Nice & Affordable

Maritza T. ()
Review submitted: April 6, 2013   Date of arrival: March 25, 2013

This place was very nice and clean, staff was wonderful and the view was breath taking. True only 1 air conditioner, but it is listed. This place is away from it all "quite". Me and my family had the pool to ourselves. Follow the driving directions that Marina provides, trust me as the gps takes you else where. There is a beach near by, but you can't swim there "signs that state no swimming rough waves". The apartment had been painted, no longer the same color as in the pictures. I would stay here again nice, quite, and away from it all. Thank you Marina for allowing me and my family to stay in your place.

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Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Great Place!

alaskans (juneau, alaska)
Review submitted: April 18, 2012   Date of arrival: March 18, 2012

My wife, our seven-month-old, and I stayed at Marina's condo for five days this past March and couldn't recommend it more highly. The apartment was spotless, and Marina was incredibly helpful. We also very much liked the area--Maunabo is quiet and way off the tourist track. There are empty beaches and good restaurants very, very close. Also, the entire condo complex was basically empty the whole time we were there. We had the pools to ourselves and lots of quiet. The pictures really don't do the apartment or view justice. We hope to come back again soon.

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

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Helpful votes: 3 / 3

Beautiful condo near Manuabo

Jen K. ()
Review submitted: March 17, 2012   Date of arrival: March 6, 2012

I recently stayed at Marina's condo with a group of four. WOW!! What a beautiful location. We were looking for a base of operations that would be convenient to both El Yunque rainforest and La Ruta Panoramica, and this was perfect for that. There are beaches and several amazing restaurants very near the condo, although unfortunately many of the restaurants were closed when we were there mid-week. Marina was INCREDIBLY helpful in letting our group know about the many options of things to see and do in the area. As I read through her multiple page email, I could tell she has a warm, friendly personality and truly loves Puerto Rico. This condo is a wonderful base for exploring a lesser-traveled section of the island. We felt like we were in the heart of the real Puerto Rico here. Thanks Marina for a wonderful stay!

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Jeff (Maine)

Jeff (Maine)
Review submitted: March 2, 2012   Date of arrival: February 1, 2012

Clean, modern, spacious apartment. Just where you want to go to get some quiet time. Well maintained complex with good security. Excellent pools, just what a winter weary body needs. Superb views from the balconies, no greater place for a morning cup of coffee. Handy reference left by Marina tells you where to find everything from resaurants to laundry facilities. Do yourself a favor and go to some of the eating establishments that Marina suggests, good local food served with a smile.

Recommended for: age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway

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Helpful votes: 2 / 3

Our stay at Villas del Faro in Maunabo

David S. (Chicago,IL.)
Review submitted: December 5, 2011   Date of arrival: November 13, 2011

If you are looking for the excitement and nightclubbing that Old San Juan and Isla Verde have to offer--don't come here! I say this in the most positive way. Our family has been to PR several times (my wife is from Caguas) and we have have stayed in Isla Verde and done Old San Juan. If you are looking for a quiet place to relax and go to the beach (there was no one on it when we went),or hang out at the pool this is the place to go.It is over an hour drive from San Juan (take the tunnel off of 52 S to 901 it saves you 15 or so mins.) but when you get settled in you don't want to leave. Maunabo is a great small town where we went to church and did laundry and met some nice people. If you go to Yabucoa you can shop at Ralphs' market to get groceries if you want a larger store. The security is absolutely the best here as they check every time you come in and are very nice. The maintenance staff does a fantastic job of maintaining the place--they were out every day trimming the lawn and painting etc. They were redoing the roofs of the bldgs during our stay with no disturbance to us at all but they bumped the sat. dish and knocked out reception. This was no big deal to us but Marina went out of her way to rectify the situation and even refunded a portion of rent to compensate us. Marina is a great person to rent from--gave us a lot of info about surrounding area and called as soon as she found out about a problem. It was a little warm in the condo when we arrived but just open the shutters and windows and the breezes cool everything off. We found the beach right in front of the property to be the most convenient-- and it's huge.

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Helpful votes: 3 / 3

Familly Vacation July 2011

luzirelys h. ()
Review submitted: September 27, 2011   Date of arrival: July 27, 2011

The villa provided comfort and beautiful sea breezes. I recommend the apartment for families with children, The villa resort was clean and the staff was very hospitable.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers, sight seeing

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Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Quiet Condo in Maunabo

Heather (Ithaca, NY)
Review submitted: May 24, 2011   Date of arrival: May 12, 2011

We stayed here for 4 nights in May, and had a wonderful time. There were only 2 of us so we did not need the extra 2 bedrooms, but they would be great for kids. The view from both balconies is amazing, and the apartment is well maintained. The condo complex is gated and private, and the staff was extremely friendly. It is a quick drive or nice leisurely walk to the beach, which was quiet and beautiful, with a very nice view of a lighthouse and Vieques. Maunabo was a quaint town with friendly people and reasonable prices, and even a NY-style pizzeria. I do recommend renting a car in Puerto Rico to explore the island, and this villa is a good location for a "home base" while traveling the island. The owner is very responsive and helpful, and we would definitely stay here again.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 4 / 4

Fantastic Place to Stay

Heather (Ithaca, NY)
Review submitted: May 19, 2011   Date of arrival: May 12, 2011

We stayed here for 4 nights in May, and had a wonderful time. There were only 2 of us so we did not need the extra 2 bedrooms, but they would be great for kids. The view from both balconies is amazing, and the apartment is well maintained. The condo complex is gated and private, and the staff was extremely friendly. It is a quick drive or nice leisurely walk to the beach, which was quiet and beautiful, with a very nice view of a lighthouse and Vieques. Maunabo was a quaint town with friendly people and reasonable prices, and even a NY-style pizzeria. I do recommend renting a car in Puerto Rico to explore the island, and this villa is a good location for a "home base" while traveling the island. The owner is very responsive and helpful, and we would definitely stay here again.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2

paradise

the davila family (chicago)
Review submitted: March 28, 2011   Date of arrival: March 15, 2011

Me and my family just stayed at this location march 15 thru the 23rd.
the apartment was very clean and accomidating. marina is very helpful you can call her at anytime or e-mail her and she is very quick to respond. you have everything you need in the apartment the cooler came in handy because we had kids with us so we just kept it with snacks and drinks while we went out on the town it gets pretty hot out there.. there was 7 of us and we were more than comfortable. the view from the apartment is breathtaking.
the private beach is beautiful. the employees at the location are very friendly.

Recommended for: families with young children, families with teenagers

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Helpful votes: 4 / 4

Villas del Faro

Chago (US)
Review submitted: February 1, 2011   Date of arrival: December 21, 2010

This apartment at Villas del Faro was a great choice. The VIEWS from the apartment were breath taking. We enjoyed our stay very much. The place was so nice and clean and best of all it is a secure villa. The guards and pool/ground keepers were very nice and helpful. Most of our time we spend it visiting family in vicinity towns but it was so nice to be able to come to our own piece of quiet. We definitely recommend this place and will visit again.
The owner was of tremendous help. She and the property manager made our stay so comfortable that we though we were in our own place. Thank you for having such a great jewel and give us a great vacation.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 3 / 3

Villas del Faro

Annie (NJ)
Review submitted: January 11, 2011   Date of arrival: January 29, 2010

The apartment at Villas Del Faro was excellent. very comfortable, very clean with many amenities. I loved that the area is very secured, peaceful. Even the guards were very pleasant. The pool was great. My son enjoyed the basketball court. The owner very pleasant and even though I didn't meet her in person, we communicated effectively via email. The manager in charge was very pleasant as well. I definitely recommend this place.

Recommended for: age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Our stay at the condo of Marina was fabulous

Review submitted: October 4, 2010   Date of arrival: September 18, 2010

Our stay at the condo of Marina Ramirez was fabulous. It was spacious, very clean and had a spectacular view of mountains and the ocean. My wife and I woke up each morning before sunrise to the seranade of coquis, little frogs that sound like birds. We sat on one of the two balconies and watched the sun rise. We needed the air conditioning only on the first night and after that we opened all the windows and doors and let the tropical breezes waft over us. It was so comforting.

You will need a car here but you want one any way to explore the island. We went to San Juan twice, The El Conquistador Resort in Fajardo, the rain forest and the horce race track, and Ponce...Oh and on Sunday you must go to Guavate to enjoy the roasted pig at El Rancho. Check out Youtube this place has been on Travel Channel a number of times. The rocking good Latin music, food and hospitality will give you a memory for a lifetime.

Punta Tuna is just down the street, you should see this 19th century lighthouse and the breathtaking scenery. The coastal beaches are spectacular as are the mountain roads but drive carefully for these roads are not for the faint of heart.

We relaxed around the pool when we were not traveling about the island.

Marina keeps her property clean and comfortable with many amenities. For about fifty dollars a night less than a San Juan Hotel you will get three bedrooms, a nice livingroom and two balconies that offer views so spectacular you won't want to leave. Marina was very informative as I had many questions before hand. I have been watching my videos every day to relive the great experience. Marina will take care of you. We had special requests that were attended to. You can not beat the price for this facility.

Ed

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Helpful votes: 6 / 6

villa del faro

drops (NYC)
Review submitted: September 29, 2010   Date of arrival: July 27, 2010

all i can say is that my stay @ villa del faro was excellent from the time which i started to rent from marina ramirez which was back in july 2010 and i am renting again in nov 2010

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 1 / 2

Views are amazing!

Michelle (Lancaster, Pennsylvania)
Review submitted: August 5, 2010   Date of arrival: June 22, 2010

We LOVED the condo complex and it was very close to everything.

The condo was amazing and we LOVED it! The views are spectacular! We really enjoyed the sunrises every morning, the moon over the ocean at night and the general lay out was very nice.

We most definitely would stay at the Villas del Faro again! It’s very close to Patillas, where my husband was raised. There are many fishing locations close by and it’s very serene, beautiful and the views are amazing!

We already have recommended your home, even to family in Puerto Rico. It’s a GREAT place, even if just to have a quick get away for a night or two! :-)

Looking forward to our next visit! We just might go with the older kids that couldn’t make it this trip! :-)

Recommended for: families with young children, families with teenagers, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 3 / 3

Best kept secret in the Caribbean…

Jose (Kissimmee, FL)
Review submitted: August 4, 2010   Date of arrival: April 4, 2010

My wife, two kids (6 and 17), and I stay at Villas del Faro in early April 2010. I must admit that initially I was a bit worry, but only because my wife and kids are very demanding. I recall my first impression when I entered the condo; the view of the Caribbean Ocean from the living room was spectacular, truly breath taking. The place was very spacious, very clean, and well equipped. The resort itself is very well maintained and even better, secured. A kid’s playground, several swimming pools, tennis, and a half basketball court are some of the available amenities. A very pleasant and short walk away is an amazing semi private beach, with an old Spanish lighthouse a short distance away.
The reasons above are good enough to justify our will to return next year, but it doesn’t stop there. Marina Ramirez is the best most caring, most supportive landlord, if you will. Before renting, I surfed the net looking for the best deal, but is Marina’s charm and caring personality that won us over. If you wish to travel the island, just ask Marina, she knows everything, she should be a professional tour guide.
I highly recommend this charming and fun beach resort, you can’t go wrong.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, tourists without a car, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 3 / 3

Great place to stay

Debbie (Acworth, GA)
Review submitted: August 4, 2010   Date of arrival: June 5, 2010

We really liked the apartment. I'm saving the e-mails in case we want to go there again!

The apartment was beautiful - the beds were comfortable and there was definitely enough room for 6 - 8 people

We would definitely consider staying there again. The condo was clean and orderly and the beach was close and beautiful - there was also a cooler in the kitchen closet which we used every day on out outings. It was totally unexpected and a fantastic addition to our vacation

I have already recommended it to friends or family

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2

very pleased with our accomodations in Puerto Rico

Review submitted: August 4, 2010   Date of arrival: March 27, 2010

Hi Marina,

We were very pleased with our accomodations in Puerto Rico. I think that your condo has one of the best views on the island! We are already looking forward to visiting the area next year and will be sure to send you an email then.

We look forward to working with you in the future!

Thanks,

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Very disappointed in how unit was described!

Carla (Maryland)
Review submitted: August 2, 2010   Date of arrival: July 8, 2010

Unit not accurately described. We stay in vacation rentals frequently and have pretty reasonable expectations. This unit was not at all wheat we expected. The unti is listed as having air conditioning...important in the carribean in the month of July. However, we found the the air conditioning units in two of the three bedrooms had been removed! The onloy a/c was in the Master BR, making the rest of the unti intolerable during much of the day. The unit is listed as being "ocean front", when in reality it is a good 1/4 mile from the ocean. While it offers views of the ocean, the beach itself is not easily accessible. We went exploring 3-4 different times and NEVER found the beach pictured in the listing!! What we found was a small, dirty beach with rough surf and lots of sea kelp and grass...certainly not a place where one could swim. We had to drive more than an hour to find a beach for swimming.
The "outdoor hot tub" and :jacuzzi" was not heated ata ll and the jets barely worked and were rusted so could not be adjusted. This was really nothing more than a smaller pool. Being in the shade, the water temp was actually cooler than the main pool
The television in the Master was antiquated and not working..no cable.
As far as activities for tourists, one needs to drive some 1.25 hours to the Farjado, Ponce, or San Juan area. The restaurants in the Manaubo area were very few in number, had limited menus, poor service and were VERY pricey compared to the rest of the island; e.g.$29 for a bow of chowder, $17 for a salad!
Finally, Master closet reeked of smell of mildew. We had to leave all of the windows open in an attempt to air out the place.
Unless you need to stay in this area, there are much nicer places to stay...Las Palmas, Vieques, Dorado.

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Helpful votes: 2 / 5

Relaxing

PRtrip (Reading, PA)
Review submitted: June 27, 2008   Date of arrival: June 15, 2008

My wife and I rented this apartment with my mother-in-law, two sons (both under 5) and teenage nephew. It easily slept the six of us and there was room for at least two more people. My nephew loved the pools and basketball half-court. The kiddie pool and playground were perfect for our toddlers. Our youngest is under 2 yrs old and could easily stand in the kiddie pool. There was enough room in the kiddie pool for my two boys, nephew, wife and myself. The view off the balconies is beautiful. We enjoyed a cup a coffee every morning on the balcony listening to the ocean with views of the lighthouse on one side, Emajagua on the other, and the ocean straight ahead. We're recommending this place to all our family members for when they go to PR. We wanted to be close to Manaubo which was only about 15 minutes away. You have to drive 15-20 minutes in either direction to find a grocery store, gas station, and such but if you want to be cut off from the every day grind, this place is perfect. We'll definately go again and maybe stay longer than a week next time.

Recommended for: families with young children, families with teenagers

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Helpful votes: 25 / 25