BOAT,FREE TOURS & STAFF All Incl. Luxury Rainforest & Waterfront Home
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Overview
2 bedrooms
2 bathrooms
8 guests
3 nights minimum
House Rental
At "Casa Rio Sierpe" included with your standard rental, we provide our guest with the privacy of a luxury home but with resort amenities; highly personalized service by our on site staff, customized activities and many free included tours including the use of a boat & Captain that are structured around our guest schedule and not a group schedule found in a typical lodge. In planning your vacation please keep this in mind; we are not just a luxury vacation home but an inclusive destination all to itself, so no need to look any further for your vacation needs!
Value added Service, Amenities and FREE Tours included in your visit.
Daily house keeping including doing the dishes
Full Concierge service with our English speaking manager
20’ boat with Capt, unlimited river use (guest is responsib...
House Rules
Pets not allowedKid friendlyNo smoking
Smoking is only allowed outside of the home on the decks, smoking inside the house is strictly forbidden.
We do offer refunds for cancellations, please Please review my guest terms for more information.
Bedrooms
1 King2 Queens1 Sofa1 Crib
Bathrooms
2 Full baths
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Reviews (21)
DavidG9999
Springfield, VA
beautiful home! fabulous adventure!
5 star rating:
We visited Casa Rio Sierpe for a week beginning Saturday, 2 February, 2019. We brought along 3 grandchildren ages 7 to 11 for a “grandparent’s camp” week. It was a big adventure and the first time to Costa Rica for all of us. We sought a situation that provided a back-to-nature experience while still being manageable with three young travelers. Casa Rio Sierpe turned out to be perfect.
1. Casa Rio Sierpe provides a great opportunity to experience the Osa peninsula. The house is not in a tourist bubble, rather it is part of the local landscape in the rain forest. The house stands above the Rio Sierpe, which is nearly unspoiled by structures or docks along the 15 mile or so stretch from Sierpe to the Pacific. White-faced monkeys played in the trees just off the deck of the house, we saw macaws and toucans, and we were surrounded by (very emphatic!) howler monkeys a couple of mornings. All of the major Osa penninsula attractions are accessible by boat from the property, including: Cano Island, the beaches, and Corcovado. The night walk along the nearby unpaved road provided a great adventure with a wide range of spiders, tree-cutter ants, and other critters on display. A nearby stream and small waterfall provides a nice hike and adventure for the children.
2. The house itself is beautiful, well equipped, and immaculately clean. Everything is as nice as the photos suggest. Spectacular tropical hardwoods are in use and on display everywhere. The screening provides an open air feel. We spent many hours on the veranda; the luxurious master suite shower was especially welcome after long activity filled days,
3. The management team is awesome. As nice as the house is, the most pleasant surprise for us was the quality and sincere hospitality of the team who support Casa Rio Sierpe’s guests. First, we had several email exchanges with Mark (the owner) who advised us on many aspects of our trip. Mark was great to work with, throughout. Mark’s local agent, Rayna arranged for our transportation from San Jose, she met us in Palmar Norte to assist with grocery shopping, and then accompanied us to the house to ensure we were fully oriented and introduced to the local members of the team. Having Rayna in the area gave us the sense of security: “we can do this!” Reuben met us in Sierpe in the boat, and captained the 40 minute trip down the Sierpe river to the house. Throughout the week he provided transportation and guidance whenever we asked. He gave us tours through a locally famous fruit farm, toured us through the mangroves, and twice took us to the Pacific beaches. Adrianna provided daily house cleaning and she also did laundry three times. We had clean bathrooms, kitchen, towels, linens, and clothing throughout—a real luxury in the steamy heat. Finally, Dolly cooked dinners for us each night. She is a first-rate chef and is so friendly and congenial. The grandchildren loved her and her cooking. All three—Reuben, Adrianna, and Dolly— were extremely helpful, warm, and friendly—even though none of them speaks English and none of us speaks Spanish. There is very limited internet available, but we made plans with Reuben by texting Rayna via “What’s Ap” and she then made the arrangements with Reuben. In general sign language, and a few phrases from a translation dictionary worked adequately.
4. Rayna arranged two major touring activities, each beginning locally or right at our dock: snorkeling at Cano Island and the Corcovado tour. In addition Mark arranged for a horseback riding tour on the local roads, through the forest, culminating at waterfall and lagoon , followed by lunch at Dolly’s home. A favorite for all! Everyone was terrific and the adventures are not to be missed.
5. If there is a caution, it is that a week at Casa Rio Sierpe is a very active adventure. The walk from the dock is about a half mile, and the final 100 yards, or so, is a steeper than most 70 year-olds have likely climbed in a while. Still, we did it, and we would look forward to doing it again if the fates smile upon us. Perhaps the best measure: our grandchildren had a very difficult time narrowing down a list of their top-five favorite activities. And, were told they haven’t yet stopped telling their parents about the trip.
Thank you Mark and Lisley for sharing your wonderful home with us!
David and Judy Graham, Springfield, VA, USA
Visited February 2019
Written March 13, 2019. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Bristol
A rare find
It's actually two years since we visited for 9 days, but we still all talk about it. We are a family of four (kids were ages 12 and 10) and always look for unique holiday destinations without the crowds where we can do things to our own schedule.
Case Rio Sierpe is the most unique and exciting find I have ever made - to be able to have that combination of being totally away from the world, with friendly local staff to help you with everything, at an affordable price given everything that is included, is almost impossible to find.
We went to the local fruit farm (the owner was not there but Ruben showed us around), went horse riding with Cesar, went to the beach where Ruben opened coconuts for the girls, went on a boat trip and saw loads of squirrel monkeys, ziplined and went to the little waterfall.
Going to sleep at night is also an amazing experience with the noise of the rainforest and the howler monkeys to wake you up!
I learned some Spanish before I went but Rayna was invaluable at the end of the phone when we struggled to explain ourselves to Ruben and we really appreciated having her meet us and advise us at the supermarket. Mark and Lisley have set everything up in such a way that you feel like real adventurers but with lots of help when and where you want it. We also really enjoyed Adrianna's local cooking.
Thank you all, and sorry for the late review!
Visited April 2017
Written March 10, 2019. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Babar785
Paris, France
What a great place !
Simply amazing.
You are in the jungle among monkeys, toucans and crocodiles.
Dolly is a great chef, every meal was a new surprise.
And a huge thank to Reuben, as a wonderful guide.
It is one of the greatest stay we have ever had.
We strongly recommend it.
Visited August 2018
Written August 19, 2018. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Ashley G
Outstanding – exceptional experience well beyond expectations.
We recently spent 8 nights at the house and it was wonderful. The house itself was more beautiful and larger than I expected from viewing photos, but the details are what made it special- wonderful full kitchen, coffee bar, master bath, screens and door designs, and fabulous porch. I was traveling alone with my 8 year old son, neither one of us speak Spanish, and we had an absolutely wonderful time. Mark has created a situation that is impossible to top for a family vacation or even a couples get away. The house is lovely with gorgeous views of the river and the staff was exceptional ( I feel a better word is now family after a short visit instead of staff). Rayna the concierge coordinated our activities and was available at times via text or phone- I recommend her highly for arranging your itinerary if you are traveling in Costa Rica because she will include activities that unique. Rueben was a wonderful guide / boat driver and caretaker. He went above and beyond to make sure that my son was entertained and safe the entire trip- for ex. When we went fishing and did not catch fish, he took us into the mangroves to find crabs and insects that fascinated my son, he always made sure we could access the beach easily and did night walks pointing out amazing creatures – the night walks were one of the highlights of our stay. The beach was pristine and gorgeous on the pacific (it surpassed Manuel Antonio where we went next). The horseback riding was so wonderful that we rode several times- the horses were well taken care of and very well trained- my son galloped for the first time and loved swimming in a pristine waterfall after a trail ride through the jungle. We opted for Dolly preparing dinner meals and she was not only a fantastic cook but very fun and I would highly rec this option. Everyone was so wonderful and went out of their way to ensure that our stay was special- they even decorated the house with banners and balloons and made a cake when we were out on the boat for my son’s birthday. The overall stay was more of an experience than a house rental packed with activities and relaxation- I could not recommend it highly enough especially for families with kids. Mark has really done an outstanding job and we are grateful to have been able to share the experience by being his guests. In addition, the costs overall were substantially less than staying at an ecolodge where activities are not included, but more importantly, the flexibility and service really allowed us to enjoy everything the area has to offer. We will definitely return again because it was truly an experience of a lifetime.
Visited June 2018
Written July 17, 2018. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
NicholasRyan
Chicago, IL
Second Time Back - Even Better than the First!!!
OK - here it is: What made this trip even better the second time, was the fact that we actually booked our stay twice as long! In this day and age, to be able to truly escape away from the noise, distractions and, frankly, hoards of tourists, is almost unheard of. Seriously, we have traveled all over the world and have found none more quiet and peaceful than Casa Rio Sierpe. The prodigious amount of jungle fauna & flora makes this destination a no brainer for any serious nature lover. Costa Rica is an awesome country, but this right here folks... this IS the real deal. So, check it out. Here's what we saw during our week in the jungle: tapirs, macaws, toucans, all 4 monkey species, an ant eater, 3 tayras, crocs, sloths, agoutis, poison dart frogs, bull sharks, whales, and more bird species than I care to count. I'm probably forgetting a bunch more!
Furthermore, there is now the capability of hiring a private chef for a reasonable price so we had our meals cooked for us every night! Just to make things even more bomb, we imported about a case of high-end wine. Just imagine yourself sort of eating at a restaurant with some Napa Cab and Barolo or whatever in the middle of the jungle. Oh the juxtaposition! Love it.
The local hosts Rueben and Adrianna are fantastic, bend-over-backwards, and provide the knowledge and skill to navigate the awesome rain forest. We love those folks, and they really help complete the picture.
Finally, there is much more than I have time to write about now, but there is a waterfall behind the house, horse back riding, hiking, virtually "free" (only pay for gasoline which is dirt cheap) boat rides anytime you want to fish (we caught snappers and cooked them on the grill) or see sloths in the mangroves, deep sea fishing, snorkeling, visiting gorgeous beaches (without a single person in sight), and much, much more! Look, you should just go :)
Visited December 2017
Written March 3, 2018. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
WendyYates
Valley Center, CA
Jungle adventure that was everything we expected and so much MORE!
We can't thank Mark and Lisley enough for being such wonderful hosts! It was exactly the experience that we were looking for, and BETTER! To be able to be in the middle of the jungle but also able to stay in a beautiful and wonderfully appointed home was perfect! Everyone is fantastic! Rayna was incredible with her reliable communication, organization of events, and helpful hints on so many things. Ruben and his family were super heroes, Cesar was awesome (and was super fun to talk animals with), and Dolly was so cheerful and accommodating with her delicious and beautifully presented meals! She did a wonderful job accommodating our vegan's request and always came up with a special meal just for her. I usually don't do laundry on vacation, but I'm so glad that is provided as an option given that nothing stays dry in the jungle. We had everything that we needed to be very comfortable (electricity, running and hot water, kitchen utensils, cooler for day trips, etc.). And then of course Mark's personal attention to detail was not only so very helpful, it was also comforting having so much information before we made our trip all the way there. I honestly can't say enough about how much we enjoyed our stay in the beautiful Casa Rio Sierpe and we will be recommending it to everyone we know for sure. If you are even slightly considering going to Casa Rio Sierpe, DO IT!!
Visited January 2018
Written January 16, 2018. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Mark L
Magical
We enjoyed five days in this most beautiful corner of the world. Each day was a new adventure as we were awakened by the sounds of monkeys, and birds, with peaceful and lovely views as the backdrop. The house itself is incredibly well cared for with creature comforts that are hard to believe are possible in the middle of the rainforest.
Mark (the owner) was quickly responsive to every question we had. He understands hospitality at a world class level. Adrianna and Ruben are indeed lovely people who care for the house, property, and guests like they are their own. Rayna handled the rest of the travel and grocery shopping logistics and left us with not a thing to worry about.
From the list of activities available we chose a visit to the fruit farm (an absolute must do), the beach, and some river fishing on the first day. Day hikes, a night hike, kayaking, and the day of horseback riding exposed us to so many gorgeous sights, sounds, and smells. The lunch available near the end of the horseback adventure was nothing less than incredible.
We also took advantage of the private tour option for a trip to Corcovado National Park. That enabled us to see sloths, anteaters, tapirs, four kinds of monkeys, birds, and so many other animals not able to be seen elsewhere. This was well worth the extra effort to get to and a highlight of the trip.
If you need a dose of peaceful, quiet, lush tropical beauty this is the place to go.
Visited December 2017
Written January 6, 2018. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
TinkyTraveler
Greensboro, NC
Awesome Relaxing Place!
Casa Rio Sierpe exceeded our expectations in every way. It is the perfect retreat for nature lovers and those who want to get “off the grid” and experience nature at its best. It’s kind of like glamping with the emphasis on the glamour part - experiencing life in the jungle completely exposed to nature and its sounds 24/7, but with top-notch amenities. We heard howlers every day and watched them with their babies from the porch. The jungle is an awesome place and Casa Rio Sierpe allows you to experience it at its fullest. Terrific service and attention from both owners and staff - loved this place!
Visited September 2017
Written October 14, 2017. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
slinky223
Santa Clarita, CA
Paradise
Home was beautiful and you really felt like you were in the middle of a rain forest with birds, monkeys and rain sounds! We were busy everyday with kayaking, horse back riding, hiking, fishing, swimming and going to gardens. Plus, very few tourists around so all the attention remained on us! We had a personal guide Rubin that would drive the boat and as well as anything else we needed. Plus, his wife Arianna cleaned the house and came to the house 3 times to cook which was wonderful to have when you are to tired to cook. Mark the owner was so nice and very attentive, it was great to know everyone really cared! This place is wonderful if you want to be active and have fun! I will recommend to everyone!
Visited June 2017
Written June 22, 2017. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Cybamuse
Burnaby, Canada
Best place to stay in Costa Rica!
From the moment you dip your toes into wondering whether to stay at Casa Rio Sierpe, Mark (the owner) wants to make sure you know this is going to be a good decision! Responses are quick and reassuring and lots of advice is offered. Even after booking, you are given additional information to plan your stay & also put in touch with a local travel agent who can help you with getting there and going on tours in the Corcovado National Park. And as the time draws closer, there will be a couple of gentle reminders that everyone is looking forward to your stay and want to make sure you will be getting the most out of your visit.
From the moment we were met in Sierpe by Rayna (local travel agent), and taken to the boat that was going to take us for the 30 minute trip down to the Casa, we were in good hands. Reuben was our captain and it turned out, exceptional and extremely observant guide for any tours we did. We were met at the house by Adriana, Reuben's wife, with a very refreshing cool towelette (necessary after walking up the short but steep driveway in the heat!).
The house is just stunning... It is done in a variety of woods... comfortable furniture, lots of decks (which you will spend a lot of time on, looking for and observing wildlife...), incredible view. Cooking facilities and fridge etc were all fabulous and the upstairs bathroom... wow!!!! Any down time was spent on the deck where we saw a variety of bird life - toucans, mealy parrots, scarlet macaws... A small troup of howler monkeys regularly passed by overhead in the canopy.
We were there for 4 nights and 3 full days which is probably the barest of bare minimums you want to be there. Quite honestly, we wish we'd stayed at least one more night and probably several more. It was easy to set up a variety of local activities with Reuben including night walks, local hikes, fishing, kayaking, going to one of 2 nearby beaches - all included! I cannot begin to tell you how impressed we were with Reuben's ability to see animals!!! He is AMAZING!!! From the tinniest critter to the most camouflaged, he saw them all and pointed them out to us.
In addition, Mark suggested we go on a horseback trip which we did and thoroughly enjoyed.
Our stay at Casa Rio Sierpe was definitely the highlight of our trip to Costa Rica and we wish we'd spent more time there. We'll probably be back some time because it was just so incredible there... You won't regret any decision to stay here!
Visited May 2017
Written May 26, 2017. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
What this rental offers
Nearby
- Hiking areas
- Countryside area
- Horse riding facilities
Living spaces
- Highchair
Scenic views
- Waterfront views
- Ocean views
- Mountain views
Property features
- Staff on property
- Ceiling Fans
Location info
- Kid friendly
- Beachfront/Lakeside
- City getaway
Outdoor amenities
- Private yard
- Balcony
- Terrace
- Patio
- Deck
Wi-fi and internet
- Wi-fi
Bathroom and laundry
- Washer
- Dryer
- Towels provided
- Linens provided
Entertainment
- Stereo system
Additional amenities
- Boat available
Things to do
- Fishing spots available
- Watersports
Kitchen and dining
- Stove
- Grill
- Refrigerator
- Freezer
- Kettle
Indoor amenities
- Internet access
Services
- Housekeeping included
Location features
- Waterfront location
Map
Getting there
Juan Santamaria Intl Airport
94.4 mi
Palmur Sur Airport
12.8 mi
Restaurants
Soda Calilos
2.7 mi
About the neighborhood
Casa Rio Sierpe is located among 2500 acres of private reserve and adjoins the Térraba-Sierpe National Wetlands in the Osa Peninsula—one of the most beautiful and wild parts of this country and home to 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity.
THE OSA PENINSULA
Located in the south west of Costa Rica, the Osa Peninsula is one of the most remote, most spectacular and wildest regions in the country. It is one of the last places in Costa Rica to be settled - it is only within the last 10 years that it has had road access - and consequently much of the Peninsula is still covered in majestic, pristine rainforest. At least half of the Osa's extensive tracts of rainforest and swamps are protected by Corcovado National Park, and Private Reserves. Its forests are home to endangered species such as Baird's tapir, the white-lipped peccary, the jaguars the America crocodiles, and the harpy eagle (only recently been re-sighted). It boasts the largest population of the endangered scarlet macaws in the country, and is the center of the very restricted distribution of the endangered Central American squirrel monkey. This small peninsula is host to almost half of Costa Rica's 860 species of birds (that is almost 5% of the world's species!), 140 species of mammals, and 117 species of reptiles and amphibians. Almost 750 species of trees have been cataloged in the area, more trees than in all of the North temperate regions of the world combined. Impressive credentials indeed! Per unit area, the Osa Peninsula holds possibly the highest natural diversity on earth. The National Geographic magazine described the Osa Peninsula as 'the most biologically intense place on earth'. This description is a reference to the incredible abundance of wildlife on the Osa Peninsula -not only in it's rainforests, but in it's surrounding marine environment as well. Botanically, the Osa Peninsula has strong affinities with that of the Amazon and Orinoco basins, and its unique forests contain more endemic plants and animals than in any other area of Central America. Climatically, the Osa is the wettest place on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, receiving up to 160 inches of rain annually. Some of the Osa Peninsula's landmarks are described below.
RIO SIERPE and the Terraba River valley
The Rio Sierpe and its watershed, the Dequis Valley, isolate the Osa Peninsula from the mainland. This substantial river is unusual in that it is tidal almost up to its source, the Sierpe Lagoon. The Rio Sierpe is roughly divisible into two wetland areas: the flooded forests of the upper Rio Sierpe basin, and the extensive mangrove swamps of its delta.
The upper Rio Sierpe wetland is virtually uninhabited, relatively unspoiled and it contains large areas of raffia palm swamp, flooded forest and lagoons. Fingers of high ground, thickly clad in rain forest, permeate this area.
The delta of the Rio Sierpe, which it shares with the Rio Terraba, is the most extensive area of mangrove swamp in Costa Rica and largest in Latin America (almost 50% of all the mangrove wetland of the country). This swamp is permeated by a maze of channels in which it is easy to become lost! The eight species of mangrove found here are some of the tallest in the world – red, black, grey, and tea mangroves being the most common varieties. The impressive mangroves provide a valuable coastal ecosystem to an abundance of avian, mammalian, reptilian and aquatic animals.
Birding enthusiasts come from all over the globe to experience the area’s phenomenal birdwatching opportunities. Both resident and migratory birds visit these swamps, which also boast two endemic hummingbird species: the mangrove hummingbird and the yellow-billed cotinga.
On the coastal fringe of this delta, near the mouth of the Rio Sierpe, lies Violin Island. Sir Francis Drake reputedly buried a large treasure here. The many attempts to find this treasure have met with no success. However, Violin Island has yielded many gold nuggets of one or more kilos in weight.
CAÑO ISLAND BIOLOGICAL RESERVE
Located 12 miles of the western coast of the Osa Peninsula, Caño Island is 300 hectares in area with 5,800 hectares of Sea included in the Reserve. While the Island itself is home to relatively few animals and plants, its surrounding waters abound with marine life: colourful reef fish, impressive schools of large pelagic fish, manta rays, sharks, turtles, whales and dolphins. Caño Island is second only to Coco Island in the quality of its diving in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica not only offers some of the best sport fishing in the world, it delivers as well. With over 44 line class records, 14 fly records, and 18 all-tackle records, the fishing experience here is nothing short of a bona fide phenomena ;Sailfish, Black marlin, Blue marlin,Yellow fin tuna,Albacore,Grouper,Pargo,Pomano,Dorado,Wahoo all had to be caught has given this land its claim to fame!
Getting around
The best way to see the sights while visiting Casa Rio Sierpe is by cruising the river with the included boat and Captain, taking a guided nature hike or exploring the rain forest on horseback!
Access
Car not needed
How to get there
Please contact us and we will send you a very detailed pre-booking information package explaining everything from transportation options to how and where to purcahse food.
Activities nearby
Fishing spots availableHorse riding facilitiesWatersports
About this property
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Frequently Asked Questions about BOAT,FREE TOURS & STAFF All Incl. Luxury Rainforest & Waterfront Home
- BOAT,FREE TOURS & STAFF All Incl. Luxury Rainforest & Waterfront Home is able to accommodate up to 8 guests. See all property details.
- BOAT,FREE TOURS & STAFF All Incl. Luxury Rainforest & Waterfront Home has 2 bathrooms available. See all property details.
- BOAT,FREE TOURS & STAFF All Incl. Luxury Rainforest & Waterfront Home has 2 bedrooms available. See all property details.