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.
Room Tip: They're all good - not to worry!
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
