Carrillo Bay Hideaway,Walk to Everything

Carrillo Bay is truly a slice of paradise. The beach is right out of a travel magazine, the locals are friendly and nature greets you when you least expect it. The humidity was bearable and the thunder storms were impressive but short lived. We quickly adjusted to the slow pace of Costs Rica and relaxation was the name of the game! Around every corner there was something new to explore. You could walk everywhere and when you wanted to leave the area transportation was readily available. The care taker showed us monkeys, parrots, iguanas , fireflies etc set up fishing outings for us. We managed to get around the language barrier. When we weren't eating the fish we caught we enjoyed great meals at a variety of local spots some of which the owners had recommended. A trip 40 mins away to the turtle reserve to watch sea turtles laying their eggs was an experience none of us will soon forget. The local zoo is another spot worth walking to. We saw a variety of animals all being rehabilitated before hopefully being released. The pool was where we spent most of our time when we weren't at the beach. The kitchen was well equipped but you do need to buy paper towels, napkins etc. the beds and towels are changed once a week, you need to bring your own toiletries . There is safe to store valuables. Surf boards were cheap to rent nearby and boggie boards came with the house. Several of us went zip lining at a nearby canopy tour. They will pick you up and drop you off at the house. The sunsets were amazing and the vantage points plentiful . The bar at Guanamar and Carrillo Club were two of our favorites. The evenings brought out the bugs so be prepared. Our party of eight rented the adjoining apartment so we had ample space. Our van ride back to Liberia's airport was two hours. We have and will continue to recommend this wonderful rental house to our friends. We look forward to a return trip to paradise in a couple of years. Until then we have wonderful memories and lots of photos to remind us of this beautiful country.

Yes, this place is exactly as advertised. We stayed here for a week with 3 generations of my family (9 total). The house is amazing and the large open air common area is incredibly spacious. I was a bit worried about bugs and heat but neither were a problem. It was fabulous. You can read the other reviews for descriptions of the house. They are all accurate. The trees have grown up some since the photos are taken so you don't have views of the ocean anymore but its more like you are living in a jungle with palms and citrus trees all around. We didn't miss the ocean view one bit.

The caretaker Gerardo is absolutely the best. He seems to know or be related to everyone in town and can fix you up with any sort of excursion you could possibly want at rates that are cheaper than you would normally pay through a hotel. We did kayaking on the Rio Ora, surfing lessons (with the surf shop next door) a night trip to the wildlife refuge Playa Camaronal to watch sea turtles haul out to lay eggs, and some local hikes around the area with Gerardo. Put yourself in his hands and just relax.

We did eat at the Argentinian steak house across the street our first night and were somewhat underwhelmed. Pricy and not really all that exceptional. We walked up to eat at the Soda in front of the football field a few times and the food there was great and much cheaper. (Small cafes are called Sodas in Costa Rica) It is run by Gerardo's sister in law or some such and if you let him know in advance you will be going there with a group he will call ahead to give them warning and they will be sure to have a great meal waiting.

I can't really think of anything else to add that others haven't mentioned. Linda was very easy to deal with and the place was very easy to find. If you are driving from Liberia I would recommend bringing a GPS with Costa Rican maps. There are turns that are easy to miss. I bought and downloaded the Costa Rica garmin maps from this place and they were flawless. Even every narrow bridge is marked and the turn by turn navigation is flawless, just like in the US. I was able to make two night drives back to the Liberia airport with the GPS to pick up my parents and brothers who were arriving on later flights. That would have been crazy without GPS. The drive from the airport is exactly 2 hours, I did it 5 times.

Our family, including a 5 year old and a three year old grandchild, had the most extraordinary time together here, way beyond our wildest dreams. At first we were concerned about having a pool so close, but it worked out very well as there are steps down to the pool area and the open living room was tiled in red, so we just told the kids to stay on the red tile. And they were having so much fun there that inspite of wanting to always be in the pool - when not on the beach, they played happily away from the pool. Linda could not have been more helpful in answering questions and putting us in touch with friends David and Lesdy at Samara Travel who planned our outings and transportation. And having their caretaker, Geraldo available just increased our fun. He took us on a special monkey viewing walk; set-up dinner at his sister's fabulous, authentic Tico restaurant and ordered the fruit truck to come directly to the house. We could not eat enough fruit. On top of all this, we each had our own private space at the house, cooled by air-conditioning and fans. And there was a view of the beach from the pool. If we wanted more action, it was quick ride into Samara, but the unspsoiled La Carrillo Beach was amazing. We did not want to leave and we can't wait to go back!