Villas El Parque

The balcony view was what won us over. We got stunning pictures of parrots in flight, toucans and white faced monkeys just off the balcony almost every day, and could hear howler monkeys at night. You’re practically in the park, but restaurants and stores are close by too. At first the top floor unit felt underwhelming. The furniture is adequate, though due for an update. There’s a fridge and coffee pot, but little else for making food at home. A hot plate would have helped, and we spent a lot of time wondering how they might fit a small kitchen area. I would recommend the place, though this unit is really a hotel room, not a condo. Eating out here is very expensive, especially if you’re not from USA, since everything is priced in US $.

We had an enjoyable stay, and the pool was nice. The top units have a scrumptious view. There are restaurants and businesses all around, so the little jungle oasis gets busy around happy hour and dinner. It quiets down a lot after 9pm, when most places close. Pura vida.

We absolutely loved the villa. The layout was excellent, and there’s a private pool just down the steps. David, our property manager, was fantastic. You get an incredible private hillside view of the ocean. It’s a bit of a walk to the beach, but the bus line is right there and super inexpensive. There’s also a store and lots of restaurants next door. Just fabulous.

That view over the pool was incredible, and the apartment was comfortable and had most of the basics we needed. The Hotel Villa El Parque was really nice. Still, compared with what other people seemed to get for the same price, it felt a bit expensive.