A friend and I spent five days in March, 2016 at Sea Breeze. Bob and Bea made us feel welcome and at home from the moment we arrived. As they showed us around the property, our first impression was "wow!" The two guest houses (one for each of us, making us feel like royalty) are well furnished, have all the amenities one could wish for, and are comfortable and spotless. The property would be suitable for a much larger party than the two of us! All rooms have a view of the mountains, the Pacific Ocean in the distance and the beautifully landscaped grounds. Bob and Bea were genuinely warm, friendly and helpful. ( I would especially heed their advice to rent an all wheel drive vehicle for the somewhat daunting drive up the mountain to the house. But after one trip up and down it became routine.) We enjoyed visiting with the resident dogs, horses and turtles and watching the toucans and other beautiful birds and monkeys. The infinity pool is the best pool ever and if you never left the pool and patio area you would still have an unforgettable vacation. We were fortunate to be invited to tour a wildlife reserve in the Osa Peninsula which is operated by a friend of Bea and Bob. Bea also took us on an ATV ride through the woods, accompanied by many of her 14 dogs. When we had to return home, we felt as if we were saying goodbye to dear friends as well as gracious hosts.
The little town of Dominical is charming and funky--well worth a visit. And beautiful Manuel Antonio National Park is an easy 30 minute drive.
Wow.
We recently returned from a 10 day trip to the Dominical area, our first time in CR. We had 5 adults, 4 kids (ages 8-12). We left thinking that we literally picked the perfect rental in all of Costa Rica for our family. The benefits of the rental itself are well documented in previous reviews. Great home, plenty of sleeping options and ability to either be together or get some alone time, even with large group. The new villa suite was great for my wife and I to have privacy, but still very close to main home to keep an eye on the kids. The pool is ridiculously beautiful. Amazing views, monkeys, toucans, hummingbirds, butterflies, and more. Impeccably maintained grounds with lots of flowering plants that give the whole property these wonderful fragrances that vary based on the wind.
But for us what made this a very special vacation was Bob and Bea themselves and the "character" of the property. This is not a cookie-cutter vacation property. This is a unique and special farmstead that just happens to also be an amazing vacation rental in one of the most beautiful settings you can imagine. After we followed Bob up to the property in our rental cars (more on this later) we were greeted by Bea's pack of rescue pups. We do a lot of rescue work back home so this was great for us. All different sizes and shapes and each with their own personality. One dog Tara basically lived with us for the time we were there and the rest of the dogs would come and visit at various times. Very cool. Within the first hour we were there Bea had our kids on the back of a 4 wheeler with her dogs running behind driving down to the horse stable to feed their 8 horses (again rescues), then came back to see the monkeys. Again all in first hour. On our last day we went with Bea and Christopher (one of the local workers on the farm) and took a four wheeler trip down the mountain to a few swimming holes with a bunch of dogs tagging along. You ain't getting that at an all-inclusive resort.
OK some tips on the rental and the area. As stated 4WD is a must. And prepare to be a little overwhelmed on the first drive to the property. But trust me it gets much easier and is just part of the adventure. Suggestion on activities like beaches - get up and get out early. It gets very warm once you get off the mountain and we found it best to get the activities done early and come back in the afternoon to hang by the pool.
Overall amazing experience - 5 stars!
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We loved our stay at Sea Breeze Casa! There is a fabulous ocean view as well as of the mountains and valley. We enjoyed many beautiful sunsets from the pool and patio overlooking the ocean. We enjoyed the capuchin monkeys that came twice a day and the toucans that would sing in a nearby tree. Colorful parakeets ate fruit from the palm tree right by our pool. We loved the ATV ride that Bob took us on down into the valley and through streams on their property. My daughter and I enjoyed hikes on their property and found a waterfall on one hike fairly close to the house. Bob and Bea are so friendly and are wonderful hosts. Bob had our tired fixed when we got a flat in our rental car. He also removed a door my edlerly mother had difficulty opening. My father proclaimed their pool the best he's ever swam in. It was quite large and we enjoyed the pool lights on at night. We really enjoyed having one of their dogs, Tara, visit. She was ADORABLE!
Our favorite beach was Ventanas. It has caves through the mountain that go out to the Pacific and a fresh water river that ends on the beach. It has a breathtaking view from the water of the beach lined with palm trees with the mountains behind. There is some food available to buy and an outdoor shower with an outhouse.
My daughter and I hiked 2.5 miles to Nauyaca Falls which are a must see. You can also horseback ride to the falls. We parked and hiked in for $8 a person. Best to go in the morning so the horseback guides are at the falls. They put up a rope in the falls so you can climb up and jump from the falls. The guides also make a spectacular jump just before they leave. We did some swimming and had a picnic lunch.
We cooked some fabulous Mahi mahi that we bought at a local fish market. They catch it fresh everyday! We also enjoyed eating out a 4 local restaurants. All were fairly priced and had fabulous food. Tortilla Flats is in the town of Dominical and recommended by Bob. La Parcela had fabulous ocean views on both sides of the restaurant. Jolly Rogers is a wonderful place at the top of a mountain offering ocean views and a cool breeze. It is known for its fabulous wings with specialty sauces. And PorQueNo which requires a reservation. We went at 5pm and enjoyed the sunset with a glass of wine down at the water. The beach by the restaurant had some of the most spectacular sunsets we saw.
I am in awe and respect Bea's efforts for all of the animals she rescues.
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From the moment we arrived to Sea Breeze Casa we had to pinch ourselves to realize we were not in a dream! After seeing the beautiful setting, views and home we saw toucans in the trees! We immensely enjoyed the pool and the dogs! Bob and Bea were excellent hosts, full of informative advice and genuinely kind!
Sea Breeze Casa and its hosts Bea and Bob never disappoint! Comfortable, relaxing and OH What A View!
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Our family and friends just returned from our first trip to Costa Rica. We chose Dominical based on the reviews and advise from our friends. What a beautiful place to vacation! We decided that we wanted to stay in a beautiful place surrounded by beautiful views, and we hit the jackpot staying here. Waking up in the morning to the sound of toucans outside, and watching the incredible sunsets in the evening from the beautiful infinity pool. How can it get better than that. We are already planning our next trip.
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I just got back from a 2 week stay at Sea Breeze with my husband and his family (5 adults, 2 children 8 yrs and 3 yrs total) and it was the greatest trip of my life! The villa is simply amazing and the location cannot be beat. Sure its up a long driveway, but that is what gives you the effect of being isolated in the rainforest (you are really just a 15 minute drive from the quaint surf town of Dominical) and safe from any worries.
The acres of forest and pasture around the villas showed us just as much in the way of wildlife then all of our trips to the various National parks and we saw more and a greater variety of birds (Toucans, Caracaras, Parrots, Hawks, Parakeets) while drinking coffee in the morning than we did at the Bird Sanctuary in San Isidro! There are miles of walking trails you can take from the Villa to see things like Coatamundi, Peccaries, Poison Dart Frogs, Sloths and more.
Bob and Bea were so helpful and yet respected our privacy. They even let us follow them to an amazing Farmers Market which turned out to be a highlight of the trip. All of the rooms were clean and well furnished and the infinity pool is to die for. We almost hated to leave the Villa, but luckily everything you could want to experience like Manuel Antonio Park, Marino Ballena Park, Dominical, Hacienda Buru, etc. is close enough that we were able to go on a daily adventure away and at the Villa.
If you love nature and also want a homebase to relax at, I couldn't recommend a place more!
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