Upon arrival I loved how clean, safe, and incredibly comfortable the house was immediately. The beach is footsteps away and there is a wonderful restaurant beach side along the beach front promenade. With more time How soon can I get back, I kept thinking. Who else can I tell about this place? How smart was I for selecting this house in this part of Costa Rica. Overall assessment You will love the location, incredible staff, amazing beach and tropical wonderland vibe. These things definitely exceeded my expectations. I've stayed in Costa Rica before, at a private home, and the difference with this one is the staff who looked after us like family, private access to the beach, and a great community feel. The layout of the area (it's a town in the making with a surf shop, a great restaurant, and cobblestoned streets) made me feel like I was staying in a colonial town (think Old San Juan meets a Tuscan village) that happens to be part of a resort (like Club Med but with better food and no crowd). What we did The two beaches that are part of the property have amazing rock formations that are teaming with underwater life. Perfect for snorkeling. I saw an octopus, 100s of unique and very colorful fish, starfish, sea urchins, and I played tag with a few puffer fish. Nearby we visited small towns with lots of character, went fishing (highly recommended), and had some wonderful local meals. My friends did the tour and zip lining adventure as well. We had a bunch of cooks in the house too and we had multiple meals together in the house (easy access to supermarkets in the area, helps to speak Spanish). It was an easy kitchen to work in and had everything we needed -- we cooked our own fish, made soup, and even slow cooked a brisket on the outside grill. We were in food heaven. The mornings were fruit and a neat "Tico" breakfast prepared by our wonderful head house lady, Anita. I'm coming back. This home is a real treat.

I stayed at Casa Pinita as part of a large group, including numerous children, in July of 2013. Both CP itself and Las Catalinas as a whole exceeded our expectations. We would love to visit again in the future! Many beach condos I have stayed in over the years were overpriced relative to how updated the property was. Not so with CP. It is newly built, and, as such, is in great shape. Its design and décor exudes a comfortable Central American sensibility. On the ground level are two bedrooms with attached baths, a courtyard, and an outdoor shower. The middle level is the heart of the property. It includes a fantastically equipped kitchen, a living area, and a large kitchen table. I would also be remiss if I did not mention the wonderful selection of books and games arrayed on the wood shelving behind the television. A patio area on this level that overlooks the development was also a hub of social activity, as we cooked several meals on the grill during our week there. The middle level also includes a small study/nanny suite with attached full bath. Finally, the upstairs provided a wonderland for children in our group. With four bunk beds and two trundle beds, we were comfortably able to sleep all of the children upstairs. Our “house mama” was a great amenity. She cooked us a traditional Costa Rican breakfast each morning, as well as guacamole in the afternoon. Absolutely delicious. The staff at Las Catalinas were also extremely helpful and responsive, both in resolving minor issues with the condo, and in recommending local attractions. In particular, we enjoyed zip lining at Hacienda Guachipelin and a catamaran snorkeling trip. Also not to be missed is hiking on the trails above Las Catalinas; the views are magnificent. All in all, a top notch property and development that will only get better as time passes. The contingent staying in CP was part of a larger group of 25; more than a few of our party enjoyed the stay so much that they looked into purchasing one of the units at Las Catalinas. It was definitely a memorable vacation.

We just returned from a weeklong stay at Casa Pinita, which was pure heaven and wishing I was there still! It was three couples and the house is perfect for a mixed group as you have common areas as well as your own space - the second floor open air patio is amazing. The house is absolutely gorgeous with everything you could ever need/think of, all of which is top of the line. The setting is beautiful beyond words can describe - we watched the sun set every night either from the beach or third floor balcony (and saw monkeys every night at this time, which was an added bonus!). The beach is pristine and never crowded - there were always open hammocks and beach chairs. Lots of activities at hand including SUP, kayaking, trails, etc. And venturing out into the neighboring beaches/towns was super easy and fun to explore. The service and friendliness of the staff and 'house mom' were unparalleled. We started every day with a traditional Costa Rica breakfast (eggs, rice and beans, and handmade tortillas) or fresh fruit smoothies and came home every afternoon to homemade guacamole and pico de gallo. The staff can take care of anything you need (groceries, directions, booking excursions, etc) and we were utterly pampered the entire time. Everyone is friendly and is truly interested in helping make your stay the most amazing as possible. They all go above and beyond - from the time you make a reservation until the moment you drive away. I truly can't say enough positive things about the people that make this exceptional community that much better. Everything was perfect and we could not have asked for a better place to stay. A wonderful change from a typical resort visit and felt like home for a week. Can't wait to go back!

From the moment we walked through the door the entire experience at Casa Pinita exceeded our expectations. The house is beautiful and spacious! The entire resort staff is welcoming, and went above and beyond to make sure our stay was perfect. From morning hikes, to lazy afternoons on a beautiful beach, to watching the sunset from the back porch with a glass of wine - we were in HEAVEN! Will for sure go back!

We spent the week of Thanksgiving at Casa Pinita with a group of friends and family. It was a perfect vacation. Casa Pinita is amazing. It is a beautiful home with all the amenities you could ask for. It is so comfortable and we were really able to relax there. We were pampered by the friendly staff, and we enjoyed cooking in the awesome fully equipped kitchen, but we also ate some delicious food at the Greenhouse restaurant. The beach is beautiful and never crowded. Our 2 year old loved playing on the beach and he enjoyed 3 hour naps in his quiet, air conditioned room in Casa Pinita. We can't wait to go back!

We stayed at Casa Pinita for a long weekend with large group of friends. We were very impressed with the beautiful house with lots of character. It was great to have so much space to share with our party, and also the possibility to get a quiet moment in your own suite. The maid service was amazing - not only was the house perfectly clean at all times, we even had delicious fresh tortillas every morning! The house is very close to the beach, which was never crowded and has a great shade so you can hang out all hours of the day.

This is a wonderful house in the superbly designed and executed Las Catalinas Development. Not everyone may care about this, but as an architect and engineer, we were extremely impressed by the quality of construction, design and attention to detail of the development and the house itself. It feels like being in a spanish colonial Carribean outpost, but with all the modern conveniences. Instead of cars and noise, home are separated by landscaped alleys and courtyards with fountains. The beaches are excellent for exploring, and very uncrowded. The restaurant associated with the development is excellent and a good value, and the staff were super friendly and professional. Casa Pinita has great common spaces for social time, and super quiet, private bedrooms for when you want some quiet - perfect for for a mix a couples with and without kids.