We were in Costa Rica for a couple of weeks and ended our trip in the Buena Vista Villas. It was the best of all the places we visited and we really did not want to leave. The pool was just downstairs, the beach close by with lots of activities and we were taken care of by our new friend, Brian. He was there to great us, take us to our villa and show us around. Whenever we needed anything all we had to do was pick up the phone.

The villa was beautifully appointed and the kitchen was a delight to cook in. We ate in the first night from Victoria's Restaurant. It was superb. We were so happy to be with the monkeys and looking at the Pacific that we spent most of our time on the deck.

I could not recommend Buena Vista Luxury Villas more.

Us 5 ladies loved our accommodations we had our own fridge great kitchen... beautiful big rooms, loved the outside showers that were private. we had our own Private driver and guide to help us get where we needed to go. Brian was wonderful..and he went out of his way to help us. We loved the private beach and we got to see many monkey's , raccoons , lizards and other creatures. It was my favorite place to stay. The service was over the top. Loved it!
Jeannie, Canada

After a 5-hour drive from the Arenal Volcano region in one of Costa Rica Vacation's clean white vans, we arrived to the tropical wet-forest area of Manuel Antonio. We drove through Quepos, a real tourist town, and then on past smaller villages, and then we arrived at the gate of the Beuna Vista Luxury Villas. The villas are seemingly tall structures built among the trees on a steep hill. Alongside the brick roadway inside the resort are beautifully manicured plants and colourful bushes.Monkeys swish through the trees as iguanas sun themselves on the side of the road. Suddenly we were away from any kind of hustle and bustle. It was so peaceful there, the quiet broken only by the singing of the birds, and the occasional singing or laughing of the perpetually happy staff who worked there. Compared to all the other hotels and villas we passed along the way, none could compare to the beauty and elegance of this place, or the peace and safety I always felt while I was there. When we arrived, we were given our own personal consierge who then showed us around our villa which was to be home for the next 6 days. What a place! Certainly , you can take the virtual tour yourself, but honestly, walking into the stone and marble living room, looking at the fully equipped kitchen , and then finding downstairs 2 huge bedrooms each with 2 queen sized beds and a private patio......and what bathrooms!!! powder room, bathroom, and then a parctically-outdoor shower room, with a tropical rainforest shower where I could stand and look out an open wall over the treetops towards the ocean. It was like showering outside! Having a shower there was so pleasurable, I had several each day. There was also a laundry room downstairs which was a pleasant surprise. Back upstairs there was (and I've left the best 'till last) a fabulous balcony looking out over the tops of all the trees, and a glorious view of the ocean. On one end of the patio was a lovely big dining room table which seated 6. On the other end of the patio was a hot tub. There was also a bbq, and some very comfy chairs in which we sat so often, watching the monkeys jumping around us.( Early on the last day there, we spied 2 little monkeys sitting on the patio looking longingly in the window at a bowl of bananas we had planned to eat for breakfast!) We particularly loved the private beach. Located at the bottom of a rather steep road it was easy to get to, but we usually got a drive back to the villa in one of the waiting vans. The beach itself was another little piece of Heaven. The young man who worked there, David, went out of his way to make sure everyone on the beach had what they needed: long beach chair, umbrella, towel, etc. He helped us pull the kayaks to the water when we wanted to go kayaking, and he even lent me his own snorkle so I could go snorkling with my friends. The water there is amazing....warm and deep. I spent hours there. While at the beach we also had lunch at the little restaurant there, where we met Paul, the amazing chef who works at the resort. If you've ever tried mahee mahee, a local Costa Rica fish, you'll probably agree it's great, Paul made us open faced mahee mahee sandwhiches, which was one of the best meals I've ever had. We liked it so much, we had it a second day as well. And we liked Paul so much that we asked him if he'd come to our villa and cook a meal on the occasion of my brother's 60th birthday. We were so delighted when he agreed . He arrived with his partner Luis, who served. We had a salad with jumbo shrimp and avacado, followed by fresh-caught red snapper cooked with garlic and olive oil served with a special rice and steamed vegetables. Later he brought out a chocolate chili cake, as a special gift for my brother. Paul is so inventive, and made this night for us a real highlight of our time in Costa Rica. I mentioned Paul, Luis, and David ....I'd also like to mention the young man at the front desk, Andres, with his infectiously joyful personality ! We didn't have such a great relationship with our concierge, Brian, who seemed rather pushy at the beginning. Finally he seemed to give up on us as he put all his concerted energy into a wedding which took place at the resort during our stay there. But we really didn't mind. We arranged some tours with Iguana Tours which were great, especially the mangrove kayaking tour and the boat tour where we watched a humpback whale and went snorkelling with Thomas. We tried out some different restaurants in the area, but truthfully I loved staying home and eating at our villa the most. We were easily able to get groceries at the local market, just up the road from the main gate. Prices seemed about the same as they are here in Canada, except wine which is rather costly, mainly because it has to be imported. But I did like Costa Rican beer, and had an opportunity to try Guaro, a Costa Rican liquor you drink with sugar and lime juice. Because it gets dark in Costa Rica by 6 p.m., we liked to pack as much as possible into daylight hours, so we got up early and were in bed before 10:00 p.m.! I loved our time at Buena Vista Villas so much! Again, I must thank Tara at Costa Rica Vacations for helping us plan this wonderful, magical holiday! So many beautiful and warm memeories stick with me now , 2 weeks later, as I sit by the fire in my Canadian home and watch the blizzard rage outside! Only my fading tan tells me it wasn't all a fantastic dream!

Buena Vista Villas is a fabulous place to stay....everything was perfect for us. The level of service at every step was very high and the staff were all very friendly and helpful. The view is magnificent and the accomodations are so comfortable, we didn't want to leave. We did a fair bit of cooking in our villa, but the food was delicious and very reasonably priced at the beach, breakfast restaurant, and at the pool. We even had the chef (Paul) cook us a fabulous meal in our villa....which also included the services of Luis as a server....one of the highlights of our trip. The beach was also a highlight for us..beautiful sand and water....safe and private with a wonderful young man, David, to look after all your needs. The property is very steep and hilly, but the shuttle van was always there within a few minutes to take us to and from the beach, the front gate, or to Victoria's. We would love to return here again and would highly reccommend it for a luxurious stay.