Casa Viva

We had an amazing stay at Casa Viva! I am a teacher and had the most relaxing spring break here. The cabin was beautiful and outdoorsy while being surrounded by the jungle. We heard crickets, cicadas, waves crashing, and the occasional howling monkey all when falling asleep. They were the most soothing sounds and made you feel like you right in the jungle. To wake up to the sounds of the ocean with the convenience of walking a short path through the garden was absolutely spectacular, and the relaxing vacation I needed. The location of the cabin is great with the host close by in another cabin which was very helpful. They helped us book a cheap waterfall/cacao excursion and let us know of all the close restaurants and markets. We walked to a market daily (less than 10 min walk). There’s a delicious restaurant about 3 min walk away and other restaurants maybe 20 min walk or a short bike ride. There’s also a bar along the beach if you walk down towards the cove. This would be a great honeymoon spot too as it’s not crowded, has the tropical Caribbean vibe, and felt very safe.

Staying at Casa Viva was one of the most relaxing vacations I've ever had. The bungalow was wonderful and included all of the amenities needed for a comfortable stay. The staff was incredibly responsive and helpful, assisting with planning excursions and giving tips on restaurant gems in the town. Most of all they were passionate about the property, including sharing their knowledge of the plants and wildlife that lived there. Nicole and Luis felt like new friends by the time we left. Last but certainly not least is the property itself. I could have spent the entire time on the property and it would have felt complete. We spotted sloths, macaws, monkeys, crabs, etc. just on the short walk to the beach. This is a 10/10 location and experience that I would recommend. I am looking forward to visiting again and sharing this experience with family and friends.

This is a very special place in the beautiful Punta Uva beach. It is private, secluded, and full of incredible wildlife. Jonathan, who checked me in with cold coconuts, took note of my desire to see sloths and always made sure to point them out to me when he saw them during my stay. He is so kind and cared about making sure I had a good experience. The attached beach is simply gorgeous. I cannot recommend this place enough. Green macaws, agouti, sloths, and monkeys frequent the property. I will definitely be coming back.

Amazing customer care, the place makes your life easy … they think ahead of your needs, extra towels, water tank to refill your bottle … and more. The best… it’s is so close to the beach, you can hear the waves at night … like a lullaby

Amazing all the way!!! Best place to stay in Puerto Viejo (Punta Uva). Right on the beach, private quiet beautiful beach. Nicole (our host) is the best! She is been very helpful, extremely attentive, and responsive. Cabins are equipped with all you may need. All the service team goes above and beyond. Thank you guys. Thank you Francisco!!! You guys made my trip unforgettable. Highly recommended! If you looking to have a blast an disconnect, this is the place! I was very lucky to see everything here. Sloths, white face monkeys, howling monkeys, I went down a river that it’s two minutes away and saw turtles and a bunch of monkeys and more sloths. This place is a true gem! If you are looking for a place to stay, look no more, this is it!
Love it, love you guys, will miss you all and we will come back for sure! Thank you very much for everything! This place really exceeded my expectations!

We spend one week there with my whole family for Christmas. And it was just PERFECT. The garden is really incredible, so beautiful species of trees and palms, so many animals ( tons of slothes, monkeys, iguana, agouti…), location is just perfect with the beach in front of the bungalow, each bungalow was very comfy, clean and well furnished to cook on our own. The kids spent their time in the sea, with powerful waves that need someone to watch but limitless playground for them. And so many activities introduced by Luis that was great ( surf lessons and rental, cooking chef for dinner, nature hike with a guide in natural park, horse back riding on the beach). We’ll that was really awesome, I do recommend Casa Viva especially if you are a group with several families

We were seeking a quiet place full of nature within walking distance to a quiet beach. This was perfect! The private beach area is pristine. The landscaping is gorgeous. Lots of wildlife. Birds: bananaquit, lesser greenlet, macaws, many more! Adorable little lizards darting around. Beds have netting. Rooms are very clean and have ceiling fans. Anytime I had a question I just used WhatsApp, and I got a prompt reply. The gentleman who works on the property, brought us fresh coconuts with straws!

From the moment we made our reservation Nicole and Juli were available by WhatsApp to answer all of our questions. They helped me with my concerns about an upcoming hurricane and assisted me in scheduling travel plans that were the fastest and safest for us at the time. By the time we finally arrived we felt like we were coming to visit old friends! It is clear that Luis, Nicole, and Julissa take pride in what they do and truly enjoy the effort they make into considering every detail. The cabins at Casa Viva are ornate, immaculately clean, and exactly what we were looking for—- straight from our dreams! The grounds are stunning. The gardens and the landscaping are breathtaking. The groundskeepers and cleaning staff are super friendly and respectful— we really enjoyed getting to know them, too. (Thank you for the fresh Pipas each morning!) By nature / design, Casa Viva is an extremely private, romantic, oasis, but if you’re interested in exploring and meeting people look no further than the family and staff who runs the place. They helped us find new restaurants and narrow down our decisions of where to hike, jog, and go fishing based on our preferences. I’m training for a marathon and Luis recommended the most gorgeous route for me that lead to us discovering Calle Punta Uva and the beaches/ restaurants over there. We also rented bikes one day right from Casa Viva and rode down to Manzanillo. Our favorite restaurant was La Selvin which you can walk to easily (about 5minutes from Casa Viva) by beach at sunset to enjoy the best bowl of Rondón on the Caribbean coast. I’d just like to add that on a map, if you’re unfamiliar with the area, the neighborhoods of Manzanillo, punta Uva, playa Chiquita, playa cocles, puerto viejo seem super distinct, but in reality they are all part of one big community and it’s really easy to explore them all from casa viva. We made friends with a very reliable Tuk Tuk driver named Carlos (tuk tuk #03) and he took us out to breakfast / dinner even to Cahuita and back. He was reasonably priced, knowledgeable of the area, and he offered us a great “open air” way to get around stress-free. You must go to Arepas Colombianas before you go home, and don’t hesitate to stop into ANY little “Soda” shop for a homemade empanada before adventuring to playa grande or any of the other beaches for the day. Despite the gorgeous beach right outside our doorway, we enjoyed walking to find super remote spots too. Another note: we came in July during the “rainy season.” We had sunshine every day and enjoyed falling asleep to the occasional rain storm. Don’t listen to what anyone says. The Caribbean side is worth visiting any time of year. I came after spending a few weeks on the pacific side and I found Punta Uva / Puerto viejo to be much less humid and better weather in general. We can’t say enough about the area and are already planning our trip back—- we will definitely be staying at Casa Viva again next time!

I came for the beach and fell in love with the jungle! Casa Viva is a great place to stay and the staff is super friendly. The location is amazing. We could see and hear the ocean from our cabana. The wildlife is spectacular too, we saw monkeys and a sloth right on the property.

Amazing place. Stayed with the family for 5 nights. Super-responsive and attentive staff. Steps to the beach. Went kayaking up the nearby river and saw tons of wildlife. Would definitely return there in the future.
Highlight was Lola - the resident dog. Lovable and super-friendly!

An absolute wonderful place.
If you like to stay close to the beach but don't leave the jungle, you don't have to search any longer.
Try this place if you wanna be part of the nature, surrounded by birds and monkeys, just 1 minute walk from the sea.
Beautiful bungalows, great staff, easy access from the road and miles long seashore.
If you need any help with literally anything the manager, Ricardo always there for you.
Highly recommended!!! 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

Casa Viva is an amazing place to stay. The rooms are closed to the beach but inmerse in a tropical forest. The property is really beautiful, and the property owner, Luis, is a super host. Stay in the duplex, is the best room.

My stay at Casa Viva Lodge was fantastic and surpassed all my expectations! I was amazed at the cleanliness of the cabin and the friendliness of the people who worked there. They where always available and willing to help and provide any tips they could to make our stay unforgettable!! I highly recommend it and will definitely return!

Casa Viva is awesome! Starting with Ricardo, the manager and tour guide. He went above and beyond in helping us with dining options, tours, places of interest, and just about everything else we needed. Francisco, the groundskeeper, delivered fresh coconuts and bananas every day and his attitude and smile were infectious. Luis, the owner was staying there at the time of our visit and was extremely hospitable and helpful. He gave us ideas of things to do and if there were any problems, don’t hesitate to let him know. He even got us reservations at one of the finest restaurants in the area. Making it the perfect last night for our honeymoon. He even bought us a bottle of wine to celebrate the occasion! Casa Viva is located right by the beach and in the middle of the rainforest. On top of that, our veranda had two hammocks, which we spent hours in relaxing, enjoying the rain, and watching hummingbirds. Absolutely beautiful! Couldn’t ask for anything else. We were able to walk to a few restaurants and many more can be reached by bike or TUK TUKs. I could write much more about Casa Viva, but basically I cannot see us staying anywhere else when we come to Punta Uva again.

What a place! Your own place in paradise 100 feet from a beautiful secluded beach. The casa is extremely comfortable and well constructed with a large open space main area and surrounding deck where you can relax in your hammock by a fresh breeze .
The garden is incredible, Luis, the owner very helpful and Francisco the groundskeeper brings you fresh bananas and coconuts every morning.
Puerto Viero is like Tulum probably was 20 years ago (or St Barth 40 years ago!): a place with incredible character and resources but not invaded by tourism. Highly recommended. We'll come back soon.

We loved our stay at our beachfront Casaviva cabin! Gorgeous private beach, minutes from amazing dining and attractions. The best part was the manager/concierge/surf instructor Ricardo, who helped us w every detail!

Incredible location! The cabin was super cute, clean, and loved the outdoor shower! Wifi was great too for working remote.

The owner and managers were really nice and attentive and provided excellent recommendations for dining and other activities. Cant wait to go back!

Fantastic! Loved everything there - location, nature around, beach, friendly attentive staff! Perfect for someone avoiding crowds and enjoying flora and fauna around.
Definitely recommend 👌

Lovely spacious cabin with cooking facilities. Beautiful gardens, wildlife to watch from the veranda Beach 50mtrs. Weather has stripped the sand, and swimming is challenging unless youhead a short walk west round the bay.

We had a lovely stay at Casa Viva. A remote group of really nice cabins built within a short stroll to the beach. We would definitely stay here again.