Category

Villa Cascada

We will be back in the future!

By Villa Cascada, Weddings

When we arrived at the Villa everyone was in awe of how beautiful the place really is. The pictures don’t do it justice! From the service of your staff, to the food and just the perfect environment, our stay was fantastic. On the morning of the 2nd day we already had friends asking when we were going to make plans to come back.

Our wedding day couldn’t have been more perfect and stress free for me. I appreciate every little detail and thing that was done to make the Villa even more beautiful.

You guys do a great job with the facility and have an exceptional staff. Attached is a photo from the wedding day. I can’t wait to see the pictures Carlos captured.

We will be back in the future!

 

Thanks again,

Maggie

A Beach Wedding to Remember!

By Villa Cascada, Weddings

I have been trying to put into words to describe our wedding in Costa Rica…no words could ever truly encompass our overall experience. There is only one word that plays on repeat in my heart that even comes close to putting it into words…PERFECT. Everything about our special day was perfect. From start to finish, Barefoot Vacation Villas went above and beyond to ensure every detail was exactly as I had dreamed!

All great weddings start with the planning, usually with months and months of meetings, tastings, and lots of decisions. Watching my siblings get married locally, the amount of stress/anxiety they went through from planning and trying to pick the right location/vendor/cake, was a little overwhelming. My experience getting married in Costa Rica with Barefoot Vacation Villas, was completely opposite of stressful and exhausting. It was the most enjoyable experience and almost unbelievable. Pinterest became my best friend to create a dream wedding board, that then translated into one email to Pam. Wonder Woman aka Pam and her team then went to work to create magic. I provided a guest list, description of what I was expecting and they did the rest.

Our wedding, even with me providing pictures of what we wanted, we were still overwhelmed with the wonderful transformation that we saw at the Villa and on the beach. Not only did the decorations, flowers and cakes turn out better than we expected, the overall atmosphere just screamed LOVE. My husband and I were completely blown away by every single detail. There is a lot of stress that comes on your wedding day, the team with Barefoot Vacation Villas managed to shield us from the stress and create a warm, loving and peaceful atmosphere. We had an intimate ceremony on the beach surrounded by our closest family and friends then celebrated with an amazing dinner and dancing at Villa Cascada. Our evening was topped off with a private firework show so close you felt as though nothing else in the world existed. My husband arranged with the DJ to have one our favorite worship songs play along side the fireworks, they both ended at the exact same time. MAGICAL MOMENT! I get a tingle in my stomach and tears in my eyes when I replay that moment of sheer beauty and absolute perfection.

We would not change one single thing about our wedding or our wedding week. Costa Rica will forever and always hold a special place in our hearts, not only because beauty of the country but also because of the people. The staff at all the Villas become like family and you are sad to leave. The amazing treatment from all of the staff puts this place above and beyond any other hotel or vacation spot we have ever been to. Knowing this is a family business and they take pride in who they hire really shines through when you stay as a guest at their Villas! If I could urge any one contemplating a destination wedding, I would tell them this was the best experience of my life and would do it all over again. We cannot wait to return to the Villas and make more memories in such a wonderful place.

 

Pure Vida!

-Ellie (Bride)

Cayce and Kevin’s Costa Rican Wedding

By Villa Cascada, Villa Ocotal, Weddings

It is hard to believe that Kevin and I have already been married for 2 months. Everyday of those 2 months we have talked about when we can go back to Costa Rica! We can not thank you and Jack enough for making not only our trip, but also our wedding so spectacular!

From the first time we met up to talk about having the wedding at Villa Cascada to each time we talked about trip details, you made it so easy! Everyone kept asking me how stressful it was to plan a destination wedding and all I could say was, “it’s not!” You made wedding planning so easy but made sure every detail was taken care of! I am so thankful I was able to enjoy and relax the whole week in Costa Rica instead of stress about last minute planning.

Villa Cascada and Villa Ocotal were both beautiful. Seeing pictures we knew it would be wonderful but we were blown away about how beautiful everything was. The rooms were beyond our expectations and having so much room for everyone to be in one place was fabulous! We were so excited to be able to have everyone we love and care about in one place for a whole week!

The staff at the villas were extraordinary! They took care of our every need with no hesitation. The food was all so delicious and they went above and beyond to cater to the needs of our guests with special dietary restrictions! Gabrielle was amazing! He made delicious drinks for the adults and the kids! He made sure everyone had a drink in hand at all times and made sure we had music playing! Guillermo was an angel. He made sure all of our guests had everything they needed and made sure every last detail of the wedding was perfect! He made booking and paying for excursions super easy and made sure everyone was where they needed to be on time (which I know isn’t easy with our group!) He fit right in with our crowd and made sure everyone was smiling and happy the whole week!

The wedding was more than Kevin and I could have ever dreamed of! From the flowers to the food to the decorations, it was all perfect! I knew getting married on the beach in Costa Rica would be amazing but this was more than that! I am beyond thankful to have had you to help make our day so perfect and special. Kevin and I will never forget how beautiful our wedding day was!

Our guests were all so blown away by Villa Cascada and the wedding. Everyone has talked about how that was the best vacation they had ever been on! We all plan on making a trip back to Costa Rica as soon as we can! Thank you and all of the staff at Villa Cascada for making Kevin and my dreams a reality!

– Cayce (The Bride)

“There is one word that describes the week we spent at Barefoot Villas in Costa Rica…..Spectacular!!!!!”

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My daughter wanted a destination wedding…

My daughter wanted to get married on the beach….

My daughter wanted to get married in Paradise….

Barefoot Villas filled all of her requests and much, much more!!

Planning the wedding from the States was a breeze. Pam took care of every last detail. Everything was handled when we arrived from picking up our entire party of 38 at the airport and back to everything in between.

Guillermo (or the G-Man as we like to call him) and the staff at the Villas were incredible. The G-Man is all knowing. If we had a question, Guillermo had an answer. We never worried about anything, it was always handled for us. Gabriel and Ronaldo were the best bartenders. They were there when we got up with Bloody Marys and Mimosas and stayed until we went to bed after a nightcap.

The food was absolutely some of the best we have had anywhere! The staff was very accommodating. We had several non-seafood eaters so they made other arrangements for them without ever skipping a beat! Breakfast was my favorite meal!

We planned several excursions during the week, a River Boat Tour, Don Bosco, Zipline and a fishing trip.

The G-Man handled all payments and transportation for us for each excursion. Our guest enjoyed them all. One of our favorite days was Friday before the wedding. When it was time to go to the beach to rehearse the ceremony, Guillermo came and got the wedding party out of the pool, got a drink in their hand and we headed to the beach. Everyone commented that this is the best rehearsal they have ever done. It was fun and relaxed. It put the bride and groom at ease! After dinner that night a Costa Rican band came and played for us. They were so fun! They passed out instruments for us to play. We even had Grandma and Grandpa on the cowbell and tambourine!!

The wedding and reception was absolutely beautiful, just what my daughter wanted. The wedding day went off without a hitch. One of the highlights of the night was the fireworks display!! Our entire party told us they had never seen fireworks so beautiful!

Needless to say we received nothing but praise from our guest about what a wonderful week they had!

The entire experience at the Villas exceeded our expectations! We cannot thank Pam and Jack and their staff enough for making our daughter’s wedding dreams come true!

We cannot wait to return. We are already planning another trip very soon!

– Tianna (Mother of the Bride)

Destination Wedding in Costa Rica!

By Villa Cascada, Weddings

When I got engaged, I knew that I wanted to return to Villa Cascada for my wedding…but my sister had her wedding right here at Villa Cascada only a few years prior, and I did not want to copy her wedding….but it goes to show how much we love it here that she was thrilled to share her wedding venue with me! They wanted to go back!
Pam is an angel sent from above! She helped with all my guests travel and flights, and helped me pick out options from the flowers to the tables to the rooms and connected me with all my vendors. She made it so easy! Guillermo is another angel….him and his house staff are kind and friendly and accommodating and I don’t know how they do that each week with a new bridezilla to deal with each time! After two weddings here, our family feels at home at Villa Cascada and its because of Pam, Guillermo, and their staff.
I have celiac disease, and they could not have been more accommodating! I even had a gluten free wedding cake that was GORGEOUS! Every meal I had options; they even have gluten free pancakes and croutons, and desserts! The food is so delicious, and all of my guests are still raving about it.
I could write pages and pages of amazing things, but you need to just trust me, and the other reviews here, that this is an amazing place for a family reunion, a wedding, a birthday, and bachelorette party, or even just a get together with your friends! We are already planning our next trip back

– Melissa + Martin

Another Return!!!

By Family Vacations, Villa Cascada

Once again it was a great vacation thanks to you and your staff. Everyone was beyond happy and all expectations were surpassed as usual. Tom was so happy when he heard that you came through with the case of wine that he never stopped smiling. He wanted me to make sure I sent his thanks. Ronaldo and the staff are the best. You couldn’t ask for more. The drinks and the food were spot on like always. The renovations made the place even better, which I thought couldn’t happen. I mean how can you improve on perfection, well you did. The newly shaded deck area with the furnishings was a very popular hangout whereas before it wasn’t because of too much sun. Everyone can’t wait to come back. I am sure they will be telling their friends. There is nothing more I can say except AWESOME and I am speaking for each and every one.

Also I would like to say that we met your husband Jack. We talked for a while and he told me of what he was renovating at Ocotal and what else he was going to do at Cascada. He seemed to be a really nice hard working guy. Let him know that we all enjoyed our stay and to keep doing all that he does. He keeps the place in tip top shape. Not all places I go to can say that.

Regards,

Norm

Chad + Shawna

By Villa Cascada, Weddings

It is hard to believe that it has been almost 2 months since we were married…in the most beautiful place on earth! We cannot thank you enough for making our trip so incredible!

From the minute we began planning you made everything so easy. We kept thinking, “What are we forgetting?” “It can’t be this easy!” People say it is so stressful to plan a wedding (especially a destination). But that is certainly not the way we felt! You took care of all of the details and we felt so incredibly relaxed from start to finish.

From the time we landed in Costa Rica to the time we painstakingly left, everything was beyond our expectations. Villa Cascada is absolutely gorgeous! The food was outstanding – including all of the special dietary accommodations. And the drinks were always flowing! The setting was perfect for our whole family. The kids ran around and played in the pool/on the beach and really just entertained themselves. One of our favorite parts of the trip was having the chance for our two families, from separate sides of the United States, get to really know each other and become one big family!

Guillermo took such great care of us, from our last minute plans for excursions to covering EVERY detail of the wedding day. He made sure all of our guests were organized on the big day (not an easy task), and even helped the groom to surprise his bride with a spectacular fireworks show! All of our guests commented on how helpful he was throughout our stay. It felt like he was a long-time friend almost immediately. He even showed us the nightlife of Coco!

All of the villa staff were so friendly and accommodating. The rooms were always sparkling clean. The tables were set perfect for every meal. The bartenders felt like part of the family. Gabrielle made the adults (and kids) delicious drinks and quickly became great friends with Jacoby (our two year old nephew). Gabrielle entertained Jacoby with fun toys from behind the bar and even sent him home with a little pirate sword that he could not part with. Needless to say, we had one sad boy on our hands when we had to leave!

From seeing pictures of other weddings, of course we knew it would be beautiful. But again we were totally blown away!! Carlos took outstanding pictures. The decorations were so personalized and the colors were a PERFECT match. The flowers and cake were stunning. The beach setting was drop dead gorgeous, we especially loved the tiki torches and the decorated arbor. The ceremony officiant was so sweet. The big event went off without a hitch. Of course, the reception was the time of our life.

All anyone can talk about is how amazing Costa Rica was. We took a huge boat out for the day to a little private island with caves. We saw flying fish, dolphins, monkeys, all kinds of cool birds, and the snorkeling was out of this world. Our snorkeling guide was a great addition.

Before we found you, we were looking into a destination wedding at big resorts. Boy are we happy for not going in that direction! This was the absolute perfect setting for us, our family, and friends. Every single guest (young and old) wants to go back someday! On the last night of our stay, everyone was planning a five-year reunion 🙂 Although we are pushing for three 😉

A friend asked, “What was the worst part of your trip?” The best answer I could come up with was, “That it’s over!!”. Here is to hoping that we get the chance to come back to the villa someday…

Lots of love,
Chad & Shawna

New Year’s Week Family Trip 2015-2016

By Family Vacations, Villa Cascada

I want you to know what a great time we had at your villa. I hope you learned it from the staff. They were terrific. It was the ideal place for our family. Everyone was free to do as much or as little as they wished. Having the wonderful food prepared for us every day was delicious and of course, the bar was fun even though we are not “bar” type people.
I would like to think that maybe we could return some day to a smaller villa perhaps.
Many thanks,
Laura

Wedding Celebration

By Villa Cascada, Weddings

Hello, Pam and Guillermo,

We’re back from our marathon wedding week in Costa Rica. It was, as I’m sure you know, a blur of parties and lots of fun. We wanted to take a moment to appreciate all that you and your staff did to make Julianna and Austin’s wedding week successful.

Guillermo!   What more can we say? He was an angel. Ever ready to help, accommodate last minute requests, and manage his staff so efficiently. He is a jewel, and you are lucky to have him! I think he even stepped in to cook one evening when we thought we would go to Rooster’s and then only too late learned it was closed to a private event. We were ready to just do some easy quesadillas but Guillermo said “not on my watch!” and promptly heated up the grill! What a trooper!

Your entire staff.   It’s hard to know where to begin. Everyone loved the bartenders. Your kitchen staff was warm and welcoming. I never passed a maid in the hallway without a smile. Your pool guy is just wonderful and has an infectiously happy attitude! Everyone loved having the laundry done. I wish I could remember all the names of your staff, but then again, I wouldn’t want to miss anyone. They were ALL so very helpful.

The setting.   Couldn’t have been nicer. To have those views overlooking the bay was balm to our weary early winter souls. Just a beautiful location.

The food.   The Costa Rican dishes were delicious! The shrimp and beef kabobs the first night set a high bar of tastiness. Anything with shrimp was devoured (cooked to perfection). Everyone loved the tortilla soup. Of all the meals, I think breakfast was especially popular — and the beans and rice with shredded beef at breakfast were yummy. The fresh local fruit was incredible. I am still drooling thinking of that pineapple! My sister-in-law especially appreciated that there were so many “native” dishes and that the menu wasn’t just typical North American fare.

The surprises!   The piñata! The local woven straw fans & headpieces! The Mardi Gras bags at the wedding reception! Jack certainly captured the spirit of our group of party-loving family and friends. Thank you so much for these unexpected experiences that added to our fun!
Everyone had a marvelous time – and the offsite excursions just added to the experience. The sunset sail, zip-lining in the jungle canopy, ATVs, jet skis – a little bit of everything!

Thank you for everything ….Pura vida!

Lois & Jeff Hogan

Wedding Guest

By Villa Cascada, Weddings

It’s been over a month since my visit to Costa Rica and I miss it!  I just wanted to thank you with all the arrangements to get to the Villas.  I truly had an amazing time there and I know my family loved it.  I couldn’t imagine it being more intimate!  The entire staff provided 5 star service and it was nice to get to know them as well.  Guillermo was phenomenal at assisting with all the arrangements and ensuring that our stay was a memorable one.  Gabriel, the bartender, was also awesome and was always available if we needed anything.  The ladies that served our meals were also very nice and made delicious omelettes. :). Also, Freddie was extremely helpful and he always offered his assistance with a smile.  He has a great personality and it was always pleasant to see him always cheerful!  So thank you and to all of your staff!  I look forward to going back and I hope it’s soon! 🙂

Sincerely,

Cindy

Laura Stastny is #happilyeverstastny

By Villa Cascada, Weddings

That. Was. Amazing.

I cannot thank you all enough for the BEAUTIFUL wedding. Every detail was perfect and Guillermo set all my extra little bits and pieces up perfectly. The fireworks were timed just right, and you were correct, everyone was blown away by them. The bad part about our wedding is now we can never go to a normal wedding ever again, they will all be disappointments! My cousins are also worried about how they could possibly top our wedding 🙂 My uncle was tickled that the wedding involved a game of late night pool volleyball, which he got into!

Two guests are ready to move to Costa Rica, aside from us. The whole week was so amazing and the staff were a huge part of that. The food was fabulous and they accommodated food allergies perfectly.

Thank you for all you have done to make our week and certainly our wedding special. It was the trip of a lifetime and the perfect start to our lives together.

I won’t have pics back from Toh for a month or so, but till then if you google #happilyeverstastny you can see some of the pics our guests shot from both the wedding and the trip.

Thanks again!!!
Love,
Laura Stastny 🙂

Haller Family Vacation

By Family Vacations, Villa Cascada

We recently returned from our 3rd family outing to Villa Cascada in 5 years. Usually we try to stay for a minimum of two weeks; but, because of other guests booking before us, we were only to get the period May 30 to June 7, 2015.

One of the pleasant things about staying at Villa Cascada is the continuity of the staff. Pam Cox has always handled our bookings in a professional way, Guillermo is still at the Villa handling any item of concern or making arrangements for other activities such as Zip lining, Catamaran sailing, or other local trips. Reynaldo and Gabriel are the bartenders doing their utmost to ensure our happiness from early morning to often late at night. The cooks, Ms. Elba and Lidia have coffee ready for us early each morning before making our breakfast and then following up with lunch, snacks and dinner.

The cleaning staff still amazes us as they have found time to do everyone’s daily laundry, clean all the rooms, maintain the main level while cleaning up the water we constantly leave around as we exit the pool. Then there is Freddy, the smiling pool and groundskeeper who always has a kind word in greeting.

The hidden staff keeps the site in good repair and responds rapidly should a problem occur.

Finally, the roof extension over the patio and the new patio furniture has only made the site better

Thanks again for a wonderful time.

-Donald V. Haller

Adam and Alison

By Villa Cascada, Weddings

I had my wedding at Villa Cascada in April, 2014 and I simply cannot say enough good things about it. The pictures honestly do not accurately show how incredible Villa Cascada is. The whole setup of the place is incredible; the pool is right beside the eating/bar area so people can all be together the entire time. There is an amazing upper hot tub area with bar stools and a shaded sitting area where my friends and family loved to hang out. They have a shuffleboard table, ping pong, pool and foosball tables, corn hole and a water volleyball net. They have floats so you can relax in the pool during the day. The rooms were all outstanding – big, comfortable beds, amazing bathrooms, and a lot of the rooms had incredible views. The villa is located on a hill above Playa Ocotal and gets a great breeze and an outstanding view of the sunset.

The staff is absolutely amazing. We did not have to think about any logistical things while we were there. The bartenders are AWESOME, all the food was to-die-for, your room is cleaned daily and they even offer free laundry service. Anything and everything you could think of is taken care of for you. The excursions were great and very easy to plan – we paid the manager the day of the tours so it could not have been easier. We did the Don Bosco sail and the Half-Day Canopy Tour and I honestly would recommend them both. Our sunset was great on our sail day and we even had some dolphins surf our bow! Monkeys joined us for the entire canopy tour and the staff there were awesome and the drive was well organized.

The wedding day was spectacular; it was more than I could have wanted. They change around the layout of the Villa so it honestly seems like a different place than where you have been staying all week. The music system is easy to hook up with your own music and slideshows if desired. The woman who made our cake (arranged by the wedding coordinators) did a fantastic job and I absolutely LOVED my flowers. The hair and makeup guy and his assistant did an incredible job and we opted for massages for the girls the morning of the wedding; it was one of the best massages I’ve ever had and a great way to start the day. I do not have one bad thing I could say about my wedding day.

To be honest, I was a little worried about the price of the Villa for my guests, but after being there I would definitely recommend it. After traveling around Costa Rica I can tell you that food and drinks are not cheap, so the deal you get for the quality you get at Villa Cascada is SO WORTH IT.

I planned my wedding with the two coordinators while traveling, so I could not have made it more difficult on them. My sister is very organized and kept things going, but you can have them make as many or as few detailed decisions for you as you want. For me, I was not very interested in planning every detail of my wedding and honestly used my sister to help me make a lot of my decisions. I am sure the two coordinators could make more decisions for you if you were able to have phone conversations and more reliable internet correspondence than I was able to have.

I could not recommend Villa Cascada more highly, whether it be for just a vacation or for a wedding. I absolutely loved it and couldn’t imagine a more ideal place.

-Allison C (June 2014)

Pam’s Testimony

By Family Vacations, Villa Cascada, Weddings

Our RoomThe viewThe Pool

Wow! What an amazing time my husband and I had at the Villa Cascada!

We were guests for a friend’s wedding. We had 22 people in our party and were there for 5 nights. This villa is incredible! From start to finish everything was perfecto! The accommodations were very clean and comfortable. The food was amazing (we never went hungry). The bartenders and other staff were so friendly! Guillermo was so great and helped all of us book excursions. We really enjoyed getting to know Guillermo, as he is very open and shared many stories and valuable information about Costa Rica. Overall the property was really great for our group. We spent a ton of time in the pool, playing games and hanging out. This is such a perfect location for a big family/group, as you can really relax and everything is taken care of for you. Enjoy!!

– Pam