Reviews

"Casa de Pio Pio es mi lugar favorito en Ecuador, y uno de mis lugares favoritos en el mundo. Hago lo mejor que puedo escribir cuando estoy inmerso en un paraíso tropical lejos de la vida día a día que experimente el resto del año. He completado otro libro aquí en casa de Pio Pio este año y espero volver a hacer lo mismo de nuevo pronto. Los alrededores son tranquilos y aún así cerca de las comodidades. Nuestros anfitriones (que desde entonces se han convertido en nuestros queridos amigos) son personas maravillosas que han puesto mucho pensamiento y esfuerzo en la propiedad. Se ha mantenido amorosamente para nutrir el corazón y el alma, las relaciones viejas y nuevas.

Recomiendo encarecidamente este maravilloso lugar como un destino de vacaciones, o el hogar lejos de casa, ya que es para mi marido y yo unos meses del año."

~Karen Marie Dion, Author & Speaker
www.knewspring.com

"Casa de Pio Pio is my favorite place in Ecuador, and one of my favorite places in the world. I do my best writing when I am immersed in a tropical paradise away from the day to day life I experience the rest of the year. I have completed another book here at Casa de Pio Pio this year and look forward to doing the same again soon. The surrounds are tranquil and yet close to amenities. Our hosts (who have since become our dear friends) are wonderful people who have put a lot of thought and effort into the property. It has been lovingly maintained to nurture heart and soul, relationships old and new.

I highly recommend this wonderful place as a vacation destination, or home away from home as it is for my husband and me a few months of the year."

~Karen Marie Dion, Author & Speaker
www.kmdion.com

"We just got back from staying in this beautiful house for 3 months and it was wonderful! The house was exactly what we were looking for and perfect for us in every way! The kitchen was fully equipped and when we needed something that was missing, the caretaker brought it to us immediately. The caretakers were wonderful people who not only helped make our stay more enjoyable but also helped us practice our Spanish. They always made sure we had everything we needed, including arranging taxi drivers for excursions and helping us buy seafood. On weekends we got to know the wonderful owners, Mario and Martha and their family. They are wonderful hosts who are happy to share their lovely home with everyone who rents here. The beach is awesome! We took long walks every morning on the almost deserted and beautiful beach. The location is also perfect! You can just stand outside the gate and catch a bus or taxi and go to Olon and Montanita for supplies, restaurants and bars. During our stay we took trips to Cuenca, Puerto Lopez and Salinas and it was always wonderful to come back to the peace and quiet of Casa Pio Pio. We hope some day to come back to this beautiful place with wonderful people who we will never forget"

~Marcia L.

"My friend and I enjoyed our short stay here, just outside San Jose. The accommodation was very comfortable and Victor, who lives in an adjacent property, was on hand to help us with any questions or requests. The balcony looks out over a communal garden sheltered by trees. At the bottom of the garden is the long, sandy beach with hardly anybody on it - suitable for strong swimmers. Montanita has a good choice of restaurants, bars and some shops - you will need to get there by car, bus or taxi as it is too far to walk. We organised a day trip to Isla de la Plata which we would recommend - the boat sails from Puerto Lopez and we saw whales and dolphins on the way"

~Cassandra

"Paradise awaits! Mario and his team have absolutely thought of every detail to make your stay unforgettable. Although the house is not in the sand it is just steps from the sand and waves. The staff makes every attempt to make certain that your stay is all you have dreamt it would be. Our stay was for two weeks. We arrived to the coast a week ahead of when we had originally planed. We stayed at a small rustic resort a short walk down the beach in the town of San Jose which we absolutely loved. Try the baker on the corner his chocolate coconut cakes are to die for as well as any other items he has for sale. We did contact Mario who offered to allow us to check in early free of charge! How often does that happen? Mario went out of his way to make sure we had everything we could possibly want or need. We plan to come back as soon as we can. We love Ecuador, the people, the land, the sea, but most of all the kindness of the Ecuadorian people. We spent 6 weeks in Ecuador and ended our trip with our stay at this property. If you are considering staying here do it you will not regret it. Thank you Mario & staff you made our trip absolutely amazing. We can not mention enough kind words to express the welcoming feeling you"

~Grant & Denell

"The location of the apartment is definitely 5 star! The beach is amazing with miles of quiet sand to walk and warm water to swim. Our only complaint was that there was very little comfortable seating in the apartment or on the balcony. When we asked they did bring us more comfortable chairs for the balcony. We had a wonderful week and would love to come back."

~Pat C.

"Una casa bien equipada y confortable, dentro del amplio parque de la casa principal de los dueños. Buen diseño y buen gusto. Sus dueños un encanto de personas, amables y generosos. Los caseros, muy amables, viven dentro del contorno de la propiedad, y tienen buena disposición para resolver las inquietudes que se presentan. Tiene salida directa a la playa y a un mar cálido y sereno. Es aconsejable estar con auto para poder moverse, ya que los lugares para aprovisionarse están alejados."

~Patricio

"Canadian friends and I have stayed at this lovely home on its beautiful beach front estate several times during the past couple of years, and have recommended it to many friends, who've enjoyed it as well. There are actually FOUR houses on this large, lush estate...each one of them charming and very well equipped. The property is breath taking, thanks to Martha's expert gardening skills and Mario's obviously superlative architectural talents. The beach front is secluded and quiet...wonderful to come home to after enjoying the busy night life offered in Montanita. Mario and his family are always so welcoming and helpful, and they employ very loyal staff who are always available for anything we need. This is our "home away from home" whenever we travel to Ecuador's beautiful coast along the Ruta del Sol. We'll be back!"

~Deborah M.

"My boyfriend and I stayed here for 19 days. It's a really huge space for just 2 people! The owners & staff were very friendly, but the staff did not speak English and the owner wasn't always around (we didn't expect him to be), so communication was hard sometimes since we knew only a little Spanish. Sometimes we thought they said they were coming to clean on a certain day, but then they came a couple days later instead, so we weren't sure if that was a communication issue, or if they changed their plans without telling us. (Not a big deal though; they cleaned often enough.) The only minor complaints were that they didn't have screens in the windows, so bugs would get in if we wanted to open them to get some breeze. There is AC though. The kitchen had just about everything we could have wanted, but no measuring cups, except for cup with the rice cooker. The electricity went out 3 or 4 times while we were there, which also shut off the water. It usually came on again after a couple hours or less."

~Gina S

"La casa es absolutamente comoda , de buen diseño y moderna en todo sentido. los dormitorios con baños en suite mas toillete. Completamente equipada. A 8 min en auto de Montañita y en una Playa tranquila y con buen oleaje. Tiene unos caseros que se encargan y resuelven todo. Absolutamente recomendable."

~Mariano

"Like a paradise - This was really a wonderful stay, Mario is a great person the facilities are excelent the location was great we spent a great time"

~Christian C.

"We stayed at this home in March 2013 and we had a wonderful time. The home is very nice and comfortable. The people that take care of the property are truly lovely. Everyone is so helpful and kind. We had incredible food made for us and they helped with anything else we were inquiring about. We are definitely coming back! Thank you Mario for all your help and for the beautiful accommodations."

~Amy

"I'm Ecuadorian living in th US for more than 10 years. I wanted a nice place where I could take my family with a kids friendly beach. We stayed for 5 days en we enjoyed every moment. The place was great, comfortable and clean. Great service by the people who takes care of the property which offers plenty of space to relax, lots of activities to enjoy and a beautiful wide beach for the kids to enjoy. Noneless to say I very much recommend this place and I'm looking forward to go back soon."

~OCB