Happy new year folks.
One of the suggestions at a prior TAG meeting was to share information about successful vacations. I’d like to get us started with this one, which I can easily recommend.
Luxury Villa Rental on the south Pacific coast in Costa Rica
We just returned from a great trip to the southern Pacific coast of Coast Rica, near the town of Uvita. We were eight: Birgitte and me, plus our three sons and their partners (ages 23 to 29).
Getting there
We flew into San Jose, stayed overnight at an airport hotel, then flew Sansa Airlines to Quepos where we picked up our rental cars and drove about an hour to our villa.
Villas
YouGetThere specializes in luxury villas in the southern Pacific coastal region of Costa Rica. We found them to be great to work with.
https://yougethere.com/properties
We rented Vista Encanto. I can’t overstate the quality. Near perfect condition. Equipped with everything you need. Overlooking the ocean. Entirely private, with gated entrance. Large bedrooms face the ocean and each has its own full bathroom. Infinity pool and hot tub. Individual AC units in all rooms. Although the villa feels seclude, it is just minutes from the beach and about ten minutes from the town of Uvita where you will find everything you could need. I have already booked Villa Maravilla for next January.
Car rental
You will need a car, and you will want a 4x4 or AWD vehicle. Although 95% of our travel didn’t require it, there were some very steep roads that benefitted from AWD. If you’re adventuresome there are many inland roads that can only be attempted with a 4x4. Our two Suzuki SUVS worked for us.
At the airport In Quepos:
Solid Car Rentals
https://www.solidcarrental.com/
They had our cars waiting for us at the Quepos airport and collected the cars from us at the airport on our departure.
In San Jose:
All major car rental agencies.
Meals
Although we prepared some of our own meals we definitely preferred to let others do the cooking. Citrus Restaurante (https://citrusrestaurante.com/) was our favourite but there are numerous high-quality restaurants in the area. The Bakery in Uvita offers fresh-baked bread and pastries, plus excellent breakfast and lunch in big portion sizes.
Groceries
MaxiPali is a major Costa Rican grocery store chain with a store in Uvita, but you have options:
https://yougethere.com/grocery-stores-costa-rica/
Private Chef
We hired a private chef to prepare New Years Eve dinner. We had him bring champagne, and he cooked the tuna and pompano that we caught the day before. An awesome feast!
ATV’ing
JungleATV in Uvita is a professional outfit with excellent equipment. They offer a range of vehicles, from single driver ATV , to 4-person side-by-sides, to big dune buggies. These guys really enjoy their work. The five-hour trip rips through mountains and rainforests on rough-and-tumble roads. It’s an adventure.
Deep Sea Fishing
There are fishing charter operators in Uvita but I went with Tropic Fins, my favourite fishing guide out of Puerto Jiminez on the Osa Peninsula. Corey and Cora are Canadian ex-pats who own and operate the business. It’s about a two-hour drive from our villa. We caught a boat load of yellow-fin tuna, rooster fish, pompano, mackerel…..and brought home about 80 pounds of sushi-grade tuna fillets.
National Park
Corcovado National Park is spectacular:
https://costa-rica-guide.com/nature/national-parks/corcovado/
There is a full-day trip that takes you to the Park by boat, departing from the beach at Uvita:
https://www.bahiaaventuras.com/tours/hiking-corcovado-national-park/
Surfing
The WhalesTail at Uvita Beach is a popular surfing destination. There are lots of options for surfboard rentals and surfing lessons. We went with Bodhi Surf:
https://www.bodhisurfyoga.com/
Snorkeling and diving at Cano Island
Cano Island was visible from our villa, about 50 km offshore. It’s famous for its snorkeling, diving and whale watching.
Ocean beaches are everywhere.
Cost?
This trip was not inexpensive. But it was luxurious. And it was great value.
Franklin