DELUXE SPACIOUS OCEAN VIEW CONDOMINIUM

Amazing stay, wish we'd stayed the whole week! Condo was larger than expected, plenty space for my husband, me (33 wks pregnant), mom-in-law & 2 active boys (7 & 8). Kitchen has essential dishes/appliances, we stopped at grocery in Santa Cruz to stock up on drinks, snacks, breakfast/lunch food; later we went to a more local grocery. Sipping coffee on the condo porch to the view and sound of the ocean & birds and walking along the beach was simply relaxing, my boys enjoyed the two pristine condo pools & playing in the waves/rocks at Playa Azul-waves too strong for swimming, we stayed at knee depth (waist depth with wave), but warm waves perfect for playing & body surfing in the morning before hide tide & with morning shade from a hill (the dark sand beach heats up). We explored 2 beaches in San Juanillo, beautiful white sand and more tranquil water at 1. The solitude was a treat, we often had the beach/pool to ourselves, or maybe shared with 1 or 2 people. Easy walk to both from condo. One morning, we saw dolphins/sea life playing in the distance. On a night beach stroll, my husband & I saw delightful hermit crabs skittering in beautiful shells; smaller ones poked in & out of holes by day. The boys enjoyed watching iguanas wander around the grounds & monkeys playing in the trees. The highlight was a boat tour with Paski's Adventures -- Mike took us on a fishing boat to see turtles, swim with a turtle and then to spot wild life. We saw a couple mantas jump out of the water & enjoyed a beautiful cruise along the coast. A simple but very informative tour, not commercialized, perfect. Carol (owner) and Jennifer & Leah (property managers) sent us great, detailed instructions from the airport in Liberia & prepped us for the last stretch (~25 km of unpaved road). Our larger 4x4 SUV rental made for a smoother ride, though still pretty bumpy. Bridges over all rivers/creeks. We checked the route via Google maps (satellite view) beforehand, helpful to know lay of land, signs mark direction to towns & beaches, not road names. Car was handy for local trips to restaurants & beaches, and drive ok once we got used to road signs/markings. Property managers gave us sketched maps with local venues of interest; their suggestions for restaurants were spot on, we had enjoyable, delicious dinners at Tiki Hut-Marbella (on beach at sunset) & place in San Juanillo. A++ for customer service, very accommodating! I highly recommend for raw nature, tranquility, relaxation, PURA VIDA!