I can tell you that it has taken us a while to get back in the "swing" of things after such a delightful week in Costa Rica.

First of all ... THANK YOU for the Mariachi band ... it was a hit and everyone certainly enjoyed having a little culture come to the party. We danced all night. It was such pleasant treat ...

Let me also tell you how wonderful the accommodations were ... the views, the food, the pool, but best of all was the service from Kojak (he is a rock star in our book), Lina, Abraham and Dona Julia… they are all so wonderful !!! It was hard to leave them ... they certainly made our trip complete.

I don't think any of us knew we would fall so in love with the people of Costa Rica. We did it all ... Zip line, Spa, massages by the pool, mani, pedis, horseback riding on the beach, surfing, fishing, sunsets, mud baths, water slides ... and there is so much more we kept for the next trip.

I think Rob's 50th was a great success and one he will never forget. We build some great memories with friends and the locals.
Thank you again for everything ...
-- Sabine

Our trip was the highlight of our year. SO many wonderful parts - the animals, the food, the scenery, the tours, the zip line!! We have and will continue to recommend the Del Mar to our friends!

Both our family and my parents were picked up and dropped off right on schedule, no hassles! Our main driver, Mackenzi, was a super - very glad we were not driving, yikes! ... The house is in very nice condition - new, clean, updated and very well kept. ... The beds were all comfortable with very nice linens. They were changed every two days and that was great! Lena was fabulous as our maid. She was attentive and cleaned each room daily! ...

The food was FANTASTIC! We really enjoyed the variety and flexibility with the kids. Plenty of food was provided - we were stuffed after each meal! We felt the food was fresh with a variety of meals served. There were no duplicates, and any of it could have been, it was all delicious. The kids loved the smoothies, the virgin margueritas and daiquiris. The adults enjoyed the mixed drinks as well as the blender choices. ... Carlos was very capable of understanding both our English and our rugged Spanish! Carlos and Holia were TOP NOTCH! It was a 5 star experience each day with them. Great service. Friendly, smiling and we truly enjoyed them!! My younger two kids really got along nicely with Carlos - lots of teasing and laughter! (And now, we really miss them! ) We felt very comfortable asking them for what ever we needed.          continued...

...We greatly enjoyed the tours. The information and pricing you sent prior to our trip was invaluable. Without that, we felt the price of the tours could have been much more expensive. Kojak was very attentive and willing to set up anything we wanted in addition to the information you provided. We did the boat tour, the trip to Arenal (including the rain forest walk, tram tour and hot springs), a beach tour to Tamarinda, and the local zip line tour. My parents did a tour to Liberia with Mariella one morning as well. The scuba shop at the Ocotal Hotel was GREAT. We set up two mornings for my son to get his scuba certification and one of the mornings we all went out on the boat and did a snorkel trip. Great recommendation as well!

Many thanks to [all]. We felt like we knew what to expect when we arrived. Everything was just as you described, which is a nice and relaxing feeling.

Many thanks for a great trip!! We hope to join you again someday!
-- Laura

How can I come back to Dalton Georgia and live my regular life when I've been to Costa Rica??? Our vacation was PERFECT! Villa Del Mar was even more beautiful than the description and pictures you sent. We spent a lot of time just standing at the edge of the pool looking out at the ocean, watching the boats off the beach, marveling at the birds that flew by or stopped for a drink or bath in the pool, and listening to the howler monkeys in the trees. I will never forget the view. We were up before 6:00 a.m. every morning and struggled to stay up until 9:00 p.m. in the evening - our days were full with Lawson (saw octopus, shark, manta rays, and many many beautiful fish), went to Palo Verda for the river tour, to Buena Vista for the canopy tour, Rincon National Park for hiking, and Coco for shopping! The week was way too short.

The staff at the villa was wonderful. We came to think of Socorro, Makensi, Lina, Carlos and Leslie as family - they certainly treated us like theirs. They were kind, funny and always helpful.

Socorro's cooking was to die for - and she was happy to accommodate any special needs (my son doesn't eat fish and she always came up with something he loved).           continued...

...Makensi was funny and friendly and helped us with our Spanish and kept us happily sipping drinks by the pool; he was an artist with the blender!! Lina was always cheerful and kept the house spotless - and it was nice to come home with no dirty clothes!

Carlos was always around to answer questions and help us with anything we needed. Leslie was a master tour guide - very knowledgeable, very accommodating. He was always available with our transportation (and always had it cool for us!) and always right there when we were ready to be picked up. We enjoyed spending time with him; we learned alot about Costa Rica from him.

I had pretty high expectations for this trip from the information that you provided, but in EVERY area, the expectations were exceeded. Thank you so much. We will sift through the 700-800 pictures we took (4 cameras!) and get a few for your website.

Pura Vida!
-- Priscilla

I want to thank you for your help arranging our stay at Villa Del Mar. Our flight went smoothly. Leslie was there to meet us at the airport and the staff were there to greet us at the Villa. The food and service could not have been any better. We loved Leslie, Carlos, Socorro, Lina and McKenzie, and Raphael the pool man.

We stayed at the Villa most of the time, as we went to relax. We did go on the Adventure Tour and fishing. We enjoyed the Canopy adventure. The fishing was great. We caught eight or nine Yellow Finned Tuna and a few Bonita. That night Bill fixed sushi for us and even my friend Butch [liked it]. We will [ask] anyone interested in a trip to Costa Rica to contact you.

--Jim Dille

Thank you all for being so wonderful to work with! Doris and I love bragging about Villa Del Mar and everyone involved. I wanted to let you know what an awesome time we had at the Villa. It was everything you said it'd be - and more!! It was the best vacation we ever had.

The Costa Rican country side is beautiful. We went on some great tours - Leslie (or those he set us up with) were the best, really informative. The house was absolutely beautiful. The pool was awesome. We all have so many pictures of the pool - couldn't get enough of it. The house staff was absolutely the BEST!! Leslie, Carlos, Mackensie, Socorro and Lina are now like family to us. They saw to our every need - and were so much fun to be with. We actually could have stayed at the house and been perfectly happy!

We thank you for having a place like the Villa Del Mar. It was perfect for our family vacation - and we can't wait to go back.
-- Terry Wyhoski

Well, not sure where to begin…to say we had a blast on our trip would be the understatement of the year! What a majestic place; both the house and the country! Everything from the views, the food, the beds, the people…we canopy'd, fished, rafted, surfed, hiked, ate, drank Imperial, PURA VIDA!!!! Kojack was great, and the staff of Eddy, Soccoro, and Lina were all great. We spent a lot of time with McKenzy as well…what a great guy… Thanks again for being so helpful…we will def. be back to Playa de Coco again!
Thank you so much,
-- David & Jessica

What a wonderful time we have had here at your beautiful villa. We have made wonderful memories, spent time relaxing (which our family greatly needed) and was introduced to some great people. We will take a part of your staff home with us. They will hold a special place in our hearts. They have worked very hard to make our stay pleasurable. From the great food, to clean laundry, to cocktails by the pool. GRACIAS! Oh yeah! Let's not forget Leslie. He made our stay here come together. The driving was always adventurous. What a nice guy. He seems to be a hard worker and always wanting to do the right thing. Thank you very much!
-- The Coopers

This week in Costa Rica has been wonderful! Each day was filled with so much beauty and adventure.
-- Diana & Alex

A beautiful place, wonderful hospitality, and great food. Thanks for sharing,
-- John & Dot Barber

Wow! What a fantastic vacation! We were sure made to feel special each day here. Everything was outstanding, especially the food and service from the staff. We appreciate all your thoughtfulness and caring. Bless you,
--Kim & Eric Cagan

What a treat! Thanks for the opportunity to experience Costa Rica. We all need to learn from the locals - laid back is good. The view is spectacular. I found myself just gazing across the bay - at peace. The staff - what can I say? They could not have been more considerate. Thanks again for everything.
-- Jane

Could be you might have a permanent guest - this is an experience I will always remember. Thank you for your hospitality!
-- Mary Bonkston

Had a wonderful time. The villa is beautiful, the food is delicious, and the service is great. The best part of our summer - loved it. We'll be back soon.
-- Justin and Cody

Staying was lots of fun. I am sad to leave.
-- Delaney

Thanks for the memories.
-- Deb & Rick Fail