We booked a two-bedroom villa over the holidays in late December 2011/early January 2012. Villas Hermosas came highly recommended by a friend who'd been there many, many times (and is close, personal friends with Brad, Tara, Monica and Jeremy). We polled many of our friends to see if anyone wanted to share the villa with us but, being the Christmas season, all of our friends were reluctant to leave their families and bugger off on vacation. As such, my guy and I ended up with a 2-bedroom villa to ourselves. Not the worst thing in the world - we each got our own bathroom!

The whole time we were there I thought to myself, "I wish I could conjure up the words to describe to my friends what they missed when they declined the offer to stay here with us." To say it's the best vacation I've ever been on is an understatement. That I'm trying to figure out a way to get back there in the next few months is a testament to how absolutely perfect Villas Hermosas and the surrounding area was.

Our villa was gorgeous. Really beautifully designed and decorated, new, clean, fresh and luxurious, with beautiful attention to detail. I actually WANTED to spend time in my room. They've appointed the villas with deck chairs, hammocks and cozy window bench/reading nook, so your own room becomes yet another oasis to retreat to to read your book, have a snack and sip on a Pilsen.

Probably my favourite part of the villa, though, was its close proximity to, well, everything. A short walk to the pool or the beach meant that I didn't have to pack up a big beach bag every morning when I left. I could simply walk back and forth to the villa and the beach or pool whenever I needed to freshen up my drink or get some more sunscreen. It's little things like that that added to the awesome experience for me, and really drove up the value of my vacation. No beach bag, no worries. *smile*

The weather was hot hot hot, and the rancho at the pool deck was a welcome dose of shade. The pool is small and refreshing, with a little shallow platform that's begging to be sat in while you read you book. I dragged an umbrella over to the pool, and sat in the shade IN the pool and read my book. Another benefit to being at a resort with so few other people - you can call drag your chair or your beach umbrella wherever the heck you want and not be in anyone's way.

At most, there were 6 other people on the pool deck with me at any given time. Because the resort is small - consisting of just four villas - there were only about 12 or so other people staying there besides us. This, for me, was one of the true highlights of this experience. Having spent time at more all-inclusive resorts than I'd care to admit, I found myself growing tired of the 6am fight for a beach chair; the mid-day pilgrimage to a crappy, watered-down buffet lunch restaurant; the incessant noise and distraction of thousands of other travelers in close proximity... For a person like me - who values her quiet-time when on vacation, and who loves to take in the surroundings of the climate, the vegetation and the culture without distraction - Villas Hermosas is nothing short of a miracle.

Iguanas and other cute little lizardy guys make their home in a massive tree beside the pool; I know iguanas aren't everybody's 'thing,' but it's surprisingly hard to feel stressed out when you're in the proximity of a dozen or so lazy lizards...

All around you is lush jungle. At night, we turned off our AC and opened the sliding patio doors to let the sounds of the jungle in. There's nothing like it.

You will not go hungry. There's no restaurant at Villas Hermosas, but there are many amazing restaurants very near by - some are a 200 metre walk from the property and others are a short 15-minute drive into town. The ingredients are fresh as can be - like, fish caught from the ocean mere hours beforehand - and the prices are reasonable. The experience at dining at some of these restaurants - overlooking the sunset, sitting on the beach, under thatched roofs, you name it - is not to be surpassed. Christy's morning breakfast, served up hot and fresh in the rancho every morning, will fill you up until at least lunchtime; then you can go and get your eat-and-drink on at any of the nearby restaurants, none of which will disappoint. So much good eating.

Brad and Tara took care of us - and that's putting it mildly. They hooked us up with some of the most amazing meals of our lives. Brad took us out on an ATV day-trip around the area. It was an awesome way to spend a day. They booked us in (at the last minute) for a zipline excursion in Mal Pais. And they were absolutely fun and gracious hosts the entire time.

There's a definite family vibe at Villas Hermosas. Because of the small number of guests staying at any given time, you really get to know your fellow patrons. Jeremy and Monica - Brad and Tara's adorable kids - spend time at the pool deck and in the rancho hanging out with you, and generally being unbearably cute and entertaining. Brad and Tara themselves, though busy running one of the best resorts in the area, take the time to socialize too. It was like staying with friends.

Every day we found ourselves flocking to the beach at around 5pm to catch the sunset. If you look down the beach, you'll see that everybody else has done the same. EVERYBODY. Sunset is an important time of day in this part of the world, and it was incredibly cool to be a part of that flock. One day we found ourselves "running late" for sunset, and it was the most stress we felt all week! We rushed to get back to the resort so we could grab a beer and run down to the beach before the sun dipped below the water (we made it just in time).

The highlight of our trip in particular, was New Year's Eve on the beach. Tara had arranged to have a private chef come in and offer us an amazing meal, complete with hors d'oeuvres and specialty cocktails. All of the resort's guests had dinner together in the rancho, then headed down to the beach to watch the incredible blanket of stars emerge (the most stars you will ever see), watch the moonset, sit around a big beach bonfire, count down to 2012 and dance until the wee hours. It's one of the best and most memorable moments I think I'll ever have.

The town of Santa Teresa/Mal Pais is the coolest little surf town. We were there during the busiest time of the year, and it *was* pretty busy in town - to the point where the ATMs ran out of money every other day or so, the quad/car rental places ran out of vehicles and some restaurants ran out of food. But we were assured that the holiday weeks are the most hectic and crazed time, and that none of these things is 'the norm.' ...and, really, it was *barely* hectic and crazed at all. The laid-back surf culture permeates the entire area, so you instantly feel relaxed and mellow just by proximity; even if you can’t get a car or a quad, somehow it just becomes no big deal (besides, Brad is pretty willing to drive you into town whenever you need to pick anything up). There are tons of cool little restaurants and lunch spots in town to grab a burger, some fish tacos, BBQ chicken - you name it.

Things not to miss:
> Rocamar for fresh-caught seafood, right on the beach (a short 5-minute drive down the road for VIllas Hermosas); dinner starts at 6pm but you can head in early for drinks and sunset
> Koji's for the best sushi you'll ever eat (right across the road from VH)
> Brisas del Mar for one of the most delicious meals you're sure to ever have (in town, on a high hill overlooking the ocean - make you reservation in time to watch the sunset)
> Brad's ATV tour
> The zipline in Mal Pais
> The beach - especially during low tide
> The surf

Tips:
> Rent a vehicle. A quad will do if you're going to be staying mostly in the Santa Teresa/Mal Pais area. Bring a bandana or a scarf to cover your face as the roads are quite dusty.
> Book surf lessons right away so you can get the most time on the water.
> You can buy groceries in town. We did, but never actually ate any of them (because the restaurants were just SO good).

Shoutouts:
> Brad and Tara - the most gracious hosts running one of the most beautiful vacation spots I'll probably ever know.
> Christy - a total sweetheart who whipped us up delicious eggs, pinto and other breakfast goodies every morning.
> Jeremy and Monica - the "entertainment staff." *smile*
> our fellow guests at VH – our friends during one of the best weeks of our lives

In short: it was perfect. We'll be back.

We spent a week last spring at Villas Hermosas with our young daughter and my parents-had a blast and knew at our college aged kids would love it too. So we bribed them into a family vacation between Dec 26th and Nrw Years Day with promices of great beachesm a comfortable atmosphere, crazy quad tour with Brad and Tara and a gourmet dinner cated poolside by Canape Catering. College kids giving up New Years Eve with friends in NYC or Boston? Well it worked. We wll had a blast, kids, parents...everyone. Thanks Brad and Tara for a wonderful family and parent friendly weekend. We will bw back next year, bring friends!

One of the best places we've ever stayed. We had the honeymoon villa for a night, which was outstanding and right on the beach. The beach ... has to be seen to be believed. We stayed another 2 nights in a poolside villa which was simply palatial. Seriously, I got lost twice and ended up in a different room than I intended. They have a small number of villas which is outstanding as it means that there is always room at the pool, but it also means that they are often booked up pretty far in advance. My advice would be to book this place first then plan your trip around it - it really is that great.

Also recommend the sushi place across the street which was the best I've had outside of Japan (and possibly Tank in Cape Town).

For those worried about the Costa Rican roads you'll need to take to get there, fear not. Most of the way is paved and where it isn't, it's good gravel roads (if you take the 21 to 160, then cut through Cobano). Dry and dusty when we were there (at Christmas) but even when wet they shouldn't be too much of a problem even for a regular car.

WOW! What can I say about Santa Teresa and Villas Hermosas! First of all this review will differ from most I have written as the first thing to write is the need to qualify to see if you pass the Santa Teresa Entrance test? ….so let’s begin….if you:

• are used to Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental or North Island be careful!
• want le Bernadin, Daniel, Per Se, style dining be careful!
• want paved dust free roads be careful!
• want abundant yellow cabs, be careful!
• want slick 5* service, be careful!
• don’t want sand between your toes, be careful!

However if you are used to Four Season, fine dining, paved roads, slick service, but you want to let your hair down and go back in time to the 1960’s or simply wish to chill out without all the fuss and hang with chilled folk, tattooed surfers, enjoy walking on the beach, enjoy a laid back life style, perfectly comfortable air conditioned accommodations, warm, sincere and friendly service, simply amazing endless beaches, super fresh sea foods, to die for sunsets, virtually insect free, dusty un-paved roads, waiting for people in the car ahead of you while they stop to chat to someone else going in the opposite direction, meet wonderful warm friendly gentle Ticos, great surf or ride on endless beaches on an ATV, jam at CoCo Loco or Kika’s until the early hours, or simply go to bed chilled at 9pm……”IF” this is what you are looking for Santa Teresa IS for you.

We are used to the finer things in life and went to Santa Teresa with no expectations and it well surpassed ALL our expectations. We were fortunate thanks to Trip Advisor to have found Villas Hermosas and certainly it is difficult to go wrong with 148 ‘Excellents’, 1 ‘Very Good’ and 1 ‘Average’….we visited friends who had rented a Villa on the beach before arriving at Villas Hermosas after sunset – Brad welcomed us and took us to the Honeymoon Suite which is literally 50 yards from the beach. The Honeymoon suite really shouldn’t be called the Honeymoon suite, as it’s for everyone not just honeymooners. The Honeymoon Villa is on it’s own away from the other three Villas and is virtually on the beach with a lovely verandah overlooking the Pacific Ocean with dining table, chairs and a hammock. We spent several evening simply sitting on the verandah watching magnificent sunsets.

There are a total of 4 air conditioned Villas at Villas Hermosas – three villas are 2 bedroom/2 bathroom villas each with an interesting brick lit dome and each with fully equipped kitchens, living room and verandahs with a hammock, are set back in the jungle in a well maintained & impeccable serene tropical garden setting about 150 yards to beach. They are close enough to the pool but yet not so close as to impact on a peaceful day at the pool. After viewing the other Villas it was quite frankly a difficult choice as what to pick - either the regular Villas or the Honeymoon Villa…..they are all perfectly appointed and have everything that you could possibly wish for including an oversized safe.

There is daily maid service and the Villas are kept neat and clean as are the grounds and the pathways to the ocean are raked and kept clean every day. The staff are all wonderfully friendly. Tip: – cut down on clothing – we over packed. Guys don’t need a shirt during the day, the jeans and sneakers never made it out once. It’s shorts and slops and ‘maybe’ a shirt or tee shirt.

The day starts with a cooked to order plentiful breakfast, served in the center of the property at the ‘Rancho’ - a circular open sides thatched roof dining area. We were there for 7 days and found the breakfast sufficiently varied, for example one day there was muesli wit delicious home made papaya-ginger yoghurt, chocolate waffles, or another day pan cakes …but best of all cooked by friendly next door neighbor Christie who hails from Alaska. As Villas Hermosas is so small you have the opportunity to socialize with other guests if you wish at breakfast.

Brad and Tara who are originally from Calgary Canada, are the hospitable owners and have lived in Santa Teresa for eight years. They are great hosts and are able to assist with local area advice or arranging a Quad bike/ATV tour, zip lining tour or tour to CURU. They can arrange anything you want. We rented an ATV for a day, awesome – I would really recommend this at least once! Riding on the beach, the endless views you will see are simply breathtaking. We headed for Manzanillo and from there on the beach is simply endless – an amazing ride. Do NOT be tempted to chill out and relax at Dorado restaurant on the beach at Manzanillo – which has awesome views of the ocean, but not great food, rather head up the hill into the interior for about 2 miles and go to a charming farm house restaurant called Dayka with a wonderful sparkling pool and terrific views of the mountains and forests in the interior. The food was great

To get there we flew into San Jose (SJO) and spent the half a day enjoying a walking tour with Stacey of Barrio Bird Walking Tours [also found on Trip Advisor!] We flew from SJO on Sansa Airlines to Tambor (20 minute flight). We rented a small 4-wheel Budget car at Tambor airport, our favorite airport world wide, where the runway literally starts at water’s edge. The road from Tambor to Cobano is paved but thereafter it’s gravel roads and they are challenging, so drive with care!. The drive from Tambor to Santa Teresa is around 40 minutes and then a further 4 miles to Playa Hermosa and “Villas Hermosas”

Villas Hermosas is located in a gorgeous setting on the north end of town – far enough to from the ‘hub-bub’ of Santa Teresa to offer peace and tranquility. When staying here you will really appreciate the freedom of having a rent a car. The alternative is to walk [not great during the dry season as the dust is awful] or taxi of which there are not too many. Having a rent a car gives you the freedom to explore other beaches and of course drive to any of the many well-supplied supermarkets, or to area restaurants. The little town of Santa Teresa is amazing and everything is within reach. There are a lot of great restaurants, pizza places, pita place and bars in the area. Our first evening was at Roca Mar right on the beach – it was world class, an amazing ceviche to start with followed by awesome marlin and washed down with amazing mojitos! Post dinner drinks lounging on chairs and drinking more mojitos right on the beach! What could be better? Another great restaurant is Kika’s, and I would really be remiss if I didn’t mention the PITA place – where we had two simple PITAS for 7,000 Colones, I had the exact amount left and the owner didn’t want to take it as he didn’t want me to be left cashless for the rest of the evening and told me to come back in the morning to pay! That’s Santa Teresa. GO!