Tree House Feel, Waterfront Eco-Home! Monkeys Galore!

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Casa Dos Rios. The property was everything the descriptions promised and more! The property managers were extremely attentive and helpful, and the location was stunning and provides a great escape and a central spot for many adventures in the Matopalo region and the rest of the Osa Peninsula. If you enjoy exotic animals right outside your window, this is the place for you. Some things to note: if you are wanting all the creature comforts of AC, cable TV and room service, this is not the right choice. It is off the grid, fairly remote, requires a 4x4 to access and some skills in driving in rough conditions, as well as a tolerance for the many insects that live in the jungle that may come for a visit in the house. You will also have to be well equipped and stock up on food and beverages (the water is great at the house tho) as the nearest town (Puerto Jimenez) is a bumpy 40 minutes or more away, but if you are scheduling a lot of guided activities you can arrange all so that you are back in town every few days to resupply. We highly recommend a tour of Corcovado park, horseback riding, a kayak tour of the mangroves, a visit to the animal rehabilitation center, and making time to relax at the house or explore up the pacific side to Carate and beyond. If you are the adventurous type and willing to spend some time planning your trip and what to bring with you with care, you will absolutely love staying at Casa Dos Rios!

Casa Dos Rios is posh accommodations next to Osa Peninsula wilderness. Our host Oldemar met us when we arrived. The house exceeded our expectations: open, beautiful, all the amenities to make our stay pleasant. I read a review about the fickle hot water. It is an on demand system so a certain amount of water has to flow for the heater to come on. We solved this by turning on the sink hot water faucet. There are directions to slowly add cold and if you go to far the heat turns off and you have to start over with just hot- BUT once you get the mix right hot water for days. Plus the outdoor shower had hot water and plenty of fall to keep the heater on completely decadent outdoor hot shower:) We rented a car and the road to the house was good only one river crossing between you and Puerto Jimenez where the groceries, bank pharmacy, ice cream are. We cooked mostly but drove up one night and had drinks at the Lapa Rios Resort. On our long adventure day we went out to the Osa Conservation Piro Site where we helped get baby sea turtles out to the ocean. You have to make a reservation for a tour but GO! you will be so happy that hard working researchers are out there. We hired Olger (skilled chef) to cook dinner. Best fish I had the whole trip and say yes to dessert- we ate the whole cake it was delicious. Martina's wasn't open when we were there but believe it will open again and our daughter who is there doing research says it's a good spot It is right at the end of the driveway and is a helpful sign so you don't miss your turn off to the house. Right through the front yard (just like the picture) you can access the beach. It is a rocky beach ( like Scituate MA but the water is 80℉) we had no trouble walking it barefoot and flip flops. You can line fish in the surf right out front of the house and it's a short walk with board to playa Pan Dulce where gentle baby surf breaks all low tide a little bigger break out at the point. Drive out to Mata Palo and watch much better locals and pros surf the big break. When you walk the beach you cross the rivers. After our longest hike in the forrest we took two beers and sat in the cool stream watched the waves break. Oldermar checked on us kept the house and our clothes all clean. Olger hooked us up with a great Yoga Session and massage and was a great resource for any guided tours we were looking into. Olger let us co-opt his amazing dog Puka (kiss from us) for beach walks and hikes such good company

We were just in Costa Rica for two weeks. We had a wonderful time. We came out of the mountains, hot springs, horseback riding, etc.) and headed south. Unfortunately, we were a bit off-kilter and, with the understanding we could get to Puerto Jimenez rather quickly by cab, We flew to Drake Bay. This was just fine with us in the end, though it was a mistake. One of us wanted to dive and all was ok. Then, after two days, we found a driver to deliver us to Dos Rios. A beautiful home in a lovely part of the south of Costa Rica. We found it as advertised and just fine. BUT, the very best part was Olgar and Maru, the caretakers. I went into town (not a small feat, though rather fun and interesting) and shopped. I bought fresh tuna on the street as well as barracuda. Then the wizzards Olgar and Maru took over. They cooked for us, ate with us, walked with us and were essentially tour guides. Oh my goodness we loved them and made fast friends. So, if you are going to this most excellent property, make certain Olgar and Maru are still there. Make them your friends.

Back to nature , lovely... wished that the bar/cafe off the road was opened, and conditions of the road to the nearest town/market would’ve made it an overall 5.... would love to come back next year

Where to start. Well the first night of our trip the bed downstairs broke after my wife and I laid down to sleep. The bed literally collapsed onto the floor and my wife fell off the side. It really startled us and started the trip off on some what of a bad note. We had to stay the first night in another cabin that was a very small room that was away from the main house with a flashlight that the caretaker gave us. They fixed the bed the next day and we figured ok no big deal. The lighting in the downstairs rooms is horrible as the rooms only have a small light at the head of the beds and they barley light the rooms. The third day of our trip there was no water all morning which was the deal breaker. We had 9 people total and couldn’t shower, flush the toilets, cook or clean dirty dishes. This was absolutely unacceptable, being in a humid environment with no running water. We were so frustrated that we packed our things and left a day and half early. I can deal with poor lighting and even a broken bed but no water is were I draw the line. Can you imagine being all sweaty and stinky, with toilets that don’t flush and a kitchen full of dirty dishes with a group of 9 people? We couldn’t even cook breakfast or lunch that day and decided it was time to go. The pictures are very nice but the situation was an absolute nightmare. Iam by far not a picky person and love to travel to places that are remote and have done so for 15-20 years and have never had a situation like this happen. I’m actually Costa Rican and have been staying all over this country in rental properties for several years now and have never been to any locations without running water no matter how remote or off the beaten path they are. So what I would tell anyone considering this rental is to go knowing that while you’re there anticipate the possibility of no running water, poor lighting downstairs and maybe something breaking such as a bed, a chair or anything else on the property. The location is great for those who want to be away from crowds but not ideal for kids as the beach has so many rocks. There is a beautiful beach about a 5 minute drive from the house called Pan Dulce which is all sand with plenty of shade perfect for a day to hang out with the family and enjoy the day. Maybe we just had bad luck, who knows. So if you go you’ll find out.