Epic ocean view with large outdoor living spaces

This house is laid out for just about any type of group. Whether you are one large family, two small families, or a group of friends....this house has got you covered. We were two couples and two singles (group of friends). With two bedrooms (with en suites), a Den Area upstairs, and a separate bedroom (with en suite) one level down and with its own private entrance...you are able to achieve any level of privacy or intimacy that you are looking for. The flow of the house was well thought out and the outdoor entertainment space is everything you could ever want. I really liked all of the screen doors for the many points of entry leading you in and out of different areas of the house. These definitely come in handy when attempting to minimize the amount of insects inside the house. You are in the jungle; be prepared for big bugs and for getting to a place in your head where you can ignore them. It will no be that hard considering where you will be. The pool was great as well. When inside, the pool water literally looks as if it connects with the sea. Another aspect of the house we all could not stop commenting on was the lush landscaping around the property. You do have one neighbor down and across the street, but you barely even realize they are there. If privacy is important to you like me on trips like this, then you have absolutely no worries with this house. Cleanliness was top-notch and maintenance and upkeep were almost perfect. The property manager Adam was great. We were a very low maintenance group in terms of needing recommendation, tips, and the like. This was my 5th trip to CR, so we were pretty well set; however, I immediately got the impression that Adam is a very communicative and caring manager. I loved his story.

A Couple Cons/Criticisms:

Upon arrival, there was a binder with general information about the house and the local area. This binder essentially told us everything we need to know; however, there was info that should be removed. It mentions a security system in the binder, but ownership has since removed it due to motion detector issues with birds and the like. I get it, but why don't you simply update the binder? It would only take a couple of minutes and its an item that many people will take seriously in terms of understanding how it works. Also, I had to put the downstairs shower faucet back together in order to get the shower to work properly. That was it!

I'll start this review by stating that I'm very familiar w/CR, especially this area as I travel down here 3x a year. This past Jan, I stayed at La Joyita - which is a smaller neighbouring house. During that stay, I walked up the road & saw this property, which prompted me to rent it this time around. I traveled w/my 23 yr old daughter this trip.

The Good: The grounds, the views, the pool, the covered patio - all great. We spent a lot of time enjoying the views from the pool and the jungle rains from the covered patio. The house is located beside a tall line of trees that appear to be a travel line for Howlers & Capuchins, so there is a lot of monkey traffic which is great for those of us who want to connect w/nature.

The Not So Good: I'll start with the biggest issue with this house - security. For starters, there are many points of very easy access to this house for anyone wishing to get in. Eg: Directly beside the main front door is a large window opening (no window). Anyone can very quickly and easily climb through it in seconds and they're in the house. The entrance to the kitchen is only a swinging door with no locks. All of the french doors throughout the house (except one) have deadbolts but don't bolt into the floor, so pushing them from the outside easily opens them. Because the master bdrm had no lock, we ended up sleeping in the back bdrm where there was a lock on the door. I did not sleep one decent night the whole trip. Now, none of this would have been an issue if the alarm system worked - but it did not work. We were told the alarm company was coming on the Tuesday, but they never showed. The alarm was broken our entire trip.

Other issues: Waterfall in courtyard broken, screens in kitchen windows all torn, blinds in master & TV room broken, dishwasher broken, several lights were out, no larger sized frying pans, right side burners in BBQ did not work, kitchen faucet was broken, some of the lawn furniture was in rough shape, torn and unusable.

The amenities of this property are part of the pricing. Many did not work, so that was quite disappointing. In essence, I paid for things I did not receive, and that is never a good thing.

NOTE: None of this is a reflection of Adam, the property manager. He tried his best, but a lot of the issues were out of his control. Adam is absolutely wonderful & one of the reasons why I rented through him again.

Until all the issues are fixed, I would not recommend this house.

In a nutshell we loved staying in this house. We stayed with another couple and great layout for everyone having their own space. tranquil, loved the pool, great view. Adam was great and helpful, met the owner who was wonderful.

The pictures cannot do this place justice - we arrived right around the time of sunset, and the view from the amazing outdoor living space was breathtaking. Spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean! You need 4WD to get there, but totally worth it!

The layout of the house is great, just as described. Each bedroom has it's own adjoining bathroom, and the outdoor living space is great. There is also a "den" type room near the bedroom in the rear of the house. We didn't spend much time there, but could easily be used as additional sleeping space for larger families. House is amazingly clean, and had a cleaning service come in mid-week to change linens and general cleaning. Kitchen is very well equipped, with all the utensils and equipment you could need. House also has a washer /dryer.

Adam was so helpful with everything - he sent us information before our arrival about activities in the area, and we definitely took him up on it. He had everything all confirmed and planned out when we got there, with a day by day itinerary. We did surf lessons in Dominical with Sunset Surf (highly recommend!), horseback riding to Nauyaca Falls (highly recommend!), a canopy tour at Osa Mountain (highly recommend!), and the day trip via boat to Corcovado National Park (highly recommend! - are you sensing a theme here?). On the National Park tour we saw dolphins on the boat ride there. Once we got there, we did hikes where we saw howler and spider monkeys, coati, a sloth, crocodiles (both in the ocean and in the river), and about a dozen scarlet macaws! We also visited the beach in Dominical and a day at Uvita exploring the Whale's Tail.

We would come back to the house each day after doing these great activities and were treated to the most amazing sunsets from the infinity pool. Truly beautiful to watch each night.

We also frequented many of the local restaurants - some of our favorites were Cafe de Ensuenos (great for breakfast and lunch and the most amazing smoothies), El Pescado Loco (fish tacos and fish & chips), and Fuego (new Brewery and Restaurant - worth it just to see the cool building) in Dominical. Uvita is just a bit further down the road, but there we enjoyed La Fogata for pizza and Sibu for craft beer, coffee, and wonderful desserts. Even further, but worth it for some great restaurants, is Ojochal - where we had an amazing dinner at Exotica, and a nice lunch with a view at Bamboo.

Highly recommend this property - we will be back!

Casa Pura Vista does not disappoint!! There is always the anticipation of what "it" will actually look like when you arrive. This property is one that gets better when you arrive in person!! The house is very comfortable and inviting. My wife and I were the only guests but talked regularly about how it would be no problem to have two other couples with us and all enjoying the house comfortably. The layout allows everyone to have their own wing of the house and share common areas. A family with children would also be comfortable, however you are spread out with sleeping arrangements. Gary is very helpful with getting you acquainted with the property and it's surroundings. He will be as involved as you'd like during your stay.

My wife and I spent a week enjoying all the Central Costa Rica Pacific coast has to offer. After daily excursions it was very relaxing to return to the house, open the windows and doors to the house letting the mountain breeze cool the house and hop in the pool in time to watch the sun set over the ocean. We cooked each night on the outdoor grill and enjoyed dinner on the patio. Everything in the house is provided for your use, with all the creature comforts of modern living.

The property is beautifully landscaped with many native flowers and plants. The surrounding property is mountain rain forest. We were awakened each morning and serenaded each evening by jungle frogs, howler monkeys and various birds in the surrounding trees and forest. There are several groups of howler and white faced monkeys in the area that you will easily get to view in person.

Dominical is situated in a great location to explore the central pacific coast. We traveled to Osa for a zip line jungle canopy tour. Quepos for off-shore fishing. Uvita for jungle and snorkeling tours. Osa is about 45 minutes South while Quepos and Uvita are 20-30 minutes North and South. There are many great restaurants in the area, Por Que No and Villas Alturas were our favorites. Although the house provided modern amenities, Dominical and the surrounding towns and villages have no commercialization, mom and pop is the name of the game.

You will need 4 wheel drive to get from the main highway to the house and for other excursions. Nearly every vehicle in CR is 4 wheel drive so renting in easy. Take your time and you'll be fine getting up and down to the house.

Great house, great property, great location......great vacation!!!!!!