Best place to Stay in Puerto Escondido

Guest: Raymond (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
Date of Stay: 11/05/11 Review Submitted: 11/23/11

Derek's and Christine's accomodations were not only outstanding but the entire time I spent there they treated me like family. My room was spotless, cleaned regularly and each morning I got to sit outside with Bally (their dog) and have a coffee while watching the sun come up and the hummingbirds go from flower to flower. The home is situated on the hill as everyone mentioned with the million dollar view and inviting breeze but what's nice is that the local collectivio comes right by the front gate and will take you to the Marcardo for 5 pesos. In the afternoons I'd come back to have a dip in the pool and cold beer while Flip, Flip and Chocolate (their 3 Cats) would lounge in the deck chairs...no hurry, just do as much or as little as you pleased. Their internet service is excellent to keep you posted to the real world if you wish and as many viewers have already mentioned both Derek and Christine have some excellent insight as to where to go to surrounding areas to explore the beaches, cities or the National park. In summary - couldn't have picked a better location and I appreciate the Tompkins for allowing me to stay with them. Dennis Clarke - Vancouver, Canada

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+, sightseeing, families with young children.

Excellent Part of Our Trip

Guest: Mandy (Oceanside)
Date of Stay: 07/18/11 Review Submitted: 08/09/11

My husband and I were there during the month of July. The house has a picturesque panoramic view of the Puerto Escondido's beaches- including the surf. The family that owns this home is great- they are hospitable; respectful of their guests' privacy; and they keep their lovely house in immaculate condition. We would definitely go back, and recommend staying here to others.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, families with young children.

We can only repeat "What A Great Place to Stay!!"

Guest: Big Dan & Pat (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)
Date of Stay: 02/05/11 Review Submitted: 06/05/11

The description of the property is very accurate. The views are spectacular. We thoroughly enjoyed our three weeks stay in the main level apartment. Derek and Christine's knowledge of the area was very helpful. They were a great source of information for any questions we had. The accomodations are very clean, we felt safe and loved having the poolside access. The apartment has all that one needs (except perhaps a microwave would be handy to have). We had our own car, but access to the taxis or collectivo is very accessible. We would recommend this property to anyone looking for a peaceful and relaxing stay with wonderful views.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Great place to stay

Guest: Terry (Olympia, WA)
Date of Stay: 02/04/11 Review Submitted: 03/03/11

I came to write a review and found everyone else had already said everything for me. We spent 6 nights in the studio downstairs and it was just lovely. Very private, plenty of space, great breeze from the ocean and beautiful views from the patio--if Derek cut back the plant that was blocking the view a bit! And I understand the kitchen now has a toaster! I was worried we were too far from town, but it turned out to be so easy to get in and out by colectivo and all the people on them were so nice to show you where to get off. The french bakery at the bottom of the hill was delicious as was the juice bar across the street from it. We discovered both of those only a few days before we had to leave and I wanted to stay just for those! We did not see much of Derek and his family but we saw plenty of the dog, Bali, who is just the sweetest thing. I gather she's very fickle as it sounds like she loves everyone! We missed out on the famous ribs so I guess next time we just have to stay for at least 8 days! With pleasure!

Recommended for:

The perfect vacation spot!

Guest: Katie & Corey (San Rafael, CA)
Date of Stay: 11/13/10 Review Submitted: 02/11/11

It has taken us so long to write this review because, after eight weeks at Casa Puente, we are having a hard time adjusting to the real world! We arrived in Puerto after a long bus ride (we definitely recommend spending the extra money to fly directly into Puerto rather than taking the bus from Acapulco or Oaxaca!) and were ecstatic to see the house. The patio and pool are really nice and the view is honestly breathtaking. From the pool, the ocean looks like it goes on forever. We stayed in the downstairs apartment. Some of the highlights: -The kitchen is great. It has a four-burner stove, a great fridge, a blender, a coffee pot, plenty of pots and pans, dishes and cutlery, a large jug of filtered water and tons of room to prepare food and cook. -The bathroom is clean, the bed is super comfortable. -There is a desk to work at and a table to dine at. -There is an outdoor patio that has a table, a bunch of chairs and a hammock. We spent many nights watching the sunset from the patio. All of the things in the apartment are made a million times better by the fact that a very nice woman named Cruz cleans the room three times a week! And changes the sheets once a week! The location of the house is great. It is a 25 cent collectivo (shared taxi) ride or 15 minute walk on the beach from the main part of Zicatela and a 10 minute walk from La Punta. It is up the hill from the busy part of town so it is quiet and has a nice breeze at night. The market at the bottom of the hill has most everything you need and there is a sweet Swiss bakery nearby. Christine and Derek (and their kids and pets) were so welcoming and gave us lots of great information about the area, transportation, etc. Their kids are so cute and a blast to spend time with. We even got the famous rib dinner our last night in town! We highly, highly recommend this place and will definitely be back soon!

Recommended for:Girls getaway, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+, tourists without a car.

Gorgeous setting

Guest: Wisconsin runaways (Madison, WI)
Date of Stay: 01/24/10 Review Submitted: 02/06/11

We just got back from 10 days at Casa Puenta. The accomodations far surpassed our expectations starting with the wall of bougainvillea at the entrance. The setting is removed yet very accessible to beach and town. The bedroom has two walls of windows looking over the ocean and mtns. The mexican tiles and the modern open lay out made for an open feeling with refreshing breezes you wouldn't get in the city. We never felt the need for air conditioning. The place was always spotless and the pool is spectacular, very refreshing to dive into after a day on the beach. Derek and Christine were charming and always available for questions, but also made sure we had our privacy. We also enjoyed time with Bali, their loveable dog who we felt loved us more than the previous reviewer! Christine and Derek have designed an amazing living space that we would highly recommend.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+, tourists without a car, pet owners.

Wonderful Place to Stay, Wonderful Owners!

Guest: Mark (England)
Date of Stay: 08/20/10 Review Submitted: 10/02/10

We stayed here for one week as part of our 8 week honeymoon in Mexico. Derek and his family live above the apartment and are amongst some of the nicest people we encountered on our long trip. Out of all the enquiries i sent out on VRBO Derek got right back to me first and was so great at giving us all the info we needed to get to the place. The price was great too. It’s cheaper than being right in the town but to be honest its 20 pesos in a taxi or 3 for collectivo to get in and it’s so much nicer at this place which affords panoramic views of La Punta and Zicatela. On arrival Derek and his wife Christine provided us with a warm welcome (along with their Dog Bali who was just great and seemed to love us). They got us fresh coffee for our stay along with purified drinking water and gave us the complete lowdown on what was what in the area and how things worked, where to go to eat, the markets, where was safest to surf etc. They could not have been more accommodating. When we left Derek even gave us a lift to the airport at 6am!! I also fell ill whilst in Escondido and Derek made me a homemade remedy using leaves from a local tree which really seemed to help. The apartment was a great midrange place with everything you could ever need for self-catering and the bedroom and in fact entire place had great views of the ocean and mountains. The pool was lovely too and great for doing lengths in. The beach is a 5 minute walk and Zicatela beach maybe15 max along the coast. Would definitely recommend this place to anyone thinking of staying in Puerto although if you want a party place with bars etc. best to stay in town. Derek and Christine were so kind and they had 2 lovely kids and one lovely dog! The photos of this place don’t do it justice it’s just great. If we ever go back here this is where we will stay!

Recommended for:Girls getaway, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

The most amazing views!!!!!!!!!

Guest: Philip (New York)
Date of Stay: 04/17/10 Review Submitted: 09/08/10

Beautiful views from this hillside luxury villa. Sitting in the pool you had a sweeping view of the ocean and the town. The beach is a short 5 minute stroll away. The hosts were very gracious and helpful.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, families with young children.

Panoramic Ocean Views and Breezes

Guest: Sunnyside4 (San Francisco, CA USA)
Date of Stay: 10/03/09 Review Submitted: 06/07/10

We've stayed here 2-3 different times now over the years and its just gotten better since they installed the pool. Initially we thought we'd stay in town, but its much nicer here high up on the hill with spectacular panoramic views of the entire beach. You just don't get the cooling breezes in town and you don't get the drunken parties coming by your room at 3 a.m. Its very private and serene. The owners are very helpful with advice on things to do and see, the best non-tourist restaurants and how to get around if you don't have a car. Its an easy walk down to the beach and the collectivo comes by regularly if you want a cheap ride to town. The rooms were spotless with daily maid service and you step out from your room right onto the patio and pool. Best of all on out last night there, Derek cooked us his famous BBQ'd ribs - he said he'll cook them for anyone that stays there more than 1 week. We would highly recommend this place, especially now that we have 2 year old who loves to swim.

Owner response:Sunnyside4 is also happy to entertain all the guests that stay for more than a week at Casa Puente at his house in San Fran for an afternoon of wine tasting and caviar.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing, families with young children.