Rustic Mexican Style Country Paradise

I am from mexico and traveled from NY to Oaxaca to celebrate Day of the Dead. We were so happy to connect with Adele and to find this warm and beautiful house were we could cook and relax as well as drive down to the city. The views are beautiful and nights are peaceful. The grounds are extremely well taken care of and full of native flowers, lemon trees and rain gardens. Because of the changing weather of Oaxaca at this time of year we used the fireplace as well as the pool so it was great that the house was equipped for both cold and warm weather.

One of the best part was the separate guest house were I was able to stay with my husband away from the other guests, so it provided us with some privacy, while allowing us to share the common spaces of the house.

I highly recommend it!

Adele is wonderful host who does everything she can to make you feel home... and, guess what, it works... Her house is beautiful, full of taste and little details. When leaving after eight days, our daugther was asking why were we leaving and whether we could stay here for ever... I guess this says it all.

This was our first trip to Oaxaca, and it was a lovely place to stay. The decor evokes a feeling of being a part of Mexican culture. The vista over the valley is breathtaking at sunrise, sunset, day and night. Live music can be heard from time to time from the neighboring areas. We also heard (usually pleasantly) the occasional turkeys, donkeys, frogs, dogs, and vendors hawking their wares.

Adele is easy to work with and has put together a wonderful team to help her guests. The driver, Lupe, picked us up at the airport late at night and arrived cheerfully and promptly every time we needed him, including a 5:30 am pickup to catch our flight home. Sarai had a lovely meal ready for us when we arrived, and Florencio was there to show us around our lodgings. They were always available but never intrusive. Sarai's cooking is as satisfying as any meal we had in a restaurant.

The location is remote. On the positive side, it is a very peaceful respite from the activity level in Oaxaca, and there is virtually no road noise. On the negative side, it takes time and patience to get anywhere from here. To get around that, I suggest (1) loading up on groceries at a mercado and contacting the owner or property manager about having meals cooked for you and (2) calling Lupe anytime you need to go anywhere. Our visit was short and we didn't want to try to figure out the complications of the moto-taxis, shared taxis or buses, but we might have if we'd stayed longer.

Try to arrive on a Tuesday or Wednesday so you can get your groceries at the market in Etla. It was well-stocked on Friday when we went, but Wednesday is the big day, which we missed because we didn't research thoroughly.

We were two ladies who don't sleep together and one of us either had to sleep in the separate building or in a single bed in the office you walk through to get to the master bedroom. It wasn't a big deal either way, but it was a little unusual.

The library is great - recent bestsellers, classics, travel books and reference materials. The wireless internet was fast and reliable, and a desktop computer and printer are provided. The kitchen is well-stocked with staples, utensils, pots, and appliances.

We felt completely safe and comfortable at El Barco. We were only in Oaxaca for four days, but on day four, rather than continuing to explore, we preferred enjoying Sarai's cooking, and relaxing at the pool and the cool serenity at El Barco. We hope to come back soon and often