First time travelers to Costa Rica

JJM&S (Clovis, California, USA)
Review submitted: May 8, 2013   Date of arrival: April 28, 2013

Our trip to Costa Rica was beyond our expectations, beautiful country and friendly people! Great & comfortable house and we really enjoyed the swimming pool to relax and cool down. The house is very close to the beach, excellent local restaurants in the area within walking distance such as The Shack (excellent breakfasts), Maxwells (their hamburgers are to die for), Spain Restaurant just the down the road, Las Brisas, Bahia Del Sol, Coconut. If you like wildlife, there is a family of howler monkeys that can be seen from the backyard. It is fun to watch them jumping from tree to tree and the adult monkeys howling and rounding up the babies at dusk! We really enjoyed the neighborhood and met several friendly neighbors. Gorgeous sunsets can be viewed from the crow's nest and 2nd floor patio. Tom and his staff gave us a lot of ideas of things to do in the area and also kept the house and compound in tip top condition. We would highly recommend Casa Cerca Del Mar if you are visiting the Guanacaste area of Costa Rica and we will definitely rent the house again in the future.

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

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Great Experience

boblaraine (Newton, Massachusetts, USA)
Review submitted: February 16, 2013   Date of arrival: January 16, 2013

We recently returned from a month's stay at Casa Cerca Del Mar and a fabulous month it was. The house was all it was advertised to be and then some. It is located in one of the best spots on the Pacific side of the country with easy access to most beaches and towns that you'll want to visit. The house itself is perfectly designed for a short or extended stay with all of the comforts and utilities of home. During our stay we had many visitors including children and grandchildren and the four bedrooms and bathrooms accommodated us all with no stress. We loved our morning swim in the ocean (about a one minute stroll from the front door) and our kids loved to frolic in the pool as well. The owners couldn't have been more helpful (filling us in on all of the local sites and eating spots) and their staff made us feel like royalty. There is a property manager who exudes friendliness and was always immediately available to answer any questions or help schedule any needs. She was most helpful in arranging immediate and highly competent medical assistance when our daughter had a brief spell of food poisoning. The twice-weekly housekeeper and daily groundskeeper were equally nice and friendly. We have rented through VRBO before and this rental was right up there with the best. Rent it if you can.

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

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Beautiful Home. Excellent Location. Excellent Service.

Susan (New Mexico)
Review submitted: December 30, 2012   Date of arrival: December 14, 2012

It hasn't even been a week since we were at Casa Cerca Del Mar and we already miss it.

From the moment we inquired about this property we had nothing but excellent customer service. Tom, the homeowner, has set everything up so perfectly we didn't have to worry about a thing. Saioa, the property manager, was wonderful and took care of our every need. Benito was the friendliest and even showed us where to get the best fish to grill at home.

The home was amazing and had everything we needed. Plenty of room and more for our family of 6. We traveled with our parents and our two children. The little ones loved going back and forth between the beach, which was only steps away, and swimming in the pool. The adults loved that we could kayak whenever we wanted and Benito even helped roll the kayaks to the beach.

A beautiful home and the perfect location to explore Costa Rica. We absolutely recommend Casa Cerca Del Mar.

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

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In Love....

Becky (Rescue, CA USA)
Review submitted: November 20, 2012   Date of arrival: November 2, 2012

Everything was amazing!!! The house is comfortable and well equipped with everything you'll need on vacation from a blender for adult beverages, a gorgeous ppol, laundry facilities on site and comfortable furnishings!

Our favorite part of the trip to Costa Rica was exploring all of the beaches easily accesible from the house on foot, by bike or with a rental car! Finding Playa Concha was an ABSOLUTE treatl!!

Saioa, Benito and Slyvia was wonderful!

Thank you for sharing your home and you'll be the first to know when we come back!!

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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Wonderful family house!!

Jim (Alabama via San Jose, Costa Rica)
Review submitted: August 20, 2012   Date of arrival: August 9, 2012

Excellent location!! The beach is just steps away. The housekeeper and groundskeeper were wonderful and the reality company was excellent. Best of all the house was perfect for our family. My wife and I are in language school in Costa Rica and our grown children came to visit. We have two kids and one is married with a baby. The other's girlfriend came and there was plenty of room for everyone. There are four baths!! The master suite upstairs was wonderful and the view was great. The pool is perfect for kids or for the family at the end of the day. If you're looking for a family retreat that is close to numerous attractions and beaches but away form the big tourist areas this is the spot. The price is also very good for the quality that you get and in comparison to other similar properties. We had a wonderful week.

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

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Great vacation

mba (Costa Rica)
Review submitted: July 8, 2012   Date of arrival: July 4, 2012

Hi Tom, we just came from the beach.We loved Casa cerca del Mar. We had a great vacation. The house is amazing, well equiped and maintained. Saioa was very helpful and nice. Hope to go back!

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

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What a great vacation!

Take time to travel (Alta, CA)
Review submitted: June 19, 2012   Date of arrival: May 26, 2012

What a vacation! We loved the house. Nice to have private baths with each room- very clean and comfortable. We enjoyed the beach and great to have a private pool! Everything was easy to get to. Just a short walk to great restaurants, grocery stores, fruit stands. and beaches..The owner even helped with a private chef so that we could enjoy the sunsets while our meals were prepared. The zip-lining was awesome! I would recommend the snorkeling tour on the catamaran. It was spectacular! We will definitely return to this wonderful house and great vacation spot in the future.

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

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Great Family Vacation

Tom (Kennesaw, Georgia)
Review submitted: April 9, 2012   Date of arrival: April 1, 2012

We stayed at this property for a week after my daughter's wedding near Liberia. My family of 8 adults and 1 child were visited by our new family one day and we had a great time at the pool getting to know one another. The house is as advertised; spacious, clean and well equipped. The house is approximately 4 km down a stone road with many good restaurant choices. There are numerous beaches that each have their own benefits. Unfortunately the red tide was in during our stay so we used the pool every day. We also took the boat to Palo Verde which was excellent and did some offshore fishing catching snapper for dinner.

I would highly recommend this property and Saioa, the property manager, was most helpful and a pleasure to deal with.

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

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La Casa es su casa

RixParty (San Carlos, California)
Review submitted: March 18, 2012   Date of arrival: July 22, 2011

For those that want to experience the essence of Costa Rica...the PURA VIDA... this is the place for you! My family of four has stayed at La Casa Cerca del Mar twice. Once when our two children were 8 and 11, and again when they were older teens. Playa Portrero and the surrounding areas provide a great mix of exciting, outdoor activities, and more leisurely, relaxing opportunities. With the beach only a short walk away, we played in the surf a few times a day, and even at night. We used the bikes, provided with the house, to ride to local markets, shops and restaurants, and the house's kayaks enabled us to explore the variety of beaches and snorkeling spots. When we heard the calls of the howler monkeys in the morning, we knew that Benito, the gardener, had arrived with fresh coconuts for drinking. The kitchen at the house is clean and well designed and we used it to cook with the foods we bought at local markets. On our second visit, with a larger group of 8, we hired a local chef to cook dinners for us, using fresh fish and produce. The sunsets, seen from the third floor observation deck, brought everyone together before dinner. The owners of the house have a great talent for interior design and have furnished the house with comfortable, pretty and efficient furnishings and amenities. We had fun excursions with Quad Adventures, zip-lining and twice, we hired a dive boat to take us scuba diving. The overnight trip to Arenal Volcano was really a highlight of our second visit. We also enjoyed day trips to Tamarindo and the village of Brasilito. The people are friendly and we felt safe and welcome. This is a great house in a wonderful, tropical location and you'll feel like La Casa, es su casa!

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

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Great Place To Stay!

Carole K. ()
Review submitted: March 2, 2012   Date of arrival: February 9, 2012

Casa Cerca Del Mar was an excellent vacation home. Very nice accommodations and well set up for guests. There were 6 of us (3 couples) and can very comfortably accomodate 8 people. One of the best vacation homes that we've rented. Pictures are accurate. Home is very clean and well maintained inside and out. Yard is very nice and the pool was a welcome break from the heat! Saioa the property manager was very helpful and provided us with a variety of resources for tours and other activities. The location of the property is a little remote, however there are several good restaurants and a couple of small grocery stores ($$) within walking distance. Definately need a car or arrange for a driver to go to a larger centre for groceries. Overall we had a great time and the accommodations were excellent - would definately recommend it!!

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Casa Del Fabulous

The Bird Man (Auburn California, USA)
Review submitted: February 22, 2012   Date of arrival: January 22, 2012

We stayed in the house for seven days. There were four of us. It was in January. Weather was great every day.The house is incredibly comfortable and roomy. Each bedroom has a full bathroom. Beds were very comfortable. The house looks just like the pictures on the website. Maid service and yard care regularly occur keeping everything clean and neat. We used the kitchen appliances and stove. Everything worked great. It helped save money to spend on tours and activities. Grocery store and restaurants near by. You don't need a car. Restaurants came and picked us up. Taxi if you need to get somewhere. Tours picked us up at the house. Caretaker helped set up an emergency dental appointment. She was great. Caretaker also set up for someone to come in and cook a fabulous Sea Bass dinner at very reasonable cost. Scenery was spectacular, ocean near by and the pool was in regular use. I can't imagine a better deal for the amenities and size of the house. Lot's of trees, plants, flowers and animals all around. Fruit stand near by. We had lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. People of the area are incredibly friendly and helpful. It was our first time in Costa Rica. We loved it and look forward to another visit. We have had two friends stay at Casa Cerca Del Mar and that is where we got the recommendation. It really lived up to the reference we got. What a great place.

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

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Casa Cerca Del Mar

Mary (Auburn, California USA)
Review submitted: February 21, 2012   Date of arrival: November 26, 2011

We found the property extremely well cared for and maintained. It was all the photos showed, and more. The location couldn't have been better - so close to the sea! It was quiet, peaceful, and gorgeous. The layout of the house was very efficient with plenty of room for everyone. We liked that there were many restaurants close by, and booking excursions was done easily in Playa Flamingo, very close to Playa Portrero. The property manager was so very helpful and handled each request quickly and much to our satisfaction. Everyone we dealt with was really friendly and accommodating. We can't wait to go back.

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

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Casa Cerca Del Mar

Mary (Auburn, California USA)
Review submitted: February 21, 2012   Date of arrival: November 26, 2011

We found the property extremely well cared for and maintained. It was all the photos showed, and more. The location couldn't have been better - so close to the sea! It was quiet, peaceful, and gorgeous. The layout of the house was very efficient with plenty of room for everyone. We liked that there were many restaurants close by, and booking excursions was done easily in Playa Flamingo, very close to Playa Portrero. The property manager was so very helpful and handled each request quickly and much to our satisfaction. Everyone we dealt with was really friendly and accommodating. We can't wait to go back.

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

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Why stay in a hotel when you can stay here??

live,laugh,love (Citrus Heights, California, United States)
Review submitted: February 21, 2012   Date of arrival: April 11, 2011

To say that our stay in CR was amazing is an horrible understatement. The house was amazing, had all the ammenities and was unbelievably clean, well stocked, and comfortable. The people that took care of the house were incredibly friendly and helpful. Being right next to the ocean was so nice! Even though we cooked most of our meals there were a couple of restaurants within walking distance we tried out to our delight! One of the really pleasant things about this house is that it's located within walking distance of just about everything you could need or want. We rented bikes, jet skies, snorkeled, fished, kayaked,shopped, ate, drank, swam, slept, sunbathed, and danced the nights away. There is nothing like dancing in the rain, swimming in the ocean during a rainstorm or playing in the pool while above you monkeys are playing in the trees. I can't recommend a place to stay any higher than this house,,, gotta warn you though,, the cow bell you hear in the morning,,well it really is a cow right outside the front door, just strolling down the street!!! We loved it and can't wait to return. The only bad thing about the house is that we enjoyed it so much that we don't really want to stay anywhere else but we want to see more of Costa Rica,,, talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place!

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

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Tranquilidad, comodidad y buen trato

Ei (Grecia, Alajuela, Costa Rica)
Review submitted: June 21, 2011   Date of arrival: May 14, 2011

Fuimos de paseo en Mayo tan solo un fin de semana pero podríamos habernos quedado por mucho más tiempo porque la atención es excelente, la ubicación también y la casa es super cómoda y estaba muy limpia. La vista desde el deck es muy refrescante y la comida en el bar-restaurante al final de la playa "Las Brisas" es super rica.

Muy buen lugar para hospedarse.
Gracias Saioa por el buen trato.

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Potrero House near Flamingo Beach

Sra Ardillo (Elkford, BC, Canada)
Review submitted: February 19, 2011   Date of arrival: February 7, 2011

This rental home far exceeded our expectations. We only stayed one week in Feb 2011 but wished we had booked it for longer. We were hesitant to rent the house since there were no reviews (on line) of people who stayed there. The house is one house from the beach and we often had the entire beach to ourselves. Many locals came out around 5pm or so to enjoy the magnificant sunset. The kitchen had all we needed to feed the 7 of us, but we did take advantage of some of the local restaurants. The blender got used alot! The last few km are on a gravel road, and there are several small grocery stores and a bakery (but its closed on Sundays) and the banks and ATM machines are only a few km away. The pool area was cleaned daily and we made good use of the outside patio. We enjoyed the wireless internet in the evenings and played in the pool and it was great to have some English channels on the tv. When we had a problem with the internet it was resolved the next morning. The BBQ was great to have and we cooked a few meals outside, after a BBQ you should expect an entertaining visit by the local raccoons. But they run at the first sign of movement. Having a washer and dryer really helped to keep our towels clean since we spent so much time kayaking, (two kayaks come with the house for use), boogie boarding and just playing in the surf. The beach is clean and gentle waves perfect for young families. The pictures do not do this home justice! Our maid, changed sheets and cleaned the house one day and even brought us a typical Costa Rican breakfast one morning with rice and beans. She was so sweet to spoil us! We were all sad to leave. We are planning our next family vacation to Costa Rica for 2012. I will definitely be calling to see if we can rent the house again, but this time for LONGER! It was perfect for a family get together. And there were many towns and beaches close by to explore.

Recommended for: age 55+, families with young children, people with disabilities, families with teenagers, girls getaway, pet-friendly, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 9 / 9