The home was very comfortable and property was beautiful. Maricel was extremely nice and helpful and treated us like family. The house is very spacious and the property had a beautiful lake with cool frogs and birds
We had such a great time. This was a highlight of our trip to Costa Rica. Our hosts were so kind and we were sad we didn't have more time to stay and enjoy the property and their hospitality. You know those places you go and they tell you that you "might" see some wildlife....but usually that doesn't happen? Well that's NOT the case here. We saw SO many wonderful animals during our short stay - highlighted of course by SO many frogs, many of which were 5 feet from our backdoor. All of my kids had an amazing time. By far our best wildlife experience in Costa Rica.
This was my first trip to Costa Rica where I actually had an opportunity to relax. And relax I did! The location is very remote so it's very quiet. I really enjoyed focusing on all the different species of beautiful birds and plants. The house wes very clean (and large). The host and the entire family were very friendly and accommodating. Anyara even arranged for transportation for us (no Uber in this area).
I stayed with my family and had such an amazing stay. The tour included was so nice and learned a lot. Saw cool frogs and other animals. The house was clean, the host are so helpful with anything we needed. Will come back if I do come to La fortuna
Falsly shown that the property is 10 min away from tourist attraction like Arenal volcano , la fortuna etc. even vrbo location points within la fartuna . But actual property is 1 har away from all theses. Which disrupted our plan and hikes big time.. what a waste. I will be complaining to vrbo abt this property. Though hos is nice and friendly, property is good. But felt they are not honest about the listing.
This was the best house I stayed at in my entire life. It is huge in pristine condition clean. Surrounded by tropical Paradise. I will remember this home for the rest of my life. I want to go back and live in Costa Rica permanently lol. I didnât want to leave. The family is amazing and treated me like one of them. They took me out and let me see all the frogs and wildlife and help me explore. They are absolutely amazing and I wish they were my real family.
The host family was amazing. Very warm and welcoming. The night frog tour was great and so was the tour of the property. Learning about the history of the property was fabulous. The accommodations really made you feel like you were in the Costa Rican jungle.
The property and surrounding area is very beautiful. Marciel and Joshua were very helpful with recommendations and with any questions we had. It is located in a beautiful part of the country and a little slice of heaven. We wish we had more time to explore all it had to offer. The location is about 45 mins from La Fortuna and the activities located there. Thanks Marciel!
I saw the reviews & the one thing that stood out was the hospitality of the family! Well, it was true!
My daughter & I didnât arrive to the property til very lateâŠafter midnight. We flew in from different cities so I had to wait for her at the airport. We then had about 2hr drive to the property. I kept in contact w/ the hosts to give them an ETA.
Well, the host, Anjara, was there waiting when we arrived to welcome us!âŠyes, at midnight! She gave us brief instructions & showed us around the place.
The next morning they made breakfast for us! We had a great time getting to know them & they gave us a lot of insight on the culture, which we loved! Anjara showed us their beautiful property! She also gave us some recommendations on activities to do during our stay. We had the opportunity to visit la fortuna falls!
We also loved the house we stayed. It was so eclectic! It had so much charm & authenticity! We were told that her husband built it!
We were only there for a few days & wish we had more time. But we left to go visit another great city Manuel Antonio!
Some of the reviews mentioned the amount of time it takes to get to downtown la fortunaâŠwell, they make it very clear that there is about 30â40min drive. But the drive is beautiful! Thatâs what makes the stay that much better!
I would highly recommend staying here! You will fall in love just as we did!
Thank you!!
This house is located on a property that has been deeply cared for my the host and her family. It is evident that they take great pride in the land and nature that surround them. The house was very comfortable and had everything we needed to feel at home. The host and her family were very welcoming and her daugter provided us a night walk where she showed us the frogs and pther animals that call this beautfil place home. They provided recommendations of places to eat and a wonderful zipline company where we spent the day flying through the forest. I would definitely stay here again if I am ever back in the area.
My family and I stayed here passing through to get to La Fortuna. We only reserved one night and regretted not booking a longer stay once we stepped foot on the property.
When we arrived we werenât sure which property was the correct one but Maricel greeted us at the street so that we could find the correct driveway. She showed us around the place and introduced herself to welcome us and make us feel at home. The home was large and fit five of us very comfortably. There is a large window to watch the animals from the kitchen at the back of the house and there is a trail that leads through the spectacular property.
Marcel recommended a soda down the street that we enjoyed for dinner that night. After dinner, her kind daughter, Anyara, gave us a tour of their farm showing us all of the fascinating frogs and wildlife after dark. We arrived late in the evening so we didnât have time to explore the property during the day. Anyara offered to wake up and show us around the next morning also before we left. Anyaraâs father even came over from his work to knock down coconuts from a tree and cut them open to let us try fresh coconut water.
This family made us feel like we were at home and were a part of their family. They are so kind and passionate about the land that they live on that has been passed through many generations. Thank you so very much, Maricel, Anyara, and family! If we are ever in Costa Rica again, we will be back to visit you all again.
Absolutely beautiful property and hostess family. The frog tour was wonderful and such an amazing experience around the area! Would recommend staying here!
We brought our family of 6 here to experience Costa Rica for the first time. The host family who lives next door on this large property is very welcoming & kind. Anyara greeted us warmly and helped us with anything we needed, including recommendations for restaurants and activities.
Some highlights for us were walking around the lake/ponds, getting a guided night tour of the frogs, seeing & tasting coconuts and sugar cane, and eating breakfast they made for us (extra fee of $10/person) on their covered kitchen/patio while we watched different birds come eat from bananas on branches.
Helpful to know: there are two close small restaurants (called SODAS) that you can walk to. Both were tasty and not too expensive. We also bought food at a local grocery store (5 min drive) and cooked some of our meals in the kitchen to reduce the cost of meals.
It was easy to find the home if you use google maps to take you there. Arrive before dark if possible. (There arenât many street signs in Costa Rica so following an electronic map is necessary the first time you arrive, then you will get a feel for the area!)
We found it helpful to have a rental car and there is a lot to do in this general area so you can explore around to find lots of tourist attractions. Some activities like the volcano hike or Balti Hot Springs are about an hour drive away but the drive is beautiful. We went to a less expensive hot springs (recommended by Ayara) and liked it.
Our family loved staying here!
Beautiful house clean & well equipped, nestled in tropical rain forest, stream, pond and birds. The kindness, thoughtfulness and availability of host family is outstanding (they even came to find us when we were lost the first night). Sharing breakfast with the family in an outdoor kitchen was an unparalleled experience. Thank you for being such generous and gracious hosts and for your environmental awareness.
We had a most amazing time at gem of a place. We loved company of Mrs Marisel and Anyara. We had breakfast with them everyday. Josh took us for a night frog tour and had amazing knowledge. It was amazing hard work and love he put together in the property. You need a car to get to this place but its worth a try. There is a beautiful private forest behind the house where there are several birds who come during the morning (including at least three tocans), there are also atleast one or two sloths living around in that area but we did not see them. Marisel fed the birds like her babies during the breakfast time. A most amazing adventure, very different than you ever encounter anywhere in costa rica. There art and love of nature in the air. Highly recommend to all travellers. Good luck and hope someday we see you again.
What a great find! This little oasis is like a mini nature preserve with its own nature trails, ponds with really cool frogs, birds, fruit trees and an abundance of native plants and trees. The family live on the property and add a fabulous Tico experience with their hospitality of breakfast in their outdoor kitchen, nature walks, and fire side chats. Spending time with the family was one of our favorite memories of our trip to Costa Rica. We definitely could have stayed longer. It is about 30-40 minutes to most of the tours in La Fortuna so be mindful of this when planning your adventures.
The best thing was the host and her family wonderful people who are passionate about the flora and fauna and share that passion with their guest. The grounds around the house are beautifully kept and have all kinds of wildlife there. The son Jefferson will take you on a night frog tour which was awesome and very informative. The house was very clean and good for a large group. Would definitely recommend.
Like being part of the family in a rainforest paradise
This property is stunning... even better in person than it appears in the listing. It feels like authentic Costa Rica... surrounded by lush jungle. The beautiful original art was all painted by a family member. The best part of this rental, however, is the people... They made us feel completely at home in their beautiful home. They cooked us Tico breakfast in their open-air kitchen. They showed us around their gorgeous property. They taught us about the medicinal plants they are cultivating. They cut open coconuts for us. They let us hold the exotic frogs they are working to protect. They taught us about their history... They made us feel like family. We love them and can't wait to return.
We only stayed at this property one night, but wish we had stayed longer. Staying here was one of the highlights of our entire trip to Costa Rica. The house is amazing- clean, beautiful (with handcrafted carpentry work and painted walls). The property that the house is located on is beautiful. The hosts are some of the nicest people that weâve met on our trip. The gave us a free night tour of their property and showed us the amazing frogs that they have. We even got to hold one of the ones with 7 colors. For an additional cost, we got to eat an amazing Costa Rican breakfast with them in their outdoor kitchen and dining room. If you are hesitant to book this location, donât be. Itâs amazing.
I am going to be very honest here. I don't enjoy leaving a bad review, but this needs to be addressed.
First of all, it is a good 45-minute drive to and from La Fortuna. The check-in was pleasant enough. We did check in late and really got lost. Somehow, we had the wrong address. We had brought food to prepare the following day. The kitchen is not a place where you want to prepare any cooking The stove looked like it was 30 years old, absolute disgusting. The coffee machine hadn't been thoroughly cleaned, I had to wash and rinse the inside about 5 times to get it cleaned properly They had a mixer in the kitchen that I wouldn't dare use. The bottom was so dirty, we tried to unscrew it, and it would even come apart. They have no hot water in the kitchen, so we had to wash all our dinner ware, including the very old pots and pans in cold water. The house is nice, but the bathrooms also really need an upgrade. very old. The house sits right off the main road, so it was extremely noisy to say the least. At night we heard a couple of dogs barking constantly. So very annoying. We also had no drawers to put our clothes in, but when I mentioned it to the owner who lives next door, they did provide us with a rack and some hangers. I was definitely unhappy Our stay was to be 7 days, but we left 2 days earlier. If you don't mind the Noice, barking of dogs and don't care to cook at all, then this place is Ok.