I highly recommend staying at Rancho el Rio! My four children (ages 6-14) stayed on an extended vacation for two months (June-July 2022). It was exactly what we were looking for. I wanted the kids to get a break from our busy lives, schedules, and technology to enjoy time together as a family close to nature. My husband also joined us at the beginning and end of the trip.
On the farm, the kids had the freedom to explore the property and visit the animals as they pleased. They loved seeing the newborn piglets, riding horses, and visiting the donkeys. The also liked having the farm dogs and cats around; the dogs would even escort us on walks to the river.
Señor Alex, as the kids called him, was a fantastic host! He watched out for us, welcomed us into his life on the farm, shared his knowledge, and became a friend. He invited us to share meals together on several occasions and even invited us to visit his family’s farm in a nearby town. He introduced us to the youth soccer coach in Santa Elena and my oldest son was able to train with them during our stay. He also helped us coordinate a bread-making class with Señora Juana and basic Spanish lessons for the kids. His generosity, kindness, and love of the Costa Rican way of life are sincere. His adult son, Stuart, was also a great resource and always available via WhatsApp. He was very accommodating and flexible with our requests. Señor Carlos, who lives and works on the farm, was wonderful with the kids! The kids were able to help him with the morning animal chores. He would bring us fresh fruit and small eggs as gifts, especially for my youngest son.
With our rental car, the location of the farm was convenient to drive to Santa Elena /Monteverde whenever we wanted. The nearby town of Guacimal had groceries and two good tipico restaurants. We took almost weekly trips to the hot spring up the road. The farm made a good home base to explore different parts of the country.
We split our time between the two rental homes on the property. They are both simple, with a lot of charm and all the essentials for a comfortable stay. Our family made great memories together over the summer at Rancho el Rio. I feel lucky that we chose this place, almost blindly just based on the reviews (hence my reason for writing such a long review). It is a hidden gem!