Located in Puerto Carrillo, this holiday home is in the mountains and near the beach. Samara Beach and Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Camaronal reflect the area's natural beauty and area attractions include Jungle Butterfly Farm and Safari Surf School. Discover the area's water adventures with kayaking and scuba diving nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with horse riding and ecotours.
Bar y Restaurante del Hotel Bahía - 13 min drive
Limey’s Bar & Restaurant - 14 min drive
Gusto Beach Bar - 14 min drive
Roots Bakery & Café - 14 min drive
Sheriff Rustic - 14 min drive
Frequently asked questions
Does Spectacular Ocean View House - 5 min drive to Famous Carrillo Beach have a pool?
Yes, this property has an outdoor pool.
How much does it cost to stay at Spectacular Ocean View House - 5 min drive to Famous Carrillo Beach?
As of 3 Nov 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Spectacular Ocean View House - 5 min drive to Famous Carrillo Beach on 6 Nov 2026 start from AU$2,740, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
Is Spectacular Ocean View House - 5 min drive to Famous Carrillo Beach pet-friendly?
Yes, this property allows cats and dogs (limit 1 total) with a maximum weight of up to 11 kg per pet.
How much is parking at Spectacular Ocean View House - 5 min drive to Famous Carrillo Beach?
On-site parking is available at the property.
What time is check-in at Spectacular Ocean View House - 5 min drive to Famous Carrillo Beach?
Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.
What time is check-out at Spectacular Ocean View House - 5 min drive to Famous Carrillo Beach?
Checkout is at 10:30 AM.
Where is Spectacular Ocean View House - 5 min drive to Famous Carrillo Beach located?
Situated by the sea, this holiday home is within 3 miles (5 km) of Carrillo Beach, Samara Beach and Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Isla Chora. Playa Camaronal and Playa Islita are also within 9 miles (15 km).
Reviews
9.6
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
We enjoyed our stay at John’s casita. Beautiful view, awesome pool! Wish I was back there right now!!!!
Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2024
Verified review
6/10 Okay
Patricia M.
15 Mar 2025
Liked: Communication, location, listing accuracy
Beautiful sunset views
Wonderful family vacation near Carillo Beach - much quieter location and less touristy area. Large pool , lots of beach toys (boogie boards were a big hit).The villa can use a little maintenance work but overall met our needs for a family of 7.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 18 Mar 2025
Hi Pat
Not really sure by what you mean the House needs a little maintenance work. ??
Seems very nice to me and others. Can’t please everyone.
John
The house has a lot of space and a fantastic veranda to enjoy the pool and the view. Great proximity to Playa Carilla (5 minutes) and Playa Samara (12 minutes). We ate at 2 of the restaurants that John recommended and they were both great.
Our stay was amazing!!!! The 2.5 acre property has stunning views, updated furniture, comfortable beds, nice pool and very clean. The billiards table and separate observation deck are perks that you will not find in most places, and we got lots of use out of both. It’s quiet, peaceful, fenced and gated, plenty of parking included 3 covered spaces. The owner John stayed in contact with us to assist with anything we needed along the way. 10/10 you will not regret staying here!
A fantastic stay!! I can't say enough good things about this spot. The best view we have had in our 5 trips to the country and the best equipped house. No issues whatsoever.
You will not be disappointed!!
Stayed 10 nights in Feb 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 26 Feb 2024
Hey Dave,
That's awesome you had a great stay at my house. And I try to make it a special place for myself, my family and all my guests to enjoy and create the best possible memories they can. Quality time with family is so memorable and having the right place to do it is important. Hope to see you again and until next time.....keep up that pura vida life.
John
The house is beautiful, and what a view! Great location, just a couple minutes' drive from the beach... close enough to take advantage of the amenities and restaurants of Samara, but return to the peace and quiet of Playa Carrillo. Antonio, the caretaker, is friendly and helpful, and the owner is responsive to all questions. We didn't want to leave!
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 13 June 2023
Hi Tamie,
Great to hear you and your family had a wonderful time. And you're right, the view is breathtaking. See you next time.
Cheers,
John
We appreciated the location of this property. Quick trip to Samara or Playa Carrillo beach, markets and restaurants. After a day in town shopping, playing at the beach 4 minutes back to the property for a swim in the pool, a game of pool or eee also liked playing Yahtzee up in the outside loft area. We spent every night watching spectacular lightning shows. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and regret not booking a longer stay!
This was probably our 7th or 8th trip to Playa Carrillo, but our first stay at John's property. The view was spectacular. It was the end of the dry season and very hot while we were there. The pool was a savior. The sunset viewing platform is amazing. The living space was great for our group. Beds were comfy. What else can I say? The only negative thing I can say was that our trip was too short.
The views don’t get any better than this. Our family and friends fully enjoyed our stay. The house was conveniently located to Playa Carillo and Samara. Samara was the perfect spot for beach days - plenty to do and see including a first-rate beach with restaurants and outdoor seating. I’d recommend this spot to anyone looking for a great retreat in Costa Rica. The house was up a steep hill from Carillo, but not too difficult to navigate by car. The pool was perfect and the sunsets and view of the stars in the sky were beyond description. The property sits on plenty of land that is gated so the kids were able to roam freely and safely. I highly recommend this home!
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 5 Apr 2023
Hi Stefanie,
I tell everyone it's a special place but you almost have to be there to see and more importantly feel it. So glad you had the time to stay there and create some marvelous family memories. And hope to have you again.
Thanks
John
My wife and I spent 5 wonderful nights at Casa Bella Vista. The house was clean and well appointed, and very comfortable. The pictures don’t do it justice! The highlights though are the incredible views and hotel size pool. The 270 degree views of the ocean and surrounding hills are ones that very few properties have anywhere on the coast and to be able to enjoy them in this private paradise was very special. Swimming under the stars was our nightly ritual after sunset cocktails! The road was steep and parts were a bit rutted, but I saw all types of vehicles navigating it. We had no issues but appreciated that we had a midsize SUV. Great place!
This property was in a great location, within a few minutes of the beach as advertised. The road getting up to the property was a little rough, however not too bad. Do not need a four-wheel-drive, we did have a van that got up there numerous times without any issues. We had lots of fun watching wildlife on the property. The pool was awesome with a great view of the Pacific. The kitchen had everything that we needed to cook several meals.. The mini split air conditioners in each of the rooms worked really well for those rooms. The living room/dining room/kitchen space did get a little warm during the day. Overall, we had a great time. The communication with John was timely. Thanks so much for this beautiful property!
House has a beautiful amazing view. But it appeared to not be rented in a while and therefore needed some TLC. For example needed to wash the dishes and pans prior to use. Pool was full of debris. Several things needed to be fixed including stove, no gas and no hot water. Antonio was very helpful and quick to help. However for the price we paid, those things should have been done prior to our arrival. Loved being able to sit up on the perch for breakfast and the sunsets from the house are amazing.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 13 Jan 2024
Thanks Michelle for your review. And you were the first guest for the high season since during the rainy season there are very few short term guests. And as I mentioned before my apologies for the water heater and the gas, but the water heater was a quick fix and we changed out the gas tank in 20 minutes, so that was good and this side of Costa Rica had extremely fierce winds for several days and I had the pool company come twice right before you arrived to clean the pool but within hours, more debris, and Leaves made their way into the pool. I even offered to clean the pool again while Michelle was there but she said it wouldn’t be worth it since the wind was so strong it would’ve just blown more debris in there. And I’ll remind the Cleaning lady to wash the dishes and pots and pans after they have been sitting. Again we had such strong winds so the caretaker was focusing on the yard and the cleaning lady was trying to get some of the dust and the floors cleaned. She probably forgot about refreshing the dishes, but they were washed before. But other than those few items which were easily corrected by Antonio, my caretaker, the house was in good shape. Just very difficult to keep the entire property clean with such tremendous wins.
We loved the pool and all the items you already had for the pool. The house was well stocked with kitchen utensils, cookware, and dishes. Sitting up on the raised terrace was such a delight. I have never seen such a beautiful view as the one from your home. It was breathtaking to watch the sunset each night. It was a better view for the sunset than even the beach.
Thank you for having so many games, books, and activities at the house. It was nice to have some relaxing days lounging around the house and in the pool.
The groundskeeper, Antonio, was indispensable. He was always available to help or fix anything. He was very knowledgeable of the area and helpful to navigate where to go and what to see.
I cannot wait to stay here again!
Stayed 28 nights in Dec 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 9 Jan 2023
HI Paul,
I am pleased you and your family and friends had a wonderful stay. I look forward to hosting you again. Until next time...
Cheers,
John
INCREDIBLE remote work and living location for family/friends
I stayed here with family (all adult) for 2 weeks. It was absolutely incredible. The view is amazing, and the property is well maintained, super spacious and bright.
The kitchen might be the best feature - ideal for families with a preference to prepare meals at home. Modern fridge and gas stove and oven. Fantastic blender! Coffee maker too. And a dishwasher!
For the health conscious: the pool is amazing, about 20m in length for swimming respectable laps. And the house is on a steep hill for running sprints uphill.
Two bathrooms with massive shower stalls. and double sinks for in both. The master bath (off the master bedroom) even sports a bidet.
3 large bedrooms total for the adults (2 queen, 1 king) and an additional bedroom with 2 double beds (+ day bed) for up to 3 kids/adults - with it's own TV! Bring the gaming system to keep them entertained when the sun goes down.
Fantastic wi-fi - we were able to stream/work with little interruption. And the pool table is in great condition too.
Can't recommend it enough. Certainly looking forward to coming here again. The pictures just can't do it justice!
Stayed 13 nights in Feb 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 13 Mar 2023
HI Sergio,
Really glad to hear you and the family had an awesome 2 week stay at Casa Bella Vista. There's nothing like having an entire property to yourself, your own pool, lounge area, plenty of privacy to walk around the property and enjoy the beautiful views and space for all your cars, etc. I love it there! I'm sure I'll see you again. Until next time...
pura vida
John
We had a wonderful relaxing time reading and laying by the pool! The house, pool and view were absolutely gorgeous! John was a great host and was very responsive to me whenever I had any questions. His directions were good, we had space to cook and spread out and the bathrooms were even beautiful! He gave us suggestions for restaurants, shopping and local things to do. I only have 2 complaints. The 1st was that the house inside was not very clean (and he said it was going to be cleaned the morning we arrived). Though to be fair to John, I didn't tell him about this because I felt that the view and beauty of the place overrode the cleanliness. I just cleaned what needed to be cleaned & moved on. It's just when you spend this much on a place for 5 nights, you expect that it will be super clean when you arrive. The other issue, which could be partly my fault (maybe I missed this in the description), was not having a 4-wheel drive vehicle (or all-wheel drive) to get up the 1-1.5 mile road to his place. This was stressful and a bit scary at times. We didn't go exploring as much as we planned because I didn't want to have to drive back up the road, especially at night. I wish I would have known ahead of time how steep, in many spots, it was to get there. All in all, we still had a great time at Johns and would recommend it to others.
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 16 Feb 2024
Hi Debbie,
I'm really glad you and your friends had a great time and enjoyed the house. My apologies on the cleaning. I was there just 2 weeks before you and the house was totally clean and no issues. The cleaning lady came 2 days before your arrival because you asked to check in 5 hrs earlier than normal check in and I was fine with that. Anyhow, I will have a conversation with them. Also, the hill up to the house is a little steep but that's was gives us the beautiful and awesome view. You are kind of on top of the mountain. But I disagree 100% about the 4x4. I have never had to use one and all the cars I have rented have been 2x4 with no issues. I even had a taxi pick me up and that was a small, old sedan that was low to the ground. And my wife and 2 kids drive the hill as well. I just drive 25mph up the hill and in 4-5 minutes I'm at the house. The roads in Costa Rica aren't always great but they are drivable.
Thanks.
John
Huset ligger fantastisk med en utrolig udsigt. Huset er lige til 8 personer. Rent og pænt.Vi var dog uheldig at vi manglede vand i huset 3 gange under opholdet over flere timer. Men vi kommer gerne igen. Poul Erik Thomsen
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 19 Jan 2025
Hi Poul
Thank you for your stay. But I wish you would’ve told me about the water issue. You did mention it when you were leaving that you were going to wash the dishes, but there was no water. It turned out the water pump motor just needed to be reset. We had that done and everything is fine. Hope to see you again soon.
Thank you
John