Located a mile to the beach in a quiet & private gated community called Vista Lapas Estates, La Casita is not a condo, where you hear your neighbors & parties, but a private house where you hear nothing but birds, waves & howler monkeys. We’re tucked away on a hill just above Calle Hermosa, so we’re close to restaurants, tours, nightlife and markets but you feel like you’re in a private reserve with luxurious accommodations and very easy access. We urge you to read our reviews as we feel our guests best describe this property; it's truly a hidden gem among VRBO listings. La Casita is perfect for couples coming to Costa Rica for the first time, or anyone wanting to travel alone – you’ll have as much or as little help as you need to make a fun, safe and memorable vacation! We're about an hour and 20 minutes to the SJO airport so we're one of the closest beach areas to San Jose. We'll send you plenty of information on transportation & tours as well as helpful tips on currency exchange & non tourist but fun excursions.
You’ll immediately feel right at home when you’re welcomed with a basket of a variety of local fruit, an arrangement of tropical flowers from our gardens, and of course a sample of our favorite Costa Rican coffee! Waking up to the panoramic ocean views from your private terrace with the sounds of the waves and the exotic birds around the property is something you will remember forever. This location allows you to be so close to the beach, shopping, groceries & nightlife, but you get to experience the quiet, natural life of Costa Rica. You may have read about the roads in Costa Rica and how bad they are, the access to La Casita is on a brick road so very easy access to come and go as you like.
The Scarlet Macaws & Toucans fly by daily & we frequently have the white faced monkeys in the neighboring trees along with an abundance of iguanas, hummingbirds & butterflies around the property. The small indigo blue tiled pool on the terrace is wonderful for rejuvenating & cooling off during the day or relaxing with a glass of wine while enjoying your tropical paradise. This is not just an ocean view – it’s the ocean and all the exotic wildlife in the canopy of trees, how better to enjoy the rain forests of Costa Rica!
La Casita is fully air-conditioned, so on those very hot & humid days you’ll be kept cool, although our ocean breezes are often the preference to enjoy a comfortable environment. With our silent ceiling fans and screened windows, you can relax and listen to the sounds of nature. The large picture windows in the living room and bedroom offer a generous view of not only the spectacular Pacific Ocean, but the rim of the rain forest where you’ll spot several of the famous Costa Rican birds. We have a well-equipped gourmet kitchen, perfect for preparing those romantic dinners which you might want to enjoy under the stars on your private terrace. La Casita is also on a deep water well, so our water on the property is perfect for drinking! Our fruit trees, including banana, lime, papaya, mango and avocado trees, in addition to an herb garden, are all for our guests to enjoy! If you’re a foodie, this is definitely a dream location for your vacation. We’ll also give you pointers where to shop for local produce and where to avoid.
From the house you can hike to the nearby waterfalls where you're sure to see the blue morpho butterflies, white faced monkeys and the bright green & black dart frogs. We live two houses away from La Casita, so we’re close enough if you need something, but far enough for you to have your privacy. There are a couple of surf boards you're welcome to use. If you're traveling with friends, we have another 2 bedroom vacation rental about 100 meters away from la casita, in the same neighborhood: https://www.vrbo.com/948824 - you can also read the reviews from that house as the location is the same neighborhood – same views, same monkeys!
There are plenty of restaurants and a small market in Playa Hermosa, all within 5 minutes, but the larger town of Jaco is only a 10 minute drive where you'll find shopping, restaurants, large grocery stores and night life. We're happy to help you book tours at zip lines, Crocodile Man Tours, whitewater rafting or fishing. World class surfing or stand up paddle boarding are just minutes away at our beach, or we can suggest fun and safe beach areas outside of Playa Hermosa. We’ve lived here full time for over 21 years, so we can help tailor your vacation to excursions you would enjoy – even those non-touristy day trips! We can normally get discounts on any local tours – between 10 to 15%, including the Vista Los Suenos Canopy, which is a must do! Should you want to explore more beaches, the road south is lined with small beach towns to Manuel Antonio National Park is only an hour away.
We look forward to making your time at La Casita unforgettable!
Features of La Casita:
Panoramic Ocean view from every room in the house
Easy Access - you just don't find these views AND easy access in Costa Rica - And only an hour & half to San Jose airport!
2 hammocks, under the fan on the covered terrace
Private sun tanning area on the terrace
Private gated community
Private pool / terrace with amazing ocean & valley views
Easy access to HWY 34 (one mile on brick / paved road)
Fully air conditioned and fans throughout
Deep water well/perfect drinking water
Washer & Dryer on site
Pillow top memory foam bed (mentioned in reviews - extremely comfortable)
Free WIFI
Smart TV with Netflix
Well-equipped gourmet kitchen with gas oven /stove, Brazilian granite counters espresso machine, microwave, toaster, blender, rice cooker....
In-house Safe
Access to 200 acres of hiking trails
Assistance with all travel needs
2 Surfboards for use
Herb garden with fresh herbs year round

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS / TOURS / ACTIVITIES
Zip-lining: By far the best on the central pacific coast is Vista Los Suenos Canopy, 20 minutes from the house. The guides are so fun with safety as a priority.
Sport Fishing: We have world class sport fishing in this area. From the high end Los Suenos Resort & Marina (20 minutes away) to a local panga boat that is just plain fun fishing & very reasonably priced – 20 minutes away to the south. And then there’s Quepos about 45 minutes to the south with Marina Pez Vella.
Bird Watching: Well known for the variety of birds in this country, but here at the house you’ll see Toucans, Scarlet Macaws, Herons and Falcons – daily.
ATV tours: There are several within 10 minutes, we recommend the package Zip line and ATV with Vista Los Suenos Canopy. If you’re looking for a private ATV tour, we recommend Jaguar riders.
White Water Rafting: A favorite in this area, H2O adventures is simply the best. The water is warm, the guides are great, but the visuals of the canyons you will never forget. They also have tubing down the river, kayaking but my favorite is the rafting.
Surfing lessons for all levels and ages & experience. 5 minutes from the house for more advanced or 10 minutes for less experience. Did you know the average temperature of the water here is 84! Year round warm ocean water!!!
Sea Kayaking: There are a couple Kayaking companies within 20 minutes. We like Herradura bay for beginners (or a bit more timid). It’s beautiful and has a couple restaurants you can stop by after / before.
Hikes: From the house you can hike for hours. The trails take you to various waterfalls and then the most fabulous view of Jaco, the Nacoya Peninsula and down to Manuel Antonio. We recommend download Mapmyhike on your phone and you can use your GPS to follow the trails. Monkeys galore!
In house catering: Chef Bruno has been here in the Jaco area for 20 years. Prior to Costa Rica he was trained in France and worked in France and South Africa. Having a dinner catered by Chef Bruno is such a TREAT! He comes, explains, sets up everything (including flowers), prepares dinner, dinner / wine service, after dessert you’re left with a clean kitchen and spectacular memories.