Awesome hospitality, friendly hosts, and fun ambiance. Great location and amazing views! From the moment we arrived everyone was helpful and gracious. The environment is much more personal and friendly than a hotel, but the accommodations are clean and comfortable. You are minutes away from several beaches, the dinners were delicious, and we even had a bonfire outside. Perfect fusion of hotel meets hostel overlooking the ocean and offering amazing sunset views.

Bert and his helpers welcomed us on our first night with a pre-arranged dinner. PIZZA 8 different ways! one even had fresh avacodo on it! of the separate cabins, we stayed in the downstairs cabin. We had our own ocean view porch which was great to enjoy 5:30 am bird watching. amazing wildlife! I even fell asleep in the hammock a couple nights it was so peaceful. and at this altitude there were no bugs, just a nice cool breeze! You have the option to let Bert know if you'd like to be included in the family style dinner each night. I'd suggest you take advantage of this! prices are very reasonable at $10-18 each person and sometimes that 2-3 courses. the "Bring your own booze" is a great idea, but bert always has a bit extra if you want to buy a glass of wine or beer off him. its a much cheaper option than many of the tourist places and with Bert's chef background, you will not find better food anywhere! and the fun part is you meet so many other great travelers and share stories from your day. Bert took us to Roco Verde, a bar in town, one night and introduced us to many of the expat locals. what a great time! thanks Bert and Gang! we will definately stay there again!!!

First trip to Costa Rica for us. There were 9 of us (2 families). We rented jeeps and drove to the lodge from San Jose airport with no problem. Bella Vista Lodge is a beautiful, rustic, lodge with beautiful water views, perfect for our 2 families. We had amazing meals prepared by Bert every night and enjoyed horseback riding, fishing trips, surfing, waterfalls, massages, and exploring Dominicals beaches and town. We loved listening to the Howling monkeys at night and seeing the many tropical birds. We can't wait to go back to The Bella Vista Lodge and see our good friend Bert again. Thanks Bert for making our vacation memorable. We had a great time!

This was our first trip to Costa Rica and we researched a lot of places to stay, we were looking for somewhere suitable for a family (kids are 15 and 12) where we could experience an authentic taste of the country rather than a tourist resort with luxury accomodations. Bella Vista was on our shortlist because of location, price and other reviews. Bert was so helpful in the planning stage with questions about car hire, places to see etc that we knew this was the place to stay. Our expectations were exceeded, the lodge is a traveler's paradise. We stayed in one of the cabins, the porch a perfect spot to capture the beautiful views. Perched high above the ocean in the midst of the jungle we woke every morning to the sound of howler monkeys. We went during the "green season" so daily rain was a given but not a hindrance. There is no air conditioning but you don't need it, the breezes keep you comfortable and mosquitoes are not a problem. Bert was a wonderful host, happy to share his extensive local knowledge and help with making bookings for an array of activities. (Don't miss the horseride to the waterfall, it was a wonderful day out) Breakfast and dinner was available on request. Bert is a great cook who prepared a varied menu using fresh, local ingredients. Meal's were taken on the porch at the main lodge with our fellow travellers. Stories and laughter shared as easily as if you were staying with friends. Truly a wonderful experience that we hope to repeat!