Guest Reviews

You will love this house and location. Let me count the ways our family of 4 (two adults and two teens aged 18 and 16) enjoyed ourselves...

What a fun week our family had at the Casa Baula. It was our first visit to Costa Rica, and we got to experience a real taste of the country and culture. The beach was awesome: great waves, not at all crowded, no jellyfish! We took a surfing lesson through Frijoles Locos and our kids loved surfing and boogie boarding the rest of the week. We also enjoyed all the wildlife: the hermit crabs, lizards, birds, and of course the monkeys! The house was great, perfect size for us and had all the amenities. The cleaning ladies and gardener kept everything in tip top shape. We had fun talking to Arturo the gardener, who taught us so much about the area and animals; somehow he understood my Spanglish and charades :) Even though we visited in June which is considered the beginning of the rainy season, the weather was beautiful. It sprinkled a few times and we had some overnight rain, but nothing that interfered with our plans at all. Tamarindo is a fun town to visit and do your shopping. If you are looking for a beautiful house and secluded beach in Costa Rica, this is it!
- Peter C.

We just returned home from our stay in Costa Rica at Casa Baula and we cannot wait to return. Although I have been to many places, including California, Hawaii, both coasts of Mexico, and a large majority of the Caribbean Islands, I've always had the mindset that I'd rather experience new places rather than revisit the old. Costa Rica, however, is now the exception. The Sullivan's home was perfect for our family of 5, including 2 teenagers and a 2 year old. The house itself had everything we could possibly need and was beautiful. The gardens were just amazing; the pool was refreshing; and the monkeys and iguanas were so cool to watch. In fact, one day we were lucky enough to have a pack of 15 or so monkeys migrate across the canopy of trees in the backyard. It was an awesome experience, especially for the little one. The beach was perfect and virtually private. While we typically spend most of our vacations driving hours from surf break to surf break to appease our teenage son, Playa Grande provided the convenience of consistent waves just a stone's throw from the back porch. And he was often one of a just handful of people in the line-up. Even our middle child (age 14), who commonly avoids the water and surfing because the water is too rough or rocky, enjoyed catching some waves. As for the 2-year-old, the pool and the confines of a spacious backyard were more than enough to keep him endlessly content.

For us, Costa Rica, and particularly Casa Baula, was the ideal vacation spot. Great waves, good weather, a beautiful setting (wait until you see the sunsets), and a genuinely local and laid-back vibe. Easily the best vacation we've taken to date. Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful home with our family. We would love to be able to stay here again!
- Kevin M.

Wow! Casa Baula is awesome! The house is lovely, private and peaceful, with beautiful art and comfortable furnishings. We enjoyed the cool respite of the backyard pool especially in the afternoon when it was 90 degrees outside. That was one moment we were so glad to have chosen this beautiful house. But the most amazing part is the gorgeous beach just outside the back door, that is nearly empty! Coffee on the beach in the morning and a glass of wine while watching the sunset were highlights of our visit. The hospitable owners put us in touch with everything we needed to finish off the vacation, from surf lessons on the beach behind the house, to zip line adventures, to a guide who took us to uncrowded national parks to see wildlife, waterfalls and volcanoes. 3 good restaurants are within easy walking distance. Clean? Oh yeah, the cleaning crew came every other day! A caretaker was available but unobtrusive. We felt very safe, secure, and pampered. An iguana kept us company on the roof, and we saw hatchling leather back turtles on the beach one morning. It is magical, you won't go wrong choosing this one! Trust me, I am picky and scoured the entire Costa Rica inventory before choosing it. We can't wait to go back.
- K Family

Words really are inadequate when describing how much one enjoys the pleasure of simply "being" where the wonders of nature are all around. We stayed at this very attractive home for 6 weeks as part of a five month visit to CR. One of the major advantages of this property is that it is the owners' much-loved holiday home - as opposed to a purpose built vacation rental. Since we spent a lot of time just in and around the property, we greatly appreciated the many extras which the owners shared with their guests - in particular, their extensive library of environmental reference books. We also enjoyed all the wonderful artwork and it was a joy to have the time to look at it properly. The decor is marvelous and further enhanced by the warm glow of the special lighting effects in the evening. Not all rentals offer the support of a local property manager or a dedicated advisor who can contact the best provider for any activity or interest - these folk can make all the difference to your stay and sense of security: fortunately Casa Baula has Manfred and concierge who are excellent. In addition, the owners have provided a superb folder of information including medical emergency contacts (first rate 24-hr clinics) and personal recommendations for shops, restaurants and activities. Undoubtedly the highlight of this property is proximity to the surfing beach - you can hear the waves from every room. 
- Kathy S.

Our family of 6 just returned from a fabulous 10 day stay in Casa Baula. The house was perfect for us. It's even prettier than the website pictures. Annette was always quick to respond to my questions. The local concierge/surf shop will arrange all your tours. Highly recommend. Manfred, the local manager was super to work with. He even rescued us when we managed to lock ourselves out of the house one evening. Annette has this dialed in. The house is just a few steps from the best boogie board/surf beach in the area. We all loved the convenience of being able to go back and forth between the beach and the house in seconds. It's located in a quiet residential area. Perfect for our family.
- Jonathan N.

The 6 of us were in awe upon entering "Casa Baula"....We stayed only 5 nights, before heading north in to Nicaragua. Nothing was as great as Playa Grande! We kept wishing we had stayed longer, to just relax more! The photos you post are true to character...all amenities excellent! House-keeping, gardening...the grounds are so lovely! (loved the outdoor showers). Having the assistance of a concierge was so helpful. We truly want to return soon...and just stay and relax in this magical home and beach.
- S Group

Just returned from our fifth visit to the Casa Baula! What started as a fun adventure to get away from our spouses and kids, quickly became our Annual Girl's Surf Trip, thanks to this marvelous house and beach! Every year we return, there are more upgrades to the home and grounds! It seems the owners are always working to make this amazing house even more special. We love returning to see the wonderful staff that truly makes us feel welcomed. Thankfully the beach and surf break right in front of the house have remained uncrowded through the years. And yes of course, we are already planning to return next year!
- Cindy L.