Guestbook comment

Casa Sammie is just as it is pictured on the web (surreal). Sammie, Lizzy and Neigro welcomed us home each day and kept guard for us each night, we will miss them. The house is nicely decorated and has a well equipt kitchen. The pool was always refreshing and the entire property is well mantained. Thank you Lynn & Larry for a wonderful stay.
JRR

My grandfather, boyfriend and I just spent a week at Casa Sammie. After living in Costa Rica for nearly 3 years I can honestly say it was one of the best experiences we've had here! The house was so charming and comfortable with all the amenities (even that most-important blender for pina coladas!) The pool was a big hit and a quiet, private paradise. Patricia was absolutely wonderful, very friendly and so helpful with all our needs, and relaxing in the gazebo watching the beautiful sunsets was a great way to begin an evening.
We highly recommend Casa Sammie to both visitors to Costa Rica and to Ticos wanting to escape the busy Central Valley.
Pura Vida!

We are a French family with three kids aged 7 to 14, and we've been living in Casa Sammie for 2 months. Casa Sammie is a wonderful place to stay. The small village of Tarcoles is a very typical fishermen village, and the people are really nice. It's very close to the park Carara and the "Crocodile-bird" tour. We also recommend the market in Orotina every Friday morning.
The house is really neat, with a great swimming pool in a tropical garden, and an upper deck from where we can sea the sunset on the sea while eating.
All the services provided are very good, for a short or long stay, it's a perfect choice.
Caroline and Laurent
Pura Vida!

Casa Sammie is now at the top of our list for accommodations in Costa Rica. We have stayed at aparthotels, beach resorts, and beach bungalows and Casa Sammie is the best. It was clean and we felt as if we were at home immediately. We loved the pool and the large yard. The gazebo was a great added touch. Watching the scarlet macaws in the almond trees was a thrill.
The location was very good, with the Pacific almost a stone's throw away and the little river nearby. The little village was nice and secluded, but Jacó was close enough for an easy visit.
Patricia was very helpful and never far away. I would welcome a direct inquiry via email.

We recently returned from an absolutely great 2 weeks at Casa Sammie (Dec 6-18/08). Weather was great, sunny and hot with very little rain.
What makes Casa Sammie such a great vacation destination?
First is the backyard pool, which is well kept (good job Ramon) and very private. No sharing the pool with dozens of other people as you would at a resort hotel. A night swim under a full moon is not to be missed.
Second is the new raised gazebo. The breeze and view are excellent. Breakfast in the gazebo at 7am wearing only shorts made an Ontario winter seem very far away.
Third is the abundant bio-diversity you see every day in Costa Rica and also around Casa Sammie. Banana trees in the backyard and a profusion of tropical plants throughout the yard (some are plants that you struggle to keep alive in a pot in your house back home). Then there is the iguana sunning itself on the pool deck, geckos on the house walls and birds everywhere.
Lastly, and by far the greatest thrill, is seeing scarlet macaws while they munch on almonds in the almond trees directly across the road. Though macaws make quite a ruckus at times they are very quiet while they eat. If you hear or see bits and pieces falling from the almond trees then there is sure to be several scarlet macaws having lunch. Grab your binoculars or camera for a good close up view.
Another great advantage to Casa Sammie is the number of outings within easy travel distance. Patri, the property manager, is very helpful in arranging your adventures away from Casa Sammie.
Here are our top adventures from our stay:
1. Zipline adventure at Hotel Vista Golfo (2 hour drive). Road north from the main highway to the hotel is an amazing uphill trip. Be sure to do the horseback ride to the start of the zipline.
2. Canopy tour at Villa Lapas (15 minute drive). This adventure is a guided hike down a mountain side and across suspension bridges at tree canopy level. Our guide spoke English well and had good knowledge of Costa Rican ecology. Lunch at Villa Lapas was excellent.
3. Cruise to Tortuga Island - Calypso Tours (use the transportation provided by the tour company). Don't miss this adventure if you like snorkeling and an excellent lunch on a white sand beach.
4. Manuel Antonio Park (2-3 hour drive). The hiking trails and beaches are spectacular and the whiteface monkeys at the main beach are immensely entertaining. Getting there can be half the fun, I am sure you will long remember your drive across the old railroad bridge at Parrita.
5. The Jungle Crocodile Safari at the end of the main road north in Tarcoles is the best way to see crocodiles up close.
Be sure to dine at the small family run restaurant in Tarcoles near Hotel Carara and across from the police station. Lunch and souvenir shopping at the Crocodile Bridge restaurant is also great.
As you can see, a stay at Casa Sammie provides rest and relaxation and/or grand adventure which will make for a memorable vacation!!

I stayed with my kids (ages 4, 6, & 9), wife and mother and we really enjoyed it. The house was nice and comfortable and the kids especially enjoyed the pool and having Animal Planet on the TV. The adults appreciated the gazebo, sunset views and especially the scarlet macaws.

The town of Tarcoles is small and walkable and I felt it was a good experience for my kids to see what a non-tourist town was like. Just to set expectations, it isn't a neat and clean town (although the house and property certainly were) but we didn't feel unsafe.
I would definitely recommend it, especially if you plan to enjoy Carara and want to get to see average life for many Costa Ricans.

We just returned from a too short,5 day vacation to "Casa Sammie" (10-8 to 10-13-2008). Patri is a wonderful host with so much knowledge of the ares & assistance when needed. Her employees were excellent in taking care of the pool & property. I looked forward to seeing Ramon every morning just to say, Ole. I could have stayed at the house everyday enjoying the pool and peace & quiet, but we had to play the tourist game. We went Zip-lining, drove to Jaco & Quepos and turned on to many roads just to see where they would take us. Every day was a different adventure. There is so much to do in Costa Rica that 5 days went by too quickly. We'd like to see Northern Costa Rica on the next trip and have already decided to stay at "Casa Sammie" again and just take a 1 day/night trip to the north. If you just stay in "Tarcoles", we highly recommend the Crocadile tour, fresh fish & shrimp at the corner market, Steve & Lisa's restaurant, & having a beer with the locals at Chepes bar. All of our expieriences were fun & memorable and we will go back. KEITH & KAREN MATTIS & family from Texas, California, & Pennsylvania.

We just wanted to say thank you so much for the wonderful stay at Casa Sammie. It was absolutely perfect from the early morning Macaw sightings right through to the spectacular sunsets over the water.
Patricia couldn't have been more helpful setting up activities and helping us with restaurant suggestions. We highly recommend the horseback riding right down the road and finishing the day with a meal at Steve 'n Lisa's.
Anyone who wants a little taste of Heaven should consider staying at Casa Sammie!!!