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Bella Vista

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  • 1500 Vista Club Circle
     San Jose, California 95054
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Todd W.
Todd W.
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
1
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2
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Editor Pick

Bella Vista

  • October 26, 2000
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Todd W. from Atlanta, Georgia
Bella Vista

The Bella Vista is 10 km south of Domenical, which is on the Pacific coast about 30 km south of San Isidro del General (basically, it''s in the middle of nowhere). It''s a restored farmhouse on a high hill, accessible only by horse or four-wheel drive (you can take a taxi to the base of the hill and walk - not recommended - or call ahead of time for a ride). The main house has three rooms and two shared bathrooms. There''s also a more private home just down the hill. The views of the Pacific on one side and the mountains on the other are incredible, as are the sounds - toucans, howler monkeys, the surf, and little else. Woody Dyer, the owner and host, is one of the most gracious people you will ever meet and an excellent cook to boot (ask him to fix you his jambalaya or etoufee - they''re phenomenal). We would sit in the kitchen and talk for hours until the lights went out. Woody also owns dozens of horses, and his guide (Marino) will take you on horseback through the rainforest to a beautiful waterfall for swimming for the day for about $20 each. You can also visit Brian down the hill, owner of Finca Brian y Milena. He can be a little grumpy at times, but he''s generally a nice guy and he has a naturally heated hot tub. He''ll take you on tours of his fruit farm for a fee, and he also has a guest hut way up in the hills. He also loves jazz and playing chess... In all, the Bella Vista is a once-in-a-lifetime place. It honestly hurts to leave. If you go for a few days, you''ll be very glad you did. You can find the fax number (Woody doesn''t have a phone) in several guide books on Costa Rica.

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