Private Villa in Horse Ranch Outside of La Fortuna
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| Details | |
|---|---|
| Bedrooms | 2 |
| Bathrooms | 2 |
| Sleeps | 7 |
| Villa | |
| Suitability |
|---|
| No Smoking |
| Suitable for Children |
| Suitable for Elderly |
| FlipKey traveler rating |
| 15 reviews |
| Stayed here? Write a review. |
Get the real scoop!
All reviews are written by verified travelers
Details
| Rental type | Villa |
| Minimum Stay | 2 nights |
| Living space | 1450 square feet |
| Bedrooms |
2 Total
Show Details ►
|
| Bathrooms | 2 Total |
| Sleeps | 7 |
| Suitability |
Pet friendlyAsk Smoking allowedNo Suitable for childrenYes Suitable for the elderlyYes Wheelchair accessibleNo |
| Theme | Adventure, Luxury, Romantic, Mountain, Rural, Tropical |
Description from the owner
The Villa looks out on horse pastures and misty mountains. Fresh soft breezes cool the generous kitchen/dining area. Lush gardens are all around you, emitting night scents and day scents that leave you smiling. Pick fresh fruit from the citric orchard and squeeze your breakfast juice. All the soft noises of animals -- from toucans to horse hooves, the water buffalo’s soft braying, and the baaa of sheep remind you that you are connected to the earth, the soil, the farm.
You are as quiet and private and isolated as you want. Or wander down to the stables - play with the pets, feed some animals, or watch the horses in training. Horses ar...Read more
Amenities
Location
Private Villa in Horse Ranch Outside of La Fortuna
La Fortuna de San Carlos, Province of Alajuela, Costa Rica
What's Nearby:
Additional Location Information
Our farm is only 20 minutes from Fortuna (the base of fiery Arenal volcano) yet borders on wilderness, rivers and forests where we ride horses and ATV's and hike without the press of tourism. Bird watching and playing in hot springs, swimming in crystalline waters -- all nearby and all private for you. Plus hot springs and belching Arenal volcano only 20 minutes away. It is a great place to raise our family.
The Unique Benefits of this Villa
Peace, tranquility and the earthiness of a working horse farm. So far away from the crowds and the noise, yet 20 minutes from the tourist Mecca of Fortuna, and Arenal volcano.
Location Type Mountain, Rural, Tropical
Rates
Rates shown in $ USD (change)
| Date | Weeknight | Weekend Night | Weekly | Monthly | Minimum Stay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate Summary | $100 - $180 | $100 - $180 | $0 | $0 | 2 nights |
| Sep. 1 2012 - Nov. 30 2012 Green Season 2 people |
$100 | $100 | - | - | 2 nights |
| Sep. 1 2012 - Nov. 30 2012 Green Season 3 to 6 people |
$150 | $150 | - | - | 2 nights |
| Dec. 1 2012 - Aug. 31 2013 | $180 | $180 | - | - | 2 nights |
| Dec. 1 2012 - Aug. 31 2013 2 people |
$120 | $120 | - | - | 2 nights |
| All Other Dates | $120 | $120 | - | - | 2 nights |
| Can't find rates for your travel dates? Contact the owner | |||||
Additional notes from owner
Rate from $100 a night to $180 a night, depending on dates and # of guest
Green Season (Sept, Oct, Nov) $100 for 2 people, $150 for 3 to 6 people
Rest of the year $120 for 2 people, $180 for 3 to 6 people
Taxes and daily cleaning fees included
Availability
AvailableUnavailable Last updated: May 24, 2013 ◀▶
What Past Guests Are Saying
Overall Rating
ExcellentVery Good
Average
Below Average
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Steffi and Claus
GermanyBeautiful setting
Left on 06/10/2013 for a stay in April 2013
We enjoyed our stay at the ranch, very beautiful landscape and nicely designed villa.
Upon our request we were served a very good breakfast in our villa.
Having a car is advisable. Restaurants are in next village about 5 minutes away.
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Bronwyn E
Corvallis, OregonBeyond our Highest Expectations
Left on 04/05/2013 for a stay in March 2013
My husband and I stayed here with our teens aged 13 and 16 for 3 nights and it was the highlight of our trip to Costa Rica. The property is beautiful and the accommodations were first rate. You can be on your own to explore if you'd like but I recommend talking with Esteban to plan your activities. We went on an outstanding horsebacking ride that we will never forget (and my husband and kids are not horse people) with Esteban's guide and horses. This guide also took us on atvs (our first time on atvs) to enjoy a small local hot springs resort and had a blast. Whether your activities are with Esteban or not, I highly recommend taking his advice on where to go because we found his recommendations spot on. I can't say enough about how terrific our stay here was and would recommend it those who are somewhat adventurous and want to get a taste of Costa Rica that is away from a resort but still enjoy top notch accommodations.
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JCaballero7
Pomona, CaliforniaThe villa felt like a home away from home...
Left on 03/31/2013 for a stay in March 2013
My partner and I spent 8 days at the villa and we had a wonderful time. It was private, spacious, clean and safe. Esteban (the owner) was extremely helpful and made us feel very comfortable. It's located (about) 30 minutes from La Fortuna, but we didn't mind the distance between the towns. We went to Costa Rica to get away from the city life and the villa met our expectation. We felt like we were part of the local community and not like tourists. 3 years ago we stayed at Tabacon Resort & Spa and even though it is a very nice hotel, it was too mainstream for us.
Tip: rent a small SUV, always wear mosquito repellent and take a flashlight. -
Tami_Mike
Ottawa, Canada“Pure pura vida!”
Left on 03/29/2013 for a stay in March 2013
Luck was on our side when we found Esteban’s property. The ranch – wow!!! The home we stayed in was spacious and luxurious. Decorated throughout with beautiful art, furniture was authentic Costa Rican, beautiful flower arrangements throughout, spacious bathroom with a sunken tub surrounded by windows, a large bedroom with a comfy bed and the kitchen had everything you could possibly need including the daily cleaning service. The ranch is so peaceful; we enjoyed the view watching the horses while swinging in the hammock. The maintenance of this property is unbelievable - the grounds were immaculate, the flowers beautiful, the stables extremely clean and the pool sparkled in the sun along with the Jacuzzi!
Jonathan (our private tour guide) took us out for a ride on the aTV’s through the mountains which showed us overwhelming views. We had a few pit stops – one to swim in a river to cool down and then ending the night to relax in the beautiful hot springs which was a fantastic experience. The best part of our stay was the hot air balloon ride that we took on our 5th wedding anniversary. We were very nervous but Esteban was an awesome operator/owner that went out of his way to make us feel safe.
Unfortunately for us there was only a 3 night opening at the Ranch during our 2 weeks in Costa Rica. Esteban was a blessing as he went above and beyond reserving all of our other accommodations and booking our rental vehicle. He truely made our vacation extremely exceptional sending us on some great adventures, not touristy at all and sending us to locations that were completely gorgeous. If we could say anything about Esteban, he is an honest, trustworthy person who really cares about others. He is for sure a great ambassador for Costa Rica.
We have stayed in many 5 star hotels and this is more than a 5 star in our opinion!!! We will definitely stay here again!!! Thank you Esteban, Monica and staff for the wonderful experience. -
Ken
CincinnatiWonderful experience
Left on 02/20/2013 for a stay in February 2013
Our stay at Estabon's horse ranch villa was wonderful. The house is beautiful & the staff were very friendly and accommodating. Estabon & his wife were great hosts. Estabon was very helpful in providing advice & arrangements for sight-seeing and excursions. Their dachshund (whom we re-named La Hermosa) was our special guest a couple of evenings; she was also a delight.
We could not have asked for a better experience. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and wish to return again. -
Duane
Rehoboth Beach, DE, USABeautiful and peaceful...the perfect getaway!
Left on 01/24/2013 for a stay in January 2013
My family (me, wife and two daughters 8 and 16) stayed at Esteban and Monica's villa for 5 days. Our time there was wonderful and exceeded our expectations. We arrived with no schedule and were simply looking for a place to unwind and relax and we could not have picked a better place. We stayed in the newer villa which sits on a hill over looking the Platanar Volcano. The villa is very nice with comfortable and modern amenities. The kitchen is well stocked with dishes and cooking utensils and nice appliances. We especially loved the views from our bedroom in the morning. We were able to pick delicious grapefruit, star fruit, oranges and other fruits from the trees just outside our door. The location is great. Very secluded and quiet. The tourist town of La Fortuna and Volcan arenal are an easy 20-30 minutes drive. There is also a nice grocery store 10 minutes away.
My oldest daughter is an equine enthusiast and loved to walk down to the stables and spend time getting acquainted with the horses. We had an incredible time riding horses through pineapple plantations and sugar cane fields as well as through streams and rivers. Our guide, Jonathan was great. He was very knowledgeable of the area and made the experience very enjoyable. I had never been on a horse prior to this trip but Jonathan paired me with a great horse and within minutes I felt confident and comfortable.
Esteban was also super helpful before and during our trip. He was always quick to respond to my emails and went above and beyond. If you are renting a vehicle have Esteban make the arrangements for you (he will save you money). We would highly recommend this property. Pura Vida!
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Christophe
LausanneOutstanding
Left on 01/21/2013 for a stay in January 2013
Everything was great, the place, the activities, the house and the owner. It's a place to stay at least 4-5 days. We will come back.
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Younginitiative
HerndonGreat farm stay!
Left on 01/20/2013 for a stay in December 2012
My wife and I honeymooned here for two nights. The owners were so hospitable. The villa was immaculately cared for. The horse ride and guides were fantastic. The area was safe and we felt very secure here. There is a supermarket and restaurant within easy driving distance. This is partly open-air and waking up in the mornings we would find animal tracks outside our bedroom door, but the room was air conditioned, peaceful, and critter free. I highly recommend this stay for classic Costa Rican interior.
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Nigel Muntz
Bristol, UKGreat place to stay
Left on 01/03/2013 for a stay in December 2012
Having left our trip planning to the last minute, we were lucky to be able to stay in this house, it's popular and I can see why. It was s our first stop on a months trip and was a welcome break from the smog of San Jose. Immaculately clean, well equipped modern house, lovely big rooms and a great view over the surrounding countryside. Great bathroom with shower and bath.
Loved the open air kitchen and fab to have a swimming pool and horses grazing right outside.
Esteban was super helpful. He advised us on places to visit in the surrounding area, focussing on the alternative, non-tourist options such as thermal springs. We also went to the Cascada del Toro (100m high waterfall) which was stunning, with nice restaurant and hummingbirds galore. We also tried the arenal hanging bridges (expensive for what you get).
Esteban helped with our car hire for our whole trip which was great.
All in all, the house is fabulous value for high quality accommodation in the La Fortuna area, good to be out of the main tourist trail and close enough to local shops. You need your own transport to get around. You can get away with a non 4x4 car if traveling up from San Jose as only the last 1km is on unpaved roads. Depending on what your planning on doing when you are here, it will be more comfortable (and quicker) in a 4x4 and you have the extra clearance on the unpaved roads if you plan on exploring off the beaten track (so to speak).
A great place.
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jen0nt0ur
Un attentive Host
Left on 12/28/2012 for a stay in December 2012
Arrived to find the most beautiful villa, I was in love. I also was soon to be disappointed.
Estaban and his wife greeted s and explained they had just put in a new hot water system. Not only did the water never work correctly but we had a fridge that wouldn't keep things cool. We explained this to our host who responded that it was the holiday and he would keep an eye on it, if it still did not work he would bring the fridge from the stables. Christmas day we went for a long, 4 hour, absolutley fab horseback ride only to return to the same fridge and a rotten chicken. I went up the hill to explain,on Christmas, this event to Monica Esteban's nice wife. She looked horrified and gave me directions to the nearest store. Christmas Day at 6pm I was driving to the store for chicken. Not only did Esteban not come to apologize that night we also never saw him the next morning before check out.
If you want a return customer dont you want to show them more curtesy?
I rented this place because of the reviews, wish I'd had the same experience as others.Response from Esteban Elizondo - 12/30/2012
Owner
Jennifer,
First of all, you did not reserve our villa threw FlipKey, it was threw VRBO services. I was aware of your negative review and even though I had the chance to deny this post, I decided not to do it.
I invite the people to see the review you posted there, as well as my answer. What I found unfair is how you changed your version from one review to another.
Your review on VRBO mentions the hot water in the sink never working, on your FlipKey review you are saying the hot water of the house never worked correctly.
That is a big change in the version and shows clearly your intentions to hurt and damage…
Here is my VRBO response after your review:
Dear Jennifer,
I am not the kind of person who gives excuses and I take full responsibility for whatever happens in our property. However, I do not think your review is entirely fair.
Regarding the hot water in the kitchen, when you arrived we were changing the water heater that feeds water to the kitchen´s sink. It took no longer than 30 minutes after your arrival to replace it and have it in working order. At our place if something breaks, we run and replace it for a new one!
We are proud (my wife and I) to run a very neat operation and we try to take care of every detail as good as we can. All our previous reviews are a clear sign of that.
Regarding the refrigerator, you checked into our property on Dec 23 and on Dec 24 we heard about the problems with the refrigerator. I immediately went to your villa, disconnected it, worked with the settings and asked you to watch it until the next morning (Dec 25). Christmas morning it was determined the refrigerator was broken and I told you I would look for a solution including either trying to locate a new one on Christmas day or getting another one from the farm. I made my best effort to locate a new refrigerator going to several towns but unfortunately most stores were closed. Unfortunately, the other refrigerator at the farm was not available.
You are correct that I failed to advise you of the situation and I apologize for the inconvenience and frustration this caused you.
What I do not find fair is you talking about my lack of concern. Above and beyond the house rental, I spent a great deal of time before your arrival helping you out on activities, reservations and logistics. In addition I provided you with my personal GPS since the car rental company you chose to use failed to give you one.
We also helped you with a transfer for your boys to get to La Fortuna on a prebooked adventure at 6:45 AM as well as another transfer for the boys at 5:30 AM for a prebooked rafting trip (for free, no charge) because you did not want to get up that early.
Yes I failed on bringing or replacing your refrigerator on Dec 25th (Christmas day) but I do not understand why you generalize and talk about my total lack of concern. It is not fair.
It is indeed a beautiful property, our people do magnificent work cleaning the villa every day for you, the grounds are manicured, the best of furnishing, bedding, towels, etc; but your comments make it look like what appears to be beautiful (first impression) soon turns into a headache and that is not true.
We love what we do, we try to do our best, and we care!
Esteban Elizondo
Owner
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Nina
MannheimAmazing!!!
Left on 12/16/2012 for a stay in November 2012
Just one advice for everyone who will visit Costa Rica: stay with Estaban, his family, his great team and his beautiful horses!!! There you get anything you need, even more, incredibly nice housing (First class) with the best view ever and the possibility to chill,relax and enjoy the natur, individually planend entertainment program which does not leave a single wish unfullfilled and warm and affectionate people who will cordially welcome you.
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ccb
Thousand Oaks, CAAmazing, Amazing, Amazing!!!
Left on 12/13/2012 for a stay in December 2012
We stayed at the other villa which is 3 separate buildings (Villa Frutales- 2 bedrooms and main living area) on the farm. It was amazing views, clean, safe, and comfortable. Esteban arranged private tours with his guides that made the trip even more memorable. We did a day of horseback riding riding with 3 guides on private property with river crossings, views of sugar canes and pineapple plantations, hills, and cow pastures. The horses were very easy to ride for beginners like us and Juan Carlos, our guide gave us a great crash course on horses and proper riding. Esteban also sent 2 of his guides with us caving. He arranged white water rafting. And he personally took us on a crazy adventurous aTV tour on his property where you get absolutely muddy and dirty. We got to jump into a river and end the day at a beautiful and empty hot springs. To top it off, we ended our trip with a hot air balloon ride which was absolutely amazing with the "best pilot in 16 countries," our host Esteban. We had an incredible time and will highly recommend the farm and Centaura tours. We can't wait to return and have Esteban plan a more adventurous vacation for next time.
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Gypsy6570
Poplar Bluff, MissouriDon't let this one get away! Fantastic Villa! Pura Vida
Left on 12/07/2012 for a stay in December 2012
We were so pleased with our villa and with our host, Esteban! One of our goals was to relax and there could not be a more perfect place to do so. It was a short drive to Fortuna and arenal Volcano where we enjoyed the hot springs at Ecotermales. We enjoyed a wonderful meal and entertainment at La Choza de Laurel in Fortuna. The highlight of the week would have to be the Hot air Balloon ride with Esteban, our pilot! It was wonderful and amazing to see Cost Rica from the sky. The landing in a farmer's field, along with meeting the farmer's family added to a fantastic experience. Another great hot springs was Termales Del Bosque. Our afternoon horseback ride could not have been more fun with our 3 guides! The local restaurant in Platanar, La Hacienda was delicious and we tried many local favorites. We could not have found all these great places without the help of our host, Esteban! The property was exactly as described and pictured, very clean with daily housekeeping. There is a wonderful swimming pool just a few steps from the villa and we enjoyed it when the sun came out. We would highly recommend this property!
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gregvgregv
Ottawa, CanadaSpectacular Stay at the Ranch!!
Left on 12/06/2012 for a stay in November 2012
We had a wonderful stay at Esteban's ranch. In fact the moment we got there we immediately regretted we were only staying two nights!! Esteban was there to welcome us and is very friendly and speaks perfect English. He allows you to roam free on his spectacular ranch, pet his horses, eat grapefruits off the trees and plenty more!!
The place was neat and tidy and Esteban was very good to provide feedback about places to go and things to do. His ranch is a little bit of a drive from the volcano and more in the country but that was what we loved about it. Very private and quiet and peaceful. Any place you want to visit or see will be less than half an hour. I also recommend taking Esteban up on his horse tour as its quite a thrill to gallop with him and his horses and get a tour of his spectacular ranch!!
Highly recommend! -
anthonyaspesi
Chicago, IllinoisExcellent!
Left on 09/29/2012 for a stay in September 2012
Great place. We absolutely loved everything about it! Very nicely decorated and excellent service! Would recommend it to both families and couples.
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