“Wow! You'll love the Red Sunset!” Are you looking for a luxury guesthouse near Lake Arenal and Arenal Volcano? If so, look no further and book yourself into the Red Sunset. My husband and I, along with six friends, spent a week in March there. We are so glad we did! We found the accommodations to be everything they were advertised and more. The views are amazing and the house, pool house and grounds will give you plenty of opportunities to relax and explore. While the guesthouse is excellent, the very best feature is the owner/operator Patrick. Patrick met with us each day to help us plan activities and make reservations with the best tour operators. His local knowledge and recommendations were spot on each day, and his help was invaluable. The breakfast provided each morning was a highlight unto itself. Come prepared to eat well – you won’t be disappointed. We’ve never had meals of this quality at similar style lodgings. We also took advantage of the optional evening Chef services. While there were several great places to eat in the Lake Arenal area, all of which were recommended to us by Patrick, you won’t beat the meals prepared by Patrick and his wife. Our favorite was the Chicken Parmesan – sorry, Mom, but it was the best we’ve had anywhere! The Red Sunset was the perfect place for our Costa Rica vacation. We arrived as guests and soon felt like family. We’re glad we chose the Red Sunset!

“Truly Amazing property!” There are no words to describe how wonderful it was to wake up to the magnificent views at Casa Espanola. The concierge and staff at my vacation Costa Rica were very attentive to all our needs. We were there for my girlfriend's bachelorette party and we were a group of 15! From the beginning, geralyn and Amy did a great job planning out our trip. I was very anxious about how the trip was going to turn out because i had never been to Costa Rica, but they were always so prompt with responding to my emails and executing all that was promised. Geralyn set up all of our excursions ahead of time. She even scheduled massages at the property! You won't want to leave this place! The pictures do not do it justice! It is even more beautiful in person. We posted photos on instagram with the hashtag #casaespanola so that you can see some photos from our experience. There were 4 floors and each had an ocean view! It was refreshing being able to wake up to that every morning! Every day, the cleaning staff came and cleaned up the property thoroughly, so the house was so nice every time we got back from our daily outing. Oh and our private chef, Chef Harold, was amazing!!!! He and his wife are so nice and the food is delicious! They have a menu on site and they will cook anything you request as long as they can get the ingredients. I would recommend Costa Rican cuisine because it is really yummy. All you have to pay for is the cost of food. And it is definitely worth it! The beaches are close by and easy to get to. The cost of transportation is about $1.75 per person each way. We had breakfast at Cafe Milagro. Their food is really good and the coffee drinks are deelish! You must see Manuel Antonio park. It is about a 20 minute stroll through the park where you see cute monkeys and other exotic animals. Once you get to the end of the park, you get to Manuel Antonio beach which is totally worth it! We had a blast. We also went to playa biesanz which is nice and private. Our trip was at the beginning of rainy season (May 28th-June 1st). I was really anxious about the weather because of the weather reports. I will say this: please disregard what you see on your weather app. It said that it was 100% precipitation and that it would be cloudy and raining every day. The weather was amazing pretty much all day. It would get cloudy in the late evening and it did rain a couple nights, but Costa Rica is so amazing that it didn't even bother us. Especially since we stayed at casa Española. I forgot to mention that they even provide you with 2 cell phones in case you need to get in touch with your concierge! How amazing is that? You can use the phone to make any local calls. So after the first couple days, i was able to call my own taxi lol I’m sure some of the other girls will post a review so you can definitely see how happy we were with our experience! Stay here! You won't be disappointed! To Amy, Geralyn and the rest of the staff at My Vacation Costa Rica, Thank you again for your hard work and the amazing experience!

“Great villa and location” We had such a wonderful, relaxing stay at Casa Margarita. The villa is spacious and clean, with a great terraced outside area with beautiful views, and a nice pool for cooling down. Lounging after a day at the beach, looking out at the sunset over the Pacific (with a cocktail in hand) has to be one of life's great experiences! Pete and Maggie were very helpful in terms of advice and tips in advance of our trip out there. We went snorkelling, fishing, diving, went on the zip line tour, and spent lots of time on Samara and Carillo beaches (both quiet and beautiful). The wildlife was also a real highlight - particularly the monkeys and hummingbirds

“We are hooked.” This was our second trip to the Casa and we must say it was better than the first. My wife and I had 10 days to explore and take in the Country like we had never before. We found the rainy season (Sept) more to our liking and would highly recommend that time of the year to truly experience the beauty of the region. Cannot say enough about Randy's staff and hospitality, something truly unique in todays environment. As I Titled this review as being hooked for it truly did hook us, to the point we have purchased a house east of Parrita and are moving up our retirement dates. Pura Vida Jane and Bill Wright Lake Wales, FL. Ps. Randy sorry for being late on this review, however we have been busy with making the move. (Neighbor)

“Beautiful condo, very friendly owners!!!” As we love to explore and participate on as many outdoor activities as possible, we needed to stay on a central location. This was perfect for us as arenal Volcano is within 1.5 hrs drive to the left and Monteverde within the same distance to the right. Liberia airport just about the same distance (all in all, very convenient for our purposes) note: as Costa Rica has so much to offer, 1.5 hrs is not an unusual drive if you want to experience as many activities and sites as you can) All the units are state of the art (wireless, fiber high-speed internet, kitchen appliances, etc) and with all the amenities of a very modern condo. The owners, Zen & Doreen were very nice and friendly and made us feel quite welcome. Thank you!!! :-) I have provided my e-mail address, in case anyone is interested in contacting me with any questions; I won't mind sharing and confirming all this information as I have nothing but great things to say about this place and their owners. All in all, a Great stay and will definitely stay here again next time while in Costa Rica. ~Manny (from Los angeles, Ca)

“Pura Vida” Excellent place to stay and cheap. Very nice clean modern villa with private pool and perfect for 2 couples or a family. Located in the center of Santa Teresa and right by the beach, which makes this villa a perfect destination. We were 2 couples and had a blast, cooked some amazing dinners in the large kitchen, and had good evenings playing music in the surround sound system and jumping in the pool. Enjoy :P P.S : Weather was great even though forecast said the opposite. Green season is very enjoyable and cheaper.

“Great Nosara experience” nice 2 bed 2 bath villa with large tables inside and on patio. Tile throughout with a full kitchen. there are about a dozen villas in the woods but they are pretty private because of the layout. heavily wooded area off the road. rooms are clean and the villass feel very safe. about 1/2 mile waalk to the beach or short car ride. great mile long beach big waves for surfing and a large sandbar for beginners. Nosara fishing is great and they pick you up right at the villa. this is a thumbs up.

“The Best of Costa Rica!” This was my second visit to Villa Encantada! After the first visit in 2010, my daughter decided this was the place to get married! We returned with a group of 30+. The bridal party(14) stayed at the Villa and Glenn helped to place the rest of us in properties close by, including his sister's house up the hill. The whole event could not have been better! Let me say that Glenn is a great guy and incredible host! If you want to experience the best of Costa Rica, stay with Glenn at the Villa! The grounds are as beautiful as the pictures indicate and you can be entertained right on the property. The Tabacon Lodge and Skywalk at Volcanoes National Park are under one hour drive. Shopping and dining in Nuevo Arenal has a true Tico feel and much better than dealing with the big tourist towns. Pura Vida! Thank you Glenn!

“Perfect Getaway” What an amazing stay we had at Casa Bella. Arriving to the house we were greeted with warm friendly smiles from owners Meghan and her husband Josue. They made us feel so welcome and relaxed immediately. The landscape around the house was beautiful and everything seemed to fit right where it was supposed to. As we walked in the house I noticed immediately how fresh and clean it felt. The room was very comfortable, fresh, and cozy. Exactly what we were looking for. My favorite part of the house was the deck that overlooked beautiful trees. The nature watching is impeccable. I would've of sat on the deck all day everyday if my boyfriend let me. I had a fresh cocktail in my hand constantly and we saw all types of monkeys swing by: Howlers, Capuchin (my favorite) and even squirrel monkeys! Lots of colorful, stunning birds too. The walk to the beach was easy and worth it. Thank God we got the surf lessons for my boyfriend...he really needed it. The staff was so friendly and patient with him. We also did the package where Josue cooked for us. The food had a great presentation and was so flavorful. This experience in the OSa and at Casa Bella was priceless. We were so comfortable, every need taken care of with a smile, and beautiful scenery to top it off. We couldn't have been happier with Casa Bella; great price, amazing service and absolutely stunning. We look forward to our next visit at Casa Bella. Pura Vida

“Spectacular!!!” Our stay at Hacienda Encantada during the days 21 to 25 July 2013, it was an unforgettable experience. Comfortable, clean and everything you need to have fun with the family. The landscape, the rainy season, and the ambient sounds of birds and animals were elements that made us feel at peace and in communication with nature. Although the way to reach the house was a bit difficult, the same was not reason to stop enjoying all of the wonderful of the place. Talk with Mayquel on the customs and way of life of the inhabitants of the area, it was very interesting. Without a doubt, we would love to return. Thanks Marty.

“You have to stay here!!” Absolutely fantastic visit to Bruga Villa and we can't recommend it highly enough! My family loved the Villa and the entire area of Playa Samara and Playa Carrillo, which it sits conveniently between. Wonderfully decorated, with its own refreshing pool. It was a very clean,comfortable (air conditioning for those hot days), and secure Villa. The staff is fantastic and the price, I thought, very reasonable. We'll certainly return.

“beautiful house, great location, secluded beach” This was the perfect spot for our get together with long time friends to celebrate my mom's birthday. The owners were extremely helpful with making arrangements and even custom built a ramp for my mom who is disabled to access the condo! The location was perfect for our 3 year old-we were literally steps away from the pool and family friendly restaurant. The beach, also steps away, was secluded, safe for swimming and great for snorkeling -turtles came up and laid eggs on the beach three nights during our stay. The condo was equipped with beach toys, boogie boards and snorkel gear. The condo was spacious, has a great kitchen and open floor plan downstairs. We loved sitting on the patio early in the morning and listening to the howler monkeys and watching the sunset while we cooked up fresh caught fish. It was so nice to feel like when we arrived we didn't have to go anywhere else- and for a couple days we didn't -we just enjoyed our little piece of paradise! We hope to return again soon!