Casa Banda, Costa Rica Trip Report

We have just returned from a two week stay at Casa Banda. The clothing optional web site is here http://www.cocr.info/ We saw the add in the AANR Bulletin and found it to be everything as advertised, even better. The owners have rented the units since 2004 as a traditional textile facility using this site http://www.casa-banda.com/. As you can see by the reviews on their web sites or even if you look up Casa Banda on VRBO and FlipKey, people who stay here absolutely love it. What they did, was block out an initial 6 weeks beginning Feb 10 for C/O, and on the Casa Banda (textile) site, it will show fully booked while the cocr.info site will show the true availability for C/O. The C/O dates will be expanded as the interest and traffic grows. The owners, Bibi and Arne, are the perfect hosts. They go out of their way to make sure everything is to your liking and have great knowledge of where to go or what to do in the area. We found it simply too relaxing to go too far and stayed home and enjoyed the pool most days.

Arne retired a few weeks ago and he and Bibi are moving to Costa Rica full time. They are nudists themselves, which is why they are transitioning the facility into clothing optional. They have made a huge investment in creating a great place to stay with spacious and comfortable rooms and lush gardens for the comfort of their guests. If you contact them via the web site, they can provide the dates when the facility will be C/O and/or notify you via email when a block of dates will be available.

We took the 10am flight out of Dallas and landed in Liberia at 1:50pm. We paid $100 for the 2/12 hour drive to the door of Casa Banda. We could have rented a car at the airport and driven there but opted to rent the car in Nosara. It was a good decision for our first trip and may even do it that way again.

The town of Nosara is fairly remote, away from the hi-rise hotels and tourist activity, although there are touristy things to do such as zip lines, horse back riding, boat tours and other activities, including some of the best surfing in Costa Rica. There are about 18 miles of gravel, dusty, bumpy roads to get there, but in the end, we viewed that as a major plus in that it kept the majority of tourists away and really helped to create the laid back, this is the real Costa Rica, atmosphere.

We cooked many of our meals in our apartment (there are full kitchens) but there are nice restaurants nearby, including Lagarta Lodge, http://www.lagarta.com/ with great sunset views, about a 5 minute walk away. One of our favorites was La Luna, right on the beach with great food and a great atmosphere and great sunset views. I couldn’t find a web site for La Luna, but here is their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/LA-LUNA/187210908478 You can also catch the sunset from the facility without having to put your clothes on. The closest beach is a short 10 minute walk away, although we did rent a car, which gave us the flexibility to explore several of the other nearby beaches. The beaches are really beautiful, some white sand and others black volcanic. Wildlife abounds; you’re in the jungle.

All in all, this was a really great trip, a great place to relax and enjoy the weather and we’ll definitely be back.

I kind of hate to share great secrets like this, for fear that it will be booked when we want to go back. They only have 6 apartments and Arne and Bibi are now living in one of them. (My wife still blames me for the popularity of Happy Bay on St Maarten because I wrote a post about it many years ago after we had the entire beach to ourselves for over 4 hours. More people are there each year when we returned, and of course, it was all my fault for telling the world about it <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />) I’m sharing this, because Arne and Bibi are such neat people, and I really want them to succeed. Also because we will return, and when we do, I’d rather stay there naked than clothed. Plus, it’s in the spirit of this board that we will share new C/O opportunities as we find them…so here you go.

Very nice trip report FreshAir. Thanks!

We're always looking for new CO or nudist places to vacation and this sounds like one we'll look into more.

We've been to Costa Rica a couple of times so we're familiar with the social norms in the country, but given the remoteness of Casa Banda we're wondering if you were able to go nude on any of the beaches you mentioned near the resort.

We did on Playa Nosara. It required a walk across the mouth or the Nosara river at low tide, which is the only way to get to the beach, which must be two miles or so long. After crossing the river in the morning and getting down the beach a ways, we walked it nude in the morning. Other guests staying at the same time did so as well during the day. We took a drive up north on the bumpy, gravel roads that runs parallel to the coast and because the beaches are so long and only relatively few access points, there appeared to be several areas where one could do so, although we did not. Our mission that day was mainly exploration.

Nice find. When I looked the non-CO calendar on the link provided, it showed sold out for the entire time. In reference to the rates they charge, are they by the unit or per person? Thanks for any info.

That's how they are implementing the transition; showing sold out on the textile sites. Those same dates will show availability on the nude site. I think the easiest way to know would be to inquire and get on their email list to be notified when C/O dates are coming available until they build their C/O business and the transition is complete.

If you're looking at the unit "Banda" that's where the owners are now living and will always be blocked out. Each unit has its own availability calendar. We stayed in Tabidi and loved it, although the others are even nicer. We stayed in Carino the first night until Tabidi was available the next day. While it was nice, it was the smallest.

My apologies suntwo, I overlooked your question about rates. The rates we paid were for the unit. The owners are occupying a two bedroom unit and there is one other 2 bedroom for rent. I'm assuming that rate is for the unit as well, but an email to the owner will confirm. I did suggest the owners create a user ID to post as well, but I know the moderators tend to frown on self promotion, although it may be helpful for all if they answered such a question directly for all to see.

Thank you, FreshAir, for your report. We loved having you with us and are soo looking forward to your return visit. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Joy.gif" alt="" />

Outside the prime of high season (Christmas - end of February), even the closest beach, Playa Pelada, which is a 12 - 15 minute walk away from Casa Banda, is often so deserted that you can sit or lay down in the nude, as long as you have something nearby to cover up with, should somebody come walking. Walking the beach would probably be to push your luck.

FreshAir got it right about the calendars on our two web sites. They exclude each other.
After we have moved to Nosara full time and can take care of our guests ourselves, we will leave both calendars open for most of the year, and let demand decide whether we are nude or not.
All rates are per apartment and are based on self-catering. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/dine.gif" alt="" />

It may not be legal or culturally acceptable - but the caribbean side has some topless and enough beach for a skinny-dip. Nice to hear that it is possible on the pacific side.

We just returned from COCR in Costa Rica and had a great vacation. We rented a beautiful large studio apartment that overlooks the Pacific, has Negril like sunsets, with a kitchen that has everything right down to a garlic press. The pool area also has a BBQ pit. The king size bed was very comfortable. The grounds are beautifully landscaped with coconut/palm/banana/lime trees and multi-colored flowers. We spent many hours at the stunning swimming pool with enough sun or shade areas for everyones comfort. The weather is incredible with daytime highs into the low 90's and almost no cloud. The beaches are within walking distance and so large and unpopulated that skinny dipping was no problem. During the midday sun, shoes are needed to get the water. We rented some boogie boards to catch a few waves and spent several hours watching the amazing surfers. Zip-lining, turtle watching, quad tours, snorkeling and nature trails are just some of the activities to enjoy if one could only get away from the pool. There are many terrific restaurants of all types. The supermarkets have everything, and there are fish markets in the area as well. The host couple are wonderful people and have created a paradise for naturists. Like most of the other couples we met, we are planning on returning.

In the midst of packing and getting ready for our move to Costa Rica, we finally got to updating our web site, www.COCR.info to show the current rates per unit.
There are still a few vacancies left during prime season, but we will finally be home and you can come anytime and enjoy some Pura Vida Naturally! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Joy.gif" alt="" />

We are finally here and only here, at Casa Banda. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/circle.gif" alt="" />

We are happy to report that the big 7.6 earthquake on Sept. 5, centered just 15 miles from us, left no damage to the place, other than some broken pottery and glass vases. Phew!! Whenever the ground is done with the aftershocks, we expect our nerves will calm down too.

All reservations already on the books are secure, and there is still room for more, anytime except Dec. 15, 2012 - Feb. 1, 2013.

Pura Vida Naturally! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Joy.gif" alt="" />

Good to hear that there were no problems with the earthquake at your location.

As these great new nudist places go, this was fully booked during the prime winter months this year but I got an email advising of a cancellation. I have no interest in this other than supporting this venture of two really quality people. Here is the email with details if you're interested...

Dear friends, "old" and those we have not yet met,

S and B, a couple who was going to join us at Casa Banda for the first time, February 20 - March 20, 2013, must unfortunately postpone their trip to Costa Rica due to illness. :-(

This opens up our smallest studio, Carino http://www.casa-banda.com/Casa%20Banda%20A3.htm, $ 510 per week, $ 850 for 2 weeks. If you know somebody who might be interested in visiting us here at Casa Banda, please pass on this information.
The more dates we are able to fill, the more of their deposit we can put towards a future stay.

Happy Nude Year,

Bibi and Arn

Thanks for the update. Maybe someone here can take advantage of this new place to stay. Seems a reasonable price.

Thank you, Fresh Air, and Happy New Year to you and yours. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/dine.gif" alt="" />

Besides the room that was opened up by the cancellation, we still have some openings in March. The calendars on the web site will show when and where.

Looking forward to making new friends,
Bibi and Arne

Just a quick update...

The cancellation has been refilled, but there are other rooms available in March.

We've never been to Costa Rica, so we may do some reading up on your place and think about booking it sometime!

You would be so very welcome!!

I do not see any reference on the website to internet being available there. If not, that would be a total deal breaker for us. We have to have access to internet. Anyone know?

Internet is available and we had very good Wifi connection all over...room, deck outside the room, and all around the pool area's. There are no TV's but we connected to our DVR at home through their WiFi. We're not really big TV people but it was nice to lay in bed at night and watch our local news at home and hear about the cold weather they were having.

Thanks for the info on the wifi. Surprised there are no TVs, but whatever. You said you cooked in most of your meals? How hard was it to obtain groceries?

Obtaining groceries is not hard at all. There is a grocery store in the town of Nosara only a few miles away. There is also a small store nearby that carries some organic and gluten free products. Plus there is a farmers type market occasionally which we always missed.

We arranged to be picked up at the airport and had a rental car delivered to us which made getting groceries no problem. While it's nice to have a car to better explore the area, it's not a requirement to stock your unit with provisions. Whenever Arni or Bibi go to town for provisions, they always ask if they can pick anything up of if you'd like to ride along. You'll get to know the other guests and most will offer as well. In addition we were given a menu to order meat (steaks, ribs, chops, sausages etc) to be delivered and someone is always going to the fish market and typically asks for orders as well. You'll be in email contact with your hosts when you book a unit and can even arrange to have some basic provisions when you arrive.

Maybe it was the incredible friendly group in the other units we were with. I will admit this was our only concern going in, but it turned out to be a major plus. Everyone got along so well we decided to all try for the same timeframe this year. Unfortunately it didn't work out that we could go this year.

The other thing I've learned is that this is how nudists are. They are the the friendliest, most considerate people I've meet. Combine that with the way your hosts go out of their way to make sure everyone's needs are being met really makes for a nice situation.

I know that's a long answer to a short question Carol, so the short answer is obtaining food provisions is not a problem, with or without a car.

Thanks for the info.

Sounds like a nice place. Always looking for different C/0 venues to visit plus have several hundred thousand miles on AA and should probably use them soon based on some of the reports. Anyway a few questions:

Is english spoken in the towns or does one need to brush up on their spanish.

Is it difficult to find the hotel from the a/p?

Are most of the guests nude 24/7 or is mainly confined to the pool area? (We were recently at a Naturist resort and a majority of the people covered up when leaving the pool area. Thought that a little strange for a nudist resort)

Thanks for your help and your trip report

There is some english spoken, however it's always good to brush up on the spanish. I know no spanish and we got along just fine.

For our first (and so far only) visit, we opted to pay the $100 to be picked up at the airport. It's about a 2 1/2 hour drive, the last 18 miles really bumpy dusty roads. I think we'd rent a car at the airport next time and explore for a couple of days prior to arriving at Casa Banda.

It's not a hotel really. It's two buildings, each with three apartments on beautifully landscaped grounds with a pool. The owners live in one 5 are rentals of different sizes as described on their web site.

With our group, most were nude in their apartment, on their patio/deck area and at the pool and walking to and from the pool. The exceptions were a couple of the upper floor apartments have steps elevated above the privacy wall so they covered to and from the pool. We were nude 24/7 as were many others. We arranged a pot luck barbecue one night with all of the guests at the pool house area and I think 3 of the males were nude, the other 2 had wraps and the ladies had coverups of some sort. It was all good..no one was uncomfortable either way. I would guess the question really depends on the other guests your staying with.

Regarding TV's:
We can not get a signal with just a regular antenna, and if we could, it would be local Costa Rican programming in Spanish.
DirectTV and SkyTV are offered, but the feed comes from Mexico, so it is still mostly - and dubbed - in Spanish.

We will explore all options, now that we live in Nosara all the time and are interested as well in being able to connect to the outside world, but we are barely unpacked yet.

If we realize that it is a common desire of our guests to be able to pop in a DVD and watch a movie, we will definitely consider having a TV and DVD-player which can be used by guests wanting to do just that.
Unfortunately, the climate is very tough on all electronics and it would be too costly to keep all apartments equipped with working TV's all the time.
The telephones last barely a year.

Yes, I understand now that I'm thinking about it, what an expense that would be to keep working TVs since you don't have a/c. Electronics don't deal particularly well with heat and humidity all the time.

Curious what a rental car costs, And is there nude beach there at the hotel? whats the weather in August? Hot and Steamy?

Read the other comments in this thread, with regard to beaches, as there is none AT the hotel. Weather in August, I think would be rainy season.

Car rental rates wary greatly, depending on season, length of rental, and type of car. All the generally known companies are represented and there are local companies too. You can get an idea of the cost if you make a search for "Costa Rica car rental" and put in your specific dates etc. Nearest airport is Liberia (LIR). Most of the year, and definitely in August, you will want to have 4x4 and not the smallest vehicle.

August is in the middle of the rainy season, but it is not the worst month at all. August 2012 was sunny and way too dry. In an average August - not that the weather has been very average the last few years - mornings are very sunny. By lunch time, the clouds start to form and a couple of hours later, it starts to rain for 2 - 3 hours. Often there is a break until mid-evening when it starts to rain again. Most days, it is raining when we go to bed and sunny when we wake up.
The hottest months are April and May with temps in middle to upper 90's. When the rain starts in middle of May, it starts to cool down a good bit, but is still muggy, and it gets cooler until October which we consider cold - all the way down to mid-70's! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

Our place is not beach front, but we have a great view of the ocean. It takes us 12-15 minutes to walk down to the beach, about 20 to come back up the hill.
No beaches in Costa Rica are officially "nude" (public nudity is not allowed), but, as FreshAir reported in the first post, I believe, there are beaches that are deserted enough to allow for a stroll in the buff. Depending on how much it has rained, crossing the river to the beach mentioned might not be possible.

Breaking news <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> :

Based on many requests, and the "conversion" of one of our returning (five times so far) former textile couples, we are happy to announce that we will start the "nude season" a month earlier next year, on January 5, 2014.

Rates will be up soon on the web site.

Even better news: <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />
December is now also open for our favorite kind of people, those who think life is best enjoyed au natural.
Reservations made before August 1, 2013 will get a discount of 10% off regular advertised rates.

Good for Casa Banda.........wouldn't it be great if a lot of places could have a nude season?

YES, we are happy to report that except for 1 - 2 weeks here and there which are booked by "textiles", our Nude Season now lasts all year. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Joy.gif" alt="" />

Oops, forgot to log in first for the comment above.

Any plans for a/c? We are from Florida and are used to living with a/c throughout the summer months (what sounds to be the equivalent of Costa Rican weather).

We are considering how we can best instal A/C units in some of the apartments. Biggest issue is that doors and windows were not constructed to keep cool air in, and any cooling appliance would be working very hard to cool down the outside as well.
We have A/C (planned from the beginning) in our own condo, but we only use it during the worst of the rainy season to keep humidity down in order to conserve electronics, books etc.
Some of our guests wonder, just like you do, how they will tolerate the climate without A/C, especially our many Canadian guests. We are located on top of a ridge which offers plenty of breezes and MOST guests are pleasantly surprised to find that open windows, doors and plenty of ceiling fans are sufficient for a comfortable stay.
In the dry season, when most people come to stay at Casa Banda, everybody are outside as much as possible, with the covered porches being part of the living area.
We hear more often that folks are happy and comfortable than people wishing for A/C.
The issue has not been "shelved", the best solutions just hasn't been found yet. So, yes, we are considering installing A/C, but we don't know when it could happen.

What is the average age range of your guests? We are in our early 40s.

Having been there, (obviously as the one who started this thread) I would tend to think a/c is not really necessary. We weren't there during the rainy/humid season and while it was hot during the day, it cooled down nicely during the evenings. The buildings sit high on a hill and do capture the nice breezes and views. Even if the units were air conditioned, I cant imagine using it. There's just something about being in the tropics and feeling the breeze on your body. There are ceiling fans, over the bed in the unit we rented and the one we stayed in for one night. That was more than sufficient to allow a comfortable nights sleep for us. I acknowledge everyone has their preferences.

As you said, everyone has their own preferences. I have difficulty sleeping at night without a/c. I can do fairly well during the day if it's hot, so long as there is a breeze, but at night, I like my a/c!! Especially if it is humid, I am miserable w/o a/c!

Small step towards providing A/C:
We think we have found a suitable A/C unit that can be installed "after the fact". Now, we just have to figure out how generated cool air will only benefit our guests and not everything living outside.

Great news! Are you using mini split A/C units? We added one when we converted our garage to a family room and it works great for a large room. Once you get A/C added, I just need to convince my wife to make the trip down!

Yes, we are looking at the mini split A/C units - and I'm glad to hear that one is working well for you! We see all these brand names that we have never heard of before, and it is next to impossible to find information about them - so it's slow going. We'll get there, and then I will announce the good news.

mini splits are popular in carribe islands. Mitsubishi invented them, many other brands.
some in us, but most motels are still loud noisy units in us

We have a Carrier unit that is very efficient. Plus, my wife is ready to come down as soon as the A/C is installed! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

We are booked and we are so excited to be going back. As feared when I wrote the original trip report, the whole place was booked last year when we tried to return. We have Buena Vista confirmed for two weeks for late February into March! Still good rooms left..http://cocr.info/Apts/Apts.html

And we are soo looking forward to seeing you again, FreshAir!

Good news, folks.

For your enjoyment, A/C is being installed in two of our mid-size studios as I write this. First step <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Joy.gif" alt="" />

We have availability Dec. 6 - 13 and again after January 3. www.COCR.info will show you the calendars.

As one of our guests exclaimed this morning on his way back to life in the world of employment "You just meet the nicest people nude!!!"

We can only agree and are looking forward to meeting more of those nice nude people. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Hi. I appreciate your posting this update, but in future, you should consider being a TTOL sponsor. If you have any questions about that, please send me an email to chill@info-res.com or send me a PM here.