Richard Garnett from England     August 30, 2011

We loved Magic Moon and would love to come back next year with friends. Perfect setting, fantastic veranda ,wonderful beach, great and friendly welcome/service/cleaning etc.All in all I couldn’t fault it (maybe a new frying pan but that’s all!) Thanks so much for sending on the CD from the Canopy.
Best wishes, Richard Show less

Ramzi Aniba from Washington, DC, USA     August 22, 2011

We stayed Aug 10-13th at the Magic Moon House! The property was very nice, we utilized both levels (2 bedrooms upstairs and one downstairs). The layout of the house was great, a nice open kitchen, the outdoor space on the 2nd level is wonderful, my brother and cousins used the hammocks to relax a lot and you can see the ocean right in front of you. The rooms are very spacious and we appreciated the way the house was functional for us. The house grounds are really nice, it's like you're in your own oasis. We opened up the house doors and windows as much as possible....we even noticed a horse farm behind one of the Show more bedroom windows that had live cattle, kind of cool for all the cows to do an about face and stare at us. The house does not have have AC, it has fans throughout the house but, honestly we were on the beach so, we felt the breeze...no need for AC. I will tell you that you will need bug spray and ant spray....the caribbean side is the natural side of costa rica so, you're living the simple life.

We basically had our own private beach and we had a rental jeep so, we drove down to punta uva and manzanillo. Johnnys and Mangos are the best bars in Puerto Viejo. For food, we liked Mare Nostrum, Lydia's Placeand Koki Beach. A lot of people recommended Tamares, do not order the chicken sandwich or burgers, definitely not a fan. Kind of dumb of us to order that anyway...fish with rice and beans is the way to go, costa rica does not really have a specialized cuisine. We went to the supermarket and bought food since the house came with a fridge, oven/stove and microwave. The rocky road leading to Magic Moon and Banana Azul is a bit rough, we were definitely isolated from the center town of puerto viejo but, it's only a 5 mins drive or 10 mins walk on the beach. If I come back to Puerto Veijo, you better believe I'mstaying at Magic Moon again....we were really not impressed with any of the other hotels we saw in town and on the beach, most of them are rundown or just plain jane.

Also, if you want to do ziplining, jungle tours, white water rafting, snorkeling or scuba diving, the Banana Azul hotel, where we had to pick up the house key, is a few doors down and offers Gecko Trail Adventures, great times! The best in costa rica hands down. Aaron and Pablo our guides were great. Ashton who arranged everything is very cool. Best time to go to Costa Rica is nov - feb and with that said, it was 80 degrees in august! Wewould have loved to have more sun but, we ovbiously understood we were in their winter season....there were still a lot of people at the bars though, especially after midnight....late crowds. Go to Mangos first or another bar on the small main road then venture off to Johnnys on the water, you're sure to have a good time. Also, for those who are interested, follow the smell of ganj, it's openly smoked outside by the locals, especially at the bars....the cops don't really hound folks, when locals see cops coming they just put their joints behind their backs until the cops roll past....so seamless. Our time at MagicMoon was very laidback and relaxing, we went to the Pacific coast afterwards, Jaco and Manuel Antonio and we preferred the Caribbean side the best even though they were not as advanced as the Pacific side. I believe the Caribbean side got electricity in 1986.

We didn't get a chance to see Samara, Mal Pais or Montezuma on the west pacific coast, must go by ferry from puntareanas which is 30mins from Jaco ....but, maybe next time. But, with that said, If I were you, I would check out both coasts...Jaco is packed in January (probably a good home base) which from a tourist perspective might work out better but,the Caribbean vibe had us wanting to go back to Puerto Viejo even when we were in Jaco. Puerto Viejo is about a 4 hour drive...if you don't get lost from San Jose. Jaco is about an hour half from San Jose so, plan accordingly. The rental car from Natcar.com helped us a lot to explore the country. Stay at least 3-4 days in Puerto Viejo and 3-4 days in Jaco to truly experience the fun. If you don't have a car....it won't be the same experience to get up and go see and do whatever you want. Stay at Magic Moon in Puerto Veijo and any Daystar property in Jaco. Have fun! Show less

Brian Weston from Orlando, FL USA     July 07, 2011

We stayed in Magic Moon house a few weeks ago. The house was tremendous. What a fantastic place to stay.

Couple that with the best customer service experience provided by Gecko and you have the formula for a perfect vacation.

Every adventure Gecko arranged for us was top notch and well worth the money. We did numerous trips including Cahuita snorkleing, chocolate making, waterfall climb, jungle hike, spa day and surf lessons. We loved every single one!

Thanks especially to Ashton for making our trip a huge success! Show less

Courtney from Colorado     May 24, 2011

My husband and I recently spent five nights in the Magic Moon Beachhouse and had a wonderful time! The house is great -- lots of space, storage, fully equipped with linens, towels, beach towels, kitchen has everything -- and the private property is very lush! We had a great time cooking breakfast and dinner every day there, and hanging out on the front porch relaxing in the hammock. A great gem ~ would highly recommend staying here as it's safe, convenient to town, but secluded enough and very private! The managers and cleaning staff were friendly and very helpful if we needed anything too. Overall, great time and would come again! Show less

Silvana Lewis from Switzerland     March 16, 2011

Directly in front of the black beach, cute, comfortable, tropical, lovely gardens. We stayed there for 4 nights. It was very clean, the bed was comfortable, the kitchen was fully equipped and we spended most of the time on the porch, wich is a beautyful place to hang out in the hammock. The beach was just a cross a small street. Perfect! A great private place but a lot of amenities nearby.We highly recommend staying here, so much better than staying at a hotel. We had everything we needed! Thanks a lot! Show less