Looking for the Unique Puerto Viejo Experience?

Wow. I stayed in august also and our experience was very different then the really bad review behind mine. People its an open house. That means it wont close up totally. So yes theres going to be wildlife in your house. The geckos were all over. We found a crab in the house one night. And Just like everywhere else in Costa Rica we were, there were ants. The hot water worked very good for us. The house is in a great location. Id say about a ten minute walk to town. A very safe place to leave your belongings all day without fear of them not being there when u get home. The thing Id remind everyone before going to Costa rica is to bring everything you might need. DONT BUY IN COSTA RICA. first off you probably wont find it. and if ya do it will cost you 3 times as much there. Bathing suits, towels, watershoes, tums, deodorant, even bring a half gallon of booze. We didnt and were shocked how much things were. Yes Im talking to you, so take notes!!! Like everyone says, the food rocks. Ask David he will show you the best places to eat. Try the sodas. good food. and cheaper then cooking at home. I eat all the street food without a problem. Thank you David for all the help you were to us. Oh and to the musty smell. Open the windows. Its a really Hot humid place. Its gonna smell like that. Great place, and even a greater location!!

The house was great- it looks exactly like the pictures, nothing is deceiving. The place is close to the beach, and close to town. Everyone was very helpful and accommodating. Of course there are bugs and geckos- it's the Caribbean side of Costa Rica! They were not a problem. The downstairs/living area is huge, very spacious. Great place to hang out with friends, cook, play games, etc. without worrying about making a little noise. You can hear the waves from the hammocks, and the sounds of birds reminds you that you're in a tropical place! We had a wonderful experience, and not a single complaint. Thank you!

PERFECT “GIRL’S ONLY” RETREAT AT MONO HOUSE

After a really hectic winter, I decided that I needed to get away and decided on a “Girl’s Only” trip - no kids, no husbands allowed. So, after much research, the three of us set our sights on Puerto Viejo, on the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica and Mono en la Cara! What an amazing adventure it turned out to be. We had to spend a few days in San Jose (which we highly recommend) because the house was occupied for a few days before we arrived in PV, but boy, oh boy, it was certainly worth the wait!

Mono en la Cara (Monkey in your Face) was a real treat and better than we even anticipated! The owners were great to deal with; the property managers were fantastic. Our entire stay was great; the town is amazing, the beaches very varied and pristine and the house was always a pleasure “to come home to”!

Thanks for the tip of Ami Modo (an amazing Italian Restaurant at the far end of town) and when you do visit, make sure you make the trek to Manzanillo and Maxi’s; you will be glad you did!!

Highly recommend staying here you won't be disappointed!

2 minute walk to the beach and 5 minutes from restaurants/bars/shops. Had an enjoyable stay. The views from the second floor are beautiful, saw all types of wild life and enjoyed the indoor geckos. We had no issues with the plumbing or hot water. We took full advantage of the WI-FI and outside hose for rinsing our feet after the beach. The property manager was extremely helpful with recommending transportation and local restaurants. Highly recommend if you're looking for a warm atmosphere and can't wait to come back!

We just finished staying two weeks elsewhere in Costa Rica before arriving in Puerto Viejo. We wished we stayed away or sought other lodging within 5 minutes of our arrival, and the experience we had at this "house" truly ruined our trip.

1. No hot water our first 24 hours, the plumber came after our first night because we took cold showers.

2. Day 1 and throughout our trip, bugs and geckos everywhere. Our first night, we removed more than 5 geckos and there were many more we could not catch. There were also an abundance of ants. I was unloading food the first night and within five minutes ants had gotten into cereal on the counter that had to be tossed. We then began refrigerating everything, even cereal, chips, ... There was a can of bug spray on the counter, which indicated to us this is a continuing problem.

3. There is a rail or two missing from the second story deck making it unsafe for kids.

4. On the one night I tried to cook, the oven did not work and it is at least 40-50 years old.

5. The bathroom got a leak during our trip and the entire floor near the toilet was sopping wet. Plumber came again.

6. A frog literally jumped out of the faucet in the shower our first day.

7. There were wires hanging throughout the downstairs, making it unsafe.

8. Our first night, my son had to sleep on the sofa cushion, which I could see bug droppings on. There was no air mattress, as the listing promised.

9. The washing machine was very old and not at all what we expected, and there was virtually no water pressure so filling it took about 30 minutes--this was suppose to be fixed but never was. Laundry was musty and dank.

10. There was NO working phone. It never worked.

11. And the capper, our last full day and night, the internet stopped working. If there had been an emergency, we would have been out of luck.

12. The house smelled dank and musty throughout our trip.

I could keep going on and on with more issues, as literally the property managers or a repair person was at the house daily.

We have been using VRBO for 15 years and have NEVER experienced such deplorable conditions.

DON'T STAY HERE!