Reviews

• Julie New York

  What an amazing trip to Tuelmar! We recently spent 10 days at Villa Cielito and it was probably the best family vacation we have been on. We are a family of four -- two girls age 12 and 10. Ashley was our concierge and was amazing. She literally took care of ALL our needs and helped make our trip an incredible experience. She was in touch with us as soon as we booked and sent us all kinds of information on the resort, activities, and Costa Rica. It was really great to have EVERYTHING taken care of for us. This was our second trip to Costa Rica and by far the best. I told Ashley all the activities we did last year and she helped find us new and different ones and all of them were amazing. MY husband wanted private surf lessons and Ashely set up everything for us.....from getting a rack on our rental car, to getting an amazing instructor and a great board. The entire process was flawless.

  Last year, I promised the girls wildlife. Well, we visited Guanacaste and Arenal areas and saw very little wildlife. They were doubtful this year. Ashley texted me five minutes before we were arriving that we had a balcony full of monkeys. We opened the door to our villa and there they were! My girls were so excited. Last year, we saw a sloth in a tree about 100 ft high with binoculars. This year we saw a baby sloth 2 villas away on the front balcony inches away from us! We also saw a mom sloth in a tree 5 feet away. We saw Toucans and iguanas and hermit crabs galore. Monkeys were with us every day at the restaurant and villa.

  The biggest highlight for us was the beach. It was amazing. If you like to boogie board like we do, this is your spot. Tons of boards for use and perfect wave after wave. We met David at the beach the first day and he never forgot my name. He spent the entire week making sure we were always set up at the beach no matter what time we arrived.

  When we usually go away, at one point I'm ready to go home to a familiar comfort. This was the first time I did not feel this way. I could have stayed forever. I was EXTREMELY comfortable in the villa. We are in the process of rebooking for another year. This place has everything for everyone in the family. It's magical.

  Finally, I will say that Costa Rica is an amazing country. I find all the people incredibly friendly, kind, and helpful. Costa Ricans love their country and really take care of it. It is one of my favorite places in the world and we have travelled a lot pre and post kids. You won't be disappointed.

• Mary Los Angeles, California

  My husband and I booked Villa Cielito with our two children (15 and 13 yrs old) for Thanksgiving week. I cannot say how beautiful the Tulemar property is!! The Villa was stunning and our concierge for the week Ashley welcomed our family with open arms. Anything we needed during our stay was arranged for seamlessly and perfectly with her. Our off property excursions were a blast and everyone we encountered in Costa Rica was extremely kind and accommodating. We saw tons of beautiful wildlife on the Tulemar property and thoroughly enjoyed all the offered amenities. The food and service was first class! We will definitely return!

• Alejandra San Diego, California

  This villa has the best views in all of Manual Antonio. The villa is modern, full equipped with everything you could need and gorgeous! You don't even need to leave your villa. We saw more animals at the villa and Tulemar than the National Park Tour we paid for. Note that the two downstairs bathrooms are outside including the toilets but it's mostly enclosed so it didn't bother us too much (except at night when we preferred to use the upstairs). The outdoor rain showers are amazing. You not only have the amazing villa but you have access to all the gorgeous Tulemar pools and beaches where you can use free kayaks and chairs. The beaches and pools were not crowded at all when we were there- it was as if the pools were private just for us. You can take a free shuttle down to the beach as it can be a bit of a walk downhill or uphill for older couples. I just love this property and the service was wonderful. Ask for Ashley and she will make sure you are well taken care of. This was one of my favorite places I have ever stayed and that says a lot since I am a travel addict!

• Anna Savannah, Georgia

  Our family of four (kids ages 6 and 10) stayed at Villa Cielito for a week earlier this month, and we had a fabulous experience. Ashley, our concierge, met us when we arrived and immediately made us feel welcome. She ensured we were comfortable with the villa and the amenities at Tulemar, and throughout our stay, she cheerfully helped us with activities and reservations. Tulemar is a beautiful resort with plenty of lush foliage, wildlife and gorgeous ocean views. We took full advantage of the beach and the pools, and we also just enjoyed walking around the property. Our individual, two-bedroom, two and a half bath villa was the perfect choice for us. We were able to make some meals, and the laundry facilities were invaluable to our family. One of our meals was prepared by a chef in our villa (the food was amazing!), which made for a relaxing evening "at home". We also took advantage of several off property activities - zip lining with Canopy Safari and a tour of the spice plantation Villa Vanilla were our favorites. All four of us thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Villa Cielito at Tulemar, and we would highly recommend it for a family vacation!