Was everything that I wanted . Nice to get exactly what was shown in listing! Also nice touch with fruit,drinks and a stalked fridge with essentials. Awesome place April, thanks!!

Super owner, loved the atmosphere, very close to all beaches, good food as well as ease of cooking for yourself. Would love to go back! Monkeys in the trees and lots of birds and butterflies.

The facility and the host April was wonderful. April was very attentive. My only issue was the road to the property. It is very steep and 4x4 or quad required. Walked it twice bringing in supplies and then rented an ATV. This had no bearing on our stay or enjoyment of our stay.

I almost never write online reviews, but this experience was special. Our host, April, was so helpful with information and making various arrangements for us. Her attention to detail shows throughout the property. It was exactly the tropical getaway we were hoping for. If you're the type of traveler who prefers the "Four Seasons"-type of resorts, complete with valet parking and luxury shopping then Santa Teresa might not be for you. OTOH if you enjoy seclusion amongst a lush tropical canopy with breathtaking ocean views and lots of wildlife, look no further. You can do a "surf check" from the comfort of your bed, or kitchen, or bathroom, or private pool, or the deck-mounted hammock. A well stocked kitchen made "meal prep with a view" a favorite activity. The local restaurant offerings were A+ in quality, far exceeding our expectations. Definitely try the local Soda's too. Santa Teresa has amazingly consistent surfable waves. If you prefer calm water for snorkeling or SUPing, it's an easy drive to Mal Pais, Cabuya or Montezuma. Thank you April! We will definitely stay here when we return to Costa Rica.

This property is exceptional! This is not only the place itself (very well appointed, comfortable, great pool, fantastic view, close to the beach… a little oasis!) but also the owner. April, she Thrives at providing the best experience for the people renting from her. She organized a quad rental for us ( better than a car there), a taxi to Tambor airport ( the best way to get back to San Jose). We had a wonderful experience!

April's eco-friendly special place up on the hill offers spectacular sights and sounds of the ocean, and the birds, and the breezes, and the howler monkeys, and the trees, and in the distance the sound of the buzzing town below. April is a gracious and instructive guide. She took mighty good care of us, we strange, annoying non-What's app using paper people! The house is perfect for two. Showering off the sunscreen and chemicals to sit in the pool was especially perfect when the crested blue jays came to visit. We relaxed and enjoyed the private paradise. I hope that we come back again. The road up to the hill on the 4 wheeler (which we had never driven before) made every trip down and back up an adventure. We lived to tell and were very grateful to April for all of the arrangements that she made for us. Sometimes you meet unique and special people that you know your will remember for ever: April is in that pantheon. Many abundant thanks for sharing your treasure, Mia & Brian

An amazing, picturesque property! The views and plunge pool are perfect, especially following a hot day at the beach! April is a fabulous host, with many recommendations for the area and was available at all times to answer any questions. Highly recommend!

Aprils place is absolutely incredible. This was the most adventurous place to visit. We ventured all over the area and is was a dream. 100% will be back to Emerald Abode.

April is a great host with a vast amount of information for her guests. The accommodations are much better than the pictures portray and since the pictures are great, that says a lot! It is a very private and safe location within walking distance to the beach and dining. Do not hesitate to book this stay and follow all of the suggestions that April shares in here welcome email. Thank you April. Pura Vida!

Exactly what we were looking for. April is a dream host. If you have a zest for life and a sense of adventure you won't find a better place on the Nicoya to spend a week. Take all of April's advice!

The Emerald Abode is an amazing way to explore Santa Teresa. It is located above the town with incredible views of the ocean. It is just far enough to get away from it all and close enough to easily experience the ocean, beach, and restaurants. The private pool is a perfect way to cool off in the afternoon. The host was incredibly responsive and was more than willing to accommodate our needs. Waking up to the ocean, exotic birds, and having coffee watching the howler monkeys may have been our favorite part! I really can't put into words how much we enjoyed our stay. We can't wait to go back!

The property has an excellent view and the plunge pool is great for those hot afternoons after the beach. April was always available to assist with any questions and her dogs running around were a bonus, as we were missing ours. Would highly recommend!

We loved this property! Simple, unique, and a great location. April was very kind and was there for anything we needed. We loved the pool and the sunset views were gorgeous. The kitchen had everything we needed, lots of great places to eat in town, however we got some tuna straight off the fishing boat in Mal Pais. Fed us for three nights, was perfect!! Town was crazy busy but we loved our stay and the beaches as well. Thanks April!!! B n C

April's spot is slice of heaven on earth. I felt like myself after the first day for the first time in a long time. There's something so grounding about the property, not to mention beautiful. We went during Covid, and took a lot of safety precautions, but it was worth it. Dreaming of the day we return already!

This property is the perfect blend of comfortable vacation and rustic authentic Costa Rican experience. We could go from open air ocean breeze and closed door quiet sleep. April provides BETTER service than a travel agent or resort. She has all that the surfing village has to offer prepared and is more than willing to help coordinate reservations and adventure ideas. The property is so quiet and secluded, makes for a very intimate stay. Could not recommend Emerald Abode more.

Wow! What a view! We just spent a week at the Emerald Abode and cannot wait to return! Many kudos to April, who was by far, the best host we have ever had! From the time we made reservations until we left, she went above and beyond. D/T Covid, we were not sure whether we were going to be allowed to go to Costa Rica or not. We had many questions in the months and weeks preceding our trip. Every time I would send April a message , she would quickly reply with a wealth of information. She really helped minimize any anxiety we had r/t going. She made sure that we knew how to get to Santa Teresa (sending us detailed instructions since my international cellular service wasn't working when we first landed), then met us at the restaurant near the property and even bought us a drink while we waited for a mere 5 minutes for her to arrive. If we ever had any questions or problems, April would reply (we used Whatsapp) almost immediately. Travelers going to Costa Rica at this time are required to get traveler's medical insurance. We purchased ours online through Trawick International (Safe Travels Voyager plan) and it was a lot cheaper than the Costa Rican companies. We saw all kinds of cool things from the deck and pool area...a monkey, tropical birds and even some whales. Next time we plan to bring some binoculars. The stars are amazing from up there! We took surfing lessons through Del Soul Surf School. They were great. Vlad was our instructor and he was awesome! My husband went fishing out of Mal Pais with Jason tours. He caught tuna, mahi mahi, and several other kinds of fish. He ended up giving Jason a lot of the fish because we didn't bring a cooler to take it home, but we still had plenty to eat while we were there. We cooked some at our place and took some to Caracolas one night and they prepared it for us. It was yummy! We are hoping to return to Costa Rica soon and would definitely stay at the Emerald Abode again! Thank you April for a wonderful stay!

Amazing

My wife and I stayed at the Emerald Abode the last week of Feb. 2020. What a perfect way to end our vacation! This little piece of paradise in the trees overlooking Santa Taresa ocean was beautiful! April was fantastic with all aspects of the booking and during our stay! She provided all the info required prior to arriving and met us in town to escort us to the property when we arrived. She has a wealth of knowledge and information about the area and was a pleasure to deal with! We spent many days touring around exploring but the highlight of our trip was visiting Montezuma Waterfalls, spectacular! Coming back to the Emerald Abode each night to relax in the pool with a glass of wine was the perfect way to end each day! On our last night we had the opportunity to see howler monkeys directly in front of the open air kitchen. What a treat! We would highly recommend the Emerald Abode to anyone looking to experience a little piece of paradise! Rodger & Lynn Bain

Words can't say enough, you have to be there to know how amazing this place is. Simply magical! My wife and I has an amazing stay and April made it so special. She is there for anything you need. She wants to showcase her beautiful location in the Nicoya Peninsula and to make sure you have everything you need for a great visit. We couldn't stop just taking in the views We could have done more activities while we were there, but it was so nice just staying in and enjoying the place. She has tons of resources for her guests to help decide what activities are best, and she likes to have feedback to help with future recommendations. But pretty much all her recommendations were spot on for us. Thanks so much, April!

We were truly fortunate in choosing to stay at the emerald abode. We called it our little tree house in the jungle. The views were enchanting. The house was well equipped and very welcoming. The private pool and spa was relaxing and it became part of our everyday routine. Santa Teresa and the emerald abode will go down in our book as one of our best vacation spots. It definitely is a do over for us. Although we did not get to meet April, her assistant, Melissa, was a pleasure to meet and she took care of our every need. 👍�

We were truly fortunate in choosing to stay at the emerald abode. We called it our little tree house in the jungle. The views were enchanting. The house was well equipped and very welcoming. The private pool and spa was relaxing and it became part of our everyday routine. Santa Teresa and the emerald abode will go down in our book as one of our best vacation spots. It definitely is a do over for us. Although we did not get to meet April, her assistant, Melissa, was a pleasure to meet and she took care of our every need. 👍

My husband and I stayed here on our honeymoon for 4 nights and loved every minute of it! The pictures don’t do it justice, talk about a million dollar view! April was an amazing host she had a bottle of champagne waiting and even stacked the fridge with the essentials and then some. She also had tons of information at the house about anything you could possibly want to do in town or nearby including restaurants, nature preserves, waterfall hikes etc. You will definitely need 4x4 to get to the property and there are quite a few stairs up to the house but just makes for a better view!

The Emerald Abode was everything we imagined and more. April provided everything we needed to make our stay perfect. We felt like we were in our own private little paradise. The plunge pool sunsets were the icing on the cake. We often found it hard to drag ourselves away from the Abode to the many adventures awaiting us in and around Santa Teresa. The beaches were breathtaking. The food was amazing when we chose to eat out and the people were lovely. We will forever treasure our memories of this truly special place. Pura Vida

Emerald abode and Santa Teresa are a wonderful match. Miles of beautiful coastline, with much of it to yourselves if you like privacy. If you do not, there is plenty to do in the town with over 70 resteraunts. This is not a 5 star resort where you are waited on- so if that is what you want, go to the Marriott! it is a unique beautiful place where you can overlook the ocean 24/7, have your own private pool with a view of the ocean. Never used the AC the entire time we were there. Loved the bathroom, deck , bedroom, etc! April’s dogs are the best, still miss them. April does a wonderful job helping you out with whatever you need. We like to cook in and the view from the deck at sunset is priceless! Best vacation my wife and I have ever had together ! Thanks April!!

How do we begin? April is an amazing host. Attentive, yet valued our privacy. She provided all kinds of information on what to do and see in the area. So helpful. The open air house provided amazing views. Let the waves lull you to sleep. Food and liquor prices are equivalent to Canadian prices so definitely shop duty free before you arrive. Fresh fish markets and local sodas (diners) offer AMAZING food. Every cuisine is at your doorstep, but she provides everything to allow you to cook at home. And it's very much like home. There are 4 beautiful and gentle fur babies who may greet you. We were thrilled to have them visit. Local surf instructors at the Kina Surf Shop were great and patient with a couple of old dogs learning a new trick. So much fun. This was an adventure beyond our imagination. We are grateful for the opportunity to enjoy this piece of heaven!! Will definitely be back. Oh... And she means it when she says rent a 4x4!! Bring hiking shoes if you intend to walk! But the views are so worth it!! Truly a gem❤️

My husband and I stayed at the Emerald Abode for 5 nights as part of our honeymoon in Costa Rica. We could not have asked for a better experience. From the time we booked April was extremely attentive and was there to answer any questions we had. She has an amazingly comprehensive booklet that she shares with her guests that tells you all about the house and the town of Santa Teresa as well as the surrounding areas. We fell in love with Santa Teresa and part of that was because of our amazing time spent at the Emerald Abode. Our favorite parts: - the plunge pool was perfect to cool off in on hot afternoons - the open air kitchen and amazing views (which can only be understood by seeing them in person!) - April's comprehensive suggestions on what to do in the area (we went to Montezuma falls one day, rented and atv and drove to Cabo Blanco Reserve where we hiked to a beautiful beach the next, and spent the day on the beach and by the pool on our last day) The first day we arrived it poured all day but looking back on our trip we didn't even think about that since the rest of the time there was beautiful! We stayed in October which is the low season- a lot of restaurants/shops are closed but we were still able to find some great places that we really enjoyed (the steakhouse, burger rancho, and the bakery which was our favorite!). All of the local "sodas" (typical Costa Rican food) were great as well. April's home truly is a place to be with nature and experience a beautiful beach town that quickly feels like home.

Emerald Abode is a unique, well maintained, 1 bedroom getaway in the trees! The patio is an open air combination kitchen and patio, complete with a hammock. In the bathroom, you can slide open the mirrors to reveal another opportunity to open the house up to the outside. The plunge pool is a necessary cooling opportunity on a hot afternoon or when watching the sun set over the ocean. We never ran the A/C in the bedroom, the screens allowed a breeze to come through and we were perfectly comfortable. April, the property owner, is a wealth of information and will ensure you have the perfect trip. She ensures there are provisions for coffee, tea and some basic foods to get you through your first night and morning without having to go shopping. The cold beers were a really welcome sight on our first night! You will definitely need an ATV or 4 wheel drive to get up the road to the property. There are then two flights of steps to walk up before entering the home. If these two things are within your comfort zone then this is the place for you. We walked up to the property from the beach on a couple of occasions. It's very doable as long as you expect the walk to be steep! It took us 5-10 minutes - We are an active 50 + couple. We visited this area for the surf. We were not disappointed! Santa Teresa and Mal Pais have some great surf spots. There are plenty of restaurants nearby: Our favorites were: The bakery for brunch and El Facon, Casa de Mar and Habaneros for dinner. (The latter has a great happy hour deal). Our one disappointment...... Our stay was too short.. I recommend at least a 2 week stay.

Loved this vacation get away. From the moment we met Ms April, we knew we had a great time coming. House was fantastic, location was a view that words can’t describe. It truly felt like we lived there. Meeting her friends around town to spending time with her dogs was nothing short of awesome. It was the vacation we were looking for. Thank you for a fantastic memory! Scott and Derese

From the moment we arrived, April made us feel special and well-taken care of. She thought of everything, including stocking the fridge with essentials, and offering insider tips on rum liqueur for amazing pina coladas! Her fount of knowledge about the area was so helpful- she has truly created a paradise for 2 in Emerald Abode. We tore ourselves away to ride horses, sail, hike and explore... but every evening we ended up in the plunge pool overlooking the pacific and looking up at the stars! An added attraction for us was as much doggie company as we wanted- loving, gentle and highly entertaining! If you’re thinking about going to CR, come here! You’ll thank us later...:)

We loved this property! April had a welcome basket in the refrigerator when we arrived, as well as a stocked bathroom with anything you forgot. There is everything you need for lounging on the beach or if you are going snorkeling. April has a dossier filled with information about everything in Santa Teresa. Her recommendations for us were spot on and welcomed! The house is clean and has amazing views of the Pacific. This is a rustic home, the living areas are all outdoors, and you have to adapt to living with the jungle in your living room ( we counted 8 geckos in the house, which we welcomed because they kept the insects in check). The bedroom is the only enclosed part of the house. There was air conditioning in the bedroom, but we did not have to use it, and welcomed the sound of the waves as we fell asleep. Amazing sunsets! The road up to the house is steep and you do need 4x4. We chose to walk up and down the road to town and beach, which was strenuous, but welcome exercise for us. You need to be in relatively good shape to do this. April's dogs were delightful, well trained and made us feel safe, without intruding on our space. This is a very special property, that is not the typical vacation rental. If you are looking for a remarkable and memorable Costa Rican experience, Emerald Abode in Santa Teresa is the place for you. One of the best vacations we have had!

If your visiting Costa Rica, Santa Teresa is a must visit and I could not recommend a better place to stay. The owner, April, has done everything to make the stay comfortable and relaxing. She has lived in the area for many years and I found her recommendations and information very helpful. The view is spectacular! Relaxing in the pool and watching the sunset is something that my wife and I will never forget. We would recommend this place highly and will be our place to stay on our next visit.

We were so blessed to have 6 nights at Emerald Abode! The picture of the woman in the pool is what drew us there and it was definitely the highlight of our stay. It was so peaceful and beautiful we could have stayed right there all day! The pool has jets in it, no chlorine as it is run on a filter system and heated by the sun. It was the perfect temperature all the time. Laying on the loungers and looking at the star filled sky at night was awesome! We enjoyed the 'open air' feeling of the abode. April was very helpful in any way we asked- a WONDERFUL host! She gave us a rep to call for a car rental and advised on a 4 wheel drive, which we now know is definitely necessary. She set up a horseback ride for us on the beach that was a lifetime dream and was beyond my expectations! Don't miss this! Sleeping at night with the ocean air and sounds of the waves was amazing as well as the sunsets! We are so glad we did not overbook ourselves and had lots of time to just relax and found a few very secluded beaches with shade too. Enjoy!