73 Reviews of Property 129631 in Nuevo Arenal, Costa Rica

Dear Ian: We had an absolutely wonderful stay at Casa Gavilan. I don't have to tell you that the Arenal Area is certainly one of the most beautiful locations to visit in Costa Rica. To boot, you were absolutely right with your suggestions on restaurants and other places of interests by the house. Lucky Bug was a great breakfast, particularly their fresh mango juice; the Gingerbread House had the best dinner and wine in the area; and we visited Alex at the restaurant (El Establo?) closest to your house several times. Cool dude who can tell you a story or two – ask him. The Arenal hanging bridges and sky tram/zip lines were awesome, hot springs relaxing, and your recommended boat captain took us out for a great day of wildlife viewing on Lake Arenal – for a very reasonable price. The house was perfect in every way and met our every need. Even found assistance there. Your gardener was out back each and every morning just after 6:30 a.m. and he would help us locate toucans and other birds of interest in neighboring areas. He also pointed out where to find a pack of howler monkeys – which entertained us all day and night with their calls. Loved the humming birds, though it was hard to keep track of what must have been over 25 different ones we encountered. So many other birds we couldn’t keep track. Casa Gavilan is, in short, a paradise. Lastly, dealing with you has been great. You provided all the information necessary and more up front, were very responsive and punctual to our every inquiry, had the house feeling like a home, and went out of your way to ensure that our stay went great. While there was little reason to stay inside with all the area has to offer and the marvelous views off the back deck, the house had every modern convenience imaginable. The rest of our Costa Rica journey was great, but nowhere compared to Arenal and our week at Casa Gavilan. We could not more highly recommend staying there.Thanks for the fine and memorable experience.

Dear Ian:

We had an absolutely wonderful stay at Casa Gavilan.

I don't have to tell you that the Arenal Area is certainly one of the most beautiful locations to visit in Costa Rica. To boot, you were absolutely right with your suggestions on restaurants and other places of interests by the house. Lucky Bug was a great breakfast, particularly their fresh mango juice; the Gingerbread House had the best dinner and wine in the area; and we visited Alex at the restaurant (El Establo?) closest to your house several times. Cool dude who can tell you a story or two – ask him. The Arenal hanging bridges and sky tram/zip lines were awesome, hot springs relaxing, and your recommended boat captain took us out for a great day of wildlife viewing on Lake Arenal – for a very reasonable price.

The house was perfect in every way and met our every need. Even found assistance there. Your gardener was out back each and every morning just after 6:30 a.m. and he would help us locate toucans and other birds of interest in neighboring areas. He also pointed out where to find a pack of howler monkeys – which entertained us all day and night with their calls. Loved the humming birds, though it was hard to keep track of what must have been over 25 different ones we encountered. So many other birds we couldn’t keep track. Casa Gavilan is, in short, a paradise.

Lastly, dealing with you has been great. You provided all the information necessary and more up front, were very responsive and punctual to our every inquiry, had the house feeling like a home, and went out of your way to ensure that our stay went great. While there was little reason to stay inside with all the area has to offer and the marvelous views off the back deck, the house had every modern convenience imaginable.

The rest of our Costa Rica journey was great, but nowhere compared to Arenal and our week at Casa Gavilan. We could not more highly recommend staying there.

Thanks for the fine and memorable experience.

Our stay at Casa Gavilan was "Pura Vida" for all five of us. The beautifully decorated house has all the amenities you can ever want and enough privacy for everyone to enjoy it. The large patio is the place to congregate to watch all the birds and the relaxing view of the lake. Even the Howler Monkeys make their appearance at times close enough for photo ops.

We found all the suggestions and advise from Ian and Leslie to be so beneficial and made the stay very memorable.

We will not only recommend this retreat to all our friends but hope to return with some to experience it with us again and again.

It's been our experience that you find the best vacation rentals by reading the positive experiences of others. We chose to rent at Casa Gavilan de Arenal by reading the comments of former guests. They were right on. The home is beautiful and equipped with all the amenities that you could desire, including a very well organized library of 300+ DVDs. Each bedroom has its own private bath. The living space, kitchen and dining areas are very spacious and nicely decorated. The large patio overlooks the lush rainforest, beautiful Lake Arenal and the gorgeous surrounding mountains. We never considered ourselves to be birdwatchers but we quickly became engrossed in the numerous variety of awesome birds who feasted on our left over fruit peels. We were hesitant about staying in this area for four nights because we were concerned that there wasn't enough to do. In hind sight we would have given up some of the days at the beach to spend more time at Arenal because there was so much more to do. We went zip lining near the volcanoe. We went white water rafting down the Balsa River. We shopped quaint little towns and took several small hikes. We wish we would have had more time to take a horse back ride into the forest and enjoy the hot springs. Our time at Casa Gavilan de Arenal was the highlight of our two week trip. Our hosts Ed & Leslie were charming and really helpful with suggestions for daily excursions and eateries. We highly recommend this beatiful home for your next vacation.

We had a great stay at Casa Gavilan! We truly felt
welcomed and at home and had everything we
needed. The owner provided detailed information
about the area and the house that was very helpful
and accurate. The house is gorgeous and
comfortable, very tasteful and there is a lot to do in
the Arenal area. We wished we could have stayed
longer. While we were there we visited Ecothermales
(hot springs) which I highly recommend and that
evening viewed the Arenal volcano from the Arenal
Lodge. The sunset over the lake was magical and
the lava flowing down the volcano was a sight not
to miss! Another day we hiked up Cerro Chato and
swam in Laguna Chato. The hike was not easy but
we enjoyed the challenge and the scenery. At the
house we relaxed, swam, read, saw howler
monkeys, tons of birds, hiked the neighborhood
trail and went running. If you are visiting Costa Rica
and the Arenal area definitely consider having a
home away from home at Casa Gavilan!

We had a great stay at Casa Gavilan! We truly felt welcomed and at home and had everything we needed. The owner provided detailed information about the area and the house that was very helpful and accurate. The house is gorgeous and comfortable, very tasteful and there is a lot to do in the Arenal area. We wished we could have stayed longer. While we were there we visited Ecothermales (hot springs) which I highly recommend and that evening viewed the Arenal volcano from the Arenal Lodge. The sunset over the lake was magical and the lava flowing down the volcano was a sight not to miss! Another day we hiked up Cerro Chato and swam in Laguna Chato. The hike was not easy but we enjoyed the challenge and the scenery. At the house we relaxed, swam, read, saw howler monkeys, tons of birds, hiked the neighborhood trail and went running. If you are visiting Costa Rica and the Arenal area definitely consider having a home away from home at Casa Gavilan!

Casa Gavilan is absolutely perfect! The pictures do it no justice. The house is beautiful - spacious, tastefully decorated and very soundproof. It is very private. You have neighbours but you can't see them. The yard is a gardener's delight and there really are monkeys right outside your window! We'll be back!

We have travelled the world and rented properties from as far apart as Thailand and Argentina. None has so exceeded expectations as Casa Gavilan. The house itself is a home and the attention to detail very much appreciated. The garden is a wonder. Its varied and splendid visitors have enthralled us day after day. The location too is superb, with so many things to do and see. We cannot recommend Ian and Lynn's house too highly and will be sure to spread the good word to friends, family and interested strangers.
A wonderful holiday!