About Us
The EBV Origin Story
Hola a todos! I’m Toni Vandewalle, founder of Elite Beach Villas here in beautiful Costa Rica. When I was 30, I started traveling the world to surf and made it around to all the best surfing locations. In 1993, I arrived in Costa Rica and let’s just say, it was Paradise Found— Waves every day, warm water, tropical weather, amazing people, delicious food, epic lodging and just pure adventure.
My journey began in Pavones in the south of Costa Rica and ended as I traveled north to Tamarindo. When I arrived here, I was blown away by the beauty and the endless possibilities of this fantastic bay. Back then, what is now the center of Tamarindo and down to Langosta, was pure jungle. The town of Tamarindo was tiny— there was just one phone in town, located in a little shop, and one small store where we could buy food. Our meals were based on whatever was available that day. Every morning, I would check the surf from the hill above the Best Western and I soon discovered that the lot was for sale. Everyone thought it was crazy to buy at that time, but I did anyway, and that’s where I built Sunset House. In those days, taking on a building project was an extremely challenging endeavor because there were no builders available, but somehow we made it happen.
Before the town developed, it was pretty tough to live here without convenient amenities, but I would come for a couple of months during the European winter time. Tamarindo was growing very slowly in the first 10 years I was here, so I decided to raise my kids in this blossoming community. By then, the speed of development had increased, but it was still a small, quiet town. Around 1998, I bought a lot above Sunset House and built Casa Alang Alang in 2006. In the years following, I purchased land in Punta San Francisco and then in Santa Teresa. From there, what is now Elite Beach Villas began to take shape. It’s been over 30 years and I still feel so much love for this place every time I arrive— it's a feeling of peace and Pura Vida— and this is what I hope to share with everyone who stays in the villas.