The house was very comfortable with a good king size bed, outdoor dining room, nice handmade porch chairs with cushions, and a kitchen with good cooking equipment. Nadia was extremely helpful calling cabs for us and finding an alternative way to get to our next stop as the shuttle had no space. The location is removed from town and it is a walk to the beach. A car or taxis are required. The beach is not for swimming as the waves were rather big and beautifu, but not far away is a much more tranquil water. We enjoyed being surrounded by the birds, monkeys, and all of the other creatures out there in the jungle. The interior of the house is pleasant and mostly all hand made wooden furniture made by Antonio.

The house was very nice and was the perfect set up for our family. (My husband and I spent 4 nights here with our 2 year old and 4 year old children). Also, the owners were fabulous, and even sewed up my daughter's broken swimsuit!! The very friendly owners will call you a cab to get you to town (and often emailed or checked in to see if we needed a cab at a certain time), but with young kids sometimes getting the timing right for calling the cab just felt like too much of a hassle. As a result, we did A LOT of walking. We like to walk so it wasn't a huge problem, but with two small kids who needed to be carried most of the way, it did give us quite the work out. If you are traveling with young kids, you will want to bring a sturdy Bob-type stroller. If you are not crazy like us and have older kids or no kids with you, then you can relax and use the taxi service.

Also for those with young kids, the beach that is walking distance (Playa Cocles) is insanely rough. Your kids most definitely cannot swim there, or even splash around at knee level without getting swept away. Heck, I wouldn't even swim there!! Only experienced surfers do so. We went to Playa Negra one day (in town) and had a great time splashing around and swimming with the local families. But again, this involves either a taxi ride or a rather long walk.

Vacation dates December 22, 2014 - Jan 3, 2015

WOW! My husband Gary and myself had the wonderful opportunity of vacationing at La Perla del Caribe in Puerto Viejo. We had a great time!

Puerto Viejo was especially lively as it was the holiday season. The town is filled with great restaurants, shops and bakeries, and a lively assortment of colorful people. Don't miss a visit to the "Jaguar Rescue Center." It is worth the extra $ to take the private tour!

The beaches in the area, and there are several to choose from, range from wild waves with surfers, to ones of tranquil peaceful solitude, to happy music and family filled stretches. The beaches there have everything!

Before going to Costa Rica, I had many friends express concern about the weather. "It is the rain forest", they would remind me. Well, of the 12 days we were there, it only once rained all day. I must admit even that day was great. We lounged around, ate, read, and listened to the rainfall. All the other days were either completely sunny, or a mix of rain and hours of sunshine. In other words, the weather is cooperative!

The casita at La Perla is immaculately clean, bug free, and in perfect condition. At first, I was a little worried about not having the typical US living room but those fears completely vanished my first day. Who would want to stay cooped up indoors watching mind numbing TV when the "Jungle Show" was playing continuously outside! Gary and I spent many good hours sipping amazing Costa Rican coffee while watching things fly by from toucans and parrots to hummingbirds and exquisite morpho butterflies, or listening to the conversations of different howler monkey troupes, or simply gazing at the infinite beauty of the "fifty shades of green" which enveloped our casita. It is just too gorgeous!

Finally, and possibly most importantly, the people of Costa Rica, Puerto Viejo, and specifically Nadia, Antonio, and Luca are some of the warmest, kindest, and most genuine people I have been fortunate enough to meet. Always smiling, happy, and helpful!

All I can say is that our vacation at La Perla was unforgettably wonderful. Pura Vida!!

With love,
Laurie

ps Hugs to Cuba.... and throw his rock already!

This is a very basic cabin close to the beach and town of Puerto Viejo. It is too small to spend anytime indoors.