Vacaciones para repetir

Guest: Andres (Madrid, Spain)
Date of Stay: 08/17/11 Review Submitted: 09/12/11

Este pasado agosto alquilamos la casa La Fortuna para disfrutar 9 días con mi familia. Por la web parecía muy bonita. La realidad, ESPECTACULAR. Amueblada con exquisito gusto, muy funcional, una playa para ti solo, una piscina que te relaja e invita a la lectura, unos atardeceres preciosos, unos jardines de ensueño... En fin, nos nos cansaríamos de ponerle todo tipo de adjetivos. Otra cosa mas, esta atendida por los encantadores Sandy y Rick, siempre atentos, acogedores, haciendote sentir como en casa. En definitiva, un acierto. VOLVEREMOS.

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

Outstanding family vacation Christmas/New Year 2010

Guest: Stuart Wilson (New York, New York)
Date of Stay: 01/17/10 Review Submitted: 01/05/11

Our family of 8 ( 6 adults, a child aged 4 and a baby of 18 months) stayed at Casa Fortuna over the Christmas and New Year holidays, 2010. We had an excellent vacation. The house and surounding beach are exactly as depicted on the photos on the web site and inside it is better that the photos show. The location is fantastic - right next to a beach where the sand is washed twice daily by the Pacific Ocean and with a well positioned and private pool behind the house. We ate outside every day in a spacious dining area by the pool and on the terrace by the sea. While the location is delightful, Rick and Sandra enriched our stay significantly. They provided dinner every evening and breakfast on Christmas day morning. The food was very good and they were helpful and extremely friendly. They turned an ideal location into an outstanding family holiday. Finally we must mention Alejandro. The lovely house is an hour from the airport, which might be a drawback for some, but Alejandro's safe and reliable transportation eliminated any issues with arrival and departure. He greeted three separate arrivals and arrived on time for three separate departures ( one at 4.30 am!).

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children.

Family Vacation

Guest: kriddy (Toronto)
Date of Stay: 12/04/10 Review Submitted: 12/11/10

Wow, wow, wow! This property was absolutely fantastic! The pictures do not do it justice. We spent a week at Casa Fortuna to celebrate our parents 40th wedding anniversary. Our ages ranged from 11 to 60 year of age and there was something to do for everyone. The house was immaculate. Everything you could possibly need was there from dishes to towels to c.d' s to comfortable beds, to two wonderful caretakers that will answer any question you have. Sandra and Rick were so helpful. There wasn't anything that they could not help us with. They also cooked us a delicious meal for my parents anniversary. We went fishing and barbequed our fresh fish. We went sea kayaking and saw humpback whales out in front of the house and we went surfing and caught some sweet waves. If you want an experience of authentic Mexico with fantastic food and are an adventurous kind of person then you will love Casa Fortuna. If you are an all inclusive kind of traveller then this may not the place for you. You are in charge of the mansion, including food and shopping nearby. But...you can get all your meals arranged and cooked by Sandra, if necessary, and it will be so much better than any hotel chain. We ended up spending less money than staying at a hotel and had such a special, beautiful wonderful experience. We will be back, we started planning our next trip the minuet we arrived. Thank you so much Sherry, Doreen, Rick and Sandra for making our parents anniversary so special. The time and care to put into the details all over the Casa make it such an exhilarating experience just to wake up, with a cup of freshly roasted coffee and sit and watch the beauty of the waves rush in. We all agreed that the was the "best Mexico" we have ever experienced after collectively spending weeks over the years on the Mayan Riveria, in Cabo San Lucas, and many other Mexican towns. You will fall in love with Casa Fortuna.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, pet owners, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children.

Girl's Getaway - 3/27/10 - 4/3/10

Guest: Tired Teachers (Colfax, CA )
Date of Stay: 03/27/10 Review Submitted: 04/04/10

This was our ninth year visiting a different spot in Mexico. As a group of harried teachers, we all look forward to our week away from students, kids and husbands to a spot that highlights the Mexican culture with a little pampering thrown in - Casa Fortuna was a perfect match. The house was inviting with the three well-stocked bathrooms and big, comfortable bedrooms for all of us to spread out. With all the spots for eating - we could have breakfast watching the waves, eat lunch by the pool, and dinner on the top patio looking at the lights along the beach. Sandy and Rick were supportive - giving us tips for places in town and trips to make. And, we loved our dinners in - Sandy's gucamole and salsa are the best we ever ate. The pool was our life blood - perfect temperature for daily dips and occasional nighttime dips. Trust your ride to and from the airport with Alejandro - he is a charming and careful driver. Casa Fortuna is perfect for a group of family or friends - who like to share the beach and beauty of Mexico.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children.

Special in every way

Guest: Bilviv (East Haddam, CT)
Date of Stay: 03/20/10 Review Submitted: 03/28/10

If, for your vacation in Mexico, you are looking for a place that feels like a timeshare condo in the USA, Casa Fortuna is probably not for you. If, on the other hand, you would like to find a place that has plenty of beautiful Mexican soul, and also has every hospitable comfort and family amusement imaginable, consider the wonderful Casa Fortuna. We found that it is so much better than can possibly be conveyed on a website. It is a superb vacation spot for both children and adults, and can keep anyone entertained. Its specialness comes from 4 things: First, its owners' generosity and thoughtfulness in furnishing it with everything for your comfort - from Skype and wireless, to luxurious towels and toilets that work well. Second, Sandy and Rick - who live in a casita on the grounds, take lovely care of both the place and its guests (although they don't function as maid or butler). Their presence and help is very sensitive to their guests' desires. Sandy's cooking is fabulous, Rick makes sure everything is shipshape and takes loving care of the pool and plantings that are a good part of the beauty of the place. Rick and Sandy are both fluently bilingual and they gave us excellent advice about what to do and where to go. By the time you leave, it will feel like you are leaving good friends after a fine visit. The third part is the house and grounds. The house sits VERY near the ocean and the steady sound of waves is wonderful music. Behind the house, there are tall shady trees and a solar heated pool that is just the right size and depth for good family swimming. Life at Casa Fortuna is lived outside as well as inside, and there is very comfortable furniture for lounging and dining around the pool and on a balcony and front porch facing the ocean. The property has three high walls that guarantee privacy, and few people walk by on the beach. The surroundings are quiet. The fourth thing is the town, La Penita. This is a real Mexican small town with regular daily town life. A bank, food markets and restaurants are convenient. I wish we had had time to get to know the town better. There are many places to go outside of town, and our family - including our 4 year old - enjoyed our ecotourist trip to San Blas very much. We had a stunningly lovely vacation in a place that we will never forget and to which we very much hope to return.

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

Amazing Experience

Guest: Charlie & Judy (Magalia, CA)
Date of Stay: 03/06/10 Review Submitted: 03/26/10

We had the vacation of a lifetime!!! Our vacation was absolutely spectacular. The house was more than we ever expected. The sound of the ocean lulls you to sleep each night. The beach right in front was so amazing ---- and Rick and Sandy were beyond our expectations. They were so helpful and cordial and Sandy's cooking was spectacular - we will remember them forever!!---- and Poncho was such a delight! Thanks for the perfect vacation experience!!!!

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

Guest: Elizabeth 7 (California)
Date of Stay: 11/03/08 Review Submitted: 11/03/08

Sherry & Doreen - I wanted to let you know that we had an absolutely amazing time last week at Casa Fortuna! I feel so incredibly relaxed and feel like I got away from it all. Sandy and Rick were wonderful and Sandy's cooking was to die for! Her chicken enchiladas were life changing!!!! They were both so accomodating and helpful. The house is a dream come true. I stayed in the corner room that has the two sliding doors and I felt like I was in heaven! We've decided that we must make it an annual event! Thanks for everything and most especially your patience in setting up one of my best vacations yet!

Recommended for:

Guest: Denice Broschofsky (Brooklyn Center, MN)
Date of Stay: 05/19/08 Review Submitted: 05/19/08

Awesome was our catch phrase the whole time we were there. Our group of 7 consisted of 5 adults & 2 children, ranging in age from 4 to 70. Everyone enjoyed our time at Casa Fortuna and we are looking forward to going back next year. We went in late April and the weather was perfect, not one cloudy day. We had never rented a house before but always wanted to try it. After my first email to the owners I knew this was the place for us. We also hired Sandi to cook breakfast and dinner for our entire stay. Let me tell you, she is the best! We never had to worry about finding a restaurant the kids would eat at or rush thru a meal because the kids wanted to go. Dinner was ready and you could eat whenever and where ever you wanted. Sandi even helped get a cake and a pinata for my birthday dinner. You will not be disappointed staying at Casa Fortuna, only when you have to say goodbye. Thank you for a great time!

Recommended for:

Guest: Helen LeRoy (Madison, Wisconsin)
Date of Stay: 04/10/08 Review Submitted: 04/10/08

Wow! What a fantastic place. Our group of 8 long- term friends spent a week at Casa Fortuna at the end of February, 2008. We totally agree with all of the comments of the preceding guests. In a way, Casa Fortuna defies description. It IS simply paradise. An added bonus is an educational one. Besides feeling perfectly at home and not wanting to leave, we learned about the town, some of the enterprising ways the people there make a living - for example, fishing, trimming coconut trees - and we learned about some of the logistical aspects involved in maintaining a home there. The owners and their wonderful staff, Rick and Sandra, have done a first-rate job of making Casa Fortuna the best place our group has ever stayed in our many years of travel together. We only wish we were still there!

Recommended for:

Guest: John Gemmell (Chilliwack, B.C. Canada)
Date of Stay: 12/04/07 Review Submitted: 12/04/07

If your'e seeking a roomy, comfortable beach-side casa on Mexico's west coast that has class to boot, this is it ! Our group consisted of 8 in total - my daughter, her husband, their 5 kids, and myself ( "El Viejo" ), using all four of the bedrooms. Our two week stay at Casa Fortuna from October 10th to 23rd this year was a vacation we'll always remember fondly. We arranged through Sherry to have Rick and Sandra prepare us an "Arrival Dinner" on day one - dorado and many other delicious items. But we succeeded in preparing many of our own meals in the spacious and well-equippd "cocina" but many meals we had out in several of the reasonably priced restaurants in Jaltemba . The views from the 3 upstairs bedrooms are to die for ! - especially the south-west corner room with its huge windows on two sides - the sunsets are breath-taking and having morning coffee on the front veranda most pleasant. The new pool was exceptional - especially on those extra hot, muggy days - what bliss !; cerveza and cooling agua under those tall palms. While the condition of the street leading to the casa is in need of some improvemnt, we soon got used to getting the taxis to slow down ("mas despacio, por favor"). The beach in front is right there - very convenient and "no vendedores" in sight, but do watch small children carefully in the surf - there's a bit of a drop-off in this sector of the beach, but over-all very satisfying - and always warm! Would we go for Casa Fortuna again ? -- Absolutely !

Recommended for: