PURA VIDA !!!!

Guest: RobFamily (Tennessee)
Date of Stay: 07/28/11 Review Submitted: 08/05/11

Jerry and Joan, just wanted to thank you for the use of your condo on our first trip to beautiful Costa Rica. The condo exceeded our expectations in every way. You have thought of everything!!! The pool area is a little piece of heaven. We loved the quietness of Playa Langosta and the easy access to Tamarindo. We walked to Tamarindo every day and enjoyed the shopping experience and the great food. Dining on the local beaches was a highlight of our trip and there were MANY highlights!!! The quaint grocery store just down the road was a nice touch as well. I can honestly say this was the best family vacation we have ever had. Costa Rica is a truly amazing place to visit. Thanks to Bill too for his funny and informative advice on vacating in Costa Rica. We met him and his wife while we were there. Thanks again!!!

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, age 55+, tourists without a car.

Costa Rica Vacation

Guest: BrownsFan (Silver Lake Ohio)
Date of Stay: 02/07/11 Review Submitted: 04/10/11

We had an excellent time during our vacation. Can't say enough about the beautiful condo - no disappoinments at all.

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

Guest: Norm and Flo (-)
Date of Stay: 01/27/11 Review Submitted: 03/30/11

Sorry for the late reply. All was great in CR. We started with our tour with Caravan Tours which was excellent. Tortegurera was the highlight. We had to travel 1 hr. 45 min. by boat to get to the lodge and was very enjoyable. We also went up to Los Chilies which is right close to the Nicaragua boarder. Arenal and Los Poas was also nice but cloudy in Arenal. We left the tour at the Marriott which is just 20 minutes from your condo. The shuttle driver actually took us to Tamirando, stopped for groceries, picked up keys and took us to your condo. So that was worth a giant tip. Very hassle free. Enjoyed your condo very much. Found the walk into town very hot but would stop off and have refreshments on the way. We loved being at the beach at watching the tide come in and watching people stranded as they couldn't cross the water. We also went up to Playa Conchos by cab just for a change. After Tamirando we went to Manuel Antonio which took most of the day but very enjoyable. Stopped and watched the alligators under the bridge near Jaco and went into Jaco for a bit. The Parador Hotel was very nice with a beautiful secluded beach close by. Enjoyed Manuel Antonio Park and the swimming was wonderful with the water calm and sooo warm. All in all we saw alot of CR. Two nights in San Jose was enough since they didn;t recommend leaving the hotel after dark. I don't think we will be returning to CR since we have been there twice and there is so many places to see. I must say all the people we met were wonderful and the locals are very nice people who we felt we could trust. I am so glad we had you as a contact and wish you well. We may get back to Florida soon since it is such a nice state to visit and get away from the cold. Take care, Cheers, Florence and Norm

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Guest: Michael (-)
Date of Stay: 03/16/11 Review Submitted: 03/30/11

Hi, We had an amazing time staying at your place...the tree, the pool it was incredible. We surfed at the playa langosta and tamarindo, but our favorite by far was avellanas - the best waves of the trip. Thank you so much we will def reccomend your place to our friends and will hopefully come back ourselves... -Michael

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Beyond expectations

Guest: Bill (Gig Harbor, WA USA)
Date of Stay: 02/17/10 Review Submitted: 02/08/11

Jerry and Joan, We've always heard great things about Costa Rica. What a great surprise to discover it lives up to it's reputation and then some! Your condo is pristine, the people are great, the weather was perfect, but perhaps the biggest surprise was the dining out. In ten nights we never had a bad meal. To potential guests: Do make the drive to Lola's in Playa Avellanas. Do walk to the mouth of the river in Tamarindo and rent a guide to take you into the jungle in his boat ($20). Zip line at Cartegena, or select one from Jerry's book at the condo. Eat out - often! Best dining experiences in Tamarindo were: Carolina's, Seasons, and The Beach Club between Langosta and Tamarindo. Lastly, if you rent a car (you should), consider the extra money for an SUV. It's beefier suspension will tame that drive to Lola's!

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

Guest: Mike, Laurie, Colby and Carson (-)
Date of Stay: 03/13/09 Review Submitted: 11/17/10

We greatly appreciated and enjoyed staying here at La Esquina. Your info prior to our arrival was very beneficial and made our vacation flow without a wrinkle. We will certainly be visiting Costa Rica again one day soon. Our adventures thru Varges Tours were awesome-zipline trip to borquin, Palo Verde River trip and lunch at Ortegas. Our Arenal hike and spa day at 'The Springs". Our tour guide, Manuel and driver John were the best, very friendly, very knowledgeable, we would not book with anyone else. The food was great every place we tried, with our favorites being Dragonfly for dinner and Nougi's for pie. Everyone in Costa Rica has been very friendly and helpful. Her at La Esquina, Carlos was very welcoming and helpful. We have seen beautiful sunsets, lots of animals and great accommodations which have made for the end of the week something we had hoped wouldn't come so quickly. We also had the pleasure of meeting "Kitty". This was a wonderful way to celebrate the 18th birthday of a friend staying at Bill and Beth's condo and the senior year of her and our son Colby. Thanks for playing a role in a great week! Texas

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Guest: Jenn, Dave, David, Mellisa, Eric (-)
Date of Stay: 04/27/08 Review Submitted: 11/17/10

Dear Joan and Jerry, We loved your condo! The place was perfect. Surf day at Avellanas was a bust but Langosta great. The location is also perfect-just far enough out of town to feel like your own private beach, but close enough for a stroll into Tamarindo for dinner (Pachangas and Sunset Grill were yummy) Thanks again for making this such a wonderful relaxing vacation. LA/SF CA

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Guest: Marina and Eddie (-)
Date of Stay: 03/14/08 Review Submitted: 11/17/10

Dear Jerry, Joan and Family, What can we say?! Everyone has already said how wonderful and perfect your condo is. It is truly a gem in the rough. After a long day out and about surfing snorkeling, beach combing, shopping...etc it was truly a reassuring and promising end to a wonderful day to come back to the condo and enjoy the luxury of this beautifully furnished and well equipped home. Thank you for making our vacation all the more enjoyable. Pura Vida Hopefully the roads in Tamarindo will be a little bit better by the time we decide to return and believe me-we will return. As an added tip for future guests. Travelers Checks are very rarely welcome anymore. Please mention you must have your original passport when cashing travelers checks at the banks. They won't take copies. Visa, Mastercard are readily in hand. Thanks a million. Marina and Eddie CA

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Guest: Terry and Danyle (-)
Date of Stay: 06/05/09 Review Submitted: 11/17/10

Jerry and Joan, We can't thank you enough for your hospitality, our stay in CR could not have ben better. The surfing was outstanding. Our highlight was the trip to Arenal-what an amazing site. We hiked to the 1992 lava flow and sat for a very long time watching the volcano "spit" rocks from the top and tracking them as they rolled down the side. Highly suggest a stay at Tabacon, but it is a bit on the pricey side. While there, do visit the La Fortuna Waterfall but be prepared, the hike back up is not easy. The ATV tour in Tamarindo was a blast. make sure it comes with lots of mud and rain. One of our favorite places to eat is La Balua,-the pizza is the best we have eaten anywhere. We hope to return soon. Warm Regards, Terry and Danyle-FL

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Guest: The Priors (-)
Date of Stay: 02/19/07 Review Submitted: 11/17/10

"We had a wonderful time, we will never forget this vacation. Thank you very much. Your condo is beautiful and we felt like we were in Paradise. We will return but next time we are going to stay for one month. Thank you again for all your help and information. The Prior's CA

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