Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
Type: House
Beds: 4
Baths: 2
Sleeps: 12
I would not recommend this property. Our stay there was nothing short of horrible. The property is not what is portrayed on the website or the video. There were Ants in and all over the bed my daughter was to sleep in. There were dead Ants in the showers. The Air Conditioner in one of the rooms leaked water onto my Husband head all through the night. The Beach is deserted and not pretty. The water was very dirty. I questioned why someone would spend so much money on a video to promote a propterty and now I know why. We would have never choosen to stay there if we would have seen the property before we paid the rental fee. We requested a refund for a day\'s rental, as we arrived a day later than expected. Our request was denied as the owner stated the property was ready and available for our arrival which we completely understood. We informed the Owner of the condition of the property and was told that he would look into it. We have not heard back. A horrible experience all around.
If you are looking for a real Costa Rican experience this house is for you. The home is right on the beach, and it\'s practically your beach. It is located around other residential properties and the only other people are passing by taking a walk along the beach. The water is yours to enjoy any time you want and the waves are mild. The open Linai is exceptional. You walk out of the bedroom and see the backyard and Ocean. We picked fresh Limes and Coconuts that fell from the tree. The surrounding beaches were excellent. Betrice, Ray and family are wonderful people. I found the people of the country to be very warm and friendly. We traveled to several of the area beaches. Conchal and Danta we my favorites. There is a hiking trail near Danta and a Bar on the beach for after hike refereshment. If you go to Conchal look up Louis, he has a boat and will take you snorkling and spear fishing. You will catch fresh lobsters and fish, and for a small fee, have them cooked right on the beach along with some beers! Tamerindo is for the more action type. There are many local resturants and markets. There is also plenty of activities near by. Mel is a very caring owner who is happy to, not only share his home, but wants his renters to enjoy their visit. Listen to his suggestions! Walk the beaches! Will definitely return.
The house was great! Right when we got there I loved it. It literally is RIGHT ON THE BEACH. The water is a little murky because of the boats but still very refreshing.The garden is beautiful and so is the sunset from the upstairs patio. Beatrice and Ray are great care takers, beatrice will cook do your laundry EVERYTHING. They are very nice. The showers are bizarre but easy to get used to (don\'t touch the wires on them) The location is right in between 2 little towns about 2 km each way. DO NOT LEAVE ANYTHING OUT ANYWHERE. We did get robbed the 4th or 5th day in but we know now not to leave anything out. We met a great local named Vigilio and he showed us all over the place for great prices! Definitely reccommend staying in this area. Pura Vida!
We thouroughly enjoyed this place! I had a small group of people, so the 4 bedroom/2 bath set-up worked very well for us. The house was right on the beach with a gorgeous view, and had an authentic Costa Rican feel. If you are like me, when I go to Costa Rica, I want to experience how it is there, not just recreate my exact same life . . . or why go all the way there, right? This was perfect! It was within walking distance of the CPI language school, walking distance of a little \"super\" to get groceries, etc., walking distance to bakery, coffee shop, \"soda\" (small informal restaurant), and about 2 miles to the town of Potrero. My friends and I ran into town and back on several mornings, and while we didn\'t see them, we heard the howler monkeys! Beatriz was absolutely adorable and is an excellent cook! We had no problems at all and felt very safe and at home. In addition to all this about the property itself, it was easy to arrange tours where they came and picked us up at the house. It was incredible to go out for a sunset cruise and return for a lovely evening \"at home\" rather than a boring hotel room. One more thing . . . if you have never been to Costa Rica, you should know that most of it is still VERY rural and there are \"critters\" all over the place. That is the way it is. So, know that there are animals, insects, birds and reptiles that may visit you uninvited, no matter where you stay! If you want a comfortable, affordable, authentic and relaxing stay in Costa Rica, I recommend this place very highly.
We arrived in the afternoon on a perfect sunny day...we had no problem finding the house and we were warmily greeted by Beatrice (one of the caretakers) and quickly we found her to be a very welcomed presence for us! She was happy to cook if we wanted and we were happy to let her! One day while we were looking up at the coconuts on the property, Ray (the other caretaker) went up and got us a coconut and cut it up for us to enjoy! I wish we had booked the house for the week, as our stay went fast, but the 4 days and nights we were at the house , was perfection! Its a simple, rustic house, but very roomy and comfortable! The back yard is a nice bonus, to lay around in a hammock or on one of the lounge chairs. There is a nice upstairs terrace that we hung out at night mostly...but offers great views of the water during the day. We had Mel (the owner) arrange a boat trip for us with Alonso and his crew. They were willing to accomodate our needs, as we wanted a little fishing and sight seeing and wanted to see the sunset...we caught 8 red snapper and had an amazing Thanksgiving dinner cooked by Beatrice and her daughter....we felt very lucky to have the caretakers on sight, as it was extra security...but not once did we ever feel unsafe in the house or the surrounding areas. Its a lovely place to stay and there is plenty to do. Mel is more than willing to help with ideas to make for a better vacation. Its a great place to stay and for people with children, as the 2 extra bedrooms have 2 twin beds. Don\'t skip Beatrice\'s Arroz con Pollo or her ceviche!!! Just amazing!
This was our second trip to Palma del Mar. We enjoyed our stay last year so much that we came back again this year. This is truely Costa Rica at it\'s best. The house is literally on the beach and it is just a few steps for a swim in the warm ocean. The second story deck was our favorite spot to enjoy the spectacular sunsets. The views from the deck is increadibly beautiful. Also, it is just a short walk down the beach to several restaurants and bars. We also fished several times with Sun King charters and caught many many sailfish and our first marlin. After many trips to Costa Rica we found no better fishing than here. Also, the view of the coast from the ocean is like a trip back to Jurrasic Park. You have to see it to believe it. We would encourage anyone considering a trip to Costa Rica to consider at stay at Palma del Mar.
We travelled with two families including children ranging in age from 5-14. We enjoyed all this beach house had to offer. The ocean was calm and shallow enough for the kids to boogie board on the boards provided with the house every morning. There is just enough wave to make it fun with no rip current. The beach is very quiet, we rarely saw other people. We also appreciated that we could walk to the store, bank, restaurants etc. One of our favorite days was walking to the Bahia for lunch then on down to Las Brisas for happy hour. The caretakers live on the property and cooked dinner for us every night and even helped with our laundry. We loved the hammocks that are hung on the rooftop deck and enjoyed having our morning coffee while looking out over the ocean.
Palma del Mar was the perfect location for our New Year getaway. The location is right on the beach, so the sound of the ocean waves will put you to sleep every night. There were 8 in our party, which the house slept comfortably. There was plenty of common room for lounging around, including the roof top deck that has the perfect view of the sunset over the marina. The house is located very centrally, about an hour from Liberia and 30 minutes from Tamarindo (great beginner surfing - $35 for a lesson from Banana Surf Club or one of the many other shops along the main road, $10 to rent a board for the whole day). There is a market a few minutes away in Flamingo where we bought all our food and supplies. The beach at Flamingo was beautiful and relaxing for the days we needed a change of scenery from our own private beach in the backyard. There is also a resort by the house with a pool, dinner and dancing (only a few minutes walk down the beach). Recommend walking along the beach after sun down with the lantern, we saw a turtle and lots of crabs. About a 5 minute drive from the house are Brasillito and Conchal (get there by driving the beach road from Brasillito). Eat at the Happy Snapper or one of the smaller seafood joints along the square in Brasillito. If you are up for some adventure, just call Mauricio from MauAdventures, he will take you anywhere you want to go for a very reasonable price. We did an all day adventure tour just north of Liberia and had a terrific time. As for safety/critters, we did not have any problems. We kept the liani door closed all the time and locked it when we left the house. Mayella was home to let us back in whenever we left the house and cooked us a delicious meal one of the nights. Her and Urving (the housekeepers) also chopped us down some coconuts and had a bonfire for us on the beach. Highly recommend the house for its relaxing atmosphere, gorgeous view and close proximity to lots of other beaches and sights.
Our trip to Costa Rica was great! This house was located right on the beach near a lot of other neat places. It is a short walk to a hotel where the have a hotel bar and great food. The housekeepers were awesome, very helpful, & made arroz con pollo one night for us. We spent most of our time at the beach and surfing in Tamarindo. Highly recommend Mau Adventures if you are interested in doing an adventure tour. Mau\'s prices were great & he provided transportation there. Hammocks were everywhere in the house. Glad there was AC in the rooms! We did a lot of shopping at the grocery store for food so would recommend a car to get around.
I retired in October 2012 and wanted to spend 2 weeks in a warm place that had great fishing. Potrero Costa Rica matched my criteria. Sun King Sport Fishing was highly recommended by friends who were avid fishermen. I talked to Jordon and Veronica the Sun King boat owners about a place to stay. They recommended Palma Del Mar a 4 bedroom house on the beach in Potrero. I am a recent widower, so I really did not need a four bedroom house for my fishing vacation but I rented the house anyway. My Grandson turned 18 years old in December so I offered to take him along for the 1st week. Over the Christmas holidays, I mentioned the beach house to my nephew who is an avid scuba diver. He wanted to stay for a week. In January, I invited the friends who recommended the Sun King Boat and they stayed for a week. During the high season resorts are completely booked. The all inclusive is alluring but most Americans never leave the resort property and have very little contact with the locals. Palma Del Mar offered some interaction with the locals at places like the Hotel Bahia, the Beach Club and Las Brisas. There are local shops like Super Wendy\'s, fruit stands and bakery\'s all within walking distances. The house caretakers Mayela and her husband Ervin made our stay very enjoyable. Mayela cooked the national dish of Costa Rica Arroz Con Pollo on the night we arrived. The Inshore fishing was great, we caught a mixed bag of Bonita, Mackerel, Rooster fish, Red fish and Jack. Offshore, we had several hits on Sailfish and I landed a 40 + lb Mahi Mahi that gave me a good fight and was really good eating to boot. The crew on this boat were very professional and keep trying different baits and lures. They do more then any crew that I have seen to make your trip relaxing and productive. The snacks are great and the home made food on the offshore trips was outstanding. For adventure we booked an ATV / zip line combo through the Sun King and we went on tours of the local beaches Tamarinda, Conshal and Brasillito. Mauricio from Mau Adventures is available for local tours and we booked a great 4 hour Sunset cruise on the Seabird that included snorkeling,kayaking and endless cocktails. Mau is a great source for local activities and his air conditioned limo is comfortable. I would highly recommend Palma Del Mar for a family vacation. There is plenty of space on the ground floor and second deck. The beach is very relaxing and has a view that is that is second to none. Pura Vida!!!
My husband, mother-in-law and 3 boys (5 and under) came to Costa Rica for 10 days. We stayed here. -We arrived mid afternoon to a perfect location on the beach with Miela making Arroz con Pollo dish for dinner which smelled and tasted amazing. -The house is simple, but missing no essentials. Wifi, AC in the bedroom, ceiling fans, full size fridge, stove top, two bathrooms with hot water showers, several TV and DVD players. -The house is directly on the beach, walk across the lawn, open the gate and step into the sand. -Many hammocks on the property to sit and lay in and to watch and hear the ocean - so relaxing. -Miela cleans everything every day, cooks if you want her too. She cut open many coconuts for us to drink the water out of (high in potassium, which is quickly depleted when you spend time in the sun and sweating). -We used an English/Spanish translation APP on my ipad (which connects easily to the house WIFI) to communicate with those who don\'t speak English well. -Mel, the owner if very helpful and is happy to answer any questions you may have. -There is a bakery a short walk to the south of the house (right next to the bank) and a fruit stand a short walk north of the house. Both are open 7 days a week. Buying local foods is a better deal than trying to buy American foods that they have to import. -Coming from San Jose, take the 27 over to Santa Cruz and then to the house vs. taking the Pan Am (the 1) - it will save you a ton of time - much nicer highway and faster moving traffic. Or fly into Liberia, as it is only 30-40 min away. Once you get to Costa Rica, come back and read the reviews for reminders and tips. :) I\'m so thankful I choose this place to stay, loved having a housekeeper and really enjoyed that the beach was calm with no crazy waves or rip tides - safe for swimming :)
My husband and I met our young travelling adult daughter and her friends here this spring. While we found April to be a bit too hot for our liking, the accommodation worked out perfectly. We couldn\'t have had a better house for hanging out and staying cool. The young people enjoyed the comfy beds, air-conditioning in the bedrooms, tvs, dvd players with the large selection of movies and privacy of all the separate spaces. My husband and I loved large central gathering spaces, the morning quiet, often with a bit of a breeze on the upstairs deck, the shade of the front yard, well-stocked kitchen, the miles of very accessible beach, mango, plantain and coconut trees in the yard and the attentiveness of Myella, the onsite caretaker. While we weren\'t probably Mel\'s typical guests because we had our own cooks with us and didn\'t really need a lot of help from Mauricio, under other circumstance, that being not having a large \"family\" that we felt responsible for, we could certainly appreciate how great it would have been to have such a knowledgeable tour guide available and a willing housekeeper/cook ready to give us a hand. As it was, we just enjoyed the space. We walked out from the house pretty much daily to either explore Flamingo or Potrero, shop for groceries or bus to other nearby towns and beaches such as Tamarindo and Playa Conchal. It was pretty easy to get around though just a tad too hot to be too active. We were a little disappointed with the swimming mostly because April with the heat and the coming rainy season may just not be the best time to be there for good clear swimming water. The beach in front of the house is certainly gorgeous and probably perfect for most of the rest of the year. Mel was great to deal with. He was very quick to reply to all of my emails and questions. He checked in with us when we arrived and was helpful in organizing everything about our stay. The house itself was very much as it was advertised to be. It was clean and very well cared for. I won\'t hesitate to contact Mel again if/when we are looking to return to Costa Rica and I would have no trouble recommending the house to my friends and relatives.
I dropped by Mel\'s place during a solo trip through Costa Rica. It was my first time in the country, and the stay in Playa Flamingo was exactly what I was looking for. I spent a couple days laying in a hammock reading a book with the ocean in front of me, explored the coastline and took a half-day spearfishing trip. If you\'re looking for a spot to unwind on the coast, this is a perfect place to do that. You\'re also close enough to go out and find some adventure - you\'re close to Tamarindo, one of the more vibrant night spots in the peninsula, and day trips to Arenal or Monteverde are doable. You\'re also a short 10 minute drive from one of the more renowned beaches in Costa Rica, Playa Conchal (definitely worth spending a day at). The place is open space so you should be prepared to breath in the humidity and I did see a bug or two + the occasional crab, but that\'s just about any spot in Costa Rica. If you want to stay at a resort or hotel, that\'s an option, but I enjoyed a more affordable experience where you could fall asleep listening to the waves washing up on the shore in a peaceful area and in a house with some personality (and no shortage of hammocks). One last thing I loved, the housekeeper - Maella - was great. If you give her a ride into town and buy some groceries, she will cook you an authentic Costa Rican dinner (or breakfast or lunch). Her food was phenomenal. I would highly recommend this spot to anyone planning a trip to the area.
I went to Costa Rica with my boyfriend for 20 days. It was an amazing trip! The house we stayed at was very spacious. I can\'t believe how close it was to the beach! the view was so breathtaking. I really enjoyed waking up in the mornings and walking on the beach. In the evenings, one of my favorite parts of the trip was paddling out with my boyfriend on our long board, watching the sunset, while drinking a rum and coke with lime in it. I really loved the location of the house as well because it was close to the surfing spots, shopping and the bars and restaurants. Costa Rica is a perfect spot to relax, read a book and enjoy the beautiful beaches and resorts with pools(Bahia Potrero which is located a few minutes from the house) but, also to find some adventure. A few adventures we went on was a sailboat ride on the Lazy Lizard than went snorkeling, we went horseback riding, along the mountains (by the way was one of my favorite activities we did there) went to a couple wildlife reserves where we saw some of the beautiful local animals such as toucans, tigers and spider monkeys, went to a natural hot springs and hiked to see a magnificent waterfall. We also swam to a local island where there was lots of sea shells to collect. What I was very pleased with was how friendly the locals were! especially the housekeeper Maella. She was very kind, a hard worker and who is a very excellent cook. I really loved eating the Costan Rican dishes I have never tasted before. What I also loved about Costa Rica was all the endless opportunities for photographs. I am a professional photographer so everywhere I looked I saw animals to photograph, the locals and the landscapes. I loved my trip to Costa Rica, it was the most memorable vacation I have had so far. I recommend everyone to go!
Our group of eight included four adults and four kids (ages 7,8,11, and 12). The house fit the two families perfectly. The caretakers, Mayela and Erwin, live on the property and keep the place in excellent condition. The house is an open air home that sits right on the beach. Playa Potrero is quiet and the beach is very calm with no rip currents. There are small waves that are perfect for young children to boogie board, swim, etc. The house has five boogie boards and a soft top surfboard. The kids all learned to surf on this trip and were able to practice right in front of the home. We loved walking to the Bahia del Sol hotel (five minutes to the north) for drinks, swimming in the pool, and had a delicious dinner there too. The Beach House restaurant is a few steps south. Mayela cooked three amazing dinners for us (we took her to the market to buy food), cleaned the house daily, did laundry, etc. She was very kind to everyone and the kids wanted to bring her home by the end of our stay. If you are looking for a more Costa Rican style home in a beautiful, peaceful setting, this home is perfect. Also, the garden has a big flat lawn for the kids to play and is framed by beautiful native plants.
This is the third time we have stayed at Mel\'s Palma del Mar. Believe it or not each time gets better and believe me it is hard to improve on this piece of paradise. This time, the caretaker, Irvin, had resurfaced the walls in the bathrooms and bedrooms. I had never seen anything quite like it. A very smooth and natural look added to the overall beauty of these rooms. The main living room and kitchen are open to the gentle ocean breezes while each bedroom is individually air conditioned. My favorite area of the house remains to be the huge terrace upstairs overlooking a lush yard and expert landscaping and the entire beach and bay. Nothing like an ice cold beverage after a day of off shore fishing while making plans for dinner.
We stayed at Mel\'s place during Christmas and New Year 2013/2014 and loved it. We were searching a long time for the right place and with Palma del Mal we definitely have found it. The house was spacious for our friends and family that stayed with us and it was never too much for Myella to change the bedding if new friends have arrived. We loved the house, the garden, the roof garden and how close it is to the beach. For our two kids, 3 and 5 years old, it also turned out to be the perfect place. There was enough space to play in the house, the beautiful garden or by the beach. And although Potrero might not the most beautiful beach in Guanacaste, for us it a was ideal. It was never busy and the water is quite calm. Moreover, it is easy to reach other beaches from Potrero. Mel was kind to check up on us per phone a couple of times during our stay and the caretakers Myella and Erwin are just amazing people. Last but not least, we find the price for the place more than fair. We would definitely stay again. Thank you Mel, thank you Myella, thank you Erwin.
It\'s only been a couple of days since we returned to the north from this beachfront house and we already miss it tremendously. It has all of the necessities including an outdoor shower, lines to hang bathing suits, etc, hammocks and swinging chairs on the terrace, and the tiki hut on the beach...providing necessary shade for us northerners! We spent countless hours on the beach in front of the house (just within feet of the gate) with our 6 year old playing in the gentle waves. We also traveled to nearby beaches such as Playa de Pan de Azucar and Playa Conchal as well as the nearby towns, Portrero, Brasilito, and Playa Flamingo. The caretakers, Mayella and Irving, are fantastic and really made our stay truly relaxing with a Costa Rican flare...eating some great food and snacking on fresh coconut milk and fruit! The only thing that would have made our stay better would have been a longer time spent at this place! Thanks, Mel for making your home our home for the 10 days!
Just back from Mel\'s and wanted to let anyone interested in Palma del Mar know what a great house this is for either two couples or families with both older and/or younger children. This house is really great for a group like ours, grandparents, son/mate and their son. Lots of personal space and privacy. Arrived at night time and initially was a little apprehensive as a first impression. That quickly changed with daylight and with the welcoming help of Perla and Afrika. Had a lot of fun communicating with them, they do not speak any English and our Spanish was so bad that we had Perla laughing most of the time. Perla is infectious, Afrika is more serious. As a caution, don\'t leave any clothes laying about, they will be washed and hung out to dry before you even miss them! Same for personal articles, they are immediately put away, you just have to figure out where! Had them cook dinner for us one night, was great. Grandson (actually all of us) lived on mangoes from the yard as well as a huge variety of fruit from a market just up the road to the north (be prepared to sample!) A bit of a disappointment was a widely reviewed restaurant just a few houses to the south (easy walk). Had two dinners there and both times the fish was overcooked. Ended up at Coco Loco on Playa Flamingo. Really good food and great atmosphere right on the beach (try a mango smoothie with rum). It was really tough having to leave and return to reality. Will be back. Thanks Mel, Perla and Afrika for providing us all with a great time.
We stayed at this vacation house for five days and absolutely loved it. It was completely accurate with the pictures from the website. The house is right on the water and has nice clean beaches, great for romantic walks and to watch the sunset. All the bedrooms come with working A/C. the maid service was awesome the girls kept are stuff clean and organized throughout our stay. The owner came by and showed around the town. He showed some of the best surf and snorkel spot. As well as where to eat and was able to lets get into the big resorts and allowed to use their pool and hot tub. He was able to get us some great deals at restaurants, pools and spas, and other activities such as surfing and snorkeling. This property is highly recommended for families and active or lazy groups. it really has it all.
Spent Thanksgiving week at Palma del Mar with a pal and my sister and brother-in-law for my niece\'s wedding. Nice, comfortable home with plenty of room. Best part is the open air concept so you are always connected to the sounds of the surf and the exotic birds in the front yard. The beach is quiet with great swimming and located in a gorgeous horse-shoe bay surrounded by hills/mountains. There\'s also a cool tiki hut for shade on the beach. You can easily walk to other beaches, restaurants, and more touristy spots if you wish. We went zip-lining just an hour or so away and out on a catamaran from close by the house. Cody and Perla are on site in an adjacent suite. They are gracious and accommodating - whether you want a Costa Rican meal or to take a hike or a kayak trip. We all became great friends. No question I will be back. One caveat - if someone named Mauricio appears, show him the door. He is not trustworthy. Mel the owner is now aware and has banned him from the premises.
Hey, folks, we just spent seven days on Playa Portrero at Palma del Mar, and it was fantastic. We were there over the week of New Years and had a spectacular view of five to six different fire work shows from the beach front of the house. Really the beach was all ours. We noticed scattered walkers along the beach throughout the week and could visit Flamingo or Playa Grande or many others if we wanted to be around more people. Perla and Cody were great and helped us find some fresh shrimp and mahi mahi. The rustic beach house worked great for us, and we were a large group. The kitchen is well set up and has everything we needed (we took advantage of the local markets and ate in). Although the smells from Perla\'s kitchen made us wonder if we should have let her take care of some of the cooking. I swam above a giant sting ray about fifty feet into the ocean for several minutes on the last day I was at the house. I guess I will have to go back some day for Perla\'s cooking and more snorkeling. Thank you Mel, Cody and Perla. Pura Vida!
My family (5 adults) spent a week here in March and it was truly wonderful. My father had stayed here two years ago and was very excited take us all back to stay. The house itself is literally beach front in a lovely little cove with a gorgeous view of the mountains across the way. There are four, very comfortable bedrooms that were spacious with air conditioning in each. The two best features of the house though are the enclosed lenai featuring a hammock and cushy seating and the upstairs patio which provides multiple hammocks, shade, and a stunning view of the ocean. Either one is the perfect place to unwind. The two employees for the property, Perla and Cody, are extremely hospitable. They are kind, offer helpful tips, and Cody even brought fresh mango a few mornings! The location is unbeatable. It\'s a 5 minute walk to three different beach front restaurants and just a little bit further of a walk to Playa Flamingo, where you can jet ski and kayak. Not to mention it\'s extremely close to Playa Conchal, one of the most stunning beaches I\'ve seen in my life. Any adventure you want to take is easily accessible. Mel provides pamphlets on zip-lining and other very worthwhile trips. I would absolutely come back!
Wow. We (a party of 6) just returned from an amazing stay at Mel\'s wonderful beach front home. The place itself is an classic beach house, with four bedrooms, and lots of space for lounging. The house was clean (spotless really), well stocked with towels, linens, etc., and had a full kitchen. Mel gave us an amazing itinerary: we had a blast visiting the beaches at Conchal and Tamarindo (not to mention the beach in front of the house!), snorkeling, kayaking, building bonfires, and napping in the hammock. Perla and Cody took wonderful care of us. Perla is an amazing cook, and prepared a variety of original and by-request dishes for us. We also enjoyed the Beach House restaurant and bar, a few steps down the beach. The house is a very short drive from a bunch of other fun excursions and towns as well. Our only complaint is that we didn\'t have enough time to enjoy everything the place had to offer!
Mel\'s beach house is truly an oasis. Right on the beach within a beautiful cove, the views from the back porch and second floor patio are so serene. The beach is clean and quiet, perfect for lounging or a nice run. The water was amazing, and we took advantage of the less crowded waterfront to swim and kayak (provided by Cody). The house itself is spacious and meticulously clean. My favorite feature was the lenai and the many hammocks, perfect for napping after playing in the water. The housekeeper and house chef Perla is a true delight. She kept everything spotless, grocery shopped with us, and cooked us delicious, healthy, local cuisine. Cody helped us with logistics and all the extras, parking, planning our excursions, kayaks, etc. and even built us a bonfire! He was so wonderful and took excellent care of us. As for our excursions, we listened to Me\'s suggestions and he never lead us wrong! Our trip was incredible and left us hoping to plan a trip back soon!
Vacation in this ocean-side house was a real blast for our 2-family group. Beginning with the fact that the house layout was just perfect for the group\'s composition (4 adults + 4 teenage boys), so each couple had its own private bedroom and the boys had separate beds. Location could not be better - backyard door opens right to the sandy beach with a private gazebo. And Playa Potrero is just perfect for families - quiet, no waves, and no dangerous tides. Most of time we essentially had the entire beach pretty much to ourselves. Mel, the owner, really went out of his way to help us with trip planning. We literally spent hours on the phone with him, as this was our first travel to Costa Rica and both wives were quite anxious to know every tiniest detail. Mel\'s advice was great, he was answering tons of questions and provided invaluable tips, helping us to prepare for our stay. During our stay, Mel called us repeatedly in the house to ensure that our stay was going smoothly and we were not lacking anything. Moreover, he personally arranged a van with driver for private transfer from Liberia airport for our group, and we even called the same local driver to take us to some of the activities in the area. By the way, I was very pleasantly impressed with the punctuality of costa-rican drivers in general. We chose not to rent a car and were moving around by hiring vans with drivers, and, despite absence of street naming system and not-always-perfect road conditions, every single transfer and ride was there already waiting for us 5-10 minutes before the scheduled time. Although we have rented properties in many countries before, it was our first time renting a house with caretakers, and the experience was well worth it. Perla is taking great care of the place, cleaning the house and washing all clothes, and, at Mel\'s advice, we asked Perla to cook us dinners on two occasions. She was also always ready to help with local calls, from arranging our activities to confirming our transfers and hotel stays for the second half of our trip. Cody was invaluable for keeping the families entertained, especially the guys. Surfing, kayaking, fishing (from the nearby pier and kayaks), and snorkeling trips in the area are just a few things we have had a chance to try thanks to his endless energy. Cody\'s amigos from the nearby marina were very nice and always ready to help, be that giving a lift to a nearby grocery store or taking us out to the rocks for arbalest fishing.
We spent a week in this home as part of a family vacation. The home was easily large enough to accommodate our family of seven (two adults, five children). The backyard was a fantastic place to kick around a soccer ball, to lay in a hammock and read a book, or to just enjoy a private view of the ocean. The beach was literally just outside the back gate with Playa Flamingo to the left and Playa Potrero to the right. The surf was mild enough to not worry about the kid\'s safety, but big enough for boogie boards and even some attempts at learning to surf one day. Playa Conchal is a short (~10 minute) drive away and offers crystal clear water with great snorkeling opportunities. The hidden benefit to this property comes from the two Dominican caretakers of the home. Perla takes care of the inside of the home and even does your laundry while you are out having adventures. If you make arrangements with her, she is happy to cook meals for you for MUCH less than you will spend eating in restaurants! When Perla learned that our anniversary would occur while we were there, she prepared a surprise for us by scattering rose petals on our bed, lighting some candles, and having soft, romantic music playing in our bedroom when we returned from a day at the beach... Cody, her cousin, takes care of the yard and outside of the home, and he also acts as an activities director/guide if you are interested. He took us fishing from the local marina and snorkeling at several locations. He spent time teaching my kids to surf, and playing basketball with them in front of the house. Perla\'s five year old daughter was shy when we arrived, but we invited her to come play with our younger children about the same age, and by the end of the week, she was calling me Tio (uncle). We left feeling a strong friendship and gratitude.
We decided to take a Thanksgiving vacation this year in a warm spot, and found this house on VRBO, and it looked perfect. After some research, we realized we were at the tail end of the rainy season, but we got lucky and had perfect weather every day we were there. Mel was really great - he told us all the places to go and the good points of each one - and we followed his suggestions and were glad we did. If you need a rental car, National had the best deals. As soon as we arrived and were walking out to the beach for the first time, we looked up and saw the coconuts up in the trees in the back yard - so Cody climbed up, cut down a few and then promptly cut the tops off and we were drinking fresh coconut juice within 10 minutes of arriving - wow what a great first impression and it was delicious! Conchal beach is a must visit - not far away and I suggest you do the horse ride - 2 hours which is part dirt road and part open riding down the beach - splashing in the ocean water -walk, trot, gallop - the speed of the ride is up to you. We also did the zip line, but the road there is pretty crude - and it is highway 911 - appropriately named if you try it in the rain. We did upside down and superman style - it was really fun - 11 lines. The house was perfect - lots of room, great food prepared for you by Perla if you choose, or you can check out local eateries - I recommend the second one down the beach (Estero Azul, past the one at the old pier) towards Flamingo. Inexpensive, great food and huge portions, right on the beach. As mentioned in other reviews, Perla is a clothes washing nut, and she did our laundry every day - both she and Cody were really great - and thank goodness for the Google translate app as it allowed us to \"talk\" with ease as it translated everything both ways. We are already talking about going back, and I have already recommended it to my friends that I know want to visit CR. We did have one negative thing - we were dinner eating at The Shack in Potrero (owned by Americans) and we left a backpack on the front seat - the window was broken and the backpack taken - luckily nothing of value was in it. We also went to the Bahia hotel in Potrero and swam in the pool with a swim up bar, and layed out - really nice spot for an afternoon. As long as you buy a drink, or food, they are fine with you being there. We really enjoyed our stay, and I know we will be back.
WOW! My self and three friends spent 6 days at Mel’s house and there was not one hiccup a long the way. Everything from the great hospitality of Cody Perla to the amazing views were second to non. Perla and Cody were by far the best thing at the house. Cody was kind enough to help us set up three different trips for the days we wanted to fish, show us local restaurants, and teach us how to hand line fish from the kayak at night. If you plan on staying at Mel’s house, I highly recommend having Perla cook for you every night. The food was definitely better than any high class resort you’ll stay at and you get to enjoy it from the comfort of the home. The house was set up exactly how I was wanting. It was an open air feeling, minus the bedrooms, those are AC (which was very nice at night). With the ocean being right in the backyard it was extremely accessible to go for a morning swim. All in all it was amazing! I would high recommend this property to anyone who is looking to have fun!! Make sure to take all of Mel’s advice while booking the trip, he was so much help. I couldn’t imagine doing this trip without him.
We loved our week at the house! Cody and Perla made all the difference: Cody taught our 7 year old to surf in front of the house, an experience he won\'t forget. They also went snorkeling and kayaking together. Our 3 year old was a big fan as well and Cody let him \"help\" garden. We enjoyed Perla\'s delicious home-cooked dinners, particularly her chicken and eggplant dish, and her preparation of Cody\'s just-caught Mahi and other fish. We had perfect hot, dry weather. The beach was extremely warm and peaceful. Good swimming for grandmother as well as the 3-year-old and relaxing for the rest of us. See the sunset over Flamingo from the palapa on the beach out front. Lounge or play soccer on the enormous, beautifully landscaped, lush lawn on the beach. Chill out in the many hammock chairs on the terrace upstairs. Bedrooms were comfortable. Groceries and restaurants/bars are minutes away. An hour from Liberia airport. Take Mel\'s directions! We enjoyed snorkeling at Conchal. Very, very highly recommended.
Our family stayed at Mel\'s house for 3 weeks over the Holidays. Hubby, myself, 3 adult daughters, 2 son in laws and a 2 year old granddaughter. :) The house is very comfy and had plenty of room for a large family. We enjoyed the beach and ocean everyday! Some highlights of the trip..... 1. Perla, Cody and Ari. They are awesome! Very accommodating and always there to arrange taxis, cook, clean, take you fishing for dinner, carry groceries back from the store and fruit stand and so much more. The luxury of having someone there to cook and clean leaves more time to have fun. Our entire family truly enjoyed getting to know all 3 over the course of 3 weeks. :) 2. Location, Location, location! The location was the perfect home base for day trips. We explored Tamarindo, Playa Conchal, Playa Flamingo, Brasalito and the Llano de Cortés Waterfall. We also really enjoyed sailing on the Lazy Lizard to a great snorkeling spot near the Catalina Islands. My 2 year old granddaughter thoroughly enjoyed the River Cruise, especially the monkey that jumped on her head and pulled her ponytail. She is still talking about that! We went on a night hike to see the turtles lay their eggs and spotted a rare Leatherback turtle! Quite a treat! Some days we got up and literally spent the day in the water enjoying the sun. Shade on the beach at the house was another big plus. Pretty intense sun in Costa Rica! Walking down the beach to The Bahia for happy hour was also a nice treat. The guys went spearfishing in front of the house almost every morning to catch fish for dinner. Perla\'s cooking was the icing on the cake. Her yummy recipes for the fish we caught and her Arroz Con Pollo hit the spot after a long day in the sun or after coming home from an excursion. We did try most of the restaurants in the area. Our favorites were The Shack and Coco Loco. 3. Tamarindo Excursions. We used this company for all of our day trips and absolutely loved them. Ask for Jairo or Roger! They were so helpful and knowledgeable about the area and had great ideas for day trips. 4. Massages on the beach at the house. We had a masseuse come to the house several times during our stay for massages. A M A Z I N G ! Yoga at The Bahia during sunset!! A M A Z I N G ! All in all an amazing, relaxing vacation with many memories made. :)
Yes, that\'s right. We have been to this house 3 times in 4 yrs (we didn\'t make it to Costa Rica last year). We love this place. It is so perfect for our family. The owner is very helpful and answers all my questions :) Thanks Mel!!! The caretakers are what make this place different than the others rentals we have looked at in CR. They work off of tips, but are an amazing asset. We really appreciate that Perla straightens up the house every day, does the laundry and helps out any way she can. Cody keeps the yard looking good and helps you get limes and coconuts out of the tree. If you are adventuresome, he will show you how to fish in the water out front. We saw a couple manta rays and many many fish. One of our highlights was eating fresh caught Red Snapper for dinner. We only went to one restaurant - it is called Coco Loco and it\'s down the street on Flamingo Beach - epic place with excellent food and good prices. I have heard rave reviews about the Italian place on the way to Brasilito. (it\'s on the left side of the road). We will be back!
Our 4 generation family of 5 enjoyed our stay. Mel was very helpful; not only did he phone us when we had questions and arranged for us to chat with previous guests, but he also called during our stay to check in to see how everything was going. Cody and Perla were great - Perla cooked two excellent meals for us and kept the entire house clean and tidy, and Cody was informative and fun, coaching us on our beginner Spanish and taking us out on his kayaks fishing. We definitely recommend our friends and family stay here and look forward to a return visit in the future. Suggestions: 1. Transportation: Mel suggested Tamarindo Explorer for airport and excursion transport, which was a great idea; Jairo was fantastic on the phone and Roger was an excellent tour guide and driver. Mel has arrangements with them for good prices and service for his visitors; we were picked up at the airport at 7am (couldn\'t check in until 4), went to Tamarindo to walk around and explore, then Playa Conchal, then to the market for groceries and then to the house by 4. The whole time, Roger stayed with our luggage in the van and provided interesting information about the area we travelled through - for this we were charged $130, which we considered to be well worth it. Because we had an early morning flight home, we also appreciated the airport shuttle ($90 for all 5 of us) - the roads are not well marked or lit and even the highways are narrow, busy and shared with animals. For stress-free airport transportation, Mel\'s suggestion was much appreciated. We did rent a car for two days - although it might be walking distance to restaurants etc. it was a bit too far for some of our family members (Perla will also call a driver for you). 2. Beach: some reviews in TripAdvisor say that Playa Potrero is dirty or littered, but we def did NOT find this to be the case. It was clean and there are boogie boards and beach toys in the house that we used right out the back gate. Having the house right on the beach was fantastic as we had a 2-yr old and great-grandma, neither of which would have been happy walking blocks to the beach. We also walked to Bahia del Sol for the pool (super!) 3. House access: Cody and Perla are almost always around; let them know when you are leaving and she will go in to clean. If you lock the door, they assume you want privacy and won\'t go in. They don\'t speak English and use their phones to translate, so it took about 3 days before we realized this. Thank you Mel!
Our family -4 adults 2 grandchildren, made our first trip to CR, with all questions and concerns handled and answered by Mel before we traveled. He is an excellent owner and very interested in making your stay as enjoyable as possible. This would not have been possible without his excellent on site staff, Perla and Cody. They insured that we were well taken care of with delicious meals and personal attention. Cody took us fishing nearly every day and is a very good fisherman. Digging for live bait on the beach was great and always drew questions from passing beach walkers. He gave our grandson surfing lessons, and he was able to become a good beginner. Cody went with us to Playa Conchal and we all enjoyed the shell beach. We traveled without a rental car and that was no problem. Mel arranged a private transport both ways. When needed local taxis were called by Perla or Cody. We even rode the local bus one day. The zip line tour was arranged by Perla and was great for us all including the grandkids and grandma. We feel we have made some great friends and plan on seeing them again.
My wife and I stayed with our 3 adult children for a week in Feb. The place was as advertised, comfortable but not luxurious. The furnishings are dated; several of the light bulbs were out which made the LR/DR area darker than it should have been with a bit of a dingy feel. Although there was a strong breeze, the LR/DR area never cooled off. Only the BRs have A/C, so the LR/DR is quite warm even with fans running. Wifi worked great. Perla and Cody are lovely and very accommodating. Some may find their proximity and constant presence intrusive, but because they are both delightful people, we didn\'t mind at all having them around. They speak virtually no English, but this was not an issue for us since we\'re Spanish-speaking. Because of the high winds the week we were there, the sea was too murky for snorkeling or spearfishing to be very worthwhile, although Cody did manage to get enough fish for us! All in all, a great find at this price point!
The house has a very local Costa Rica charm and Perla keeps the house VERY clean (and does your laundry daily). There is no air conditioning except in the bedrooms (and it works well). We loved the “outdoor” feel and the local charm of the house. Sitting in the hammock chairs upstairs provides a great breeze and amazing views. The moment we walked into the house we had a baby diaper blow out. Perla took care of it and she and Ari played with our kids so we could work on getting everything organized. We never had the opportunity to use Perla for child care help, but will on our next visit. We were 2 families, 9 people, 4 adults, 13, 4 (2 of them), 3 and 9 mths and were very comfortable at Palma del Mar. For a small gratuity and the cost of groceries, Perla cooked dinner for us most nights (including another family that we were traveling with that stayed just up the beach). Perla is an AMAZING cook with many healthy options on the table every night. There were always left overs for lunch the next day. Restaurants are expensive and with little kids, it’s nice having a great meal in the comfort of your home for a lot less $. We did eat at Castilla (by Bahia Sol on the main road), we found it to be less expensive than most (4 of us ate with drinks for $55). If you take kids there, the wait for food is LONG. I suggest ordering an appetizer immediately or have something for your kids to do. Perla\'s daughter Ari (6ish) is a gem. She played with all our kids most days and was very sweet. Perla (and Mel) are very well connected with the locals and tourism industry. They can help with just about anything you would like to do on your vacation. Perla set up an in home massage for me with Jenny (Great!). All of the positive reviews on Mel’s VRBO site are spot on. The beach is beautiful (no shoes required except for the heat of the sand) and the intensities of waves were a great combination for both the old and young. Mel has a nice stock of boogie boards that we used every day. We walked up to Bahia Sol Resort most evenings for happy hour (starts at 530pm) and for a swim in the pool. A great option when you still want some water fun, but just need a break from the waves and sand. Having a gem like Perla live on property was great. Just knowing you had immediate access to a local for anything (I truly mean anything)is a great piece of mind when traveling in a foreign country. Thank you Mel and Perla and Ari for a wonderful vacation!
Hospitality unmatched! From our initial search for lodging and throughout our stay in Costa Rica, Mel and Perla were in the details. Many phone calls and messages to Mel leading up to our stay provided incredibly helpful suggestions and answers to our questions in preparation for our first visit to CR. Palma del Mar (Mel\'s home) was rented for our travel dates. Surprisingly, Mel quickly became a vital part of coordinating our trip as he suggested alternative lodging and oriented us to the attractions in the area. He maintained constant communication with us prior to our travels and even phoned in when we arrived to welcome us. On 2 evenings, we enjoyed Perla\'s company and cooking; for the nominal cost of shopping/groceries/preparation/cleanup and gratuity, she presented us with fresh, delicious and healthy home-style CR feasts for our group of 10 (2 families - including preschoolers to teens) in their home. Everyone raved about the meals. It was a perfect cultural/local-flair experience; a most charming and relaxing time in their home. The hammocks were inviting and entertaining for all ages. Our 4 year olds enjoyed playing with Perla\'s daughter Ari. Mel and Perla were extremely hospitable and generous! They even allowed us to use their chaise lounge chairs and boogie boards on the beach. We took Mel\'s advice/suggestions: 1.) hired Tamarindo Explorer for our shuttle from the airport in addition to renting a small vehicle for running to the grocery store and atm, etc. Jairo, from Tamarindo Explorer was just as responsive via text prior to our visit as well as throughout our stay. Roger was our shuttle driver and was punctual, resourceful and a delight. 2.) enjoyed a day at the pool at Bahia Sol. The lunch was delicious and impressive. 3.) enjoyed the Palo Verde Combo tour through Tamarindo Explorer. 4.) hired local youth to teach our kids to surf and kayak fish. Time went too quickly; certainly left us wanting to return soon! We feel like we have made new friends in Costa Rica. Thank you Mel and Perla!
This was my first visit to Costa Rica, four of us came to celebrate my boyfriend\'s birthday and I have to say that we all were overwhelmed with the beauty and the charm of this property, you could not be closer to the ocean. When we arrived, Perla (love her!), welcomed us with a warm smile and a great meal. She was very attentive to anything that we needed. Our laundry was done, house was clean, we were very spoiled!! Even prepared a great dinner with a fish that we caught the day before - heavenly!! Mel and Perla were very helpful with suggestions as far as fishing, zip lining and just the overall experience. We were able to walk to some local restaurants and even go to one of the local hotels and use their pool. When we wanted to just chill, we took advantage of the balcony that overlooks the ocean, we even got treated to a big tropical rain storm!! We would definitely go back, and recommend this property to anyone. Thanks Mel and Perla for giving us an amazing experience!
My family and I have recently rented this house for one month. We were told by Mel that is was a five minute walk to the Spanish school nearby(CPI), and we wanted our son to walk. The reviews on the house were very good. We arrived Saturday night and realized the house had absolutely nothing in it. No soap, salt or even TP. We ran to the market and while storing the food, noticed that rats have been chewing inside the cabinets, there was also a sugar ant infestation. On Sunday morning we were waken up at 7.00 am by the construction crew next door. The house is under construction and extremely noisy all day long. Mel was aware of this but never informed us. We decided to take a shower and almost got electrocuted since the electric shower heads were broken. We started cooking breakfast and the main stoves did not work. The house is extremely hot since it has no insulation and there is no air conditioning in the kitchen and living room. Having lived in Florida for almost ten years, we are used to heat and humidity but the heat was unbearable. We had rain that night and discovered the roof had many cracks and water dripped inside the living room. We walked to School and it took over 20 minutes which was not enough time for my son to come home for lunch, and we had to drive and pick him up every day. By this time, my wife was ready to head back home. Totally disillusioned, disappointed and upset. We paid for the entire cost of the rental six months prior.I noticed the listing is offered on this site is a lot cheaper to what I was charged. We informed Mel about all the issues we had, and were told us to sleep on the opposite side of the construction, put the food in the microwave at night so that the rats would not eat it, and walk faster to school. The house was not rustic but rusted... It is encased by metal bars security reasons, the kitchen is a total oven. The house has not been upgraded since it was built many years ago. The only positive comment is that the language school is excellent and worth the Money. We were totally disappointed on this rental home and do not recommend it.
We were a big group for the place but Mel was very accommodating to our needs. He made sure that we had all the information before we arrived and was very helpful while we prepared for our trip. He is extremely knowledge and has great contacts with the local folks. During the Xmas week, he was able to organize a Sail Boat and Horse Riding on a very short notice. Waterman Cody was an excellent resource available to us during our stay. He took us out in the Ocean for fishing(on his kayak), got us the Coconut from the trees and made us a bon-fire.
My husband and I stayed at Mel\'s casa for 2 weeks in the beginning of January. First off the location couldn\'t be any better. The property is located right on Playa Potrero, a 10 minute walk down the beach to Playa Flamingo, a 5 minute drive to Playa\'s Penca, Brasalito and Conchal. The property is nicely landscaped with flowering shrubs, palm tree and banana trees which surround the property. The house is quite large with an open concept kitchen, living and dining areas with fans everywhere as well as the usual breeze which keeps it cool. There are 2 full bathrooms and 4 bedrooms all with AC and tv\'s with DVD players and dressers. The kitchen has every possible utensil, pots, dishes, blenders, you name it it\'s probably there. There is also a washer and dryer. Perla and Cody are the housekeeper and grounds keeper as well as Cody can arrange any type of water activity you may like and are both very attentive, and respectful of your privacy if that\'s what you wish. Perla can cook fabulous meals for you, does your laundry and keeps the house squeaky clean. There are beach loungers for the beach out back and also beach chairs and beach umbrella which we packed up with our cooler to spend days on other nearby beaches. There is a DVD movie collection, books and music in the house for guests to use. Mel really has put time and effort into his house to provide all the amenities and extras guests could want to have a great holiday. I would absolutely stay here again and would recommend it to others. We felt safe, secure and welcome. Happy travels! Thanks Mel, Perla, Cody and Aris, all of whom have become part of our family :)
Three of my friends and I came for a girls getaway,we couldn\'t have picked a better spot. We loved having the beach right outside our door,we were out there all the time and sometimes at night to enjoy the roof top deck.Perla and Cody were very welcoming and could answer all of our questions. A couple times they arranged for a cab to take us where we wanted to go. Perla cooked for us 3 nights, shes a fantastic cook and housekeeper. She did our laundry daily and kept the house very clean. One of the highlights of our trip was going fishing with Cody, and Perla cooked that fish for us while we enjoyed our wine. Mel had some great recommendations for tours, we did 4 of them. Our tour guides, Hyro and Dennis, were just the best! We really enjoyed their company and answered our many questions about local life. All in all it was one of our best vacations and with just 6 days did not get our fill of Costa Rica, we will be back!
We stayed here initially with an extended family group of eight (5 adults, 3 kids), and then stayed on with our immediate family of 4. It was comfortable; no luxurious, but fully sufficient. The location is excellent - the beach is truly right out the door. Playa Potrero is fairly unpopulated, with enough surf to boogie-board and for a beginning surfer to practice. It is easy to walk to a small grocery and to multiple other beaches. The biggest asset of this place, besides location, are Perla and Cody, who live in the attached apartment. They are delightful and hospitable people who provide a local connection to the area. It is helpful to have an inside perspective and network of contacts. They were very gracious in letting us practice our Spanish, by slowing down their speech and using simple vocabulary. Perla is an excellent cook, and Cody is very experienced in water sports and fishing and knows how to read the ocean in order to match activities and best locations for them. We thoroughly enjoyed the integration of their lives there with our experience as tourists.
I\'ve been very fortunate and had the opportunity to travel a lot in my life, nothing comes close to the experiance my family and I had with Cody, Perla and Mel . The reviews for this property are certainly warranted and anyone whom has the opportunity to stay here will certainly be glad they did. We took a total of 6 with us to Costa Rica, all of whom were very seasoned travelers and at times can be hard to please. In my group there were 2 vegetarians, 2 celiacs, and 1 pescetarian. Needless to say this is a hard group to cook for. Perla had no problem and everyone had more than enough to eat and said it was some of the best food they have ever had. After the first day we all realized we had struck vacation gold and it only got better from there. Spear fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking, fishing all a walkable distance from the back door. My son and I even dove with a Giant Manta, 14 feet wingspan and this was just a juvenile. The owner Mel has done such an amazing job finding the absolute best people to watch over his property and guests. He was always assesible and would Skype regularly with his emplyees to ensure we were having the best time possible. I\'d say this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, but God willing I\'ll be back once every year. Yes I know all these reviews sound too good to be true, and after reading mine many people must think Mel and I are old friends but I can assure you we were not. From a person whom tries to keep new people at arms length, I can honestly say I\'ve made three great friends and experiences my family and I will keep for a lifetime.
We truly enjoyed our stay at this home! Day one, we arrive in the afternoon and Cody climbs the coconut tree to provide fresh water for the kids. We unpack and Cody grabbed the surfboard to take the kids water is wonderful when you have kids. Just enough surf for fun, but gentle enough for them to play for hours. Mine were 9 and 11. We planned in advance to have Perla cook for us the first evening, and it was absolutely amazing. During the week Cody took the kids out a couple of more times to teach and let them fish (he is the best hand fisherman in the area). The boys loved being with Cody! We had a fresh fish meal, and one afternoon the caught the right fish for fresh ceviche. Let Perla make it, she is amazing! Cody even made a bonfire on the beach one night for s\'mores. The week was a wonderful balance of cooking our own meals and Perla taking care of us. She is flexible. The kitchen is stocked nicely, and just be flexible to work with what you have, manning if you are a gourmet cook and need a lot of herbs that is not realistic. Food is delicious and fresh! It was so nice to eat a simple breakfast and lunch at home. We even brought a cooler to take picnic lunches with us. The house is minutes away from the grocery stores and the bank, however it provides the feeling of being in a relaxed and secluded area right on the beach away from any crowds. The Costa Rican Sailing Center is a short 5 minute walk down the beach and their is a lovely boutique hotel with a nice restaurant next door if you decide you want a nice meal out. We also enjoyed having pina coladas at their pool when we needed a break from the sand. If you want to go snorkeling, Playa Conchal is a 10 minute drive from the house. You actually drive on the beach to get there. It is a hidden gem! You know it when you are there as the beach goes from sand to shells which makes the water perfectly clear. In addition, if you want to step away from the quiet into a more touristy area (which was fun for one day!), Tamarindo is less than a 30 minute drive. What I would say about this place is it was perfect to be able to relax and be in a quiet area, and easily explore other areas to change it up. Bedrooms had ac units and living space was open air. It was just fine in August. It was actually nice to lay in the hammoc Prior to the trip I had multiple conversations with Mel. He was very thoughtful and even had the renovations done in an expedited fashion to support our trip.
We really enjoyed being right on the beach. You step out the back door into a nicely landscaped yard which includes a lawn and a picnic table and hammocks right on the beach. We enjoyed practicing our Spanish with Cody and Perlas. Perla cooked several delicious meals for us. Cody took us fishing and then cleaned the fish so we could have it for dinner. Every day he climbed the coconut trees and fixed us fresh coconut drinks. Peels did our laundry every day. You should bring U.S. dollars to tip them with and to pay Perla the $150 cleaning fee.
If you are looking for a quiet, friendly, and beautiful place to get away from the worries of the world, this is the place. Perla and Cody will make you want to stay forever. The owner is intent on making sure you are taken care of during your stay. The home is directly on the beach / beautiful pacific waters. The bay is mostly calm and great for swimming. Lots of activities. Highly recommend letting Cody take you fishing and going on the catamaran excursion at sunset.
We had a fantastic week at Mel’s House, it was truly a vacation to remember! Cody and Perla (the caretakers) are lovely people and made us feel right at home. Perla prepared a delicious traditional meal for us to enjoy upon our arrival. Cody arranged a fishing expedition for our boys, and then cleaned the fish they caught for us to enjoy for dinner! Perla arranged a horseback ride through the mountains and on the beach for us with the kindest guide and his darling daughter. Both Cody and Perla were available to answer any questions we had all week, as well as give recommendations for other beaches, restaurants, etc. The beachfront location was spectacular...it was fantastic to walk out the back door and be steps from the ocean. We barely saw another person on the beach all week, it felt like our own slice of paradise. Our kids(ranging in ages from 12-19) were in the water or on the sand from sun up to sun down every day! While the house is not luxurious by any means, it was plenty comfortable for the ten of us (two families of five). The house felt very secure and safe, and was in a good location to be able to enjoy surrounding towns and beaches. The kitchen was well stocked with pots, pans, dishes, and utensils. There were boogie boards and other beach equipment available for us to use, and the two refrigerators and washer and dryer were put to good use over the course of the week. Mel (the owner) stated in close contact in the weeks leading up to our arrival and made sure we had all the details we needed for a comfortable arrival. If you’re looking for luxury, this might not be the place for you. But if you’re looking for an authentic and truly enjoyable experience, look no further. I’m still dreaming of hearing the ocean waves out the back door! We will hopefully be back!
Where do I even begin! We feel very blessed that we found this perfect tropical beach house right on the beach for our amazing beach wedding with our closest family and friends! The yard is absolutely beautiful with all the palm trees and fruit trees and the flowers are just so beautiful and colorful! The house is so open and airy and we loved to hear the waves crashing at night! Oh and the sunsets....so beautiful and glorious every night! But I have to say our favorite part was the caretakers of the house Perla and Coldy! They went above and beyond to make our stay absolutely perfect! Perla is an amazing cook and such a sweetheart! She kept the house clean and picked up and even washed and folded our laundry! She took us to the store and helped us so much since we didn’t speak Spanish! She and her friend made our wedding extra special with a palm and balloon arch. The meals she cooked were sooo yummy! Our guests are still talking about it! Cody was such a sweetheart too! He climbed the coconut trees for us and took my son out in the kayaks and caught a lot of great fish! He also made a cross for us for our beach wedding! And kept the beach cleaned up and made us a bonfire! It was nice to have them around for so many reasons but mostly because they became part of the family and fun! The owner of the house Mel, went above and beyond all our expectations. We talked a lot over the phone and he gave us so much information about Costa Rica. I know he spent a lot of time helping us with our destination wedding and the excursions we went on. He has so many connections in Costa Rica and was able to help us find an amazing transportation team to get our large group around Costa Rica. He helped us find a great photographer, tables and chairs, speakers and even have a Plan B in case it rained on our wedding day! Which thank God and through lots of prayers it did not! I truly don’t believe our wedding could have been any more perfect and I thank him and Perla and Cody and God for that! Oh and my amazing husband for making our dream become reality!! We will definitely be returning to Costa Rica and staying at Playa Del Mar! We miss it so much and all the friends we made during our stay! We can’t thank them enough for everything and look forward to seeing them again maybe for our anniversary!
The main reason we chose this home was all the previous time other renters had invested commenting on Perla and Code. I will fully agree that these two made our stay more enjoyable by being there when we had questions or needing a ride to a bank. We celebrated my husband\'s 50th birthday with another couple so we only had 4 total in the home. Code and a friend took us fishing and the men to go lobster diving and Perla cooked us 3 fabulous fresh meals. We even had laundry freshly washed and folded when we returned from an all day excursion where we were able to see the most gorgeous sloths on the trip. Code climbed a coconut tree (in the backyard) and provided us with fresh coconut water. We loved the beach right outside the house and loved it even more when we had a bonfire (of course Code built the fire). Code and Perla provided us with so much it was well worth the tips we provided to them. We were able to see a couple sea snakes, sea urchins, a puffer fish all just out our door. Ensure you eat at the Soda directly south about a 15 min walk on the beach. Walking into town, about a 20 min walk on the beach north, provided additional restaurants and even a microbrew (my husband was so happy to get a good IPA). We hope to return to Costa Rica and most definitely want to return to say hi to Code and Perla as they made our trip...special.
Just wrapped up a 9 night stay at this GEM! As advertised, there is nothing fancy about this beach house. It’s truly authentic which is why it’s so special. There are 4 good sized bedrooms and two bathrooms. Beds are very comfy with light airy bedding for those hot nights. All rooms also have AC which we never used. There are very powerful ceiling fans throughout the house. That combined with the open air design of the home was enough to keep it cool and comfortable. The upper level has a great hammock and hanging chairs, and allows you to look for miles toward Flamingo and beyond. What also sets this house apart from others are the caretakers Perla and Kodi. They live on site in a suite at the front of the house. They are basically there for you if you need anything...or will let you have your privacy. You pay a reasonable cleaning fee up front to Perla- and she comes in to tidy every couple of days and will do all the little things you don’t want to. Kodi is a fisherman and can organize any boating/fishing/snorkeling excursions you may want to take. We took Perla up on her welcome dinner. She bought the groceries, cooked an amazing meal and cleaned up for $30 plus the cost of groceries and a tip. I highly recommend this for your first night or anytime throughout your stay. Perla has a 9 year old daughter Aris who spent many hours playing with our twins and helping them learn some Spanish. We were even invited to her birthday party at a nearby resort! Playa Potrero is incredible. A smallish quiet bay with gentle waves, perfect for kids and swimming. There are lots of boats which is fun to watch all the locals fish and work all day long. Out front of the house is an awesome Rancho with seating for 6, providing beautiful views and nice shade. Don’t forget to check out the yoga at Bahia Del Sol, a 6 min walk down the beach. 8:30 Monday - Saturday...Hatha and strength classes. They were FABULOUS The only thing I would caution is if you’re not a dog lover. There are two dogs on site and many other dogs in the neighbourhood. They often like to “talk” to each other at night. We’ve found that when you live amongst the locals in any foreign country, this is just part of life...but all were super friendly. In my opinion, Mel could charge much more than he does considering the location, safe beach and great restaurants nearby but I’m guessing he just wants to share his little piece of paradise with others. Highly recommended! Pura Vida?
There were 10 of us at Palma De Mar for the first 10 days and we had an absolutely great time. The property which was directly on the beach was looked after by Perla and Cody. Perla shopped, cooked dinner and cleaned up the mess for us for those first 10 days which made it a real holiday for all of us. We ate the leftovers the next day. Perla did our wash and cleaned constantly. The house layout was perfect with 2 bedrooms and a full bathroom on each side of the house. There were fans in every room to keep you cool and the cool breezes off the ocean, which was right out front also helped to keep us cool. Air conditioners in each bedroom kept us cool at night. For me one of the highlights was the fishing off shore with Cody as often as I wanted in his small boat. We caught many fish and wide varieties of them. The weather every day was perfect and started with coffee at the beach in the morning, walking down the beach to so many great restaurants, grocery shopping and just for the exercise. We’d have cocktails at the beach in the afternoon and watched the great sunsets in the evening. Cody had large bonfire at the beach for the kids to roast marshmallows, got the grandkids on the surfboards in the waves and climbed the trees on the property to get coconuts for the kids. My wife and I stayed on by ourselves for the rest of the month and found it hard to leave. Thank you Mel, Perla and Cody for hosting us and we hope to see you again next year.
Our family of 5 really enjoyed staying in Potrero. The beach is quiet compared to neighboring beaches. You can walk 5 minutes in one direction and have a great meal at the Beach House Restaurant or 10 minutes the other way and eat at the Sailing Center. One of our favorite activities was to charter a sailboat from there and go on a snorkeling trip with one of the local captains. Two nights in a row we had a visit from large sea turtles, the second night, we witnessed her come in from the water, dig a hole, lay eggs and head back to sea. We explored many of the nearby beaches, the Diamante Adventure Park and enjoyed trying some of the great restaurants in the small town of Potrero. I definitely recommend this rustic, old school beach house.
Where to being! This house is truly a gem. The beachfront location was amazing. Literally steps away form the ocean. Felt great waking up to the sound of the waves and being able to talk our morning walks on the beach with the family. The house in a great location close to many other local beaches and hot spots. The house was clean, comfortable and always felt safe. Our family of 7 (ranging from 5- 55) stayed during the month of July and could not have asked for better place. Mel was in constant contact before and during our vacation which was great as he provided tips on local hots spot, grocery shopping, restaurants, local transportation, shuttle service to and from airport, excursions, activities, etc. This house is the full package. Cody and Perla (caretakers) were very helpful during our stay. Perla made sure the house was clean and comfortable. I would definitely recommend the welcome diner. On our first night there, Perla cooked arroz con pollo (traditional chicken and rice) which everyone truly enjoyed, and even had leftovers for 2 days. Cody was amazing; always super friendly and helpful in many ways. To name a few, he set up bonfires; brought down coconuts right off the tree on property; took us snorkeling ; gave surf lessons, set up a jetski session; took us to a private beach on his boat (amazing!!). Cody also caught fish, lobster and squid for us which could not have been better as we all the enjoyed fresh seafood right out of the ocean. Perla\'s was great with cooking the catch of the day for us, and let me just say that we were all very satisfied and licking plates of how delicious it all was. She made the fish into a ceviche; and OMG the lobster and squid were exquisite! The squid was cooked in a white sauce that was just simply mouth watering and the lobster was perfectly done and was soooo yummy!! Honestly, we couldn\'t have asked for a better place and people to deal with. Mel, Cody and Perla were truly helpful throughout out trip and made it all that more memorable. Our family is very grateful for the time they dedicated in making sure that we were all happy, comfortable and enjoying ourselves. We will most definitely be back to this one of a kind beach house.
The compelling reasons why we booked this house for our Costa Rican vacation was the location, the feedback on the live in property hosts Perla and Kodi and most importantly that the property has most of the rooms on the first floor. We have a child with muscular dystrophy who can walk short distances but cannot navigate steps much less stairs. Mel, the owner, responded before we booked that there is only a small step in the living room area that leads to the back door that leads to the beach. Our son was easily helped to navigate that step during the week. Mel and his communication is spot on. Mel provides great overview and context of what to expect at his property and the experiences in the area. A favorite aspect of this rental is that he Pacific Ocean that is Potrero Bay shoreline is literally about 45 steps around High Tide and 50 steps or so at lower tides from the back door of the house. It is a quiet beach area with safe surf and currents most of the time that will allow you to have relatively private, safe beach fun with your family of all ages and capabilities. Other more popular beaches are close drives like Playa Flamingo (big waves and strong surf and great sunsets) and Playa Conchal (comfortable crushed shells white sand beach. We enjoyed a day trip about 30 to 40 minutes away heading east of Potrero up the Monkey Trail road to the CONGO TRAIL CANOPY TOUR for Ziplining adventures and an ATV Tour. The ATV tour was on their property so our 8 year old to 13 year old kids were able to drive their own ATV\'s. We recommend this excursion Perla and Kodi will perform great service with their cooking and fishing and leading adventures and showing you around for unspoken fees (tips) that are great value and will enable you and your family to have a very memorable vacation. We paid Perla $30 to cook amazing meals for our family and she would put up the leftovers and clean the dishes. We paid/tipped Kodi about $40 to take our kids on a 2 hour or so fishing / snorkeling adventure in the morning where he would catch a lot of fish spearfishing and then have him clean the fish for us for us to cook or have Perla cook an amazing meal. The experiences our kids got on those daily morning fishing trips is priceless. This would have been a $100 to $150 excursion. In summary, renting Palma Del Mar in Potrero will provide , memorable, relaxing vacation for your family and feel like adding Perla and Kodi to your family. Pura Vida!
At this location we walked to rent a golf cart which you can drive on the roads. This was fun and a great way to see where everything is located. We also took the cart to a car rental which was also not expensive which we used for sightseeing golfing and shopping. Cody and Perla are great people. They will help out with what ever you need. Went fishing with Cody which was a great experience. The ocean water is so warm as I swam several days before 7am. We hope to visit again but next time for more than a week.
As other posters have said, Perla and Kodi were always willing to provide any extra services with good cheer. We were a party of 10 for two weeks over the Christmas holidays. The house is better suited to 8 so everyone gets a room to sleep in and store their gear. Lots of space outside to spread out during the day. Location on a nearly private beach was ideal. The children loved the beach as it was mild surf most days, one very windy day bring the exception. Mel was easily reached by phone or text for any questions. A good grocery store not far but a car was pretty much necessary for keeping supplied. I would love to have had a gas bbq grill outside to cook on which would have saved having to fire up the cookers in the kitchen. All in all, good value for the cost.
If you are looking for an amazing stay at the beach where you can hang with the locals and feel part of the community, this is your spot! We were looking for a Tico experience, and that is exactly what we got! The beach was PERFECT, a walk out the front door for a cooling swim. No rocks just a continuous, uniform, gentle sand slope and no undertow. We were in the water many times every day. So much that we felt the swells later in the day when on dry land. The boogie boards, surf boards, kayaks and water toys were there for our use and we always had the beach to ourselves, it was wonderful. Perla and Cody the house and grounds keeper were awesome to say the least. They gave us tips on restaurants, grocery stores (within walking distance) and nearby beaches. Without their help we would have missed a lot. Fluency in Spanish definitely helped and allowed us to really get to know Cody and Perla and speak with the locals, but it is not essential. Perlas\' welcoming dinner and Codys\' personal surfing lessons, catamaran fishing, ceviche cooking and snorkeling excursions will never be forgotten. If you are old enough to remember the movie “Swiss Family Robinson” that gives you a flavor of the adventure. The home is spacious with four air-conditioned bedrooms, a TV space if you want to sit and watch a movie and a large dining room for dinner. Very Tico, including a rooftop view of the bay and bird life. It was a perfect home base for doing all of the ECO tour things or just hanging out, reading a book in the shade and watching the waves. YES, we will come back, Pura Vida!
This is an unconventional review since my family had to cancel/reschedule our vacation to Costa Rica due to the travel restrictions surrounding the corona virus. We were so looking forward to this trip and staying at this house. We decided to reschedule/cancel only two days before we had planned to leave, so I was concerned with losing money/unable to reschedule. I called Mel and he was so understanding and flexible with the whole situation. He immediately told me, we would not lose any money rescheduling. He spent time with me on the phone and emails, making sure we could find a week later in the year that would work for our family. He also contacted the driver we had hired to explain the situation for me. He has been an amazing owner to work with and we cannot wait for our trip later this year!
Unfortunately, due to the global pandemic/COVID 19 and travel bans, we were not able to travel to this location in April 2020. Mel N. was extremely personable, kind, and accommodating throughout this difficult time. He took the time to actually connect by talking with us and showing compassion. He took it upon himself to re-schedule our booking for next year despite his own hardships. Our family feels very fortunate to have booked at this location due to Mel\'s support. God bless you Mel! We REALLY look forward to our trip next year!!!
Private Beachfront Home Truly on the Sand, in a Gentle Bay
