Casa Pura Vida

This is the perfect property to reconnect, recharge, relax, and experience life to its fullest! Our family loved exploring the property, enjoying the views, listening to and seeing all the wildlife, and chilling by the pool or on the beautiful deck. The Monkey Hideout was so cool! Felt like you were living in the jungle. Howler Monkeys, in the morning, get your day started! The house has all that you need for your stay. Full kitchen, laundry, and plenty of amenities to make the stay comfortable. Located between two amazing laid-back beach towns. Uvita and Dominical. Both spectacular. Close to great shopping and restaurants/bars. The supermarket is just up the road. Perfect for small families or 3 couples. Our two kids (18yr+) stayed in the main house and my wife and I stayed in the Monkey Hideout. The team at Yougethere was great to work with. They pointed us in the right direction for activities and made the check-in/out process easy. Pura Vida! We'll be back!

Before arriving at Casa Pura Vida I felt like I had already done my research and knew what to expect but you truly have to see to believe this beautiful "Costa Rican Castle" for yourself as it exceeded my expectations. Myself, my Husband and 2 other couples stayed for 10 days, 2 couples stayed in the main house and the other couple enjoyed a fun experience in the monkey house (I will let them write their own review!) We never felt divided as we always met for coffee in the mornings on the beautiful covered patio, cooked together in the well-equipped kitchen and spent most of the day by the amazing pool area. It was nice to have a washer and dryer and some extra beach towels in the laundry room. The groundskeeper did a great job on the property keeping the gardens tidy and pool nice and clean for us. I really can't think of anything negative to say other than we wish we could have stayed longer! Thank you to all the staff at YouGetHere, from the booking process, to check in, to check out, everything was fantastic!

We just recently returned from almost a month at Casa Pura Vida and have spent every day since wishing we were still there. We stayed here last year for about a week and loved it so much we rented again and decided we had to stay longer...and are already thinking about staying even longer next time. It's just an amazing property! Claudia & the team at You Get Here are terrific and always available- not sure we would ever want to rent with anyone else. My husband & I stayed in the monkey hideout and had family staying with us in the main house. Peaceful mornings started at sunrise with coffee & wildlife spotting. We saw many wonderful birds as well as coatis & almost daily visits from a couple of capuchin troops (usually later morning), a couple howler visits and even a possible jaguarundi sighting early one evening. Casa Pura Vida is perfectly located within easy driving distance to both Uvita, Dominical & the mountains. Access to the house is easy which we have not found at all locations in the area. We spent many nights having dinner at home grilling fresh fish & enjoying family & games on the patio of the main house which was set up perfectly for our group of 6 people. The kitchen of the house is better equipped than my house at home with everything we could have wanted. The pool is such a wonderful part of the property which offers a combination of shade and sun all day long so you can just cool off & relax. We loved Playa Hermosa beach which was about 5 minutes away and we actually saw Scarlett macaws there a few times. The northern end of the beach has a nice shaded area and you can swim in the freshwater river there that runs into the ocean. It gets pretty busy here on weekends so we just made our beach days during the week. We loved eating at Por Que No (sunset cocktails on their patio is amazing) and La Parcela- our 2 favourite restaurants in the area which are also only about 5 minutes away in Dominicalito. We also had the most wonderful experience meeting a small family of coffee growers at the farmers market in Uvita. If you have the chance stop on Saturdays and meet Danier from Cafe Don Emilio. They have a small coffee farm which is about 45 minutes away up a dirt road from Uvita and certainly worth visiting and doing the tour and of course buying their coffee. They really are a beautiful family and remind you how truly lovely the people of Costa Rica are. Loved every moment- Pura Vida

Myself and husband travelled from England to stay in the aptly named Pura Vida for two weeks.  The house and garden are beautifully maintained and cleaned to the highest standard.  The grounds were our personal nature reserve. Everything we needed was provided including well equipped kitchen, efficient and quick washing machine and dryer, fast and reliable Internet connection and extremely comfortable beds! Each morning we sat having our early morning coffee on the ocean view bedroom terrace, watching and listening to the wildlife.  From here we saw white faced capuchin monkeys, countless species of birds including toucans, macaws, hummingbirds, a variety of butterflies and much more.  The swimming pool area was great, equipped with loungers and hammocks and on some occasions we swam whilst watching the monkeys.  From outside the Monkey Hideout cabina we watched and photographed the Howler monkeys in the forest. The manager Neil was very helpful with his extensive knowledge of the area and he arranged some great tours for us; a boat trip with snorkelling to Cano island - this is a great fun day, stopping to watch the turtles and dolphins en route to great snorkelling in the warm waters, then a thrilling zip lining experience right down through the jungle. I'd highly recommend this villa for a romantic hideaway, for a family or group of friends.  Great value for money and our best holiday yet!

We had simply the perfect vacation to Casa Pura Vida for Spring Break 2015.  Our family of four (10 yo, 13 yo) spent 10 days at the house and could not bear to leave. It would be impossible to convey how amazing (and EASY) this vacation was.  Neil's packet of trip information was invaluable, and everything in there was accurate.  We arrived after dark, and still managed to find the house pretty easily. The house is stunning.  STUNNING!  It is more beautiful than the photos can convey, with a huge upstairs balcony and an enormous porch with outdoor dinner seating (both with ocean views).  There were more than adequate comfortable patio chairs for lounging after dinner.  And that pool!  We spent multiple hours a day at the pool, resting in the hammocks and playing with the kids.  Here are some of the bonuses (that I must have missed in the description when I booked):  outdoor charcoal grill, rinse-off station behind the house in addition to A FULL BATHHOUSE adjacent to the pool, a small hiking path on the property, a covered parking area, complete privacy, pool lighting that allowed you to use the pool area well past nightfall, a more than fully supplied kitchen (there were appliances that we don't have at our 'real' house), not one but TWO WiFi connections--the pool has it's own, a TV with ESPN --in Espanol -- which allowed our kids to see the Final Four and some NBA games.  I could go on and on! I don't think I realized initially how convenient the location would be.  It is a 3-3.5 hour drive from San Jose, but it is a gorgeous drive and there are infinite roadside restaurants along the way.  Once at the house, you are only 5 minutes from the surf town of Domenical and 5 minutes from Uvita with great grocery stores that were open long past dark.  Uvita was the start of the national beaches which we LOVED.  There were probably 30 restaurants within 15 minutes of the house and we did not have a bad meal in the lot.  The whole fish entree was a favorite of everyone in our party. We did the Nayauca Waterfall horseback ride which was worth every cent.  It was $70 USD per person, but included two full meals and was worth every penny.  Kids loved the cliff jumping/diving and we got some unbelievable photos. Our kids took private surfing lessons on the 2nd day, and loved it so much that we went back twice more for additional lessons later in the week.  I'm out of words, but it was truly a magical vacation.  Perfection!

As we drove into the property for the first time the four of us knew right away this was going to be the vacation of a lifetime. As gorgeous as the pictures are online, they cannot compare to the immense beauty that the house, property and views have to offer. On the property you will find many types of insects, birds, frogs, lizards and so many types of butterflies! Howler monkeys live nearby in the trees around the monkey hideout and can be heard and/or seen daily. If you want privacy, space, luxury, majestic views, a perfectly covered pool surrounded by bananas, palms and bamboo, as well as toucans and monkeys in your yard then this is the place for you. This is not to mention the absolute perfect location of the house. Great grocery store 10 minutes away, never ending beaches of all types to explore, a myriad of high quality restaurants, national parks, waterfalls, excursions galore, banks, stores, a great bakery and even a place nearby to buy fresh and cheap local fish. We shopped around for a home to rent in the Dominical area and the price of Casa Pura Vida is beyond fair. There are no surprises, the house is exactly the way it is advertised it to be. First we met Neil and he instantly put us at ease with his friendly approachable nature and his unique sense of humor. During our stay we found Neil to be very helpful, informative, non-obtrusive, honest and perhaps most importantly sincere in his desire for us to enjoy our vacation. He is a true professional and all four of us hold him with high regards. During our 10 day stay at Casa Pura Vida we did four main paid excursions as well as many on our own. There are countless activities to do in this area. We did the surf lessons in Dominical, the full day boat trip to Cano Island including lunch on a deserted beach, the zip lining (in torrential rain!) and horseback to the Nauyaca waterfall. All amazing! I’d recommend any of these excursions in a heartbeat and they all came recommended by Neil. Just take his advice and you will not be led astray. Having had the opportunity to live at Casa Pura Vida for ten days was truly an inspiration and I would go back anytime and recommend it to anyone looking for a getaway in the Dominical/Uvita area. Make sure to get a four wheel drive though as they are not joking when they say you need one!

we fell in love with our Casa Pura Vida, the home is well laid out with a well stocked kitchen, comfortable beds and good laundry facilities. The Monkey House was a great hit with our daughter and her family, they saw and heard monkeys every morning and night plus alot of other great animals and birds. The covered pool was great especially for our younger grandchildren as the pool was still warm but the shade was great so the kids could be out in the hot part of the day...and of course the adults enjoyed the two hammocks...well set up.....Neil who is the property manager is awesome always there available if you had questions or needed suggestions for things to do. We always felt safe there, it has beautiful gardens and is very private. Easy access to great beaches and we went on a horseback ride to the Nauyaca Waterfalls with Don Lulo's Horse Back tours....this was the highlight for our family, very well organized and great guides, great breakfast and lunch included, well worth the price of admission....Our home was very clean and the gardener was awesome so Neil has great staff working for him....We would go back in a heartbeat...Uvita is where we did our shopping for groceries, there is a couple of good grocery stores there and a good bakery across from the bank, also a great place to get fish is not far away....One restaurant we wouldn't go to again is the Jolly Roger...overpriced and greasy wings and poor service, we tried them twice just to make sure but no go. other then that there are lots of great restaurants to go to. Counting down the days when we can go back to lovely Costa Rica and Casa Pura Vida..

For the person(s) wishing to be immersed into the simplicity & beauty of the area this property will meet your needs. The covered pool with hammocks is a great place to relax & watch the wildlife. Butterflies, birds, insects, & animals. The flowers & grounds are maintained & lovely. The view from the terraces to the ocean over the canopy invites peacefulness. The interiors are artistic & simple. Having a washer & dryer is a plus though drying things outside works also. No air conditioning so expect to adjust to the heat/humidity. Some of the ceiling fans can have the speed adjusted others can not. The manager is helpful, friendly & very knowledgeable of surrounding area/activities. He will make reservations for you if you wish. He is easily accessible for any questions not answered in the notebook that he presents on your arrival. I throughly enjoyed my time in this home going to sleep with the sounds of the insects & waking with the sounds of the howler monkeys & birds...I want to return very soon.

Five of us rented the "Pura Vida" house and the "Monkey Hideout" cabina, all on the same property for one week. The BEST things about Pura Vida... location, Neil, the surrounding jungle, the pool, and the washer/dryer... -Location: It's very close to Dominical and Uvita so it's the perfect spot for getting to all the must do's. Quick access to the highway. DO rent a car though, you'll want it for the steep driveway and also to get to excursions. There are dirt roads all over this area so you would be best served by a 4x4 car. -Neil: The manager of the property, Neil, is a happy, relaxed and very informed neighbor. He lives close by so you have the chance to see him daily if you need help He was there to book excursions, bring us coconuts (that he opened so we could drink the water, yum), and just laugh with! His directions from San Jose were painstakingly detailed and SO helpful. He will be your best resource before you go and while you stay. Really, one of the best features of the place is Neil! -The Jungle: We stayed at 3 places near Dominical/Uvita. This property offered the best wildlife sightings. The howler monkeys were more present here than any other place we stayed. So cool! If you're hoping to see insects, birds, monkeys...this is a great spot. You will see them all, so bring bug spray, a headlamp (gets dark at 6pm), binoculars and a camera! *The entire Monkey Hideout bathroom is outdoors. FYI. -Pool: It's wonderful! It connects the two houses so it's a great "meeting spot" if you have a group staying. It is very well maintained by the grounds crew (every other day). It is also a great place to find relief from the sun on a hot day! Two hammocks make it a nice place to read as well. -Washer/Dryer: These were indispensable! The laundry room also offers lots of clean sheets and towels so you'll never be in need for those. Our favorite part of the laundry room...IT LOCKS. So it's a safe/secure place to leave your valuables while you're out and about. The price made Pura Vida a no brainer. Do be aware though that it means you're staying in a slightly older, well-loved home. It was built with beautiful wood carvings, lovely stone and a great view. Plenty of bathrooms, beds, a nice sized kitchen with all you need for cooking. Items are just older so don't expect state of the art. Expect a nice place to relax, become one with nature (smells, sounds, sightings, ALL of it) and enjoy this amazing part of Costa Rica! We did 🙂

Our experience at Casa Pura Vida was off the scale, it exceeded all expectations. Truly, it's a compound with manicured gardens, the pool and the large house plus the small house. It's right in the heart of the jungle - birds, bugs, monkeys, butterflies, just endless flora and fauna right there on the property. I was there to surf and there are several surf spots in both directions from the property within about 5 kilometers. Excellent surf at the right tide and plenty of fun, cheap places to eat in Dominical and along the main road. Casa Pura Vida is very tidy and comfortable, the kitchen is fully equipped with everything you might need and Neil, who is the property manager, is very accommodating, pleasant and easy to work with. We became friends and surfed together too. All in all I don't think it could possibly have been better, everything was covered. We had a group of 6 people and there was plenty of room for everyone at a very affordable rate. I would recommend this property without hesitation to anyone going to Costa Rica. Pura Vida 100% Live!