Peaceful house, adventurous days!
Review Submitted: February 26, 2010
Date of Stay: February 2010
This was our first trip to Costa Rica, and when I saw the chalet on the website, I knew this was the place for us. Our group ranged from 40-68, and we like off the beaten path. Staying at Baja de Toro was perfect for this group. If you like to be in the middle of the action, this place is not for you. 30 -45 minutes to groceries; many days we drove for several hours, but the drives were beautiful and part of the adventure of Costa Rica. The house was beautiful; waking up to the view of the volcanos/mountains was breath taking. Pilly was great--we met him in Grecias and we went to the market with him--and then followed him up and up and up to the chalet.
Breakfasts with Seleni were delicious--we had long days, so starting off with a hearty breakfast kept us going for hours before late lunches.
We hiked at El Silencio (and had the best lunch in CR there), went hiking at Arenal, visited a butterfly conservancy, toured a coffee plantation (Espiritu Sanctu), visited the Elyse Kunsler botanical gardens (where we had a private tour with the Director), volunteered at an animal rescue center, soaked in the thermal spas at Basque de Termales, hiked the Los Angeles Cloud Forest (and ziplined there) and drove the closed road to La Paz Waterfall gardens where we rode an ox cart and hand fed the hummingbirds. (You can ford streams with 4 x4's). We cooked at the house a few nights. Love the gas grill on the upper level.
The house was a good set up for 7 folks. Love the design! The kitchen and bathrooms are to die for. We only had a few issues, one of which the hot tub, which Pilly had repaired, but the repair did not work. Hot water can be a little finicky, but a little patience goes a long way. Internet dial up did not work, but I had my Blackberry from work so we had a connection to the web. (Plus who wants to spend time on the computer in CR??) Having the GPS was a lifesaver, since maps and road signs are optional in CR.
Chris and Pilly were really helpful as we planned out trip and Pilly checked in on us. Overall, we had a great trip and would recommend the house if you are willing to drive (or be driven) to the major attractions.
Recommended for:
Age 55+,
Adventure Seekers,
Romantic Getaway
Owner's Response: Thanks for the feedback Donna.
Just a few clarifications: The hot tub was working but it takes 2.5-3 hours to heat up fully so you do have to be patient. Hot water is provided by an instant heater but you have to, as Donna indicates, adjust the faucet slowly so you don't overshoot the desired temperature.
We have now replaced the dial-up internet (which was not very reliable and of course slow) with a high speed connection and it works wonderfully! We have a notebook at the chalet available for our guests use.
There is a small shop in the village to pick up sundry items but major grocery shopping is 30 minutes in Sarchi or Zarcero.
There are many attractions very close by and I honestly can't think of a better location which brings you closer or places you more centrally than our chalet. Within 10 minutes there is fine dining, cooking lessons, spa facilities, hiking, mountain climbing, bird and wildlife watching in the national park, two sets of waterfalls, fly fishing and botanical gardens. Within an hour there is rafting, wildlife reserves, coffee plantations, hot springs, horse back riding, mountain bike riding (you can rent a bike), canopy tours, Poas volcano, souvenir shopping, nurseries and lots more! If you're looking for something specific, just ask and we'll let you know where you can find it!
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Helpful votes: 2/2
