Vacation Rentals by Owner

Ready for a third visit to Casa de la Playa!

Guest: Constance (Cape Cod)
Date of Stay: 01/08/12 Review Submitted: 02/01/12

My little family loves going to Nosara for vacation. I met my husband there 6 years ago at the Harmony Hotel, and we have gone back to Nosara almost every year since with our kids. When I found Casa de la Playa and the overall Playa Pelada experience 2 years ago, we never looked back. This is our second stay at Casa de la Playa and the house is a gem. Perfect location, peace you can't buy on or near Guiones, and close enough that you can enjoy it all. Restaurants abound close by in Pelada and then more are just a short drive to Guiones or a nice walk down the beach. Mark and Paige go above and beyond to outfit their home with a clean, high end and tranquil decor, which I feel really allows you to enjoy your stay sleeping and relaxing when you're not in the water, zip lining, or doing yoga:) The owners are fountains of information on the area, and we feel that we share a real love of the same place with them. My husband and I have a ritual of getting up with the monkeys and roosters and taking our coffee out on the porch. Always a nice breeze or perfect shade, and then off to the beach for a walk or run. The grounds are impeccable and run by a very friendly staff. You just always feel as though you have nothing to worry about. Check out Largata Lodge for breakfast- the most breathtaking views of Playa Pelada, the river mouth and Playa Nosara. It's just up the hill from the house. We highly recommend this property and looking forward to going back!

Owner response:Thank you for this wonderful review. It's hard to describe to people that you can have peace and quiet or you can experience total adventure, or have big doses of both with this location...it's your choice, but you did it with this review. Thank you! We really enjoy hearing from you.

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

A+ Grade for Casa de la Playa!

Guest: Karen (Canada)
Date of Stay: 12/29/11 Review Submitted: 01/16/12

We had a wonderful time at Casa de la Playa - so much in fact that we lost track of the dates and thought we were leaving on the Sunday and not the Saturday! When the property manager called to arrange to pick up the keys, we were certainly surprised, and of course disappointed ... A great house with great access to what seemed a private beach. We definitely recommend it!

Owner response:Thank you! Of Nosara's three beaches; Playa Pelada is always described as the most picturesque with its tidepools, blowholes, rock walls at one end...and most of the time it does feel like your own private beach. Thank you for choosing our home!

Recommended for:Families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Pura Vida indeed!!!

Guest: PoCo Tico (Port Coquitlam BC Canada)
Date of Stay: 11/20/11 Review Submitted: 12/16/11

Hola!! WOW what an adventure. Let me start by saying thanks for all of the wonderful advice you were able to pass along. We tried just about everything we could think of and had the trip of a lifetime. The house was great, well stocked, comfortable, cozy, and PERFECTLY located. What a gem. All of the restaurants we went to were amazing and we tried almost all of them. The quality and freshness of the food was unbelievable. Can't speak highly enough about the places you recommended. Pancho's, Basilica pizza, la luna, romantica, la garta, robins, and i know i'm forgetting a few. All get top marks The zip lining, deep sea fishing, beach relaxing, driving, monkey watching, turtle nesting complete with river crossing and especially ATVing we're all great. The couple @ Boca ATV tours i think it was, were so great. we asked for the special offer as instructed and we are so happy we did. They came and dropped off an ATV right at the house, gave us some directions and left us to it. A day neither of us will ever forget. Just the two of us in the costa rican wilderness. a real trip highlight The front porch was a favourite for us too. My Girlfriend loved the hanging chair so much we spent more than one evening after the sunset with cocktails going over the days adventures. After a beautiful day boogie boarding, Zip lining, and a grand meal at cafe de paris (knew i was forgetting some) she was in the swing chair and it was the perfect opportunity for me to propose. Much to my relief she said yes Thanks for sharing your wonderful slice of paradise with us and providing me the perfect backdrop for the beginning of the rest of our lives together. We will never forget our time in Costa Rica. I could not give a stronger recommendation to anyone looking for a true adventure with a beautiful home to stay in. Thanks again. Pura Vida (I finally understand just what that means)

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Your search is over

Guest: Mark C.3 (Charlotte, NC USA)
Date of Stay: 08/19/11 Review Submitted: 12/02/11

My wife, my parents and I spent 7 days here in Mid August. It's exactly as advertised. Gorgeous house in a great location. Threre was plenty of room in the house for the two couples not to feel crowded. The pool was unbelieveable actually. Pictures do not do it justice. We spent hours hanging out by the pool. Playa Pelada is gorgeous to look at and play in the tide pools (though not my first choice for swimming). It's a good hike to get to Playa Guiones but it's pretty and you can stop half way and grab a drink at Olga's. We went zip lining (a must), horse back riding, surfing, fishing (saw a humpback and her calf), bird watching, and had many, many great meals boht out and cooked-in. We went to 4 locations in CR and this was by far the nicest accomodations we had. The owners were very helpful in supplying suggestions and advice. The only challenge to keep in mind is that if you are planning to heavily surf Guiones and want to bring / rent a board for multiple days, know that the hike to get there would be much more arduous lugging a board (I would definitely be very tired and my wife physically wouldn't be able to do it). We worked aorund this issue by rented boards everyday when we arrived (and drove there mostly) so it wasn;t an issue. All in all, it's truly a special place and we all can't wait to go back.

Owner response:Thanks for this nice review Mark! Your last line "it's truly a special place and we all can't wait to go back" says it all for us. We appreciate our guests' comments - they help us continually improve to make sure everybody has a great experience. Thanks and pura vida!

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

Fantastic Beach House in Paradise!!!!!

Guest: Debbie (Pinehurst, North Carolina, USA)
Date of Stay: 07/24/11 Review Submitted: 08/16/11

I had a great stay at this fabulous beach house except the stay was way too short! 8 days flew by in Paradise 2 weeks ago, and I felt like I had come home as soon as I walked into the house. Everything I needed was provided, including beach chairs & towels, plus the kitchen is better than mine with all the appliances and utensils you'll ever need. The beds were comfortable and I slept great only to be awakened by the howler monkeys, which is a perfect alarm! The front and back porches are relaxing getaways for a nap in the hammock or cocktails at sunset before you take your short walk to the beach to see the sunset in all it's glory. I'm looking forward to going back and renting this house for a much longer time frame. The location is perfect with a short walk to La Luna & Olga's, both a must! Plus you are away from most of the tourists in this private residential area, complete with a pool, too! It has it all!!! 5 stars for sure!!!!

Owner response:Thanks so much for your review. It's always good to hear the house met and/or hopefully exceeded our guests' expectations. Nosara is the star of the show- full of beauty, charm, and adventure but we certainly enjoy providing a comfortable home at the end of the day. Thanks again for choosing Casa de la Playa - we hope to see you again!

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

Guest: Vicki & Todd
Date of Stay: 01/05/11 Review Submitted: 04/23/11

Thanks for sharing your lovely home with us. Our time in CR was fun filled and wonderfully relaxing. The boys surfed till they dropped. Miss Sky was a "must-do" and magnificent experience, even if you're afraid. Todd and Hunter went fishing with Captain Nino and same back very satisfied with their catch. To our delight one afternoon about 15 monkeys arrived above us at the pool. We watched them (several babies on their mothers) for over an hour. Thanks again for sharing your great home!

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Guest: Berta, Michael, Nathan, MaryLou
Date of Stay: 12/29/10 Review Submitted: 04/23/11

There is something for everyone in Nosara. Like all the previous guest comments we thoroughly enjoyed Casa de la Playa. Thank you Mark & Paige for opening up your home to us. This vacation treated us to the incredible Costa Rican experience-beach, great people and an opportunity for our family to make memories. Your house is fantastic & outfitted with anything you could possibly need. We had a great time and have a deeper appreciation and love of Costa Rica. Until next time Nosara!

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Great House near the beach

Guest: Ben (Sonoma, CA)
Date of Stay: 07/06/10 Review Submitted: 11/01/10

House: beautiful, clean, quiet, spacious, comfortable. Location: easy walk to beach, near to Nosara for activities (surfing, zip-line, turtles), great for our nature loving family of four (kids 7 and 9 yrs old) Owners and caretaker were all friendly, helpful, and professional. A great Costa Rican experience.

Owner response:Thanks for the testimonial Ben! We're glad you enjoyed the house and the Nosara area. It is a great house for a nature-loving family as you're literally immersed in it! Thanks again for choosing Casa de la Playa! Pura vida!

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

Phenomenal location for beach lovers and really comfortable house

Guest: Turtle Beach (New England)
Date of Stay: 03/20/10 Review Submitted: 06/28/10

We rented this house in March 2010 and except for a one day excursion to San Juanillo, we never left the immediate neighborhood. The house is big, very well equipped, lots of bathrooms and bedrooms and space to spread out in. Everything was in excellent condition. It was a big plus to have our own washer dryer right there! . From the beginning, the owners were helpful and friendly, offering many suggestions on where to go and what to do. The onsite caretaker (for the next door condo complex)and the official house caretaker were also attentive and extremely helpful about everything. This location cannot be beat. You are steps from Playa Pelada, the Nosara River refuge, the tidepools and just a few minutes from Olga's bar which was our favorite place for eating fish and watching the ocean. Choose a good low tide morning and walk many miles all the way to the end of Playa Nosara. The pool (at the adjacent condo complex) was beautiful and had lots of shade and lounging area. If you are looking to spend time on a stretch of beautiful beaches and relax in total comfort this is the place to rent. There are also lots of exciting things to do (ziplining, etc.) if you are adventurous but Pelada was so gorgeous it was hard to leave the area. Best sunsets, great restaurants nearby, shells and wildlife galore.

Owner response:Thanks for the great review! We feel the same-it's all about the location and this one allows you to do exactly what you want to do. Like you - you can choose to just simply relax or because of the house's ideal location you can choose to seek adventure (zip-lining, turtle watching, surfing, etc.) or a happy medium between the two. Thank you for choosing Casa de la Playa-pura vida!

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

Guest: Alison Arians & Dan Schwartz (Anchorage, Alaska)
Date of Stay: 02/26/10 Review Submitted: 02/26/10

Look no further for your perfect vacation house! SETTING: The house is as close as you can get to the beach in Nosara—a 30 second walk through the maritime zone, where no development is allowed. The beach is Playa Pelada, the less busy of the two Nosara beaches. This end of the beach is practically deserted, providing you with your own private beach to play in the surf, make sand castles, walk, and sunbathe. Also, we love to walk to the beach every evening to watch the sun set into the ocean! Since Playa Pelada is next door to the most popular surfing beach (Playa Guiones), you’ll never see crowds here. But if you DO want to surf, or boogie board on Playa Guiones, or walk to the many restaurants and shops there, it’s only a 20-minute walk. This end of Nosara is the quieter end, which means that the house is peaceful and calm. But you might be woken by howler monkeys at sunrise!LANDSCAPING: The back and front yards are surrounded by beautiful palms and banana fronds, which provide welcome and lovely shade, even in mid-day. You can lounge in the hammock under the roof over the back veranda, or sit to read or eat in the beautiful furniture in the backyard (we eat all our meals outside!). You can shower off from the beach or the pool in the outdoor shower outside. Frankly, we are hardly ever INSIDE the house, except to cook, wash dishes, and sleep at night. INTERIOR: The inside of the house is LOVELY, and all the rooms are very comfortable. The kitchen is remarkably well-stocked, making cooking very fun! The whole house is air-conditioned, but we never turn it on downstairs, preferring to keep the breezes flowing through and spending our time outside. There is DSL internet, too! POOL: You have access to the huge and beautiful pool in the condo complex right next-door. It’s so big that I swim laps in it! It’s shaded by a rancho at one end, surrounded by trees, and sloping up to a shallow end for kids at the other side. YOGA: We love to take yoga classes at the open-air pavilion in the forest at Nosara B&B, a minute’s walk away. SECURE: The house is safe and secure, with a safe for your valuables. The staff and manager are friendly, efficient, and helpful. Paige and Mark, the owners of the house, are extremely helpful and responsive in answering any questions you have before you come to Nosara. We love this house, the location, and everything about it. We will come back next year, for sure!

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Guest: Lindsay19 (Naples, Fl)
Date of Stay: 12/29/09 Review Submitted: 12/29/09

Wow! We were very happily surprised to find this vacation rental was so well maintained and comfortable. We’ve been to Nosara before and absolutely love the area; having such a pretty place to call “home” for the week made our return even more special. We found the house well stocked and decorated with the perfect Costa Rican flair. It was a big plus to have the beach in the backyard. Our group went back and forth several times a day for sunning and walking, exploring, swimming and snorkeling, and no one missed our nightly toast to the amazing sunsets. We met your neighbors who recommended a few delightful restaurants and we all joined up the following night for sunset and dinner. It was fun to stay in such a warm and welcoming community. The one thing we really need to do on vacation is relax and a week in your little slice of paradise was just what the doctor ordered. Many, many thanks!

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Guest: June5 (Bryn Mawr, Pa)
Date of Stay: 12/18/09 Review Submitted: 12/18/09

We had a wonderful time in Nosara/Playa Pelada and thoroughly enjoyed your home. There was so much to do - the guys went deep sea fishing with Captain Nino from Garza...this guy knows where to find the fish! We caught so many fish we ended up having a party with all the people in the neighborhood. While we did that the girls had Zulema come to the house and give them massages. We also went zip-lining on the Miss Sky - guides were great, views were amazing, so well organized. We also trekked the Biological Reserve through the Lagarta Lodge which was really informative. I suggest paying to have their guide go with you - we would have missed so much without her. Her knowledge of the flora and fauna is astounding and we were better able to appreciate our surroundings after that experience. We took a couple of side trips, too - up to San Junilla to snorkle (not too many fish but a beautiful beach)and Ostional. Every night we went down to the beach and watched the sunset. This is a big thing with the community and we met all kinds of great people both locals, ex-pats, and other people visiting the country. Saw not only my first "green flash" but a second one as well! We enjoyed coming home every night to your wonderful home. We thoroughly enjoyed the way it was decorated with Costa Rican pottery, photos of local places, artwork, etc. Every morning we watched humming birds in the rocking chairs on the front lanai (as well as the two iguanas who live in the tree across the street). We also enjoyed the fact that you supplied outdoor furniture for the back lanai where we could relax in the afternoon. Seriously, your home was one of the best stocked homes we've ever rented from wine glasses to plastic for the kids. Trip of a lifetime - we'll be back!

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Guest: Trina 2 (Buckingham, Pa)
Date of Stay: 12/15/09 Review Submitted: 12/15/09

Our vacation to Nosara was amazing. There was so much to see and do. We couldn't have asked for a better location to stay. The house was clearly well maintained and equipped. Being so close to the beach made us feel like it was our very own. The caretakers were easily available to assist with any questions that we had. Thank you for the wonderful accomodations, we will definitely be back.

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Guest: Leigh17 (Alexandria, VA)
Date of Stay: 12/15/09 Review Submitted: 12/15/09

November, 2009 Wow, what a fabulous vacation we enjoyed in Nosara, Costa Rica! Thank you for sharing your house, Casa de la Playa, with my husband, our friends and me for a week. The house is perfectly situated---within a minute walking distance to the beach of Playa Pelada! What more could we ask for than virtually our own private beach with spectacular sunsets each evening. The house is also very close to a variety of restaurants & bars, as well as activities including kayaking, hiking through a biological reserve, canopy tours, ATVs, horse back riding and much more. The house is set up perfectly for 2 couples to share with each large bedroom having its own private bath. There was plenty of room for all four of us to lounge in the living room, read on the the balcony and eat our fresh-caught grilled fish at the dining room table. Casa de la Playa was so comfortable that it felt like our home away from home in Costa Rica. It was one of the best vacations we have been on and our friends felt so as well. We are already looking at our calendars to see if we can return next year!

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Guest: Tula 1 (San Francisco, CA)
Date of Stay: 04/18/08 Review Submitted: 04/18/08

This house is wonderful! Our party had 4 adults and it was the perfect set up. The house is very clean and nicely decorated. The kitchen is well stocked with all dishes and utensils so you can enjoy cooking the local food. There was adequate linens and towels and the washer and dryer was great so you can pack less! The pool area is top notch with a covered cabana with a sink and lots of counter space. The pool is also well maintained. The beach is seconds away and has a great area to snorkel when the tide is out. We absolutely enjoyed our stay in Nosara and were very pleased with the house.

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Guest: Chappy Hopkin (Beverly, NJ)
Date of Stay: 01/28/08 Review Submitted: 01/28/08

We were there in early December '07 and had an absolutely wonderful time! First of all, your home was so tastefully decorated (unlike some of the frat houses we've had the bad luck to come across). It's beautiful and beautifully maintained. We loved your artwork and pottery, Costa Rican furniture, and the woodwork and tiles were gorgeous. It was so nice to come into a house that actually had everything from wine glasses to tupperware. It's obvious you love this home and put alot of thought into it. Thanks so much for sharing it with us. The 30 second walk to the beach was unbelieveable...and the monkeys were a hoot (literally). We felt like the beach was our own! The restaurants tucked into the jungle were excellent and the Costa Rican people are amazing. We met so many incredible people there that made our trip so special. I'm running out of accolades, so I'll wrap it up with a sample thank you for helping me bring to reality the wonderful family vacation that we will remember for years.

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Guest: Jay 3 (Virginia)
Date of Stay: 01/25/08 Review Submitted: 01/25/08

Thank you so much for providing the perfect backdrop for my marraige proposal! Your house was so special and just what I was looking for. The location was perfect, we felt that it was peaceful, yet close to everything we needed. The beautiful beach, where I proposed was extremely romantic. It was almost like our own private beach, it is so wonderful and unspoiled! My fiance was so impressed with my choice of your house and the excellent location. We will never forget Playa Pelada or your casa! Thank you for assisting in making my proposal so special. We look forward to returning soon!

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Guest: Jen A.1 (Washington, DC)
Date of Stay: 01/25/08 Review Submitted: 01/25/08

Costa Rica was our dream come true! From the beginning you were great to deal with and your representative in Nosara, Eduardo, in addition to being knowledgeable, courteous and prompt, fluently bi-lingual, had good-natured patience making him a joy to work with. We did it all - zip lining, horse-back riding on the beach, we went up to Ostional and saw the Ridley turtles swimming in by the hundreds to lay their eggs, swam, surfed (sort of) ate and drank to our hearts' content. We loved all of your suggestions, particularly the La Luna restaurant and Giordano's (we met your chef friend there - FoFo, great guy and great place). We loved coming home at the end of every day to our sanctuary, your home. It's clearly one of the nicest rentals we've ever come across. We loved everything from our balconies to the oversized bathrooms and showers. We want to thank you for a perfect holiday. We will recommend your home to everyone we know. Should the good fortune of another trip to Costa Rica come our way - you'll be the first I call to reserve your wonderful home.

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