Last year we stayed at Casa Arbol, right next to Casa Cielo Azul, so we knew what to expect. We did not get disappointed - for a larger group or family Casa Cielo Azul is ideal. We love it!

We truly enjoyed staying at this property because it is a beautiful and well designed house. The open windows reminds you that you are in the forest but yet you are protected by the mesh nets and can hear the birds in the morning and the monkeys at night. You can enjoy the forest when taking a ride to the private beach which is the other wonder. The staff are very friendly and helpful when needed.

A friend and I rented the Forest Surf Villa for 2 weeks and we were very satisfied with our choice. The house is absolutely lovely and the views are breathtaking. The infinity pool was a nice way to cool off after a day at the beach or to just hang out all day. The master bedrooms are spacious and comfortable each with en suite full bathrooms (even had double sinks). Again the views from the bedrooms were amazing, the star gazing was awesome. The location provides a jungle stay feeling without being too hard to access. You do however need a 4x4 to get to the house, which is fine since the car rental agencies provide very good choices in San Juan del Sur. Accessing the Playones beach is a short drive or hike, which is well worth the effort as it is a pretty big white sand beach where you won't be packed like sardines. There are many other beaches we visited in the vicinity as well...all beautiful. We always felt safe and well taken care for which is important to 2 women travelling alone. The security staff were extremely nice and helpful. I do have to mention Gabriella from Remax since she was of GREAT help to us. She made sure we had all the knowledge we needed about San Juan del Sur, Balcones and all the surrounding areas. Thanks to her we ate like queens in some excellent restaurants, we saw the sights that Nicaragua has to offer and our stay was safe, fun and the house was perfect, except for the toaster :) This vacation exceeded our expectations!!!

We had a great trip despite some small disappointment in the house itself. The local beach was quiet and beautiful and the kids enjoyed the public "surfing beach". Nerves of steel are required to drive to town in San Juan del Sur, up and down the rocky, steep roads while bypassing cattle, dogs, chickens, reckless drivers in cars and dirt bikes and pedestrians. Four-wheel drive an absolute must! However, once in town we enjoyed excellent and reasonably-priced meals. We felt safe in the house and in town. Locals were friendly and honest. The bones of this house were unique and beautiful but in general it would benefit from a bit of maintenance. Appliances did not all function or function well (burners on the stove, toaster, phone, etc), deck furniture was a bit tattered and electricity outages occurred almost daily. There was a small lack of privacy as the walls do not reach up to the ceilings, allowing sound to travel from room to room and throughout the house. Also, bathrooms in the bedrooms did not have doors if that sort of thing bothers you. However, the views from the house and in particular the large master bedroom were breathtaking. It was incredible to sleep in the open-air setting and we loved the cooling breezes and sounds of nature from outside. Security and maintenance staff were quite nice and very hardworking but communicating our needs was challenging as they spoke little or no English. We too were a bit worried renting directly from the owners but our fears were eliminated during several phone and e-mail conversations prior to our trip. The owners provided excellent driving directions and tips to help us enjoy the vacation.

I was so nervous to book a villa from a private owner over the Internet but We decided to take the chance, and two weeks later we were absolutely blown away. This villa was truly a beautiful adventure. The villa was huge! There was only two of us and our little girl so we really only used a couple rooms total. The architecture inside was breath taking. Surrounding our villa was a family of howling monkeys, which was so cool to see! With the security guard standing outside our villa 24hrs, as well as the secured gate to enter the community, we always felt safe. I would highly recommend this place to anyone!! It was truly incredible.

The photos cannot capture what a lovely home this is. Beautifully designed, amazing view and tremendously peaceful. With no windows the air is perfect and breezes relaxing. My girlfriend and I spent a week here and it was perfect for us, and would be ideal for a larger group as well. Well worth the bumpy dirt road ride from town. We cooked breakfast and dinner here daily (including fish we caught) as both of us have worked in restaurants for years (me on the wine side) and I have a food blog. Plenty of utensils, pots, pans etc. We do recommend making a trip to the street markets in Rivas for your produce...better quality and better variety (and less expensive). We surfed (and stood among huge Manta rays) at Playa Maderas, lazed on the beach at Playa Majaguel, helped baby turtles to the sea at La Flor, went night fishing catching 40 red snapper. Wonderful time. Thank you

We loved our stay at the Forest and Surf Villa. The house is an architectural gem - very open, beautiful wood, gorgeous views of the ocean. We spent most of our time on the porch swing. We traveled with an infant (5.5 months), toddler (2.5 years) and four adults (including two seniors) and it all went so well. A gorgeous, quiet beach is a short drive from the villa. We heard lots of monkeys, but they were never a nuisance. The beds are comfy, there is a washer and dryer and the place comes with two surf boards and yoga mats. It also stays fairly cool there - compared to the beach. We were never bothered by mosquitoes. Things to know: the drive down to Sjds is long-ish and bumpy, so get supplies in advance. It is very helpful to bring a flash light or headlamp for when you get back after dark, although the paths to the villa are well lit. We didn't have hot water or wireless for the first two days, but it was then fixed (probably would have been fixed sooner, but it was Christmas). The lighting in the kitchen is unpleasant and the kitchen needs more glasses and bowls and a big cutting board. These are all small things, though - we loved our time there.

Wonderful house, wonderful surroundings. Note, though, the house is a solid 30 min ride from town via tough dirt roads. Would certainly recommend this house. It was a wonderful retreat. And, the trip to town isn't a big deal if you're planning to spend alot of time at the house and/or at Playa Maderas.

We had extremely high hopes for our stay in Nicaragua and, specifically, for the Forest and Surf Villa. Everything exceeded those high hopes. We were a group of 4 and we each wanted to do different things on vacation. We were united by wanting to have an adventure, but I wanted to surf, others wanted to do yoga and explore the local culture, and others wanted to lounge around with a cocktail. If you are looking for an all-inclusive, lounge at a private and perfectly manicured vacation - this is not for you. However, if you are looking for an adventure where you can wake up each day and choose whether you want to be active or lazy - I can't think of a better place. It's a few minutes out of town and is quite an adventure getting there - bumpy roads and pot holes but you are surrounded by incredible beauty. The house is fascinating, interesting, beautiful, spacious and completely peaceful. The view is spectacular and literally takes your breath away every morning. We were woken up to the sounds of howler monkeys, felt like we were truly in a tree house and didn't have to sacrifice all of that for incredible luxury. Nearby is Playa Maderas - the perfect place to sip on beers, surf, sip on beers, surf on beers, and surf. The town is 20 minutes away but the peace and solitude of the house makes that so worth it. So, if you are looking for an adventure, solitude and beauty and are willing to put up with a bit of a trek and not having amenities a walk away - The Forest and Surf Villa is an adventure in Paradise.

Forest and Surf Villa is a real paradise! Feel in peace, connected to nature...