Wow! Where to begin? Firstly, as an Airbnb co-host of a property in the US (I’m a UK citizen) and also as an experienced Airbnb user in many countries around the world I believe I’m well qualified to impart an honest and well-rounded opinion. From the moment I booked a cabin with Rita and Sonny my reservation was beset with problems. I had three separate flights cancelled by the airline. I had a family emergency. I also broke my arm and finally a last-minute UK government enforced panic lockdown meant we had to leave the country quickly before we were prevented from doing so. Each of those instances resulted in a slightly awkward and somewhat anxious message from me to Sonny asking for his patience, his understanding and most importantly asking for yet another date change. Each of his very prompt responses were precisely what one would want to hear. Sonny had nothing but absolute empathy and complete understanding of the crazy times we are now forced to live within. THANK YOU SO MUCH Sonny and Rita! My first piece of advice to any future renters is PLEASE be 100% sure to follow Sonny’s exact directions to the property. Do not rely on Google maps or Waze or any other app. We made a schoolboy error and wouldn’t want anyone else to do so as we ended up on the road from hell! 😂 Please do follow what Sonny says and you will be fine. I should emphasise that you will definitely want to follow his directions because this property is a must-rent. The very essence of being on this property is location location location. Even if you don’t have a car (just like us for 24 of our 28-day stay) and you have to make a 4-mile round-trip walk through the countryside to get to the nearest grocery store in Paraiso, it is still completely idyllic and ticks all the boxes for absolute relaxation. You ARE ON THE BEACH. Yes, there are a handful of yards to the actual sand but believe me, those glorious waves are right there, in full view 24/7. While you reside in relative luxury a 10-second walk gets you to the sand (and our very favourite spot) which was two large chairs and a front-row placement for the sunset - occurring daily around 17:30! The very harshest critic - of which I’ve yet to see in any of the reviews - might say that the rustic nature of this place could be of the slightest concern but they would have to concede that the pure unadulterated tranquility of the surroundings may not be matched elsewhere. We had: Excellent WiFi 99% of the time; there were very occasional minor problems logging in if several cabins were occupied. Having said that we were always able to load Netflix & Amazon Prime. TV with quite a few English channels A well-equipped kitchen A comfy bed Lovely bed linen Gorgeous wooden rocking chairs on a perfectly placed porch area And then there is THAT view! We frequently enjoyed Rita and Sonny’s wonderful generosity: Rita’s homemade banana bread Fresh lemons from their tree (Squeezed into the 100% safe drinking water) Fresh papaya A sprig of fresh ginger when Sonny discovered I had suffered with gout A sample from a delicious BBQ Fresh cut aloe vera Spicy squash soup 😋 ...I could go on, but suffice to say whether you are looking for solitude or not, you should experience what this unique home has to offer even if it’s just for a few days. You will not regret it. Thank you Rita and Sonny! …
We rented for one week, but barely made it through one night. Certain things are not in homeowner's control like wind blowing about 30 miles per hour, and temperature staying in the 80's all night. Certain things are in his control, like holes in the roof so dirt and leaves blow in, and lizards crawl through. The ceiling fan they tout is a small desk type fan nailed to the wall- which did not help with the heat at all. The cabin is a wooden box with one window. Screens are up really high, but box is dark. Dogs barked much of the night. Motorcycles come roaring up the public beach road from 6 AM on. The kitchen is outside on the porch, which does not work when wind is blowing hard. The kitchen appliances are on top of the fridge, and were not easy to be used. There is no warm/hot water for showers and I could not even turn it on because it was broken and owner was waiting on a part. A cat kept coming into the cabin, digging garbage out from under the bookcase. You are close to the beach, but you are surrounded by a dirt yard, not grass. We moved down the road for a few more dollars each night, but much cleaner, quieter place. Owner was angry in email response to our notifying him by email that we could not stay any longer. Not much in refund was given. Only bad place we stayed in six weeks in Costa Rica. …
If your looking for an out of the way slice of beach paradise this is it, basicly it's a tiny Tico hamlet right on the surf.The accomidations are nothing fancy, just a room, bath, full kitchen and deck right on the beach. Sonny and Rita are very hospitable and helpful. We were on foot having taken the public bus down from the Playa Hermosa / El Coco area for $2 then Taxi from Santa Cruz.On the day we left Rita drove us to the airport. We spent our days walking the beach North to Playa Negra or South to Playa Junquillal about a mile each way collecting tons of sea shells and tide pooling in the lava flows. It was 5 days of relaxing in heaven, escaping from the Alaskan Winter. Thanks Sonny and Rita, we'll be back.
My husband booked this trip, so I had no preconceived notions about our stay beforehand. This was the perfect place for my husband, myself, and my daughter to go and relax and take a break from our busy lives and really spend some quality time together. Sonny and Rita were so sweet and accommodating. They even offered to drive an hour and a half to pick us up from the airport. I am so glad we got to ring in the new year with them and the other guests there. We were introduced to some local traditions that we will always remember. The room was simple and sweet and the kitchen was a great bonus because we were able to cook breakfast each morning. The house is literally right on the beach and there are hammocks under the trees for relaxing. My husband and I snorkeled in the water right in front of the house and saw the most beautiful fish and three eels on our last day there. I would highly recommend this place for an authentic Costa Rican vacation!…
This was our third time at Vista Bela...we stayed in the ocean cabin and absolutely loved it! We had everything we needed - cooked a lot and shared. Rita and Sonny are very accommodating even suggested tours for us. Loved the ATV ride and horseback riding! Looking forward to our next visit.
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