Front view of home, with surrounding rainforest and lake view!
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Front view of home, with surrounding rainforest and lake view!
View of Patio. Why live indoors?
A view of Casa Gavilan from our front garden, surrounded by nature...
This is your view, through the open doors of your living room to Lake Arenal!
Tropical rainforest jungle views, with Lake Arenal and Monteverde beyond
Just like home, with books, TV, DVD movie collection, computer and internet
Fully equipped, modern kitchen
Sweet dreams! Master bedroom enjoys sweeping views over Lake Arenal!
Our second king-sized bedroom en-suite bathroom, TV/DVD, and extra room!
Admire our view from the living room, over the porch to Lake Arenal beyond.
Relax in your own private covered deck and let the time slip away...
Aracari Toucans at one of our bird feeders, less than 10 feet from you!
This is a "Tayra", a local visitor at Casa Gavilan!
Our generously proportioned living area has sweeping vistas of Lake Arenal!
Imagine dining here with your own private Lake, Mountain and Rainforest views!
Relax and watch birds in the shade... or play in the pool in the sun!
- Bedrooms3
- Sleeps6
- 3 Bathrooms,
- 1 Half Bath
73 Reviews of Property 129631 in Nuevo Arenal, Costa Rica
Lake Arenal: Lake View,Location,Wildlife,Pool,Wifi, King Beds!
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Lake Arenal: Lake View,Location,Wildlife,Pool,Wifi, King Beds!
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p129631vb
Toll Free (888) 663-6210 (In USA)
Arenal
Lake Arenal
Like being welcomed into the exotic home of friend
Submitted: August 6, 2009
Stayed: July 2009
This was a great beginning to our 16-day trip - like being welcomed into the exotic home of friends. Overall rating: 5
House: 4.5 - The description barely does this place justice. This is a real house, cool airy design & easy to keep clean. Huge comfortable beds, nice seating areas and outside spaces, and an amazing, ever changing view of the lake nearby. Lots of DVDs, satellite TV/radio, etc. The washer and dryer were a godsend after rafting. The unheated pool was a little cool for our Green Season stay, but our two 10 year-olds used it every day anyway; I bet it's perfect during the hot season. The internet was down, but we weren't craving email that early in the trip, so that wasn't a factor for us.
Kitchen: 4.5 - Not a big fan of electric ranges, but this kitchen was still a pleasure. Nice size fridge w/good freezer, range, and oven, with lots of pans, utensils, and appliances. I really enjoyed the adventure of working with the local supplies to make some pretty good meals.
Location: 5 - Elegant base for day trips to Fortuna and other adventures, though Monteverde is better as an over-nighter (we did it on our way to Manual Antonio [property 150823], which worked well, though I don't recommend the hotel Helaconia). You do need a car to get around. We alternated horse riding, rafting (class 2-4), & zip-lining w/days at just hanging out at home. A few nice walks near the property: we saw howler monkeys, lots of birds, and some truly wild bugs (mantises, moths, grasshoppers, etc.) up close. None of the bugs seemed to be biters despite the lake being so close. There are a few nice restaurants within 15 mins drive, though we generally ate in.
Welcome: 5 - The owners stayed in contact with lots of great information, answers to questions, and suggestions. They, and their rep in country, really went out of their way to be welcoming. Billing was easy and spread across two payments, which was nice. The price was a real value!
House: 4.5 - The description barely does this place justice. This is a real house, cool airy design & easy to keep clean. Huge comfortable beds, nice seating areas and outside spaces, and an amazing, ever changing view of the lake nearby. Lots of DVDs, satellite TV/radio, etc. The washer and dryer were a godsend after rafting. The unheated pool was a little cool for our Green Season stay, but our two 10 year-olds used it every day anyway; I bet it's perfect during the hot season. The internet was down, but we weren't craving email that early in the trip, so that wasn't a factor for us.
Kitchen: 4.5 - Not a big fan of electric ranges, but this kitchen was still a pleasure. Nice size fridge w/good freezer, range, and oven, with lots of pans, utensils, and appliances. I really enjoyed the adventure of working with the local supplies to make some pretty good meals.
Location: 5 - Elegant base for day trips to Fortuna and other adventures, though Monteverde is better as an over-nighter (we did it on our way to Manual Antonio [property 150823], which worked well, though I don't recommend the hotel Helaconia). You do need a car to get around. We alternated horse riding, rafting (class 2-4), & zip-lining w/days at just hanging out at home. A few nice walks near the property: we saw howler monkeys, lots of birds, and some truly wild bugs (mantises, moths, grasshoppers, etc.) up close. None of the bugs seemed to be biters despite the lake being so close. There are a few nice restaurants within 15 mins drive, though we generally ate in.
Welcome: 5 - The owners stayed in contact with lots of great information, answers to questions, and suggestions. They, and their rep in country, really went out of their way to be welcoming. Billing was easy and spread across two payments, which was nice. The price was a real value!
Recommended for:
Age 55+,
Adventure Seekers,
Sightseeing,
Families with Teenagers,
Families with Young Children,
Romantic Getaway
Helpful votes: 15/15
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Lake Arenal: Lake View,Location,Wildlife,Pool,Wifi, King Beds!
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p129631vb
Toll Free (888) 663-6210 (In USA)
Arenal
Lake Arenal
Lovely Home Away from Home
Submitted: April 2, 2013
Stayed: March 2013
The house was roomy enough for our group of 3 adults and 2 11-year-olds, beautifully furnished and close to all of the outdoor day trips (kayaking, horseback riding, zip-lining, etc.) that we wanted to do during our stay in Costa Rica. We were initially concerned about the safety of staying so far away from touristy areas but the house was very secure and we felt right at home. The owner and property manager were very helpful with recommending local restaurants and activities to try during our stay. Dinner at Gingerbread while staying here is a MUST if you love great food! Let the chef select your foods and enjoy!
Recommended for:
Age 55+,
Adventure Seekers,
Girls Getaway,
Sightseeing,
Families with Teenagers,
Romantic Getaway
Helpful votes: 1/1
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business
Lake Arenal: Lake View,Location,Wildlife,Pool,Wifi, King Beds!
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p129631vb
Toll Free (888) 663-6210 (In USA)
Arenal
Lake Arenal
Perfect Vacation, again.
Submitted: April 1, 2013
Stayed: March 2013
2nd time staying at Casa Gavilan, once again we had a wonderful time. Ed greeted us at the door and had stocked the kitchen with essentials so we didn't starve. Ed is by far one of the best people I have ever met, just a gem of a guy. House was as we remembered it, clean, spacious, all the mod cons and a breathtaking pool and back yard. 5th time to Costa Rica, 10th for my wife and we would not stay anywhere else. Took our 5 month old who had a blast. What we enjoy is the seclusion of the house and pool, it is so quiet and private. But 5 minutes down the road is Nuevo Arenal where you have a supermarket, bank, pizza place, gas station and plenty of places to eat. Sundays we like to go hang out with the local Ticos and watch the soccer. Got lucky and watched a tournament this time! 90 minutes from Liberia, really easy drive. Thanks Ian, Ed, once again a perfect vacation. Oh and go eat at The Lucky Bug, see Monica, trust me on this, it is life changing.
Helpful votes: 1/1
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Lake Arenal: Lake View,Location,Wildlife,Pool,Wifi, King Beds!
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p129631vb
Toll Free (888) 663-6210 (In USA)
Arenal
Lake Arenal
IF Five stars are excellent. This property is a SEVEN STAR.
Submitted: January 27, 2013
Stayed: January 2013
Just spent 2 weeks in this paradise. This property and house are in a private, safe and convenient location. We did venture out a few times to see some sites and attractions such as Hanging Bridges, LaFortuna and Arenal Volcano. We enjoyed short trips to Nuevo Arenal. One of the friendliest towns we've ever experienced. Most of the time was spent at the beautful Casa Gavilon. The house had everything we needed, the grounds were immaculate and awe inspiring. Waking up to the sound of Howler Monkeys was something we looked forward to each morning. Then coffee on the patio watching dozens of different bird species. Warm afternoons were spent at the perfectly sized pool. Evenings outside listening to sounds of the surrounding jungle. We've enjoyed all of our past rentals through VRBO in various countries but this one tops them all. Manager Ed and his wife Leslie took care of any needs we had. Thank you guys. Thanks for all your helpful advice Ian. You answered all of my questions, no matter how trivial they may have seemed. We will be back next year.
Recommended for:
Age 55+,
Sightseeing,
Romantic Getaway
Helpful votes: 2/2
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Lake Arenal: Lake View,Location,Wildlife,Pool,Wifi, King Beds!
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p129631vb
Toll Free (888) 663-6210 (In USA)
Arenal
Lake Arenal
Incredible
Submitted: December 11, 2012
Stayed: November 2012
I can't say enough about how impressed we were with Casa Gavilan!
It is a beautiful home in an idyllic setting. It was immaculately clean and well stocked for our week in the area. The "basics" that were provided for our stay were very generous, plenty of bread, coffee, milk etc. We truly did NOT have to get food until the day after our arrival.
Ed and Leslie Woods were there when we arrived and were incredibly welcoming and very knowledgeable about local eateries, what was worth doing/what wasn't and their focus was on value for money. My wife, daughters (10 and 12) and I have stayed in VRBOs in Europe, South Africa, Canada and the US and this was by far the best price for the best place we have ever stayed. There was enough to do "at home' on those rainy days with a huge DVD selection, puzzles and board games while being well located to take in the Arenal Volcano area attractions, and other nearby towns .
The place we went to, for a week, after Casa Gavilan had a lot to live up to...and didn't!
Well done Ian and Lynn, and a special thanks to Ed and Leslie.
It is a beautiful home in an idyllic setting. It was immaculately clean and well stocked for our week in the area. The "basics" that were provided for our stay were very generous, plenty of bread, coffee, milk etc. We truly did NOT have to get food until the day after our arrival.
Ed and Leslie Woods were there when we arrived and were incredibly welcoming and very knowledgeable about local eateries, what was worth doing/what wasn't and their focus was on value for money. My wife, daughters (10 and 12) and I have stayed in VRBOs in Europe, South Africa, Canada and the US and this was by far the best price for the best place we have ever stayed. There was enough to do "at home' on those rainy days with a huge DVD selection, puzzles and board games while being well located to take in the Arenal Volcano area attractions, and other nearby towns .
The place we went to, for a week, after Casa Gavilan had a lot to live up to...and didn't!
Well done Ian and Lynn, and a special thanks to Ed and Leslie.
Recommended for:
Age 55+,
Sightseeing,
Families with Teenagers,
Families with Young Children
Helpful votes: 2/2
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business
Lake Arenal: Lake View,Location,Wildlife,Pool,Wifi, King Beds!
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p129631vb
Toll Free (888) 663-6210 (In USA)
Arenal
Lake Arenal
Casa Gavilan
Submitted: October 28, 2012
Stayed: October 2012
It was a wonderful experience, earthquake and all. Thanks to Ian and Lynn for having such a wonderful home and sharing it with us. Casa Gavilan is exactly as advertised. A beautiful house on a beautiful property overlooking Lago de Arenal. The house was clean and is fully furnished with furnishing that are as nice in appearance as they are in comfort. The decorations make the house actually feel like a home. The movie collection is more than impressive and TV is satellite fed and we watched American and British stations sub-titled in Spanish. The kitchen is well equipped. We wanted for nothing. Everything you need to cook, if you’re so inclined, is there, right down to the cheese grater. The pool is kept spotless by the pool man who comes every morning (M-F) and the grounds are immaculate. Ed Woods, the property manager, was there to meet us with some basics like coffee, and eggs for the next day’s breakfast. He is a very patient and provided invaluable information about shopping and answered all our questions.
Do checkout the folks at Gingerbread. Great cuisine. It’s not cheap but the food is superb and if you leave from there hungry, you’re a monster.
We hope you have as wonderful an experience as we did and as one of the local restaurant’s road ads states, “eat, relax and just be.”
Pura Vida,
Gary and Laura
Do checkout the folks at Gingerbread. Great cuisine. It’s not cheap but the food is superb and if you leave from there hungry, you’re a monster.
We hope you have as wonderful an experience as we did and as one of the local restaurant’s road ads states, “eat, relax and just be.”
Pura Vida,
Gary and Laura
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Lake Arenal: Lake View,Location,Wildlife,Pool,Wifi, King Beds!
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p129631vb
Toll Free (888) 663-6210 (In USA)
Arenal
Lake Arenal
Beautiful home!
Submitted: August 6, 2012
Stayed: July 2012
My husband, myself, our 9 month old daughter, sister-in-law, and niece all stayed here for 9 days. We had a wonderful time! Casa Gavilan is beautiful! The fact that it is in the location that it is in simply makes it breath taking. We have stayed in a number of homes from homeaway.com and this one certainly stood out above the rest. Not one detail has been overlooked in this home from the decor to what is stocked in the fridge. We did not even have to go out and buy spices to cook with. Ed, the manager was wonderful as well. He was very prompt in answering any question that we had both about the property and activities in the area. He also provided us with fridge full of eggs, bread, orange juice and a few other things so the first thing we did when we got there was relax! So nice! We realized that we were coming in the rainy season and so did not expect to see much wildlife...we were also pleasantly surprised by this. We saw toucans, monkeys, a number of birds, and a hooded praying mantis all in the back yard (the birds liked papaya and bananas the best)! Casa Gavilan is truly beautiful. My family and I not only had a great vacation but we also have wonderful memories of our time here!
Helpful votes: 1/1
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business
Lake Arenal: Lake View,Location,Wildlife,Pool,Wifi, King Beds!
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p129631vb
Toll Free (888) 663-6210 (In USA)
Arenal
Lake Arenal
Beautiful home; great location
Submitted: March 31, 2012
Stayed: March 2012
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in this beautiful home. We were visited daily at the feeder by many species of birds and a faithful coatimungi who came by each day to clean up what the birds didn't finish. The covered front patio is wonderful for morning coffee in a peaceful setting. The house is chock-full of interesting Tico art objects and fully furnished for your convenience. The owners and caregivers are extremely helpful and responsive to questions and requests. The house and pool are well maintained.
Arenal is about a 45-minute drive to La Fortuna for adventure sports and the same distance to Tilaran for groceries and shopping. Even closer is the town of Nuevo Arenal where you can pick up the basics. Two outstanding restaurants are within a ten-minute drive.
Although Arenal volcano is currently dormant, we had two days of perfectly clear weather while hiking the hanging bridges and enjoyed a rare sight of the volcano in its glory.
Arenal is about a 45-minute drive to La Fortuna for adventure sports and the same distance to Tilaran for groceries and shopping. Even closer is the town of Nuevo Arenal where you can pick up the basics. Two outstanding restaurants are within a ten-minute drive.
Although Arenal volcano is currently dormant, we had two days of perfectly clear weather while hiking the hanging bridges and enjoyed a rare sight of the volcano in its glory.
Helpful votes: 2/2
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business
Lake Arenal: Lake View,Location,Wildlife,Pool,Wifi, King Beds!
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p129631vb
Toll Free (888) 663-6210 (In USA)
Arenal
Lake Arenal
Everything we hoped for. . .and more
Submitted: March 31, 2012
Stayed: March 2012
Lake Arenal is a perfect spot for a restful vacation and watching the coatimungi, squirrels and many species of birds from the covered front patio. Howler monkeys will wake you in the early morning. . .a time you won't want to miss as that's when the greatest wildlife activity takes place. The house is well equipped and maintained and decorated with interesting Tico art pieces. Both the owners and caretakers are extremely helpful and responsive. The pool feels great after a busy day exploring the area. Arenal is nicely located about a 45-minute drive from sizeable towns in both directions. Go East to enjoy adventure activities and West to a more dry climate. Shopping is in both directions and the nearby town of Nuevo Arenal, about a ten-minute drive will provide for most of your basic needs. Great restaurants are nearby too. Try The Lucky Bug and the Gingerbread. . .you won't be disappointed.
Recommended for:
Age 55+,
Adventure Seekers,
Girls Getaway,
Sightseeing,
Families with Teenagers,
People with Disabilities,
Romantic Getaway
Helpful votes: 2/2
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business
Lake Arenal: Lake View,Location,Wildlife,Pool,Wifi, King Beds!
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p129631vb
Toll Free (888) 663-6210 (In USA)
Arenal
Lake Arenal
Another wonderful stay at Casa Gavilan
Submitted: March 23, 2012
Stayed: February 2012
We stayed at this lovely home for a week in February. It was our 5th visit to Costa Rica and our 5th time staying at this house. We wouldn't dream of staying any place else! This home has everything you need for a very comfortable stay. The gardens are beautiful - you feel like you are alone with the birds and the monkeys in the jungle. Neighbours are close by by you can't see or hear them. It is wonderful - you can't to wrong choosing this house!
Helpful votes: 2/2
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