Just returned from a 5-day stay at the La Terraza B&B Guesthouse in Grecia. This a jewel of a place tucked in the mountains of Alajuela province. Grecia is a charming town filled with warm Costa Rican people.
Our hosts Charles and Jeanetta Owens are the nicest couple you could ever meet on a trip if you are travelling alone as I did.
The rooms are bright and airy, beautiful and warmly decorated. All the rooms are neatly laid out with large windows all over and a cool breeze that comes from a balcony overlooking a beautiful garden. There is a stream that flows alongside the property with gentle sounds that sends one to sleep at night. You are awaken in the morning with sounds of birds chirping in the trees and surrounded by beautiful gardens. The entire location can be summed up in one word "enchanting".
Breakfast is a welcome sight at La Terraza. The staff Christine and Seenia put together scrumptous meals of diverse fruits, Tea and coffee with bacon, eggs, biscuits and a dose of the favorite costa rican breakfast. They are eager to make your stay a pleasant and memorable one.
Ms. Jeannetta took to organizing my trip to the Poas volcano and La Paz water falls. A trusted and personal driver (Mr. Carlos) personally guided me on this tour. I was welcomed to take personal trips to the local markets and even an opportunity to spend time at the local gym . The Owens embrace each guest as though they were family and provide any and all information about your stay in Costa Rica. They are eager to share their experiences and ensure that each guest is comfortable and safe during their visit.
I look forward to my next visit next year.

To Carlos, Christine, Seenia, mucho gracias. Hasta luego,
Ms Mildred (Marissa)

We recently came back from Costa Rica and a 9 days vacation there. Our first stop was La Terraza B&B in Grecia. Grecia is located about 45 minutes by car from the airport. We stayed in one of the apartment houses that Jeanetta Owens (one of the owners) had nearby the main house. It was lovely. Each morning, we came to the main house for breakfast which was a scrumptious cooked-to-order American Breakfast fare (eggs, bacon (my daughter thought they were the best in CR), pancakes, toast, etc.). The staff is very friendly and kind; they go out of their way to help us during our stay there. Although we stayed at one of the apartment houses, in the main building, there are several rooms which are quite lovely. The garden in the main house is exquisite, with a jacuzzi available as well. There is a little brook running in the back with a bridge crossing. In addition to the rooms, there is a suite available as well.

The entire property is SPOTLESS! which is not absolutely the case with other, even more expensive, places that we stayed during our sojourn in CR. She is the #1 rated place in the area, and there is a reason for that!

All in all, we highly, HIGHLY, recommend La Terraza. This was our first Costa Rican trip and we had a great time. Jeanetta essentially told me to come on down and she'll help with the trip planning. She provided a lot of useful tips to guide us to places that we wanted to see.

To that end, I wanted to pass along some tips for new vacationers to CR.
1. If you want to rent a car, Jeanetta can help you with that. as well. She will arrange for pickup at the airport (SJO) and driven to Grecia. Afterwards, you can have the car delivered to La Terraza and you can drive off from there. Getting a care outside of the airport will save you a 12% tax on top of your rental fee. You really don't need a car on your first day in CR. You are winding down and a taxi into Grecia for dinner (Jeanetta can call that for you also) costs about $6 USD each way.
2. When in Grecia, we recommend eating at Rancho Nelson which is in the downtown Grecia area. The food is "tipico Costa Rican" and cheap. The more expensive Casa de Miguel is not worth the money. Steaks in CR is underwhelming, but the "tipico" dishes of Rice and seafood is generally great.
3. If you are not a native Costa Rican and a geopgraphy whiz, insist on a GPS. We drove from SJO to Grecia to Volcan Poas to Volcan Arenal to the Manuel Antonio area and back to Downtown San Jose with the GPS guiding the whole way. Did not get lost and I could not imagine being able to make the trip without it. Again, insist on a GPS, it's a lifesaver and well worth the $8-10 USD cost per day. Another tip, don't be so worried if the GPS says you are slightly off course but heading in the right direction. The maps are correct 98% of the time, but occasionally would read out that we are off the road when we did not alter our route at all. Initially, I thought I was lost, but after 100-200 meters, while continuing on the same road, we would be back on course. I chalk it up to the fact that the road course occasionally change and the map not continually updated. This is rare but a bit disconcerting the first time it happened to us.
4. A 4x4 vehicle is a must in my opinion. Some roads in CR are unpaved, even in main tourist areas. I had a Suzuki Jimny 4x4, it's terribly underpowered and small, but adequate for even uphill climbs, provided we turn off the A/C. I rented from Dollar Rentacar at SJO airport and paid $515 bucks including insurance for a 8 day rental. I probably may have saved some money if Jeanetta booked it for me. So check around for prices. Most companies dealing with tourists are on the Net and respond promptly to emails.

All in all, we had a great time in Costa Rica and will return again. This is what happens to a country that does not spend the majority of its GDP on guns and wars.

thanks Jeanetta! All our best,

Tri, Mimi and Kellie

After choosing Costa Rica as our travel destination we then chose La Terrazza, based on the glowing TripAdvisor reviews, as the perfect place to start and end our 2 week vacation. We spent our first 2 nights here and then our final night.

Grecia is perfectly situated in the Central Valley. It's close to the
volcanos and La Paz and, most importantly, it's only 20 minutes from the airport. You can access Jaco beach within a short drive and you can go to San Jose for a night on the town if you so choose. With Grecia being so clean and safe though you would probably not hesitate to just explore the cute little town instead.

La Terrazza is a cute 3 room guest house in Grecia. It's private and for adults only. The rooms all have nice views of the jungle and you can hear the river roar past at all times. It was nice to fall asleep
every night to the sounds of the water flowing. If you like being pampered at places like the Ritz or 4 Seasons then maybe La Terrazza is not for you. Instead, it is really for people (like my wife and I) who prefer a smaller, quaint and special place. La Terrazza is just that. It's a very special place hidden in Grecia.

Jeannetta and the staff (especially Carlos) are special. We were treated like royalty. A perfect example of how caring Jeannetta can be is when my wife got food poisoning (in Domincal during the latter half of our trip) Jeanetta called in a prescription and had it delivered to the house. She is so accomodating that everything will just be taken care of. You really don't have to think much at all...
Jeannetta will take care of everything to make your vacation special.

If I were to spend substantial time in Costa Rica, I would make La Terrazza my starting point but I would definitely make it a priority to explore other parts of Costa Rica. This country is just begging to
be explored! If you have only a few days I would come to La Terrazza and explore the Central Valley using La Terrazza as the perfect place to relax at night.

You will definitely appreciate the hospitality and the warmth that is felt during a stay at La Terrazza! Enjoy.

Say Hi to Carlos and Christine too!!

What a pleasant surprise to discover this jewel! And outstanding hosts, Jeanetta and Charles, made our stay very comfortable. There was no detail forgotten, and then some. It is located in the hills above downtown Grecia. Not hard to find at all. The cleanliness is unsurpassed. I would recommend this place highly. And I hope to return.