Michael

The views are absolutely stunning, and the property managers were responsive and helpful. The kitchen is well equipped, and the setting offers a peaceful connection with nature. That said, we found the comfort level didn’t match expectations. Only the bedrooms have A/C (as noted), and during the rainy season the common areas were extremely hot and humid. We had a serious ant issue on the first night, and a chirping alarm went off randomly during our stay. The open-slat doors downstairs let bugs in easily, and the home has no internal staircase. You have to go outside to move between levels. This layout isn’t ideal for families with kids. It’s difficult to hear what’s happening on the other floor, and you can’t quickly reach children if needed. Because of this, we didn’t use the upstairs master bedroom and chose to stay downstairs with our kids instead. With better cooling, pest control, and clearer expectations, this place could be exceptional.

You already know that the house (and the view from its windows and balconies) is beautiful, from looking at the photos. What you don't know yet is how it feels to inhabit it. There were three of us on this trip - my wife, my son and me - but it felt like there were four of us, because the house was such a constant, soothing, almost living presence. The floating ceilings, the invisible walls, the howler monkeys in the trees, the parrots and hummingbirds, the halloween crabs scuttling around the paths, the soft roar of the sea, the flow of warm air through open windows, the cool sanctuaries of the pool and the air-conditioned bedrooms... it's all there with you. And it was blissful. On a practical note, the shore near the property is sort of interesting at low tide, but - for us, at least - not worth more than one visit. But Playa Carrillo, only a five-minute drive, is vast, lovely and amazingly free of crowds. And Samara is a pleasantly scruffy, lively beach town 15 minutes away.