Casa Familiar la Tortuga

The couple running the house made us feel welcome without hovering, and gave us room to relax while still being happy to chat. They were friendly, helpful, great cooks, and lovely company. The house was clean and nicely arranged, close to restaurants and parks. Breakfast was fantastic, and he was happy to make it whenever we asked. He also drove us to and from the airport, and she suggested a great gymnasium for us to attend. The Wi-Fi worked really well, the showers had good pressure, and we honestly had no complaints. It’s a great fit for couples or families wanting a genuine cultural stay in Costa Rica.

The room itself was clean and nice, but the way the payment was handled changed how I felt about the whole stay. We’d been traveling around Costa Rica for three months and had never had such a bad experience. No one told us the kitchen cost extra. We made omelettes there three times in the morning, then were asked to pay $10 for using it. The exchange rate caused another argument. I spoke with the father the day before leaving and said we’d pay in colones. He said that was fine and quoted 610. The next day, when I tried to pay his daughter, she insisted it was 625 and brought up the $10 kitchen charge. It felt really unfair. We’d hoped to support a nice local family while traveling, but this experience made the stay not worth it for us. It’s a shame to leave the country with that memory.

We paid a lot and didn’t get breakfast. I don’t know why some guests did, but we got none. I wonder whether breakfast was only offered to Caucasian guests, since all the positive reviews mentioning it seemed to be from white people. It also wasn’t very comfortable staying in someone’s home instead of a hotel or hostel. The owner was always there, so I felt watched in the shared area.

A lovely family in pleasant surroundings. They were friendly, helpful, and accommodating.