Family-friendly vacation rentals in El Castillo

Carolina was the most incredible host ever - extremely helpful before and during our trip. we also absolutely loved the house - the view and property are astounding. I would absolutely return to Carolina's house again just to explore even more! I wish we had booked more time here!

All the reviews are spot on! This is our 3rd trip to Costa Rica and we were looking for something a little different than a normal stay at a resort. Eduardo & Marshal (father & son) were the most wonderful hosts and made us feel so welcome. The house is huge! We enjoyed the balcony the most because you won’t have a better view in all of Costa Rica. It’s phenomenal! Towels were provided for trips to the hot springs. We did a rafting trip with our boys in the area, recommended and booked by Eduardo, that we will always remember. If you want to see toucans flying in the wild…book this amazing place right now. It was perfect sleeping at night. The windows were open, no bugs, and it even felt a little chilly during the night. Extra blankets were provided in all the sleeping areas. Our kids enjoyed the one bedroom apartment up top. The house has 3 separate areas for sleeping and hanging out. We loved it all and wanted to take the dog home with us! We hope to stay again!

Our family truly enjoyed staying at Chiri Glamping. Our son had a great time climbing on the rock wall, swinging, sliding, and soaking in the hot tub. The bed and linens were the most comfortable of all our accommodations in 12 nights in CR - luxurious and plush. The bathroom was surrounded by nature and the shower products were soothing and relaxing, and everyone had their own robe. The essential oils were a nice touch, and the ac kept the room cool and inviting. We cooked dinner in the well stocked kitchen, and my husband got an amazing cocktail in the beautiful restaurant. The front desk staff was friendly, thorough, and escorted us to our room. The view overlooks Santa Elena and it was striking to watch the clouds come in and then go out within minutes. This is truly and special experience. We did hear music in the night from a nearby business and there was a bike race in the morning that woke us quite early, but in this convenient to town location, it is inevitable. Recommended!

We had a great stay! It was amazing to have a pool and a hot tub. The place was clean and comfortable. We also loved having the common terrace area to hang out where we could see the volcano. There are tons of restaurants right nearby and it is a quick walk to downtown La Fortuna. All of the staff who work on the property were really nice and helpful. It felt very safe and we felt very welcome. The option to have breakfast delivered was very nice, especially since we had 2 young kids traveling with us. I was impressed by how good the breakfasts were! We used Rodrigo as a cab driver, who was recommended in the document provided by the hosts and he was reliable, friendly, and knew where the property was, so that made things very easy for check-in! The only thing that wasn’t 100% perfect was that the beds were very, very firm. Too firm for me, but that is a personal preference.

An absolute incredible stay, I was blown away as soon as I arrived and it was even better than the pictures. David was so helpful, answered my questions quickly and always checked in to make sure I was okay and comfortable. The cabin was extremely clean, bathroom super clean and comfortable bed. The surrounding is paradise and loved doing my yoga sessions in the middle of the plants. I will absolutely be coming back. Thank you David SO SO MUCH!

We stayed at Pie in the sky in February as a family with our 3 kids, it was about a 3 hour drive from the Liberia airport. We loved the observation tower, the beautiful views, plants and animals, the pool and the hot tub! It was very peaceful and gorgeous there. We did Sky Adventures zipline (just down the road), hiked at Arenal 1968, and went to the La Fortuna Waterfall. We ate at a lot of the nearby restaurants. We loved that Fusion was walkable to the house. Our favorite was Jungle Love Lounge. I would recommend getting groceries in the city you fly into, as it was hard to find a lot of items even in La Fortuna (especially if you have dietary restrictions). and there's hardly any fresh food items in the El Castillo grocery stores- only shelf stable. We did find out that El Castillo has a feria (farmers market) on Fridays and Saturdays right next to the school and we got a lot of great fruit and vegetables there. We'd definitely stay again!

Perfect place for weeks getaway and quality time with family

Ranch Villa Arenal was truly amazing - a one-of-a-kind property in El Tanque, a small neighborhood just a short drive from La Fortuna. The property is absolutely beautiful with an abundance of flowers and trees of all sorts, meticulously maintained by Joaquin the gardener (who is extremely kind and gave us a tour of the property). The pool and hot tub were perfect for what we needed, and the house itself was very clean and well maintained. We took advantage of Yadi's cooking which did not disappoint! My friends and I ordered breakfast every morning and dinner two of the nights we were there. Yadi was always on-time and made everything fresh to order (her food was outstanding and we highly recommend ordering from her if you stay here). We very much enjoyed our stay. Jorge and Jordy (Airbnb Host and property manager) were very easy to get in touch with and constantly checked in to make sure we had everything we needed. I would highly recommend this property! Pura Vida!

That view! It’s a bumpy road getting there but worth it! Our family of four enjoyed our stay. It was so incredibly relaxing. The sunsets and the two horses really made it for us. You can relax on the front porch, have a bonfire, walk the trails, make a nice meal. A few tips - the final 4 mins up to the house are rocky. You won’t need a 4x4 in the dry season but the rocks are large so a high clearance vehicle will help. It’s 15-20 mins to get into town for a meal (and bumpy) so we brought groceries with us for the first night. Even a bag of carrots for Tornado and Jack. Also, Google maps navigated to the house really well. Silvio helped arrange a night tour with Michael Monteverde Wildlife Reserve. That was really amazing! Thanks for the awesome home, we loved it!

The place is quite nice, everything is just as shown in the photos, it has quite a few games to have fun and perfect communication. I recommend it and would come back again.

Great day with a very attentive host!

I absolutely had a great time here. The home is on a very quiet street, which is nearly impossible to find in Costa Rica. The location is great for walking to the two parks in town. Lots of places to eat near the house along with a grocery store that is very well stocked. The hosts are incredibly nice and thoughtful. I absolutely will be staying here again.

Great location, close to town. Peaceful

The place was as described. We felt very safe. Place was close to grocery stores and restaurants. Laundry was available at a minimal charge. We just need to give the clothes to them, and we get it all cleaned for minimal charge. Jonathan, owner, was super responsive. He helped with itinerary, and few suggestions.

My partner and I travelled for the first time in Costa Rica, we lend at Liberia and Karen organized us the transport from the airport to her Airbnb. Our driver was friendly and of trust. We arrived late at night but Karen waited for us for the check-in. The place was clean and cozy. Hot water for the showers. Cuter in person than in pictures. Karen guided us through the possible activities around. She even booked an activity for us and the transport for our way to Monteverde. I do recommend it, it’s a jeep,boat,jeep, it’s worth it for the view and a faster trip instead of going around the lake. The view on the volcano was incredible. There is a restaurant, ice cream bar and a depanneur in front of the Airbnb. Karen took care of us, she went above and beyond to help us have the perfect time. Thank you for the experience!

The place is very nice, however, with the rainy weather it is not very favorable. Otherwise, everything was good.

**An Absolute Gem!** This Airbnb was everything we hoped for and more. The house was clean, comfortable, and beautifully authentic to the area, with thoughtful details that really made it feel special. What really stood out was the peaceful setting—surrounded by nature, it felt like the perfect escape, yet it was still just a short drive to town for anything we needed. Our host was fantastic—super responsive, friendly, and made sure everything went smoothly from start to finish. Communication was excellent throughout. If you’re looking for a relaxing getaway in a stunning location with easy access to town, this place is a gem. Highly recommend and would definitely stay again!

This place was fantastic. The surroundings were gorgeous. I felt enveloped in nature and jungle. It’s the perfect combination of architecture between man and the natural environment.

There were 6 of us including 2 children, for a 4-day stay. Everything went well. We particularly liked the pool, the calm of the wooded, flowery and particularly neat park, the animals, the driveway and the walking trail in the forest. Eduardo, the caretaker, was nice and helped us when we needed it. In short, we loved our stay.

We had a great family vacation at this beautiful property. The setup is ideal as the great room is large enough for everyone to spend lots of quality time together. There's a pool table, large TV and lots of seating. The location worked well for us and was about 15 to 20 minutes from most of the activities we decided upon (which William and Laura helped arrange). I would highly recommend William and Laura's place for a get together with a large group.

The house was clean, the water hot & the AC cold. The kitchen was well appointed with a larger refrigerator than pictured which was a nice surprise. The house is managed by a hotel just across the street & they were quite helpful & attentive. We found the outdoor spaces to be beautiful, well shaded from sun & wind with wildlife just outside the front door. A minute’s walk would take you to multiple restaurants and a mini grocery store. Uber was widely available & quick in the area so no need for a car. We would highly recommend a stay at the Ginger House.

This house was super cute and had everything we need for our vacation. Jimmy was super helpful and very responsive. I appreciated him reaching out to us early to provide check in information as well as the location to arrive and enter the house with ease. The location was close to many great restaurants and all the fun things that there are to do in La fortuna. My family really enjoyed the yard, hammock, and plunge pool at the house.

Had a great vacation at this beautiful home, we are a family of 5 with 3 girls (15, 13, and 11). The kids loved having their own room and bathroom. The "kids room" is located in the back corner of the property with the pool in-between the main guest house and the kids room, worked out great for us. We loved the open air outdoor kitchen. House is nicely removed from La Fortuna but the main guest house does back to the road and can hear the traffic, while light, in the evenings and morning while sleeping, not a big issue. We spent our days exploring the area, loved the food at Jalapas, La Fortuna waterfall, rope swing, ATV and Hot Spring combo excursion (La Finca Lodge, check it out! Only 12 people at the hot spring), and Judah set us up on a white water rafting trip that was a blast! Pool was bigger than expected and enjoyed while we were on the property. Used the propane grill and outdoor burners. Beds comfortable. The grounds are very well kept and have a very nice walking path.

A beautiful place. As described. Very private and the pool is a 10, with its ideal temperature for the place. Everything super clean, well laid out and spacious. Super recommended. Important to know that they must register elsewhere, where access is obtained.