We just returned from an 11 day visit to Villa Carramar. It was our third trip to Costa Rica (first trip to Playa Negra) and we shared the house with our dear friends totaling 10 people. Full disclosure - we came here for a surf vacation but during our stay, the largest swell of the year made it too dangerous for us to surf several of the days we were here. It would have been epic if we were more skilled but as it was, we had to drive to nearby Avellanas (15 min away) to get smaller waves. There was plenty of room at the house for everyone and we really enjoyed the open character. The pool was also great...kids loved it! We also enjoyed seeing the monkeys in the mango trees and all the forage around the house - very cool.

Big picture takeaway from my perspective - 4x4 vehicle is a requirement (we nearly got stuck and nearly hit a fence on the drive to the property) during this time of year when the rains are frequent, the beach is very rocky and not exactly user friendly for kids, and getting supplies was an ordeal causing a lot of time in transit. Also, during our stay, the house underwent some required maintenance (roof replacement) that was quite noisy at times.

Gina was great! She helped us contract a cook for our stay and I highly recommend anyone going to ask for Alexandra (she goes by Shenita). She cooked some really great meals! But like I said, you have to be prepared to make a few runs to the grocery store during your stay (45 min away) as Playa Negra is lacking on supplies. If you want to eat out, Hotel Deeveena is an excellent place (it is $$$$, so be prepared) as well as Jalapeños. If you want to rent surf equipment, I can't say enough good things about Javier at Pargos Surf Adventures (http://pargosadventures.com), he's great! Overall, I'd recommend this location for people with excellent surfing skills that don't mind walking a bit and/or driving to the break. I will also say that the owner, Jon, was a pleasure to work with.