My husband and I got a living social deal and we loved every minute. The private cabins are fully equipped. We loved the indoor outdoor shower. The views can't be beat. Everything was very clean and well kept. There are no televisions and that is a good thing. There is wifi in the main pool area. There was lots of wildlife and the surfing town nearby was friendly. I would recommend Vista De Olas.

My husband and I stayed at Vista de Olas back in the first week of December, and we absolutely loved it there! It had a stunning view of the ocean and we felt surrounded by the soothing sights and sounds of nature -- including watching the howler monkeys nearby! We truly missed it when we left. Not to mention that the owners and staff were amazing and friendly, always making us feel so at home and relaxed.

Our villa was beautiful and felt like our own personal retreat. It is so cool that it is unattached and private, and there were windows halfway around the room to enjoy the gorgeous view. It was a large space and large bed, with AC and a ceiling fan. We were very comfortable using only the ceiling fan. The woodwork and tiling throughout the villa and bathroom were beautiful. The outdoor shower was so wonderful .. I wish I could have one at home!

I also have to mention how fun the ATV tour to the waterfall was ... I highly recommend it! We got to take two different trails/roads, one with breathtaking ocean views and another really fun one through the mountains. Roger's son led the tour and he told us fun things about the trees and plants we would walk by on the short hike to the waterfall, which let us experience just a little bit what it might have been like growing up in Costa Rica, if even for just a moment. This again made us feel so welcome there. On vacations I think there is just no replacement for getting to learn from and share experiences with locals of the place you are visiting. The rope swing at the waterfall was a blast. What an experience!

I also recommend renting an ATV for a day, to explore town and surrounding beaches. It's an adventure that you don't get as easily at the more developed fully tourist destinations, to get off the beaten path and find secluded beaches ... plus the getting around is fun in itself! Not to mention, they are very practical with the roads there.

I could go on forever but this is too long already so just to sum it up, we loved this place and wish we had more time there. It is so much better than an impersonal huge resort. We cannot wait to visit again. Thank you Roger and Heidi and family, as well as all the staff!!

P.S. Try a piña colada at the swim-up bar .... mmmmm

My boyfriend and I just spent 6 nights at Vista de Olas, and loved every minute. The staff knew us by name, and felt like friends.

Staying here feels like staying at a friend's amazing beach resort. It's cozy, and has everything you need. If you like huge, all-inclusive resorts with room service and televisions, this place is not for you. Vista de Olas is casual and homey.

The owner, Roger is warm, honest, and hilarious, and his sons and wife complete the picture. Roger and staff will go out of their way to set up anything you need, from taxis to adventure tours. Just ask, and it shall be done. For example, I had a wonderful massage in our villa and enjoyed horseback riding on the beach.

The pinnacle of fun was the ATV tour led by Roger's son, Swen. Swen is hilarious, kind, and incredibly knowledgable. We had a blast looking for howler monkeys in the trees and eating a traditional Tico lunch in Montezuma. Make sure to jump off of the waterfall! It's worth it!

Although this place was perfect for us, here are a few things people might be turned off by:

WIFI is only available in one spot on the pool deck and is very slow. It's good for web browsing and email only. But, who cares?

The mattresses are thin and firm, but it didn't bother me! The towels are thin as well.

The salad bar left something to be desired, but the experience of grilling alongside Roger and his family was worth it. There are plenty of upscale restaurants in town that you can check out. I suggest grilling at Vista the first night, then venturing out the rest of the time.

Our trip was fabulous, and I recommend this place to everyone! If you're uptight and very detail oriented, you might look elsewhere. We're incredibly easy going, so everything was perfect for us!

My boyfriend and I got a living social deal for the Vista de Olas hotel in Mal Pais, Costa Rica. We flew in the day before and stayed the night in San Jose (at the airport). The hotel has a free shuttle to and from the airport. In the morning we had breakfast and we got a ride to the Sansa regional airport (3 min). The airport was small, it’s an open-air space and people were very nice. I was scared about flying in a small plane (safety concerns especially after seeing the airport). We took off on time, and it was a beautiful 25-30 min flight to Tambor. It was a great aerial tour of Costa Rica. Landing was fun too as the plane descends over the water, pass the beach and it lands on small asphalt strip.
Roger, the hotel owner picked us up and we drove for about 45 min from Tambor to Mal Pais. Initially the road was paved and less bumpy. The closer we got the road turned into a dirt path with lots of potholes culminating in very steep and bumpy ride up the hill, on top of which the hotel is situated.
The grounds are beautiful; the view from the pool/restaurant area is worth the bumpy ride. The hotel is open to the public starting 4 pm and many people make the pilgrimage up the hill to see the beautiful Mal Pais sunsets.
The villas are nice and private. They are built with lasting quality and craftsmanship. There are not a lot of amenities but we did not seem to mind or miss anything. A huge 4-post bed is right across from the entrance to the villa. The mattress is very firm. There are two bed-side tables with lamps that provide minimal light. In fact the whole villa is rather dark at night. But the sunlight makes up for it during the day time. There are glass windows all around the room with wooden blinds. There is also a futon, a bar area, with a mini-fridge, coffee machine, big flashlight; and a closet. The bathroom is behind a door that you can lock at night, the toilet and vanity are covered, the mosaic-tiled shower is open to the air. There are double doors that lead to the patio with chairs and a table. We enjoyed the sunset and saw many species of birds right from our patio.
The pool and the view are the best part of this hotel. The food was good but lacking in variety. Breakfast is included. Options are toast, butter, jam, coffee, watermelon, pineapple/banana. Four mornings we had 2 eggs and rice&beans, 1 morning-french toast, 1 morning-omelettes with mushroom and onion. You can purchase lunch (either fish or chicken with salad) and dinner (grill your own meat with salad bar). We ate twice at lunch and once at dinner at the hotel. The rest of the time we went to town. Food in town was good, we went to the Bakery and Pasta Basta. We usually walked to town on the beach and got cab back from $6-12 one way.
Our package included, a bottle of wine; either 4 local beers each or 2 cocktails (mojito or guaro sour) between 4-5 pm; either horseback riding or a surf lesson; and an ATV tour through the jungle, visit to the butterfly farm, waterfall and lunch. We thoroughly enjoyed all of the above. We chose the horseback riding. Neither of us had ever been on a horse, and we went down the steep hill to the beach and back up the hill. The horses were really nice and well taken care of. They accommodated us to our comfort level and by the end we galloped a bit!
The ATV tour was great, it was provided by Roger’s son Swen who is knowlegible in jungle wild life. We had an all-day adventure. I took lots of pictures! Be prepared to get dusty! But you can wash up by taking a dive into the waterfall! We had lunch at an amazing restaurant by the water in the quaint fishing village of Montezuma.
We did the zip line, canopy tour. It was exhilarating! We were initially afraid to do it but if was safe!
We also rented ATVs another day and explored on our own. We snorkeled and saw tons of beautiful fish. Wish I had an underwater camera!
Overall, we had an amazing time. Costa Rica is beautiful. People are very friendly. It’s safe. Mal Pais is not developed so if you are looking to wear high heels and go out for fancy nights on the town-this place is not for u! It is very low key and relaxing and you truly feel unplugged from all the craze in the Western world! We will definitely be back.