“Beautiful views, wonderful people, and super affordable!” When I started planning my trip to Monteverde, I was very discouraged because, as a recent college grad, I was on a tight budget. Every hotel I looked at online wanted much more money than I could have possibly paid. I was getting very discouraged because I wanted the experience of being in a cloud forest and not in a hostel. Then I stumbled upon Casa Cielo and it turned out to be everything I could ever dream of. We were greeted by Veronica and her friend who had lived there for 3 years. They were very welcoming and had snacks for us when we arrived (homemade tortillas, queso fresco, and plantains, yum!) and their families were out on the farm collecting fruit for us! After they left, my boyfriend and I were perfectly happy to just sit and enjoy the AMAZING view (and I can't stress that word enough, it truly was incredible). We enjoyed the organic, home grown coffee they provided us as we sat on the second floor balcony watching the sunset. The town is very close and only took us about 5-10 minutes to reach. It has everything you could need or want! The people there are very friendly and have no problem helping you if you need it. We ate at Taco Taco for most of our meals, because it was just that good! The cabin itself is adorable and cozy. We did have a few, large friends (of the 8 legged variety) greet us after the sun went down but we left them to do their job in keeping the rest of the buggies out! We also made friends with the neighborhood doggies and picked up a bag of food for them while we were in town. They loved it and would greet us every time we went out the door! Unfortunately, we were unable to see the toucans but we did see a variety of beautiful and interesting birds (and some even came to wake us up in the morning by knocking on our window!). All in all, Casa Cielo is just spectacular. The views are gorgeous, whether sun up or down, and the cabin makes you feel right at home. I really wish we had planned to stay more than two nights. Thank you to Veronica and family for sharing your piece of paradise! It was everything we hoped for and more.

“Living the Real Costa Rican Life!!!” When we decided to stay at Rancho el Rio, we had no idea or expectations about what this vacation would be like. Emailing back and forth with Veronica, I knew we would be in good hands but I had no idea what amazing things were in store for us!! We had no car but we found out that would not matter! Everything that is listed about Rancho el Rio are true..the horseback riding was incredible, hiking every day to see new places and things, milking the cow , seeing a baby calf one hour after it is born, baby chicks, feeding the hens, roosters, peacocks, sheep, pigs, donkeys and even an Emu !! The gift that we had was immersing ourselves into the true AUTHENTIC rural culture that Guacimal has to offer was the highlight of our stay. There is a Fairia every Saturday from 12-5 that is put on by the residents living there with fresh produce, fruit, someone making a hot lunch for purchase each week,fresh bread, desserts, eggs and other wonderful specialties. We were able to purchase much of our food for the week at the Fair which helps the locals sustain a living for themselves..and everything is fresh and delicious!!! There is always a Marimba band or local Mariachi singers and they play Bingo at the end of the day for prizes-I played so I could bone up on my Spanish numbers!! The people are just wonderful in town and we got very close to a lot of them while we stayed there. Veronica and Alex and their son, Stuart are wonderful hosts. Stuart is a wealth of knowledge about local birds, trees, insects, etc and took us for a night hike. Veronica and Alex are dedicated to helping Guacimal become a place where tourists can come and see what real Costa Rica is about, and to help sustain the culture for the people living there. If you stay at Rancho el Rio or are passing through, stop at the Demonstration Sustainability Center which you will see as you are on Route 606, ask them about it as they have many wonderful ideas, dreams and plans for the future of Guacimal. Staying at Rancho el Rio, you only have to walk thru two River areas and down a path to get to it!!! Swimming in the river and then going over to the Casona, to visit, was a treat that you won't soon forget!!! There is always some kind of fruits on the trees on the Rancho so you can pick whatever you like to eat - Yum! The Saturday afternoon Fair is a must stop if you would like to experience true Costa Rica and you could very well see some Howler monkeys living in the trees on your visit!!!

“Secluded private paradise!” This was our first trip to Costa Rica, traveling with our 3 teenage sons. We were very happy with everything about our stay at Casa Inspiracion. It is a quaint house nestled in among the sights and sounds of the forest! Veronica, the owner, could not have been more welcoming and helpful, being accessible by phone at any time to help us plan our stay. We enjoyed a fabulous meal prepared by Giselle, the local neighbor and caretaker. We especially enjoyed the back porch swing, with a view of the Gulf and beautiful sunsets. We enjoyed the setting, stillness, sights, sounds, and sense of adventure Casa Inspiracion had to offer. We toured the Sustainability Center, attended a local fair, swam in the river at a nearby farm with Stuart (the owner's son) as our guide, hiked, zip-lined - it was exactly the type of vacation we were hoping to find. An excellent value for a family of 5.