The Villa is truly an enchanted paradise! My boys (15, 14, and 8) loved playing on the water slide, in the pool, and in the pond. I loved hearing all the different sounds of nature including howler monkeys and every type of bird imaginable. Glen was a phenomenal host and gave us excellent recommendations on what to visit, where to eat, and things to do. I cannot say enough good things about Villa Encantada.

Everything was beyond expectations and Glenn was a perfect host. Next time we plan on staying longer!

Glen was an amazing host and help with activities and knowledge about the area and culture. His property is beautiful and he and hits staff do an outstanding job! Highest recommendation for a mountainous stay in Costa Rica!

It was amazing! All my friends loved it, Glenn the host was so welcoming,nice and very helpful with my stay. His communication was great. Answered all my questions and more. Went here for my 30th and he help set up the events/Itinerary, plus got a birthday banner to surprise me. My family and friends also felt glenn was amazing, and even felt like he was another family member. One friend said glenn is her guy and would trust him with her life. Lol my little brother is 6 and loves the outdoors and fishing. He highly enjoyed the poud fishing, lake fishing and gorgeous trail. Will definitely be back!

A beautiful jungle retreat. This 40 acre property has so much to offer. A beautiful Costa Rican themed house with multiple decks. A pool with a fast and fun water slide. Jungle hiking. A fun little challenging par 3 golf course and so much more. But what made it extra special was our host, Glenn. He makes sure your every need is met and makes sure you enjoy your experience to the max.

My husband and I stayed here for a few days and wish we would have stayed longer. We absolutely loved everything about this place. Ot is a great place to escape and relax. The flora and fauna are amazing. The pool and trails are spectacular and fun. We explored all over the property, caught a couple fish, fed the iguana, read on the patios, went down the slide not enough times, and got massages. Glenn was so helpful and just an overall good human. Next time we are coming back with the family. Highly recommend a stay here.

Glen's property was better than we were expecting. Our family of 5 had the most wonderful time and the highlights were first having Glen as our host. He was so helpful with everything from organizing a fun filled day adventuring off the property, to giving us dinner recommendations and overall showing us the Costa Rican hospitality. True gem of a human. The grounds of the property are breathtaking. The pool/slide were the biggest highlight for our entire family and we spent most of days/evenings at. The pond was awesome for kids to fish at and we loved walking the trails. You can truly spend your entire day at the home and not be bored. Not to mention all the wildlife surrounding you. We can't wait to visit again. Pura Vida!

Everything as advertised. Glenn was wonderful from the get go. Helped out a lot with the excursions. Made everything painless from the original booking until we left. Beautiful property and the stay was wonderful. 5 stars all around. Memorable vacation the whole family will never forget. Highly recommend.

Gorgeous property is like a private resort. Unbelievable bird watching, monkeys, and fishing. Owner Glen was extremely helpful and organized personal chef for us on our first night. So amazing! Thank you!

Very cool, unique house. Great for all ages. Kids and adults loved the slide, golfing, hiking and fishing! The cooler temps were such a pleasant surprise. Rain everyday but not enough to hamper. We would book here again. Glenn was great to work with!

My family (46, 43, 18, 13 & 73) and I just returned from an eight night stay at Villa Encantada and it exceeded our expectations. Our host, Glen, met us at arrival and gave us a personal tour of key elements of the property and house. The 40-acre property is meticulously maintained and more than just a rental for Glen, it is a labor of love. Glen graciously scheduled all of our excursion prior to arrival. We highly recommend all three of the excursions; they were ATVing, Class 3 & 4 whitewater rafting, and the hanging bridges. When at the house my mom loved the bird watching, my sons lived on the water slide, my daughter became a critter photographer, my husband used the guitar provided and I treasured the time with family. One of my favorite moments was when we arrived home one evening and realized that there are huge toads and frogs that come out at night; we used our cellphone flashlights and went on a toad hunt. I would be remiss if I didn't mention Chef Tyron. Oh my goodness, he is awesome. We had him come cook for us four nights. It was such delicious food and more than we could eat. Our favorite meals were the Costa Rican affair. I think you can tell from my review that we loved our trip. If you are looking for a great family spot for all ages then this is it. It provided the perfect combination of relaxation and fun activities.

I loved seeing so many different types of animals around the house. We saw monkeys, iguanas, frogs, toads, and so many kinds of birds! The house itself was beautiful and the host was incredibly welcoming. 10/10. (Piper) My favorite part of the place was definitely the slide.(Castle). My favorite part of the place was watching my kids and wife enjoy its beauty.(Kevin) My favorite thing about Villa Encantada was the slide. ( Kingsley). The entire place was magical. Glen made check in and out easy. He helped us find a delicious restaurant for sunset. The gardens were beautiful. The bugs and birds and frogs were so cool- not like the ones in Florida. Hiking on property to the lake was really awesome. The slide and pool was so refreshing. This place was truly a gem. Highly recommend it! (Jen)

My husband and I chose Villa Encantada to be a place where we could just relax and take in the beauty around us. From bird watching in the early morning (the bird chorus starts around 4:30); kayaking on the pond or Lake Arenal after breakfast (Glenn arranged for the groundskeepers to take a kayak down for us, and we didn't see another soul on the lake for two hours); zooming down the waterslide in the heat of the midday sun; hiking the trails, golfing/putting, or playing horseshoes in the late afternoon; quietly watching the sunset or stargazing while listening to howler monkeys at the end of the day; you can't help but feel that all is right with the world. With all there is to do and see right on the grounds, there was no reason for us to leave except to go to the store or grab dinner at a local restaurant. (We loved the restaurant Tinejas Arenal -- the view is stunning, especially at sunset.) The flora and fauna are so diverse, we noticed something different every time we stepped outside. Some of my favorite sightings were toucans, herons, blue jeans frogs, a large iguana, and Glenn's pet peacocks. The grounds are so very beautiful with tons of gorgeous flowers. One thing we did't see -- mosquitoes! Glenn is a GREAT host. He will be as present or as distant as you'd like, but I encourage you to spend some time with him. He has great stories and lots of recommendations about the area. Thank you so much, Glenn. We will hold Villa Encantada in our hearts forever!!

Glenn’s property is simply magic. From the expansive grounds to Glenn’s communication and willingness to help with anything, this is a unique destination and well worth the cost per night. I actually think Glenn could easily charge more for the property per night. If I had to give one piece of advice to travelers it would be this: If you come during the summer and in the hotter parts of the year, be aware it’s going to take a few days to get used to having no AC in the house. The spring is great to cool off in and numerous fans are provided, but we’re just so used to air conditioning (being from Florida) that a few people in our party were uncomfortable for the first night. I would stay at the villa again with no hesitation. Things to do: definitely the horseback ride at Don Tobias and go to the Baldi hot springs after. Definitely have chef Nixon or Tyron come and cook a meal for you at the Villa. Also the Pontoon boat ride on lake Arenal is very relaxing. The German bakery in town is great and the Hotel La Rana serves German classic dinner and other options. Cafe Macadamia is great for lunch as is Equus BBQ.

I stayed here with 5 other friends for a friend's 40th birthday vacation. This place is amazing! The activities available on the site for you and your guests alone are amazing. It was unbelievable that we had a water slide, pool, pond, hiking trail, golf course, waterfalls and kayaks all to ourselves. Glen was great with the communication. The property is just fantastic and we could have stayed so much longer! BUT, one thing that I missed in the listing was that there is no air conditioning. At first, we were all shocked and very warm, but there are many, many fans in the rooms. And, once the windows and doors (with necessary screens) were opened, we were actually comfortable and sometimes cool at night. All in all, this was a wonderful stay!

From the minute we arrived we felt like we were in paradise. What a beautiful, relaxing way to start our Costa Rican Vacation. Glenn is an amazing host and went above and beyond what is expected. His home is extraordinary and we cannot wait to return. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Property was perfect, we loved the pool, water slide and waterfall. Definitely going to come back with our kids next time.

Our family loved staying at Villa Encantada! The house is very nice, with plenty of space and unique decor. We enjoyed the trails, golf course, pool with water slide and the wildlife. Glenn was so helpful in planning our outings and arranging a chef for us!

We will be back! One of our best vacations yet. The photos do not do the property justice, the gardens, trails, pond and lake are incredible. Glenn is the best VRBO host I’ve ever had- he gave us detailed information, thoughtful recommendations and even hand made souvenirs! We didn’t want to leave.

This is our second visit to Villa Encantada! We love the property and all it has to offer - the waterslide, fishing, kayaking in the pond, exploring the trails. It's about 45 minutes to excursions we were interested in, and that was just fine with the three kids. It was nice to be secluded and head to the crowds when you want to. We'll be back again!

We traveled to Costa Rica with our family including grandparents (75 and 76) and children (10 and 13). Everyone loved their stay! The kids spent hours in the waterfall and on the waterslide. The grandparents loved the birds and spotted so frim many varieties. The views are amazing, and the pictures do not capture how incredible it is. Glenn is the best host. He gave us exceptional recommendations for activities in the area. We highly recommend this property!

This was a tropical paradise! The landscaping was incredible and since it is around 40 acres, there were no neighbors to contend with. Our family could not have enjoyed it more! Glenn was really nice and informative. He showed us around the place and set up all of our tours. This will be a vacation our family will remember for many years to come. Thank you so much Glenn! The Watson's

We are three sisters and our men traveling to this area for the first time. What fun to enjoy all of the amenities of the property and also close enough to do the tourist attractions. Glenn was readily available and super helpful. We feel fortunate to have had 4 nights on this little slice of paradise! We hope to return and highly recommend!!!

The property is beautifully maintained with so many things to do and see. Glenn is an excellent host and always available. We had a great time and would definitely recommend Villa Encantada!

Glenn is excellent, helps with whatever is required…. Thanks much Glenn

Glenn’s home was perfect for our large group. We had 4 kids and they had a blast exploring the property and swimming in the pool. They fished, golfed, hiked and kayaked. Glenn even helped us book our excursions and gave us great restaurants recommendations. If we ever make it back to Costa Rica we will definitely stay again.

I loved this house it was my favorite! and my favorite thing was the waterslide and i loved the peacocks. - David 8 years old The house was amazing! It was my favorite Vrbo I've ever been to! My favorite thing to do there was to go fishing, it was so easy to catch a fish there. as soon as you drop your hook in the water, the fish start to attack your hook! And it wasn't so hard to real the fish in. Little kids can do it too! The waterslide was super fun. You would go fast if you tried, but you can also go slow too. There was a lot of birds. The peacocks were everywhere. And at night, if you went to the panther carved out of wood at night, you would find a lot of poison dart frogs. And if you walked along the pond at night, you would find bull frogs EVERYWHERE! -Peter 11 years old Best jungle vrbo that I've stayed at. Everything was incredible and it was so pretty there. I especially loved the waterslide because its not something that many houses have and it made this vrbo different from other places we have stayed at. I would love to come back. -Michele, 13 years old We are a family of 7 ages 8-44. All you parents out there know that a vacation with 5 children can feel overwhelming at times. Glenn's house is the best! There is so much to do we never even left! The kids were entertained! Dad and Mom actually relaxed. Our 8 year old said....."just pick a date for next year and click book it" Thank you Glenn for being an excellent host and sharing your stunningly beautiful home and property with us. -Michele

Great place

Our group of six enjoyed the four day stay at the Villa. The property was a lush garden of tropical trees and plants. We took advantage of all the amenities, including swimming pool, fish pond, golf, hiking trails, on-site waterfall, and kayaking. Glenn was a great host. He gave us detailed CR travel advise both before and during the visit. The house was clean, comfortable, and functional. We definitely recommend Villa Encantada.

Great House, Great Location, Amazing Amenities. Everything about this house is as described or better, the pictures do not do it justice. Impeccably clean both inside the house and the surrounding grounds. Top notch customer service from the owner and others. Perfectly located near all the regional attractions, and yet so much to do on the property that there is not necessarily a reason to leave. Highly Recommend, and would stay there again.

We have six children ages 3-15. This place has something for everyone. Pictures and description are very accurate. Glenn is so helpful with planning activities and suggesting places to eat and so on. We are bird and nature lovers and there is plenty of that to watch without leaving the property. We would come back sometime if we ever came to Costa Rica again!

It's hard to say too many good things about Villa Encantada. Located about one hour from La Fortuna off of a very long, very windy road, the property is worth the trip. The meticulously landscaped grounds (gardner lives on site), swimming pool with slide, waterfalls and hiking paths gives you the feel of having your own personal resort. In fact you do have your own personal resort. There's a pond with small island and kayaks to enjoy either on the pond or on Lake Arenal, as my family did (it's a short walk to the end of the property). We also found the villa to be a good jumping off point for numerous activities in and around La Fortuna. It's close enough to give you relatively easy access to all of the activities that the larger town and it's surrounding area provides, but far enough that you also have some distance between you and the more well-traveled tourist destinations. If there's one drawback, it's simply that—as previously mentioned—the drive between La Fortuna and the villa is ridiculously windy. We found that to be no problem during the day. However if you're an inexperienced driver returning to the villa at night, you may find the drive challenging. Finally the villa's secret sauce is owner Glenn McBride. He took great care of us—helping us to arrange activities, taking care of us on site, and even suggesting a great restaurant for New Year's Eve where he was also eating. Pura Vida!