been possible without our truly magical stay at Albacore. My only regret is that we didn't longer! There's always next year!!!"

Recommended for:

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 09/01/08 Review Submitted: 09/17/08

In Spanish and English below: La alta calidad en el servicio y las condiciones de la propiedad se unieron a un maravilloso tiempo que en compañía de una familia excepcional hicieron de nuestro fin de de semana en Albacore, unas vacaciones que recordaremos por siempre. El lujo, la comodidad y el placer se mezclaron de manera muy sutil para lograr que los que ahí nos hospedamos, pasáramos un fin de semana en la tierra sintiéndonos como en el cielo. Gracias por su fina atención. Saludos cordiales, Roony Arguedas D. Coordinador de Servicios Generales. In English: The high quality in the service and the conditions of the property was united with a wonderful time that in company of an exceptional family we found our aim of a great week in Albacore, a vacation that we will remember always. The luxury, the comfort and the pleasure were mixed in a very subtle way that we found when we stayed there, we spent a weekend in the Earth feeling to us like we were in the sky. Thanks for its fine attention. Warm greetings, Roony Arguedas D. Coordinator of General Services.

Owner response:Dear Roony, So nice to have this feedback in Spanish and English! The Costa Ricans all know Playa Hermosa. So glad you liked the house. Paul

Recommended for:

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/01/08 Review Submitted: 07/24/08

Hi Paul, Just wanted to tell you how nice of a trip we had in Costa Rica, it was one of the best trips we've taken! Your tips on restaurants were great and the directions were perfect as well. We enjoyed spending time out on the lookout deck watching the waves and the iguanas on the roof! The house was great and we had a really relaxing time in it and just wanted to say thank you. We're excited to go back to Costa Rica in the future and when we do we'd love to stay at Albacore again and relive some of the great memories we had there! Thanks again and take care, Dave Nichols

Recommended for: