We enjoyed our stay at the casita at Casa Del Mar on Tamarindo Beach.
The casita was clean and the staff were very nice. Willy met us at the casita having arranged transportation from the airport. The going rate of $80 plus tip was about what we expected. He also arranged the boat tour of the estuary ($35 per person) and we were picked up at the casita directly by the boatman (Victor Hugo). This was one of our favorite activities. We saw about eight crocodiles, a troop of howler monkeys, sea fowl, iguanas, and other local species. The monkeys did not visit the casita, perhaps due to mangoes not being in season on the big mango tree. Kathy did laundry for us twice as we sweat through our clothes every day.
October is rainy season and it rained half the nights, generally after we returned to the casita. We did get caught in the rain twice including our first night. We actually got lost on the way back, having walked right past the gate. Our fault for not knowing the names of all the houses around us…before going out. The local people tried to help us get back to the place. It was laughable the next AM.
The National Park excursions are about two or more hours away, so we did not do those, not wanting to spend five hours in a day in a van. We did take a cab to Playa Brasilito and Playa Conchal and spent the day there and had a wonderful fried red snapper at Hotel Brasilito. This was one of four times we ate this local delicacy.
The only downsides to the Casita were the ever present grounds staff, the non-working blinds, being on a busy road….and the ants. It is set in jungle like area along the beach, so some bugs were inevitable. Despite “crumb management” I squashed quite a few.
The work crews and trucks start at 0600 as October is a big “maintenance” month before high season and there is considerable construction going on all over Tamarindo due to its growth. The front gate was painted while we were there.
I would recommend this rental for a couple as it is just right for two people and is in a great location for walking the beach. It is stocked with all you need and we used the boogie boards. We walked up and down the beach every morning and went around the point to Playa Langosta, usually followed by breakfast at Langosta Bistro, our favorite.
Roger has a great place in Casa Del Mar and for larger groups, the main house is much larger and luxurious.