It's all true-the pics are spot on (although we have some amazing night shots). This is a gorgeous slice of paradise. My advice-put down your device and walk around the property. Look up to the mountains before you. The lush green foliage, the grazing cows, birds. Look in front of you-humming birds and butterflies. Below you-a small farm with a rooster-who we grew to love and anticipate. My hubby says things begin at the top. The owners of this gorgeous property have a website that we leaned on planned from. Their property manager, Leticia is a gem! She welcomed us upon arrival. With pride she showed us around. With skill she shared reliable taxi drivers, tour operators, a chef and massage therapist and we took everything in! In 12 days we experienced the Farmers' Market, Paos Volcano,Playa Esterillos, El Toledo Coffee plantation tour, Arenal Volcano, zip lining, Tabacon hot springs, Mystic hanging bridges, the coolest hotel-Lost Iguana,in house massage,in house chef Aaron. We tried local sodas and even watched American football at La Trilla in Atenas. We enjoyed a San Jose walking/food tour. Originally from the East Coast, I don't easily cry. Saying good bye to Eduardo, our driver for most of the trip was emotional with promises (already kept) of keep in touch. Costa Rica is gorgeous. I hope to take away the Pura Vida mindset and focus on the beauty before me. This property and her owners will bless you with that!

This lovely home, and surrounding gardens and patios, created a spa-like vacation for us. When we are not out and about in the beautiful surrounding area around Ateneas, we enjoyed the swimming, exercising (with the yoga mats available in each bedroom), relaxing, and eating in the multiple beautiful spaces inside and out. We were mostly outside. There were wonderful places to be all together, and lots of nooks to be alone to nap, read, and relax. The home owners and the property manager all welcomed us warmly and shared great information about possibilities and resources. Thank you.

The home is exactly as represented. Atenas is a cute low key town close to alot of the different activities. However if all you want to do is relax you 100% can do that too. Wifi is strong i was able to get a little bit of work done. I cannot thank judd, liz, and Leticia enough for opening this space for me! I hope to be welcomed back in a few months

Very enjoyable

We loved everything about our stay. We love the area near Atenas and the gated community at Pica Flora. The temperature was perfect at night. Of course being there during rainy season, it rained every day but we made it work by getting out early each morning. Leticia, the property manager was very helpful and attentive. She was quick to respond with any questions we had during our stay. She suggested the chef, Aaron and Lizz, the masseuse. Aaron cooked us an amazing meal with so much food!! He was awesome. Lizz was so nice. She came to the house and gave my mother and sister-in-law a massage and even suggested oils to use after. They absolutely loved her! Can't wait to come back.

The hosts and property manager were so helpful and kind throughout every step of the planning process and while on site. The home was stunning and beautifully located. Couldn't recommend more!

The house is spectacular in a true Bali lifestyle. Beautiful views with a wonderful nature sanctuary. Judd was excellent in helping us find hiking trails and other excursions we asked about. Leticia, their property manager was always on call and readily available. The in-home massage by Liz was fantastic. Five star luxury that felt like a home away from home.

We loved our stay at Pica Flora. The place was a beautiful as its' pictures and the perfect setting for our vacation and adventures in Costa Rica. Judd and Liz were very accessible and answered all of our questions and Leticia was a pleasure to talk to. She recommended El Jardin restaurant and it did not disappoint - we went twice! We picked this location in Atenas as it was central to every adventure we had planned and also perfect for the days we just wanted to relax and enjoy the natural surroundings this location had to offer. We made four day trips during our stay: We drove out to La Fortuna/Atenas one day for a visit to the waterfall, the free hot springs past Tabacon resort, and a my adult children enjoyed a stop at El Sato - a local watering hole with a rope swing; we drove another day to Poas volcano and then stopped at Doka Estate Coffee Plantation for lunch and a tour; another adventure took us south to Carara National Park where a local guide spent 3 hours showing us all of the wonderous creatures and fauna of Costa Rica followed by an afternoon at Punta Leona Beach (you can get day passes to the resort that include lunch and the use of facilities); and, we made a trip to Monte Verde for ziplining and a visit to the Cloud Forest. Pica Flora was central to all of our planned day trips making our day excursions very do-able. We planned early starts (out by 6am) that had us back in Atenas in time for dinners and enjoying time at Judd & Liz's piece of paradise!

everything about the stay was wonderful thank you Judd and Lizz

This home is a little slice of heaven on earth!!! The homeowners, Judd and Liz, are so involved and went above and beyond to make sure we had the best experience! They have an amazing group of people helping them..Leticia, Eduardo, Lizz, Aaron, Alvaro and Walter…thank you all so much!!! We will be back again in the near future!! Until then..Pura Vida my friends!!!♥️

Liz and Judd were the best hosts that I’ve ever interacted with thru VRBO. So helpful! Leticia the property manager, was there to greet us upon arrival and show us around the property, as well as tell us about her favorite restaurants in Antenas with a map. We have a wonderful chef, Aaron, who prepared a delicious meal for us. Liz and Carolena were our massage therapists and the kindest souls!! I can not say enough about how magical this property is! We can NOT wait to go back!! We left a piece of our hearts there!!

You know the saying, "pictures don't do it justice"? This is exactly how we felt about this home (and it instantly felt like home) at Villa Picaflora. The house was uniquely designed and very comfortable in its Bali style indoor/outdoor living with stunning views of the hillside and sounds of nature all around us. We wanted a location that wasnt uber touristy, but close to all we wanted to experience. This home in Atenas was excellent. Many restaurants, stores close by. Within a short drive from the airport and day trips to volcanoes, cloud forests, waterfalls, wild life, hot springs and the beach, we fell in love with Costa Rica. Communication and really helpful suggestions from the owner, Judd was really helpful. Leticia, the property manager who lived in town was so welcoming and readily available for quick questions. We had chef Aaron prepare a delicious dinner (gave several options) for us followed by a fire dancer artist performance on our first night. What a wonderful start to an amazing overall vacation. Even in the rainy season, we had plentiful sun early in the day (and the days begin early in Costa Rica!)with warm rain late in the day (which didn't stop us from doing anything). Plenty of outdoor covered places to sit and enjoy. A wonderful home and experience. Thank you!

The property was everything we hoped for and more. It was more than enough room for the four of us and each area was so nice to experience. We couldn’t say enough good things while staying here. The house itself, the views, and the wildlife and plants were simply stunning. Leticia was very helpful with recommendations and we even had a private chef and a massage therapist come one day. We are so pleased with our experience and hope to one day come back in the future. Thanks everyone!

Perfect villa with all the amenities and a view. Atenas is close to all the major destinations and the town offers all that you would need. This was home for a week and we throughly enjoyed our stay.

This property was very comfortable, the views were amazing better than the photos we enjoyed our stay. Aaron our guide that was recommended and also cooked for us was excellent went above and beyond to help us out, we are going to miss him.

This was the perfect place to destress and get away. As we entered the country, Atenas was quickly described as National Geographic’s acclaimed best weather in the world and they were right. This house is an open Bali style without air conditioning. Don’t let that scare you. The breeze and view of the mountainside are beautiful. You are one with nature with some added luxuries. There is a fully equipped kitchen (even with spices) and each room transitions the outside in with beautiful landscape. You sleep with the peaceful sounds of nature around you. The bedrooms were clean and comfortable. I would definitely recommend and will likely come again.

So much to say about this wonderful home. So beautifully appointed and such a great location. We had spent the week before in La Fortuna and really appreciated the contrast with this week in the central valley - warmer but still with wonderful breezes. We made friends with all of the iguanas around the house (they really don't bother you at all) and even had a few white-faced monkeys come to check us out. The extra bonus of having a property manager that greets you in person, stays in touch throughout your visit and comes to say goodbye was very helpful. We didn't have a car so relied on drivers recommended by Letizia and by each other and couldn't have been more impressed with all of them. The house is truly stunning and the layout of the home and outdoor area with the pool was so perfect for lounging, working, socializing and reading. The only little bit of feedback would be to have working fans, in addition to the overhead fans, in each room to help with the warm nights. The casita in particular gets quite warm. Thank you to Judd and Liz for sharing your beautiful home.

The property is as it shows, and even better. The owner and property manager were a pleasure to deal with, and greatly helpful. The location is beautiful with the views and sounds so nice. The private pool just adds more to experience. This is the place to come and relax and you'll not want to leave. Overall I couldnt recommend a better place to stay other than here, truely a fantastic experience.

Our stay was incredible. Beautiful property in the hills of Atenas. The hosts were super helpful with travel and recommended things to see and do. Highly recommend!!

The house is very different in style to anything that we had stayed in before, but we immediately felt at ease and comfortable. It was exceedingly well equipped and there was an incredible number of options on where to sit and relax, or eat. We loved sitting out on the deck in the mornings, overlooking the forested valley, watching the huge variety of birds, including Hummingbirds, Toucans and Mot-mots, to name a mere few. Animals included Cappucins, Coaties, Iguanas and Squirrels. There was always something of interest to watch. Atenas was a lovely, authentic small Tico town that we quickly got used to finding our way around (with help from Letitia!) and the location of the house was perfect for visiting many places of interest and national parks. We visited Poas volcano (Awesome) , La Paz Waterfall Gardens (beautiful), Braulio Carrillo Skytram (fantastic experience) and Carara National Park (Wild and wonderful), as well as lots of nearby towns and villages such as Sarchi, Grecia and San Ramon. The climate at the house was perfect with a light to brisk breeze most of the time, keeping things fresh and not too humid (unlike the coast). Night times were very pleasant and comfortable. Staying at the house for two weeks gave us ample opportunity to spend time out exploring, but also enjoy plenty of 'days off' just relaxing at the house. We did have some strange problems with our phone SatNav (even on Waze), but Judd, Letitia and Aaron were all very helpful in trying to find a solution. The farmer's market on Thursday in Atenas was a real treat, filled with amazing fresh produce at very reasonable prices, including the world's largest avocados! We also bought some beautifully crafted wooden products there. Thank you to Judd and Liz for allowing us to share your amazing home. We will have so many wonderful memories to cherish for the rest of our lives! Gary and Karen xxx

Four of us stayed at Liz and Judd’s home for 10 days and all enjoyed it. The house is spacious and can accommodate 3 couples. The views are beautiful and we loved the pool even though we found the water a little cool .Nature watching and stargazing are incredible! The property manager was friendly and responsive and helped organize massages by the pool - fantastic! Judd and Liz have a great Website with a lot of useful information - all communication with them was excellent. If I may make a suggestion, an ice bucket and a salad spinner would be nice additions to the kitchen equipment. Thank you and Pura Vida

This property is amazing. It’s close enough to town to enjoy the great little restaurants, but far enough out to enjoy the mountains and wildlife. The owners and Leticia the property manager were so helpful. They recommended day trips, restaurants, and a masseuse and chef for our stay. Everything was perfect. We hope to return again some day!!

We had a fabulous stay. What makes this house special is that it has a wide range of seating areas so that we could gather when we wished, and do our own thing in our own space when we wanted to, as well. I found yoga mats at the house, and I did yoga overlooking the mountains every day as the sun set. We ran into a few small issues that we needed help with, and Judd as well as Leticia (the property manager) were right on top of things. The house has 3 beautiful rooms - we felt that the newest room (with an outdoor shower and it's own small seating area overlooking the mountains) was the best among the 3, but the others were great as well. Thanks Judd and Liz! We hope to come visit again in the future!

What a beautiful property, we can't say enough. So peaceful and relaxing, beautiful inside and out. The house was so comfortable and a great place to come back to every night after our adventures. Leticia was wonderful and so helpful. Judd and Lizz thank you for letting us use your beautiful property. See you again soon. Mike and Kym

Exactly as advertised plus easily accessible property Mgr and owners.

The house is beautifully appointed. The location is awesome and tucked away in a gated community in the mountains of Atena. The pool is solar heated so the temp was 'brisk' during our stay in late Oct The beds are very comfortable and the house is immaculately kept. Thanks for a wonderful VAC

This property is exactly as described in the listing. Beautiful gardens, unique Bali-style rooms, and covered walkways that allowed us to be outside even when it rained. The property manager was very responsive to any questions. The peace and tranquility we experienced were amazing.

This was absolutely the best experience we could have asked for in Costa Rica. Beautiful house, very clean with no insects and the iguanas were awesome. The town didn’t feel “touristy” and had a genuine Costa Rica experience that was safe and great. The locals were all amazing, the food was affordable, drinks affordable and the neighborhood had so much beautiful wildlife to offer. Mandragora was the best bar we went to there in case anyone is looking!

We had a wonderful experience staying at this property! It’s every bit as beautiful and tranquil as the pictures and the perfect place to relax and recharge. The property manager was extremely helpful and available to answer any and all questions and we felt so taken care of. Would absolutely come stay again!

This was our second time in Costa Rica and this place was absolutely amazing! The architecture of the home is fabulous and the foliage throughout the property is spectacular and well taken care of. We had the pleasure of having Hurricane Julia pass through one evening and morning but nothing at this house was fazed! The home owners called to check in that day and I assured them that all was well and the place is phenomenal! Leticia is wonderful and very quick to respond whenever you have inquiries. The house was extremely clean and serene. The iguanas were so neat to watch especially when they would jump from the roofs to the trees to eat leaves. The little town of Atenas was easy to get around and the locals are very friendly! We did not eat at any local places as we like to chef up our own food. The local grocery has everything you need but it is worth it to stop at a local fresh fruit stand! Some of the fruits there are so different and flavorful! All I can say is the pictures don't do this wonderful house justice! It is breathtaking! Thank you, Leticia, Judd and Liz!!

Live a Pura Vida Have just returned from a glorious 16 days of Pura Vida – a New Life – at a Cool Bali Style Villa in the countryside of Costa Rica and already reserved another 3 weeks next April. We are a very senior (read old) family group. We’re not there to party or hike – just to enjoy all this beautiful home, culture and country had to offer. The Home is a dream come true! Totally open to all of nature, completely furnished with everything you need to live comfortably, 5 different seating areas for family gathering with lots of space for individual privacy as desired. Met and exceeded all the photos in this listing. The grounds and home are very well maintained and the owner, Judd, is very interested in how you are doing. Will respond to any questions you might have but never intrude on your stay. Being totally open to nature, unless you shut it out, you very much live with nature. There are Gecko’s in the house that talk to you frequently. There are Iguana roaming the grounds and on the roof. There are Toucan in the trees and all manner of other birds. There are NO mosquitoes and almost no bugs. Anyone who has used VRBO, knows that sometimes the owners or property managers do not take much interest in their guests. NOT the case with this property. Leticia, the property manager, is hands on and will assist you with anything you need. Even to the extent of going shopping with you when you arrive to help pick out your supplies. Alvaro, the taxi driver, is always able to pick you up and take you anywhere, wait, and bring you home. Donald, the tour driver, has a large van to take you to the remote spots, Sloths, Volcanos, Rain Forests, and arrange your lunches and tours. Aaron, the Chef, can prepare your special dinners, and Liz, the Masseuse, can remove all the kinks from whatever your activity. As seniors, I would strongly recommend that you NOT attempt to drive yourself. I know, we are all way too arrogant to listen to that advice. I did not and it cost me a bunch of money. Leave the driving to the natives!! They know the routes, roads, rules, and culture! They will take full responsibility for you and your safety. Relax and enjoy being pampered. Do not hesitate to reserve this unique listing and turn your life over to wonderful people and culture that will warmly embrace you. Dave and Sally Sutherland – Costa Rica Converts

We stayed here for our annual girls trip. We've been doing girls trips for 20 plus years and this one was by far one of the best! The house is exactly what you see and more. It is so private, peaceful, relaxing, and just perfect. The home is built into the side of a mountain so when you look out the open air doors, you are looking at gorgeous mountains. The fog comes in later in the afternoons which is a site to see! Our trip was considered "rainy season" and yes, it rained every day, however it was absolutelyy gorgeous in the mornings and early afternoons and rain came in typically in the late afternoons. Honestly, it was so relaxing to have the light rain showers! We had two days where we had massages done outside under the breezeway and the rain with light thunder in the distance while being massaged was priceless. No spa experience can top that! Leticia (property manager) was super helpful and responsive. I cannot say enough about this property, the location is perfect, it's in a gated community (only 7 to 8 homes and all have property) so it's very safe and if you are considering a VRBO in CR, this one will not disappoint! Pura Vida!