This is a long overdue missive as our vacation was last June 7- 16th but when we reminisce about our trip, one of the highlights was our 1 nt stay at Villa Decary. Before we even arrived, Suzy reached out to us via email to warn that there had been a storm the week prior and the road was temporarily washed out. It was very thoughtful and considerate of her to make us aware of the situation. This turned into a bit of correspondence as it was our first trip to Costa Rica and I found Suzy to be very willing and able to take the time to email answers to all my quirky questions. I felt like I knew her even before I got there.

The night we stayed happened to be a quiet week and we loved the solitude of having the place all to ourselves. As it was around 4p ish, we had some time before dinner to rest and explore the beautiful grounds. We took the short path to the brook as we didn't want to go far but I understood from the innkeepers that there were more adventurous trails one could take. It was enough for us just to admire the towering palm trees on the property and the truly exotic one-of-a-kind fauna that surrounded us, not to mention the incredible bird species. For any bird lovers or botanists out there - this is THE place to stay.

What attracted us to choose Villa Decary over other nearby inns was the down-to-Earth simplicity. We loved the spare furnishings to our room and the authentic local artwork on the walls. It allowed us to focus on the stunning view of the lake and all the birds flying back and forth on the tree branches just feet from our porch.

By the same token, the innkeepers are Americans who invested in top quality window screens so we were able to fall asleep that night with the windows open to the breeze without worrying about critters and mosquitos getting in. What's more, other details, like the bathroom towels which were plush and soft and the delicious breakfast combined to make us feel completely comfortable.

It's important to mention that what makes this a must stay in our view, is the neighboring restaurant a couple of yards up the road. We had a truly memorable meal there. Make sure to make a reservation even when it's the off season; not because they are busy necessarily but because the food is prepared specifically for you so if they know you are coming in advance, you will have an outstanding dinner instead of what might be just an ordinary one.

On our next trip to Costa Rica, we will definitely be back for a two night stay. I don't think it's a week-long type of place, at least for us, but for those who have plenty of vacation time or just want to really explore this region it could be. In that case, I'd choose one of the separate cottage units w/ the kitchenettes.

I can't think of anything to critique. Breakfast was truly superb as we had hoped and we loved chatting with our hosts while we ate. The only thing I would venture to mention is that as NYers, I suppose we could of used with a bit more time to eat quietly on our own. I think if there had been other guests around our innkeepers would have been been busy attending to them and that would have been a nice balance of interaction during the meal. As an extrovert, I didn't even notice but my husband who is in the restaurant business felt that it was a bit too much while he was trying to eat.

Bottomline Villa DeCary is exceptional and won't disappoint.

We stayed for two nights on our way through the area in December. This is a beautiful, peaceful property with spectacular views over Lake Arenal. The rooms are very inviting, bright and nicely decorated with big windows and a deck overlooking the lake. Service was excellent - Miguel and Elkin were very kind and welcoming and spoke excellent English. Dan, the owner who was on site while we were there, was very helpful with recommendations of things to do, places to visit and great source of information about the area. The breakfasts were amazing, the best we had in Costa Rica. The property is immaculate and well-kept, with beautiful plants and flowers and a variety of birds. As other reviewers have mentioned, the location is somewhat isolated so having your own transportation is really necessary, but this also gives you a quiet country atmosphere that gives the place its character and makes for a relaxing and luxurious stay.

We just finished up a wonderful 7 day stay at Villa Decary. The property is stunning with a fantastic view of Lake Arenal. Every morning, breakfast was served between 7 and 9 and we had something different just about every day. Each breakfast started with a gorgeously presented plate of fresh fruit, coffee or tea, and a fresh fruit juice smoothie. After that came the main breakfast. Some dishes were typical American breakfast food, like pancakes, but with fresh, local twists, lika pineapple, mango, and ginger spread for the pancakes. Other days, we had more authentic Tico breakfast foods. I'm pretty sure all of the breakfasts were gluten free.

Our breakfasts were prepared in house by Miguel and Elkin. Both men are incredibly sweet and helpful. Miguel is a bird expert and is happy to point out various species (like the toucans we saw pretty much every morning at breakfast) or answer any questions you may have. Elkin is more of a plant expert and is also eager to help. Both men speak English very well, but will encourage you to practice any Spanish you might know.

Elkin's organic family farm is about an hour's drive into the mountains and, depending on availability, you can arrange to have him take you out to the farm for a tour, including the virgin rainforest and streams. The visit concludes with an authentic meal prepared by Elkin's mother who is possibly the sweetest, most generous woman you will ever meet. She welcomed us with hugs and kisses as if we were old friends. She doesn't speak any English, but loves to talk and is delighted if you can speak at least a little Spanish with her. If you don't speak any Spanish, Elkin is happy to translate.

The property advertises great birding, and they aren't kidding. We saw so many beautiful types of birds right from our patio. We also heard howler monkeys, but, while we were told they are occasionally on the property, we didn't see any there.

We stayed in the Casita Zambio which was quite nice. It included 2 nicely comfortable beds, a kitchenette with stove, refrigerator, and microwave, and a private bathroom with a spacious shower which includes a view of the beautiful lake. There was also a communal refrigerator with honor bar (beer, water, and soda) with reasonable prices.

The place is owned and operated by Dan and Suzy. Suzy was out of the country while we were there, so we dealt directly with Dan during our visit. We've read some negative reviews about Dan, but we found him very charming and very eager to recommend attractions and make reservations.

The final member of the crew at Villa Decary is Olivia. She is the sweetest and most friendly, yet laid-back dog you'll ever meet. She always escorted us to the Gingebread restaurant which was an extremely convenient 5 minute walk away.

We strongly recommend Villa Decary. I'm sure you will have a fantastic stay. Pura vida!

Lovely B&B with beautiful grounds and great views of Lake Arenal. Breakfasts were delicious (with good vegetarian options). The staff were helpful and friendly. It is quite close to the road, which brings some traffic noise, but this decreases significantly at night. Lots of great birds. Yoga class on site twice a week. LGBT welcoming.