6 Reviews of Property 360104 in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Date of Arrival: February 20, 2013

Title: Just What We Needed

Review:

As advertised, Casa Gina was private, romantic and secure. It was also just the type of sanctuary my husband and I needed for a truly relaxing getaway. We spent a week there.

The house was immaculate and very well equipped. The beds were very comfortable. The grounds were well-maintained. The house was situated such that it was easy to appreciate all the sights and sounds of the outdoors from indoors or the patio. The best monkey pictures we got were taken from the patio by the pool! The resident iguanas were greatly amusing. I only wish I had remembered to pack binoculars.

Jeannette and Carlos were very helpful, arranging for outing reservations, and promptly responding to any questions we had. The mid-week maid service was a treat we had forgotten about. The young women who cleaned Casa Gina did a great job and were very pleasant.

Most of our days involved rising early and heading out for some type of outing. We would return to Casa Gina mid afternoon and relax by the pool until we felt inclined to venture out for dinner. Outings included Manuel Antonio National Park, MidWorld for zip line tours (very fun), a mangrove tour by boat in Isla Dalmas, and driving further south to explore Ballena Marine National Park and Playa Matapalo. These were both beautiful beach areas with very little development. If you are looking for privacy and what feels like your own beach, Playa Matapalo is the place to go. There is also a great little restaurant/bar in town that has excellent Casado con Pollo en Salsa! We did not feel comfortable swimming here though. Signs warned of strong rip currents and there were no lifeguards. But the scenery was beautiful and the water was surprisingly warm. It was more refreshing to go in the pool at Casa Gina.

All restaurants that we tried in Manuel Antonio were good. Costa Verde, Victoria's, Salsipuedes (?) to name a few. We purchased food at the Super Joseth market in Manuel Antonio. It was nice to have breakfast at the house and cook on the grill one night.

The little we saw of Costa Rica on this trip has inspired us to learn about other parts of the country. Whenever we want to return to the Central Pacific region I would want to stay at Casa Gina again.


Thank you Gina and Gary for making your lovely home available to us!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Wow...what an amazing house. The pictures don't even begin to show the luxury this house has to offer. First, the beds...oh my goodness, the beds! Trust me when I say that the comfortable and cozy beds beg you stay in them. Second, the kitchen...beautiful and well stocked with everything we could possibly need and more. Third, the living area was perfect for four adults, we had plenty of space and were never on top of each other. And last but not least...the pool and wet bar area...beautiful, clean, and the perfect setting for relaxing in the middle of the rain forest. We had planned to spend our second day away from the home but the plans changed when we saw where we were staying. None of us wanted to leave so we just stayed at the house all day. Casa Gina was the perfect setting for an indulging rest day by the pool at the end of an active Costa Rican vacation. The house manager was able to arrange for a private chef for us our last night. I absolutely recommend this! We had casados every day we were in Costa Rica and had the chef (Junior and his helper David) prepare the same. Junior's casados was the best we had and he even showed us how to make some of the local dishes. They brought the food, prepared it and cleaned up! Junior and David made our last night in Costa Rica very special and Casa Gina was the perfect setting. And lastly, the owners and the house manager Jeanette were awesome to work with. Professional, responsive, friendly, and very pleasant to work with. Jeanette truly exemplifies the "Pura Vida" style. People...do yourself a favor and book this house. You won't regret it!

We had a wonderful time at Casa Gina! This home is so tastefully decorated, comfortable and clean! We loved relaxing by the pool and chilling on the deck. The monkeys came to visit one day, about twenty in all. What a thrill!!!! It was one of the highlights of our trip!

We had Desiree cook a few of the mornings and she did a great job! We enjoyed every breakfast she created for us!

Junior and his wife Jeaneth came one night and cooked a lobster feast for us. They are the sweetest couple and took such pride in preparing our meal. We enjoyed every bite!! We went to visit them at their restaurant the next night and the food there was just as delicious!

The house manage Jeannette is fantastic!!! We were late on our arrive and she waited hours for us! She was welcoming, attentive and available as needed.

We can't wait to come back next year!

Pura Vida!!!!

A beautiful, well appointed house. Meditative, private , close to the pacific ocean, Quepos, Restaurants, Bars. Look forward to returning to Casa Gina this coming winter. Monkeys , Toucans, huge blue butterflies.