A Week in Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica

Best Things Nearby:
I loved taking the Buena Vista Mega Tour with Swiss Tours, and we enjoyed a trip into Coco. It was great being on the Pacific Ocean!

Best Things About the Resort:
We enjoyed sitting on the porch of our villa watching the birds and the gorgeous view! The people were SO friendly and helpful! The time in Costa Rica was 2 hours earlier than in Georgia, so it was easy to get up at 5:30 or 6am, when the birds were everywhere.

Resort Experience:

The people at Villas Sol were helpful and friendly. Jonathan and Emir at the front desk were great! Jessica came to welcome us our first evening and brought us fresh fruit, and when we asked about ice, she told us she would bring us some. She brought us a huge bag that lasted almost the whole week!

We chose NOT to do the all-inclusive and were really glad. We enjoyed the various restaurants in the area a lot more than the restaurant at Villas Sol.

The shuttle that kept circulating around the resort reminded me of the parking lot shuttles at Disney World. We never had to wait terribly long for one. People have said it's too steep to walk around the resort, but we didn't find that to be true. We enjoyed walking through the beautiful grounds.

They were remodeling the main pool, so it was closed during our week. We were allowed to use the pool at Condovac and enjoyed that immensely! I would do water aerobics with them every day at 11am. They ended the water-aerobics session each day with an activity that included head massages and true relaxation. Fun! They had a beautiful infinity pool overlooking the Pacific, and bright butterflies were constantly flying close to you. Paradise!

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Very Good
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Very Good

We walked on the beach to El Velero and enjoyed happy hour at the bar. As we sat there, the fishermen arrived with the catch of the day, which happened to be lobster! It was SO delicious!! We sat outside in a beautiful garden area and could hear the waves breaking.

We ate on the open-air deck overlooking the main street of Playa del Coco. The fish of the day was red snapper, and it was delicious. They brought us a whole grilled snapper each for less than $10, including sides. While we were eating, the building started shaking, and after a moment, we realized we'd just experienced an earthquake!

There were about 20 howler monkeys in the tree right next to us that we could watch while we dined. One mother monkey had her baby on her back. It looked like they were playing "follow the leader" when they walked down the limb closest to our restaurant and hopped onto the roof. The very friendly waiter assured us that they never come into the area where people are eating. I was glad!

We took a taxi to Playa del Coco from Villas Sol for $15. After shopping and eating, we walked to the grocery store and asked the parking attendant if he would call us a taxi to go back. It was only cost $6 for the return!

We were walking from Villas Sol to La Finisteria and knew that it was probably a mile away. As we walked, Daniel, the resort's activity director, was walking to his home and joined us. It was such fun hearing about his first evening in his home when a howler monkey woke him at 4am right outside his window. It scared him to death! He said he's gotten used to them now.

He told us about Villa del Sueno Restaurant, and we were so glad he did! We couldn't have walked up the steep hill to Finisteria! We sat at the bar, and Ronnie fixed me a scrumptious drink that had Costa Rican liquor in it and lots of smashed limes and sugar water. It was so good! I told him that Carl's 66th birthday was the day before and asked him what he would recommend on the menu. He recommended the brandy peppercorn fillet for Carl and the shrimp scampi for me. That's what we had and swapped several bites. YUM!!! They were both SO good!!!

Ronnie switched roles and went from being bartender to waiter. Alan was the manager and could not have been more gracious, and at the end of the meal, he and Ronnie brought out a delicious dessert with a birthday candle and they sang to Carl. Ronnie could be a successful opera singer in the States! What a beautiful voice! Alan's was really good, too. A taxi driver drove us back to the resort. I would have loved another meal at Villa del Sueno, but there were too many other places we wanted to go. We WILL return someday!

We walked just a little piece up the main highway to Ginger's and again ate outside. We had really good tapas, which we shared, plus a delectable chocolate dessert with vanilla ice cream.

We rode the shuttle to the beach and went out with Antonio. What a nice guy! He showed us the Four Seasons and went on to a beach, where I snorkeled a bit and we walked on the beach. It was a fun outing, and I loved getting it for free!