Santa Elena : locations de vacances

We stayed in the Above the Gulf house for 3 nights while visiting the Monteverde area. The house itself is lovely, very private, well-equipped. We loved the location. Close to restaurants and town, but nestled in a wooded area overlooking the forest and water. Our host Daniela was so helpful in the process, also hooking us up with a fabulous night tour with a very knowledgeable guide. The compound has a very nice park!play area and an outdoor breakfast if you choose. Highly recommend!

We had the most relaxing, awe-inspiring stay imaginable … and Pedro’s incredible place is even more beautiful than the pictures in real life! Be warned that the roads leading up to the house are very steep, rough with lots of twists & turns so at times you will feel lost, but just trust Pedro’s directions because once you arrive, it will have been worth that travel adventure. (Note: we were very glad we hired a driver) Pedro is friends with the concierge at the nearby Hotel Belmar, and they were wonderful helping us book tours, taxis, and dinner reservations for their farm-to-table gourmet restaurant. We had the most amazing Valentine’s Day feast while watching the sunset, listening to live music and watching traditional Costa Rican dancers! (There’s a great coffee & juice bar there too). Pedro’s blue house is hard to describe properly as it is so spectacular, but we can definitely recommend that you should book this location (if it’s available) because it is PERFECT in every way!!!♥

Beautiful house and view, host is very responsive. Wish I’d stayed more nights!

Great place to stay in Santa Elena very close and walking distance to town with restaurants and cafes. Close drive to Monteverde. J Gabriel was very responsive and had great recommendations for the local area! Great hot tub to relax in after some hikes or ziplines! Do recommend earplugs if you are a light sleeper.

I cannot say enough about how amazing El Castillo is! The room was spacious, clean comfortable with a good kitchenette. The balcony was huge , looking out at the rain forest and Arenal Volcano (you couldn’t ask for a better view!) we woke up in the morning to the sound of birds and howler monkeys! Hummingbirds came right up to the balcony. The staff (family) were friendly, helpful and kind. And the food!!! We didn’t even bother trying any other local restaurants once we ate here. It was spectacular. Definitely a great find and value for Costa Rica!

It was perfect for our needs. It is very windy at night so the windows make noises which is completely normal considering you are staying in the wild. There’s not a lot of food options around so it’s always better to buy groceries before getting there or just drive long distances to find food. Unfortunately it was very cloudy to be able to see the volcano fully but even then it was still a beautiful stay. Justino was very attentive the whole time and always asked if we needed anything!

This place is incredible! My partner and I had a romantic Valentine’s Day getaway here, and we slept like babies. We woke up to a monkey knocking on our window, watched the sunset from the terrace, and enjoyed the soothing sounds of the night. Jessy was incredibly resourceful and kind throughout our stay. We highly recommend this place and will definitely be returning.

Soooo nice! Casita Meg was a great rest stop between the busy beaches on the coast and the touristy area of La Fortuna. Beautiful shaded gardens and cool breezes kept the guest house cool. The house was very clean and also comfortable - such cozy linens and blankets. Town was a short walk away with many possibilities for meals and tours. Check her daughter’s travel site. Phoebe, Hugh and family could not be more friendly and accommodating inviting us to make their home our own. We hope to return in the future!

We enjoyed our stay! It's a nice, clean home with scenic views in an authentic, safe community. We bought a few basics for breakfast (eggs, queso blanco, milk, coffee, juice) at the nearby community mini-market (a few blocks away) so we could make breakfast at the place. If you want fresh fruits & veggies, you should stop at a bigger market on your way (La Fortuna? Or El Castillo?). We ate dinner twice at the nearby La Terraza restaurant, which was good. We loved the batidos de fruta (fruit smoothies/shakes - 'de leche' ('of milk') . My favorite is the batido de papaya (de leche). My kids also tried the strawberry, pineapple, maracuya (and I think others, too!). We enjoyed the dishes we had there, too. Internet at the house can be spotty, but there's some cell reception, too. If you're on vacation and just checking your email from time to time and researching things to do in the area, it's fine; if you're looking to be a digital nomad, this is probably not the place for you.