We have a family of 7 and were looking for something off the beaten path in Costa Rica. Most of our friends we talked to had traveled to Monteverde or Tamarindo. These are the places you hear about. However, I found Villa Costa Del Sol located in Sámara in the cliffs overlooking the ocean and I couldn’t resist the beauty of the home and the option to have cooks and travel included to and from the airport.
Upon arriving, the home was even more stunning than the pictures! Even locals that would come to the home for our outings would gasp and tell us the view on the iconic Sámara island and beach was the best they had ever seen. The kids immediately jumped into the infinity pool. Everyone was comfortable in their spacious bedrooms with full baths and balconies. The luxury and privacy of the bedrooms made it wonderful to be there for 8 days together.
The cooks included breakfast within our package everyday and lunch and dinner was separate but totally worth it. I chose the menu the first day and Karen and Marianne became part of our family by day 2. They served meals and cleaned up for us. Some days I didn’t need a dinner but I asked them to stock the fridge with desserts. The lobster dish was incredible!
Sámara was what I imagined authentic Costa Rica to be. The beaches were beautiful and surfers love this spot. One day a family of horses just walked along the beach together without anyone managing them. I told my husband “only in Costa Rica”. The town was fun to cruise and I would describe as sleepy, but perfect to get a cocktail on the beach and get away from it all.
The walk to the beach from the house is about 20 minutes, but believe me, if you’re thinking you want a beachfront home, this one completely trumps and is worth it. We walked with our 5 kiddos down to the beach by crossing a main road and through a village and it was really fun for us. When you enter the beach you see Sámara and walk to it.
Making this trip complete, was having our hostess, Evelyn, who lives in the states, be there for us anytime we needed her. You receive detailed information before the trip, upon arrival at the airport and detailed info for tours/outings. She’s from Costa Rica and knows the people she hired to help us very well. Traveling with children, we felt completely safe and trusted her 100%. All of the locals in this town were good people and loved having us there.
This home and place was magical and one of Costa Rica’s hidden gems!