Amazing place Very comfortable. Would ise it again!

We traveled CR quite a bit on this trip and stayed in 4 different places. This one stole the hearts of all 10 traveling. Such a great place to stay, relax, and have fun.

We had a fantastic time at Casa Bella Catalina. You were truly in your own private tropical paradise. The avocado tree in the front yard, lime tree and mango trees in the back were such a treat. We got to watch the iguanas eating all the mangoes before they ripened : ) The howler monkeys gave a chorus each morning and night. We kept hearing this banging on the roof each night, only to discover it was actually the monkeys! We would find little paw prints all over the chairs on the top deck. The house was beautiful. The pool was like bath water- our 4 year old loved it as it had a gradual decline and he could play all day. The beach as well was gorgeous. We also went to Playa Flamingo for the white sand/clearer water beach. The house is in an excellent spot as you are able to walk up and down the beach and there are several small restaurants you can eat at. The one thing that was a possible down side was the first night we got there- starting around 8pm to 2am, the bar next door had LOUD music and karaoke that kept us all awake. I was terrified this would be every night, but when we asked, it was apparently due to an anniversary party. We had no other problems, there is live music on Fridays, but it was no problem at all. Alex drove us from the airport to the villa- he was awesome. So nice, gave us a lot of pointers, stopped at the store for us. We then set up a river safari tour with him which was equally as nice. Edwin was also very pleasant, who drove us from the villa back to the airport. Miguel cooked for us 3 nights- this was delicious and such a treat. The fire pit is an extra bonus- my son loved collecting wood for the fire and then making smores!. It was so nice having the grocery store within walking distance- and I felt the prices weren't unreasonable at all. Absolutely loved this house and our vacation. We love Costa Rica- it is a beautiful country and has the friendliest people. What I think we will miss the most is the delicious fruit- you can't get mangoes or pineapples anywhere in the world like in CR.

We stayed at Case Bella Catalina the first week of April and were delighted with the house. It is spacious, has nice large bedrooms, and a great kitchen and living area for families. It is a beautiful home. The pool is fantastic as it offers both sunny and shaded areas and has a great ramp area to wallow . There were many beach loungers to go around for our party of six. The palapa located right at the beachfront was my favorite spot on hot sunny afternoons (everyday this time of year). It offered shade (from the mid-90's temps) and a great beach lounger or hammock for reading. The beach was also a good hangout and there was a floating dock about 300 yards off shore that we swam to daily. The house is located within a few blocks of several quality restaurants and nice little grocery store that sells liquor. The neighborhood felt very safe as does the entire country of Costa Rica, one of my favorite places on earth. Nonetheless, the house had a security system and safe as we travelled many long days on adventures. Tropical Homes staff (Roxanna and Rita) were extremely helpful in helping us find quality adventures (Selvetura Park @ Monteverde and Vandara at Rincon de le Vieja). Staff were also quick to respond to an issue we had with one of our doors and sent some one out the next day to fix it. The only negative comments I would make regarding the house were the kitchen supplies which were sparse. Would have been nice to have a few more hand towels, handiwipes, a floor mat, cooking oil, etc. Also, in group of six, no one was interested in staying in the back house (casita) since you had to go outside to use the bathroom. As such, we used only the three bedrooms in the house and since our party was six, it worked. The cleaning service and the pool keepers were also great. Thanks for a great stay. Joe from Milwaukee

This home is located directly on the Beach and within walking distance to some great restaurants. There were 7 of us in our group. The house has a beautiful, rustic feel. The pool is very inviting and the grounds are beautifully landscaped. The top bedroom is the only one with a king bed and the bathroom has an open shower, so it gets pretty warm in the bathroom. The casita has 2 bedrooms with a layout of each room besides each other and located on the street. Luckily one of our friends took that room, but it has some issues. The window coverings are see thru, so it is not very private especially at night. Although it has a kitchen like area, there is no refrigerator or shelves/microwave (it would be really nice to have that) The bathroom is odd. You have to exit the inside of the home to use the bathroom that is located next to it. It is very warm, no windows & uncomfortable. Plus if you use this bathroom at night, the door locks on the casita as it is a self-lock deadbolt, so you lock yourself out if you forget. We used a rock to keep the door ajar to keep this from happening. Not a great set up. Comfortably, I would say no more that 6 people to use this villa. Regarding food, Good pizza; 2 for 1 on Tuesday nights next door. There is a hotel a few steps further at Bahia Del Sol has a good breakfast as well as 'The Shack" (a little farther away). Lots of restaurants to choose from within walking distance. You can also walk on the beach to some of the restaurants. The Beach House is another one located directly on the Beach. This is not a a huge tourist destination in my opinion, which is exactly what we liked (not like Tamarindo). We absolutely loved this area and the home overall. If you do cook in the villa, be aware that the oven only goes up to 390 degrees. We used it once. but ended up cooking on the cooktop to finish cooking some potatoes. We went to the hot springs, waterfalls, and volcano (Ricon de la Vieja) without a guide. Had a great time. Should be about 1 1/2 hours away. We did get lost using our gps. So beware when traveling with a gps. Also went to the Monkey Farm Rescue. Interesting to know about the wildlife and what is happening in the environment. They are all volunteers and do a great job of helping. Overall, we had a great time, the views are spectacular, love that you can walk or bike to restaurants, grilled out one night & hung around the pool. Everyone was very friendly. I would come back again. Lots of Mosquitos-

The house was a great location. Between beach, pool, restaurants and other amenities, you couldn't beat the location. It would have been great to have more pool and beach amenities as I am used to that from other VRBO beach rentals. Kitchen staples would also be great. Despite all that we loved Playa Potrero, the beach was fantastic and you couldn't beat the sunsets! Nancy, our housekeeper was lovely and did a great job.