Our stay over New Year's at Casa Varela was a very positive experience. The house and property itself were excellent, and the host Edgar was the best that I have ever experienced. The house is very well taken care of, and has a beautiful wood interior with nice craftsmanship and features. It was well stocked, and even had a cocoa bar waiting for us. It is situated on a beautiful property surrounded by a lush forest. We were greeted by Edgar and the owners. They showed us everything. The hospitality just started there. Edgar offered to help us with anything we needed for our stay in La Fortuna, including helping us with any activities. He held true to his word and we communicated regularly on WhatsApp. He always responded immediately and helped us with things like dinner reservations. Really something I have never experienced in all of my rentals with VRBO. The house is walking distance to La Fortuna, though it is a little bit of a walk. It is situated down a small dirt road. We rented a car for the trip, so it wasn't a big deal. La Fortuna itself was a really fun and safe feeling place. We were there for New Year's and there was quite a festive celebration in the central plaza. We found ample restaurants and bars, and had a really great time. Arenal is amazing overall and we had so much fun. So much to do there. We did canyoneering and white water rafting (Desafio Mombo Combo), zip lining at Sky Adventures, and horseback riding at Don Tobias. All A ++++.