“Fantastic two weeks!” Wow, where do I begin? We have never been to Costa Rica and wanted to try something completely different than the typical all inclusive resorts. So the search began and we discovered the beautiful eco friendly vacation homes. This was the best trip in the twenty years of travelling we have done!! We were picked up at the airport by John and he brought us to the resort. On the way there we asked him a ton of questions as any tourist would. He really wasn’t familiar with the area, but let me tell you he was great at finding stuff out for us if he didn’t know. John is a very kind man and excellent to have around. The power went out due to a storm one evening and he was quick to stop by in the pouring rain. He informed us what we should do if it was out for a length of time and brought us candles. (The power was only out for about half an hour) He was very helpful in many other aspects, but I would keep you here forever if I went on. He comes across shy, but he will open up if you take the time to spend with him. Thanks for everything John!! Juan the manager was exceptional; his responses to emails were immediate. He is very informative and has all the answers you look for in a manager. There was never a question he wouldn’t answer. Juan always updated me with information and gave great insight to the area. Juan has a large selection of things to do with all the pricing available up front so you can plan accordingly. They even have special services if you require anything. We had groceries ready for us in the room for when we arrived so we didn’t have to worry about finding a place to eat late at night. Thank you Juan for the best service anyone could ask for! My husband and I stayed in the one bedroom home and we were not disappointed in any way. With exception of the creepy crawlies that visited us throughout the trip. Let’s just say I have seen many bugs that I would never see here in Canada! Hey, it’s the jungle take it all in. Speaking of that, one thing I would recommend to the owners is having door sweeps put on, so those little critters have less chance of exploring the homes. Everything was exactly as described in the photos and overview of the property. The beds were comfy and everything was clean and up to par. Some of the fruit was not in season so we weren’t able to take advantage of all the fresh stuff. However we did get to enjoy the limes, star fruit, grapefruit and tangerines. We did not rent a car while we were there. If you want to be even more adventurous then I suggest a car. If you want to enjoy the life of the locals hop the bus and go see the little towns nearby. The bus stop is on the hour across the street in front of El Jardin and you can go to Orotina (this is where we bought the bulk of our groceries) It’s about 20mins to get there. If you want to catch the bus and go to the crocodile bridge, Tacoles, Jaco, or Play Hermosa the bus comes by half past the hour on the same side of the road as the Villas. We rode the bus to Jaco from the villas and with all the stops it took about an hour to get to Jaco. We had no problem using the transit and we do not speak Spanish. It was so safe and there were no issues. (They don’t take US $$ to ride the bus as far as I know). We had our money changed to colones before we left Canada to make things easy. All the little towns will take US $$ but they give you colones back in change. There were also taxi’s driving by on the highway regularly. They will honk their horn at you if they are available for use. Always ask and confirm pricing prior to getting in. While we were there we met some beautiful people on our resort and had a great time sightseeing with them. We all went to the Carrara National Park and hired a guide, boy it was worth it. They know all the places that the wildlife hangs out. It’s very difficult to pick out the wildlife with your own eyes! He pointed out so many things that we would have never seen. We also went to Jaco which is a resort surf town; it has everything you want in one location. And a beautiful beach to walk. Juan set us up with a water repelling tour and it was fantastic! They are fully equipped with all the gear and very safe. It was an excellent day trip. There was also an incredible beach that is close by where the locals like to be, it was called Playa Blanca. Absolutely beautiful! As for the restaurants and fruit stands nearby, there are plenty around. If you are walking and did not rent a car it can be a lengthy walk. The other option would be to hop the bus and ride it a little ways down to check out the other restaurants. The bus stops frequently and all you have to do is hit the buzzer. We walked to the La Puesta Del Sol fruit stand and purchased fruit there and right beside it was a gas station where we could get items on short notice such as margarine, bread, night time snacks and liquor. We also ate at the little soda and the meal was just fine. Our most favorite place to eat was Los Congos Restaurante. It was about a mile down the road and worth the walk. The food was amazing and there was never a morsel of food left on the plate. YUM!! They had our beverages at our table before we sat down. The employees there were fantastic! And you can’t go wrong eating dinner and watching the howler monkeys up in the trees! We had a flashlight for the walks back as it is very dark in the area and it is a good way for the traffic driving by to know you were there. There is no shortage of wildlife on the property either. Everything from Iguanas’, squirrels, geckos, scorpions, bats, a cat and another animal that we couldn’t quick figure out, it was harmless. I think we saw all the birds in Costa Rica! The Scarlet Macaws even flew over. The highlight of our 2 weeks there was when we were hanging out at the pool we could hear the howler monkeys. The second we heard them we knew they were on the property and we dropped our stuff off at the home and sprinted to the other end of the property to watch the monkey interact. There we were in the jungle surrounded by the howlers with their babies frolicking in the tree tops! WOW, the best moment in time! We stood there for an hour in amazement! We even mimicked their calls and they called back! My trip was complete!! We have been on many tropical vacations in multiple countries. Always staying all inclusive, this time was different. We wanted the simple life and the peace and quiet along with a stress free vacation. This was most definitely the best route to take. If you are looking for nightlife and a resort full of many other tourists I don’t think this is for you. I would recommend Juan and his staff anytime. We can’t wait to return to Costa Rica!

“A paradise in the mountains of Atenas CR” Our stay in Costa Rica was most enjoyable. When we arrived, the house was clean. It is well located, very functional and beautiful. The view from the terrace is splendid. In the evening, when contemplating all the lights twinkling in the valley in front of us, we could easily imagine being in Tuscany. The maintenance staff was always friendly, and respectful. The place is equipped with a heated pool, maintained by a discreet and courteous couple. A big thank you to the owner Douglas and to the house management team that did everything they could to make our stay enjoyable.

“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!!!