We did lots of research before finding this house. When we found it, I thought there had to be a catch. In that area of Costa Rica, even the hotels are not on the beach. They advertise “5 minute walk to the beach!” or “Only 300 meters to the beach!”. What you see in Brett’s photos is even more impressive in person. The house is ON the beach, and far enough away from the tourist areas that, during this busy spring break week (the airport was packed with Americans) we felt like we had a private beach. A beautiful beach, with a view of the island, and amazing sunsets every night, all to ourselves. The water is safe, our kids swam and body-surfed every free minute, while I fly-fished in the surf for snook. They chased hermit crabs and geckos every night, then passed out, exhausted and happy. It was perfect.

There are 5 of us and the house had more than enough space. It’s very, very clean, and has everything we needed. The hot water works. The AC in the bedrooms works. Both kitchens had anything we needed. The beautiful patio is where we ate breakfast and a few lazy dinners, looking out at the ocean. The kids would fight over the hammock. For two dinners we walked to the nearby pescaderia (ask Melissa or David how to find it) and grilled what they had fresh.

We didn’t rent a car, Melissa reco’d a shuttle service to/from the airport which was very reasonable. We took a beautiful 15 minute stroll down the beach into town for our surf classes, or when we wanted a meal out or some Caipirinha cocktails (for mom and dad) and fresh-fruit smoothies (for the kids). There are great restaurants in town, and not a single chain business (other than the Pali grocery). Samara is small, charming, and still very ‘Tico’. The Costa Rican people were as friendly as we’d heard. We booked a couple excursions, which picked us up at the house.

I read one reviewer who complained about the interior of the house. I can’t imagine driving through some of the neighborhoods we saw in CR– seeing how so many people live, happily, with a Pura Vida attitude while in near poverty– and then complaining about Brett’s truly fantastic house. This isn’t a luxury all-inclusive golf resort, and that’s why we loved it. It’s an awesome beach house. Brett and his property managers were incredibly helpful, every step, and very prompt and responsive to my many, many emails, both prior to our arrival and while we were there. Thanks Brett, we’ll be back!

As our first trip to Costa Rica, we wanted to find a lesser known town and stay in a house on the beach suitable for our family of 5. We wanted ample sleeping, a kitchen, AC, laundry, cleanliness, and security…impossible right? Nope – this property has EVERYTHING you need and plenty more to make sure your stay in beautiful Samara is perfect. The house is beautiful, well maintained and the front gate opens onto the sand…tough to beat. The beach is perfect for kids, the sand is soft, the sunsets are surreal. You can easily walk to town, or other beachfront restaurants, there is a great local fish market around the corner, and you truly get the feeling that you are in Costa Rica…not some touristy resort. The sounds of the waves, put you to sleep at night. But the most valuable resource is Brett, the owner. He goes out of his way, well in advance, to make sure that you have all the information you need to have a great stay. It is clear he takes pride in his property, but your experience as well. He even followed up with us after we arrived to make sure we were settled and didn’t have any more questions – very much appreciated, and the local management is super helpful as well. Being that we are not typically the ones to leave reviews, it’s simple to say that this was a perfect property, with great service, on a beautiful beach, with SO MUCH to do. We will definitely be back. Thanks Brett!!

Owner’s Response:
Thank you for the compliments Tony, I’m so glad your family had such a great time. And of course I’m looking forward to your return trip! Pura vida!

Views are amazing, house is beautiful, has everything you need and then some. Owner was very helpful.

We just returned from our stay at Brett’s house in Playa Samara and the house is exactly as it looks in the pictures and is as good as all the reviews indicate. My wife and I were there with our three daughters for four nights and had a fantastic time. The beach is literally right out the backyard. The water was warm and the waves were perfect. We went snorkeling, fishing, and our girls went horseback riding on the beach. The house is very clean and comfortable and perfect for a large family or even two small families, as both the upstairs and downstairs have fully equipped kitchens and bathrooms. We used the charcoal grill and cooked at the house, and also ate at some great restaurant in the town of Samara (Ma Ma Gui’s and Coco’s). The location is a short walk down the beach from the town of Playa Samara. We felt very safe at all times and hope to return in the future. Thank you Brett and Pura Vida!

Our stay at Perla Mar was idyllic-the house is wonderfully situated a short distance from the town center on the beach making it quiet and peaceful. The upper floor gets wonderful breezes that blow through the balcony. The interior is lovely stained wood with high ceilings making the rooms feel big but cozy. Brett is a great host, very accessible with valuable information about the area and Costa Rica in general. Really enjoyed our stay there.

Highly recommended house… An easy 10 minute walk along the main beach into the heart of Samara. Well appointed and clean. We would come back again in a heartbeat!

Brett’s place is everything you could want in a Costa Rican beach house. First, it’s right on the water–at high tide you can practically dive from the second floor into the waves. And what a beautiful stretch of beach it is, with fantastic sunrise and sunset views and warm safe water for daily swims. The house is on the quiet end of the beach, which means often we were the only ones visible within a half mile. But the town of Samara, and its funky shops and awesome restaurants and bars is less than a mile walk along the water, so you don’t need a car (though we were happy to have one to take day trips to nearby beaches and drive for groceries). The house itself is simple but lovely, especially the upstairs with its wood floors and high ceilings. The bedrooms are air-conditioned, which we were glad of in the hot month of March, but there’s a great cross breeze through the main areas of the house and screens everywhere. Often that was enough to keep us cool. There are two kitchens and sleeping for four both upstairs and down, so it would be a great set-up for two families sharing. The beds are comfortable, the place was spotless when we arrived, and the property manager Melissa was very helpful with anything we needed. Internet worked great throughout the house, and the water was hot, both luxuries I did not expect. The upstairs and downstairs porches were great places to hang out, listen to the ocean, and watch birds, monkeys, and jealous tourists (who wished they had our sweet set-up) go by. We had the reservations for a year, and throughout it, Brett was great about communicating and answering questions. To be clear, this is a simple beach home, not a luxury resort property–and frankly, in our opinion, that’s what makes it so perfect. Pura Vida!

Owner’s Response:
Thanks for your friendly comments, Nick & Kate. You were wonderful guests and of course welcome back any time. Melissa said you were a pleasure to deal with, and treated the home as if it were yours. Thanks again, and Pura Vida!

Love the location and the space! Nice to have two separate apartments though we did all of our cooking and coffee making in the downstairs apartment. Would recommend the early risers/night owls to sleep downstairs if anyone happens to be both like they were in our group. We liked the newly installed ceiling fans in the bedrooms.

To echo the words of many other reviewers, this is a perfectly located beach house to enjoy Samara and other local beaches. Easy to walk in to town along the beach, quick car ride over to Carrillo beach, only minutes north by car to the incredible Barrigona beach. Brett is a very helpful owner that will help maximize your experience in Costa Rica. You are in a local neighborhood, not a resort area, which we found to be one of the many highlights. Pura Vida!

Owner’s Response:
Thanks Scott. So glad everything worked out so well. I appreciate your communication during the stay. You were a great guest!

A stunning location on a beautiful, swimmable beach — with hardly any other people around. The house is great! Perfect for a beach vacation with patio seating on both floors, plenty of space, and air conditioned bedrooms to make sleeping more bearable in the hot weather. Fall asleep and wake up to the sound of the waves! The house is in a residential neighborhood, a few minutes drive or a 20 minute walk across the beach to get to the shops and restaurants. Brett went out of his way to accommodate my chemical sensitivity and gave tons of information about the area. Highly recommend the property — we were sorry we only got to stay five nights!