Ocean front house! Escape to nature. Costa Rican private paradise near Parrita

We loved this home. So cozy and well set up for families. Great communication and support from the property manager. Right on a quiet beach, close to nature and tones of wildlife. My 4 sons and I enjoyed the space and did not want to leave

On the 6-hour drive from Osa to Parrita, I discovered our SIM card wasn’t working and I wasn’t able to contact the property manager, Sergio, to give him our ETA. We decided to just use the “prep guide” provided by the owner to find the beach house. The guide gave detailed directions to the house, along with a picture of the property showing a black gate and a large white “El Pelicano” sign, so we had no doubt we’d find it. We drove up and down that dirt road numerous times not seeing the sign or gate as advertised. We considered that we’d been scammed. We drove back toward Parrita to see if someone could help us. Eventually we got in touch with Sergio who said he’d meet us where we were in 30 minutes to lead us to the house. Sergio is a blunt, opinionated fellow. We felt properly chastised about not contacting him earlier. Fair enough. He showed us around the house, pointing out a few things, for example only to put about 2 pieces of ice in the blender because he’s had to replace the plastic container part twice already, that the “accessories” on the inside shower (the head and handheld combo) decreases the water pressure, and if the stove doesn’t light with the clicker, we should go buy some matches. When I mentioned there being only one roll of toilet paper in the bathroom, he assured me there was a roll in the outside bathroom as well. We would have to buy more, if we wanted. (Note: there was no TP at all in the outside bathroom.) We don’t hold anything against Sergio for any of these issues, he’s just doing his job to his best ability. When I asked about the gate and sign, he just shrugged it off and indicated the sign had been removed and the gate painted brown. I said the picture should be updated in the “prep guide,” to which he replied that if people contact him, he meets them somewhere and leads them to the house. It seemed a circular conversation. PROS: The property is lovely. We saw many capuchin monkeys, geckos, crabs, and different birds. The plunge pool is very refreshing. The leaf skimmer, although ripped along the edges, works fine to clear the tiny leaves. The gazebo is welcoming though it could use better lighting for evening reading or game playing. - Shower water temp/pressure are inconsistent - The blender is horrible - Toaster - only 1 burner works - Supply 2 rolls of TP for each toilet - Have hand soap in bathroom - Stock garbage bags **Contact Sergio AHEAD of time and for ANY issues, not the owner**

Playa Bandera was uncrowded and gorgeous, exceeding expectations. The house was tidy and clean with good security/locks. Monkeys visited. The beach is close. We enjoyed the pool and the gazebo. Sergio provided several unsolicited suggestions for tours/activities, and provided helpful guidance on tides. We really enjoyed Chucho, who lives close by and stopped in from time to time. He was very helpful. Suggestions for improvement: 1. Provide hot water to the kitchen sink. We had to heat water to wash dishes. 2. Improve water pressure, which was barely a drip at times. 3. Clearly disclose that the home has only 1 bath; the other is outside. 4. Update directions for finding the place. The firehouse where you turn off the highway is different colors now. The gate to the property is not black and there is no "El Pelicano" sign as shown on the instructions. The result was we drove past the entry several times until after dark, and were late arriving, resulting in frustration for us and an unhappy greeting by our host. 5. It would be nice if some basic supplies were provided, such as dish soap. A boogie board would be a great plus. These constructive suggestions notwithstanding, we enjoyed our stay and would do it again. The location is fabulous.

Our stay was okay. We booked 8 days but ended up leaving early. Pros - beautiful bathroom and spacious kitchen, great outdoor gazebo, pool was a must because the surf was too big to swim in the ocean, beach was great for walking, host Sergio was kind and helpful. There is a fantastic seafood restaurant up at the highway that we enjoyed a few times. Cons - the property felt a bit run down. Lawn chairs were broken and dirty, pool net was broken and ripped and the pool toys were mildewy, we had to buy a new kitchen sponge and dish soap and wash all of the dishes before we could use them. This could be an excellent stay if it was given some TLC. I feel the photos in the listing were taken a long time ago. The property is really big and the beach is very long to walk on and had incredible surf. It was fine but did not meet my expectations and I won’t return.