Casa Mariposa

MARCH IN MARIPOSA DISCOUNT! Enter the coupon code MarchinMariposa when booking online for the month of March and receive 15% off your stay.

Casa Mariposa is a spacious treetop re'tree'at that is great for families and groups of friends, or a romantic couples retreat to get away from it all. Bright skylights bring the outdoors inside to the entire house, and occupants have a birds-eye view of the surrounding rainforest and the home’s host trees, a giant Pilon and a Vaca tree. The enormous kitchen is an epic spot to host a treetop dinner party. The large outdoor lounge and deck area is a great place to observe the jungle ambiance over a cup of morning coffee.This home has a large kitchen (including an oven and stovetop, a sink with running, filtered water, cookware, and eating utensils, etc.) a large dining and lounge area and a full bathroom. This treehome is en route to “La Punta”, a hiking trail within Finca Bellavista that has vistas of the Piedras Blancas region. This treehouse has a maximum occupancy of 8 adults, though it is better equipped to sleep 6 comfortably. (There are two full-sized futon pull-out beds in the living room, and in the bedroom there is a set of single bunk beds and a full-sized bed.) This treehouse does not have electricity, but has ambient lighting via lanterns and candles in the evening hours. The kitchen has a propane-powered oven/stovetop. (Click here for more information on items that are available in this kitchen.)

Please note that this rental is a 20-25 minute uphill and downhill hike from the community’s base camp and parking area. See the Location of Casa Mariposa in our community. All visitors should be in decent physical shape to access this rental, and hiking times will vary based on your fitness and comfort levels and those of the people in the rest of your party.

Please watch this video to get a better idea of what to expect when you arrive to Casa Mariposa

This is currently the furthest rental from base camp, and IS BEST or families and groups of people that plan on SELF-CATERING and spending time together. Though this unit sleeps up to 8 people, there is currently one bedroom. The beds are shared between the living room area, and the bedroom.

Driving directions

Please see Our Location to refer to a map, travel tips, and other information about getting to Finca Bellavista. A link with exact driving directions to Finca Bellavista will be sent with your confirmation upon making a reservation.

Transportation

Please see Our Location to refer to a map, travel tips, and other information about getting to Finca Bellavista. Visitors to Finca Bellavista can fly to a handful of regional airports within a half hour’s drive to Finca Bellavista once they arrive to San Jose’s Juan Santa Maria International Airport. Sansa Airlines and Nature Air are the two regional air carriers that fly into Palmar and Golfito. We recommend flying into Golfito, as there are more daily flight options and services for tourists.

Taxis

Taxis are readily available in Palmar and Golfito for the last 30 minutes to Finca Bellavista. (A 4×4 is REQUIRED on the road from the InterAmericana to the finca.) A taxi should not cost more than $50 – $60 from the Palmar or Golfito areas to Finca Bellavista. Negotiate the price BEFORE you get in the taxi! Ensure that the taxi driver has read the Spanish directions on our pointers sheet (sent upon making a reservation) and fully understands where they are taking you.

Shared shuttle

Interbus is a great option for shuttle service. They go to and from most places in Costa Rica, and provide travelers with an option that is cheaper than a personal taxi or car rental.

Bus

Bus travel is cheap and very good with very comfortable and clean seats, on par with tour buses in the United States. For a regional bus schedule, please check this website… it is the most useful and complete schedule of busses in Costa Rica that we have access to, and will likely be the only one you will be able to find on the internet! For travelers to Finca Bellavista, a bus en route towards points south of here (Paso Canoas, Golfito, Ciudad Neilly, Rio Claro) will take you past the small towns of Chacarita and Piedras Blancas, where you can likely negotiate a stop. You can then arrange for a taxi to Finca Bellavista. OR, you can take a bus to Palmar Norte, and negotiate for a taxi to Finca Bellavista. Remember, it a 3-kilometer hike straight uphill to Finca Bellavista from the InterAmericana. You will not want to hike it.

Renting a Car & Tips for Driving

As an FYI for your planning purposes, if you drive to Finca Bellavista from the international airport in San Jose, budget at least 5 hours. Budget at least 8 hours from the international airport in Liberia OR the Caribbean side of the country. These timeframes are estimated, and are completely dependent upon the state of the roads and your party’s navigational capabilities. There are plenty of car rental companies to choose from in Costa Rica.

Renting a car and driving in Costa Rica allows total freedom of movement, though it is pricier here than in other countries. You can cover a lot of ground without delay, and you can stop and sightsee wherever you want. Plan your route before you take it, then stop and ask if you need directions. Costa Ricans do not like to say “I don’t know” and sincerely want to be helpful. You may need to ask more than one person and get a consensus. Remember to NEVER leave valuables or passports in your car. It is best to carry them with you.

When you get your rental car, the representative will have you check the car for nicks, dents, and adequate tires. Exaggerate this procedure. Also, be sure to fill the car to the required level before you return it, or be prepared to pay very high per gallon prices for what the gas tank may be lacking. It is best not to speed, and the speed limit signs are in kilometers. If you are pulled over by the police, they will want to see your rental papers and your passport (or a copy of it). Be polite, but never let them keep either of these documents. Also, do not pay the police for the ticket. You pay the ticket to the rental car company when you turn in the car. Paying the police creates corruption.

Road conditions vary greatly depending on the location of the route and the season. Always check conditions before you decide your route. Our suggested driving route from San Jose to Finca Bellavista is the new Caldera Toll Road, which takes drivers from San Jose to the Jaco area. From there, take the newly paved Costanera through Palmar and on down to Finca Bellavista. For another beautiful mountain route, consider taking the road over Cerro de los Muertes, through San Isidro el General, through Buenos Aires, Palmar, then south on the InterAmericana.

By Boat

Finca Bellavista is an easy half-hour drive north from the southern port town of Golfito, the main south Pacific port in Costa Rica. Those arriving by boat will find Golfito is well equipped to accommodate most of their cruising needs. The ‘fast ferry’ from Golfito to Puerto Jimenez leaves Golfito at 7:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. and is $5 one way. The same ferry leaves Puerto Jimenez going to Golfito at 8:45 a.m. or 4:20 p.m.

Reservation, Payment, and Cancellation Policies

(en espanol)

All taxes (13%) and service charges (10%) are added on to the nightly rates.

We are glad to accept your wire transfer (including all transfer fees) as an alternative form of payment. Please inquire to [email protected] to acquire our transfer information.

All rates listed are exclusively valid for the inquiry date(s) only. Rates are subject to change and will only be honored as shown on the website if the reservation requested is confirmed by means of charge to your credit card and you receive a confirmation number.

Each rental at Finca Bellavista is different (sleeping capacities and occupancy maximums, amenities, electricity availability, walking distance to base camp, etc.). By confirming a reservation, the cardholder assumes the responsibility that they have read and fully understand the capacities, restrictions, and amenities of their chosen rental as described in the rental page description. The reserving party is responsible for any additional charges resulting in any informational oversights made on behalf of the reserving party.

The cardholder/reserving party is responsible for sharing and distributing all reservation information, rules, tips and pointers to additional members within their reservation party.

All reservations are subject to availability existing at the moment of your request.

All reservations and applicable charges (including taxes) must be paid for in full (100%) upon making a reservation in order to receive a confirmation number.

No confirmation can be issued until full payment for the reservation has been made.

Any additional purchases or charges made during your reservation (ie, tours, food, extra persons) are non-refundable once a confirmation number has been generated.

A confirmation number will be sent by e-mail to the person making the reservation and this confirmation number will need to be presented at the Finca Bellavista office upon check-in.

The amount corresponding to your reservation will be immediately charged to your credit card, provided it has a confirmed reservation status.

Refunds will not be granted by Finca Bellavista in situations when a service must be interrupted, postponed or cancelled for reasons beyond its control including travel mishaps, navigational mistakes, miscalculations of in-country travel times in Costa Rica, road conditions, airline cancellations and postponements, acts of God such as bad weather, health issues, acts of terrorism, or any other unforeseen circumstance.

Our CANCELLATION POLICIES are applicable at all times without exception.

CANCELLATION POLICIES:

All reservations must be prepaid 100% and are non-refundable once a confirmation number has been assigned.

Cancellations that occur prior to 48 hours of a reservation will be allowed and must be received in writing. 100% of the approved, cancelled reservation will remain charged to the applicable credit card. The credit card holder of the cancelled reservation can apply the amount paid on the reservation to another set of dates within 12 months (1 year) of the previously confirmed reservation start date (when available and applicable) for the same rental. Finca Bellavista will not accommodate any change of rental unit and is not responsible for amenity related  or pricing changes made to the unit during this 12-month (1 year) period.

Upon receiving written confirmation by the reserving party of a cancellation, Finca Bellavista commits to send a cancellation confirmation by e-mail with a cancellation number. If you do not receive the cancellation number, please contact us by e-mail at [email protected]. No cancellation will be valid without a cancellation number provided by Finca Bellavista.

Any reservation that has not been cancelled properly, according to the above parameters, will be charged fully to the credit card due to a “no show” and will be charged 100% of the reservation.

If the cardholding guest does not arrive on the date specified in the reservation confirmation, and there is no cancellation done accordingly to the above points, the credit card holder will be charged the amount of the entire reservation. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this policy.

Any reservation changes or cancellations must be done by the cardholder.

We appreciate your understanding in our necessity to adhere strictly to the above policies. Each of our rental units is owned separately. Our owners and other visitors must schedule their visits around any reservation that is confirmed on the availability calendar. With only 6 rentals at the finca, we have very limited abilities to accommodate any changes on the calendar, especially during high season. Remember, this isn’t a Motel 6 or a Best Western, and our availability is extremely limited due to the number of rentals we have.