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73 - 78 of 155 reviews
Reviewed 21 May 2012

According to Josh, owner/operator of Mariposario Montezuma Gardens, Pura Vida translate roughly to "It's all good". And he couldn't have been more right on!! The B&B was a pleasant surprise. All the rooms are named after butterflies native to Costa Rica. I was impressed by the color of the Dryadula room which is a spectacular orange so I reserved it for our two week stay. When we arrived we were greeted by Ryan, brother of Josh and also owner/operator. He had arranged for a taxi to pick us up the airport north of Montezuma. He was kind enought to upgrade us to the Caligo room which was the biggest of the four guest rooms for the majority of our stay. The Caligo had a spacious balcony that overlooked the Mariposario with a birdseye view of the gardens and the bay in the distance. We sat out there often and just stared at the incredible beauty of Costa Rica.

We slept very well....all that clean air.....and woke to the smell of fresh Costa Rican coffee brewing downstairs. Breakfast was an adventure everyday, starting with fresh fruit which had the most delicious flavors, not like the cardboard you buy here at home, picked before it's ripe and left to ripen in a box on a ship on it's way to the supermarkets. You've no idea how delicious a fresh banana tastes....and the pineapple.....wow!! My tastebuds are watering just thinking about it....we especially liked the grated yucca root that is fried up like hash browns...yum....so delicious. The girls that cooked breakfast at the B&B (hola chicas) were very sweet, hard workers and a lot of fun.

We were very impressed by the craftsmanship of the all the fine furniture at the B&B. Absolutely everything was made by a local carpenter. Very beautiful......

We were lucky enough to be staying at the B&B while there was an entemologist, Arlo, on staff. He tended the Mariposario and made sure the little baby soon to be butterflies had a fighting chance by ridding the area of spiders and lizards who apparently like to eat the larvae.....He was a most intriguing fellow with a marvelously creative brain. The Mariposaria needs constant work and a work/stay program ensures the success of the sanctuary.

We thoroughly enjoyed everything about the B&B, great rooms with hot showers and A/C, huge breakfasts, pleasant and happy staff, great owners and of course, Trevor and Java, the on site tour guides...actually Trevor and Java are the dogs that live at the B&B. They just showed up one day several years ago and decided they also liked it there and stayed. Sweet critters....really enjoyed Trevor's affable personality. Java was just plain sweet.

This vacation was truly the best, most relaxing we've ever had and if you're looking for a place that's out of the way but still close to everything, we would highly recommend the B&B. We even plan on going back next year to stay at Montezuma Gardens.

Room tip: Visit the website and go to the Gallery tab, click on Rooms and have a look for yourself. The Caligo and Morpho rooms have balconies that overlook the gardens, which are gorgeous.
Date of stay: May 2012
  • Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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Thank Russell C
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 11 April 2012

We had a 2-week trip to Costa Rica planned and knew we'd be staying on the ocean for much of our stay, so we opted for three nights at the Mariposario while we were in Montezuma.

We loved being a little ways out of town so that we could relax and take hikes in the forest. After breakfast (which is really, really delicious) we'd plan our daily excursions and walk down to town for whatever it was that we were doing.

Being able to walk to the waterfalls from our room was great and it was nice to have Java the hotel dog accompany us on our travels. It was also wonderful to roll out of bed, have coffee ready, and tour the butterfly garden.

We went into town for dinner on all three nights and actually walked back up to the hotel in the dark. But then again, we packed headlamps, were sober, and it was reasonably early. If you're going to Montezuma for the nightlife, you should either choose someplace within stumbling distance to the bars or plan to spend $4 on a cab ride.

We'd definitely stay again. Super friendly and helpful staff, delicious breakfast, and exactly the sort of retreat we needed. If you're going to CR for beachfront property or pool access, you might try something a little closer to town.

Date of stay: March 2012
  • Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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Thank Jillian S
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 4 April 2012

My wife and 3 children (22,19,14) stayed here for 3 nights around Christmas and we had a great time. We loved the beaches and Ryan took us on a hike that was amazing. Ryan and Josh are great and very helpful. They booked us a boat for 1 day and we had a great trip. Reasonable price, great breakfast, casual, clean place. We can't wait to come back. -Jack

Date of stay: December 2011
  • Trip type: Travelled with family
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Thank Jack F
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 25 March 2012

The Mariposario is just great! The staff is very helpful and friendly and the breakfast is super! If you are looking for a place outside of Montezuma to relax, this is your best choice! However, you need a taxi to get back to the B&B at night.

Room tip: the yellow room does not have an a/c but offers the best value.
Date of stay: March 2012
  • Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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Thank R_H521
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 7 March 2012

We spent five nights here during our first trip to Costa Rica. We only stayed one other place during our trip (a soulless resort full of blue-hairs), so I don't have much to compare it to, but we absolutely loved it. Owners Josh and Ryan walked us through every step of the travel planning process, offering tons of helpful advice on how to get there. When I had a last-minute rental car issue the day before our vacation, I emailed Josh in a panic and he spent a good portion of the day helping me with backup options. While we were there, they recommended the best restaurants, helped us set up a last-minute snorkeling trip, gave us hiking tips, and were just generally available and wonderful.

The facility itself is homey; we had the Caligo room with the large balcony. The air conditioning was super efficient, but it was nice to turn it off and open up the sliding glass door to the balcony. We sat out there every morning listening to the howler monkeys and birds, then went down to a delightful breakfast. The coffee was delicious, the fruit was the best and sweetest I've ever tasted, and we were treated to a rotating menu of Tico-style items (fried cheese! Holy cow) and American favorites (French toast! Omelettes!) And we were joined by Java, one of the family dogs, who helped alleviate our homesickness for our own pups.

We had a rental SUV, so the trip up and down the hill every day wasn't a problem for us. But I could see it being quite a walk! All in all, my only complaint is that the bed wasn't super comfortable and the pillow situation was a little weak. But the house was clean, well-maintained and charming. We plan to return next year (and the year after that, and the year after that...).

Date of stay: February 2012
  • Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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Thank Molly O
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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