This house was fantastic overall, however, it may not be for everyone. Being a nature lover this house was incredible, we saw all species of Costa Rican monkey's from the kitchen (Squirrel Monkeys, Capuchins and Howler Monkeys) along with lots of birds like Toucans and Macaws and even a Basilisk Lizard perched over the pool. The house itself is also GREAT, with spacious rooms, air conditioning and a great layout. The view is spectacular and you do get a nice breeze most evenings off the ocean which is in full view. Now to the things which might worry some people. The Kitchen and main living area are open air and there are lots of bugs at night, though not many mosquitos when we were there. These didn't bother us much. Though there was a HUGE scorpion in the living room on the floor when we came in one night which was a bit freaky. The wildlife do have full access to the house, except the bedrooms. Monkeys do come in and grab things and we saw their little hand prints all over the kitchen, bugs get in and there are scorpions and snakes etc in the area. We spotted 5 snakes within the area of the house (although i was actively searching for them). That said, if those things dont bother you then this place is awesome! Host Ricky was great. recommend having a 4X4 as the roads around the house are steep and full of pot holes.

I don't even know where to start. My husband and I just got home from 5 days at Casa Dolce Vita. We don't stay at many homes more than once but would absolutely return to Casa Dolce Vita. Here's the skinny... Pros - if you like wildlife up close and personal, this is the place for you. Capuchins visit around 6 am each morning and again in the afternoon. And by visited, I mean the monkeys sat on top of the refrigerator and in the kitchen sink. We also had great sloth sightings, macaws, and the guard iguana we named Garoot. I miss Garoot already. The location is near great restaurants and shopping, and most tours will pick you up at the Casa. The house manager Ricky and maid Mina are incredible and look after your every need! Cons - the Casa is located at the bottom of a very steep hill and the road is not in the best shape. If you don't rent a car, plan on steep hikes up the hill to reach the main road. If wildlife is not your cup of tea, this is not the casa for you. Each living space in this house is on a different floor, there are a lot of stairs and each level is accessed by climbing a spiral staircase. Thats it. These weren't cons for us, but they may be for you. From the time we booked this home until our departure, everyone involved was absolutely great. We loved our stay here and plan on returning, hopefully with friends or family to share this incredible home with. Thanks Ricky and Mina for making this a very special stay for us.

The pictures do not do this place justice! A must stay if you are considering it absolutely book!! The most beautiful unforgettable view!! We will be back!

We spent 3 nights at this property and thoroughly loved every minute of it. The view from the kitchen/living area was a spectacular ocean view and also wildlife watching as well. We saw 3 different kinds of monkey's, macaws, parrots and more. The pool area was perfect for privacy and I could do my workout and yoga poolside. The owner's suite had glass walls that led out to a veranda overlooking the ocean. The design of the house lends itself to having 4 couples due to the privacy of all appointed bedrooms. Ricky was most attentive and responsive to any of my questions concerning the property. We would love to return sometime in the near future!

Great views, monkey visitors gave the kids a great experience. Lots of experiences accessible. Great time!

Our recent stay at this home was amazing! The house is absolutely beautiful and we loved the open air concept of the main area. Monkeys definitely stop by- we had them twice in the morning while we were in the kitchen. Awesome to see! Only issue was the tv’s- couldn’t get one to work and other one didn’t get many channels but besides that everything was great!!!

This villa was super luxurious and spacious. Every clean as well as we had a daily cleaning and laundry service which was a great added bonus. Ricky was super helpful in getting us checked in. The toad to the villa is a bit windy, narrow, and steep, so you will need a 4WD car and guts to drive it. After the second time though, I was very used to it. There is no common central room as you have to walk up and down stairs to access the various rooms, but another thing we got used to. The views are amazing, the amenities amazing, and the decor was great, and the pool was perfect. The location was also something we loved because we were right in the middle of wildlife. We would see monkeys, lizards, and parrots all around us. It was peaceful except for the loud construction that was happening a few doors down, and we could also hear the next door family very clearly as well. But the pros definitely outweighed the minor cons. Had a great time!!!

Having never been to Costa Rica, this property was the perfect place for our stay. We had a group of 5, one couple and three individuals. We each had our own room on separate floors which was really nice. En suite bathrooms in each room was also a huge plus. The living space is open/un-enclosed which is amazing for the views as well as daily monkey visitors! However, this also lended itself to tons of creatures, moths, bugs, etc to make themselves at home. This was mainly an issue in the evenings and was handled by the staff each day. The house itself is gorgeous and is located in a gated, central location in Manuel Antonio. I highly recommend staying here and would certainly return!

That place was awesome

This home is beautifully appointed and tastefully furnished. The views are amazing! The pool is perfect and peaceful. Do not leave anything (and I mean ANYTHING) laying around in the living room because the cutest monkeys will come in and take them away. Ricky was there to greet us and checked in to see if we needed anything. I hope to come back again and stay longer next time!

Our family had a wonderful stay at Casa Dolce Vita. The house was immaculate and spacious. We really enjoyed the open air atmosphere of the living room and kitchen. Capuchin monkeys came to visit us several times that week and there was a resident iguana who sunned itself by the pool each day. At night, one could hear Howler Monkeys communicating with each other and we saw them traversing between the trees. The views overlooking the pool and the ocean in the distance were quite beautiful. The housekeeper was very sweet and helpful.

Property is amazing, great location extremely clean and well taken care of. Service was 5 star thank you Ricky WE WILL be back !

Words cannot even describe the immense beauty of this place. If you have any interest in seeing all of the things Manuel Antonio has to offer (nature, wildlife, food), Casa Dolce Vita is THE place. We stayed with 7 adults and two young kids for a full week and are already counting the minutes until we can book again. From moment one, the hospitality and organization of the staff is just top notch. Our Chef, Stefan, was a completely necessary and luxurious addition to the trip. No hustling around at restaurants, eating at your own leisure, and his food was 1000% better than anything we got on the days we took breaks and ate in town. Every time we ventured out of the house, we wondered why we even left. Why deal with the crowds at the national park when you have sloths, monkeys toucans, and macaws from the comfort of your living room or pool. The monkeys that came to visit daily were an absolutely priceless addition to the experience. We even got in a mango throwing competition with one especially friendly group. I was super worried about the bugs, being the frequent bait for mosquitoes in my group. We came during the early part of the wet season and followed the instructions to leave the fans on and the lights low and it was never a problem. We even managed to rearrange the furniture and net the balcony railing to keep a newly-walking toddler safe in this beautiful tree house (although I wouldn't necessarily recommend if you are the anxious type with babies). This place is live changing. Just book it and don't look back.

Our stay at Casa Dolca Vita was amazing. The views are incredible and the house was very clean and well-maintained. Definitely recommend it!

A huge thank you to the escape villas team for a wonderful weekend at Casa Dolce Vita. Valerie was extremely helpful with booking our rafting trip and ensuring we had everything in order prior to our arrival!! Ricky was a perfect host and especially for stocking the fridge before we arrived!!! Chef Junior was beyond amazing - we asked for typical costa rican food and he didn’t disappoint. Each meal was delicious and the entire group was raving about it. Highly recommend!

What a fantastic property! My family of 5 (3 adult kids) stayed here for just under a week - the setup is perfect and the views can't be beat. Booking with Fernando and Valerie was easy and quick - our original Villa (through another owner/company) cancelled on us just 10 days before our vacation, but once we found Casa Dolce Vita Fernando and Valerie made it so easy to secure and took away all our worries. The bedrooms are all comfortable and have private bathrooms. The 3rd floor open living/kitchen area was amazing - we didn't even want to leave! The furnishings and art throughout is luxurious. Monkeys visited us twice a day, every day, and made for so much fun. The wildlife all around us was better than you could get anywhere. We had a sloth in the tree right outside, lizards, toucans, butterflies and 3 kinds of monkeys to keep us entertained. Ricky, the concierge, was great and made everything on our vacation so easy. He booked our tours, arranged for a private chef (Stephan - who I highly recommend you get!), checked in on us to make sure we had everything we needed, gave us great tips and was just all around a great guy. Maid service was included and was not intrusive at all, keeping the place in great shape. I can't imagine having a better experience at a resort - you get 5 star surroundings with perfect privacy and safety and full service of a personal concierge. We did rent a car which came in handy and made getting around much easier than if you had to call a taxi every time. We will definitely book again in the future - and if in Costa Rica, wouldn't go through anyone but Ricky, Fernando and Valerie (they do have 6 properties - all of them look beautiful).

This property is majestic. If you think the pictures are amazing, wait till you see it in person. The master suite is a dream come true. Monkeys made it so much fun! Believe what you hear, and lock everything up... or the monkey WILL take it! Stairs and edges are pretty scary with children but we still managed with 4! Overall, we are extremely impressed with the beauty of this house as well as the views! Perfect location... so close to all the fun at the beach! We would def come back but without the kids just so we wouldn’t have to worry... 100% worth every penny. Take advantage and have your fridge stocked before you arrive. And go with the private chef! Beds were very comfortable. Perfect layout for 2 families! I miss our Casa Dolce Vita!!!!!!

The villa has amazing views from every level. It was especially nice to have a nice view of the ocean from the pool. Esteban's meals were delicious (as usual!), Mia kept the villa clean and Ricky was always available to help wit our bookings for excursions (and anything else that we needed). Our only issue was that the air conditioning in 2 of the bedrooms never really got cold.