Merricks Beach Villa, 50 Meters To Waters Edge Out Backdoor. Playa Ocotal.

We loved this part of our trip. The home was large and comfortable. We were able to use the well stocked kitchen for making meals. The beds were very comfortable and I appreciated the air con! I loved that we were steps away from the best beach. We snorkeled when the tide was in. There are rocks that get submerged and there is great snorkeling right from the shore. We saw turtles, an octopus, eels and tons of fish. I really loved that the beach was small and felt private. In the mornings and evenings, there were very few people on the beach except our family.

We had a wonderful stay at Merrick House. Unique location for families with children. The cool off pool was ideal for the children after we came back from swimming at the beach. Perfect location just a few steps to the beach. We cooked most of our meals at the house during the day and in the evenings we went to Father Rooster, just a 25 meter walk from the house. We were three adults and four children ages 5-10. We slept comfortably and enjoyed the view to the ocean and trees from the terrace. We will be back.

We will go back.

Well, our dream vacation is over and we're back on US soil. Yes, it was very HOT in Costa Rica but the beach house is beautiful and the view, fantastic. We were thankful for the air conditioned bedrooms. Very comfortable beds and all the rooms were decorated with a tropical theme. Spent many hours on the lanai chilling out, enjoying the view. We saw lots of iguanas at different times, (all sizes and colors), and we even saw and heard many howler monkeys during our stay. We did lots of cooking while there and the kitchen had everything we needed. We did our grocery shopping in Coco and found the meat to be of very good quality...especially the beef.

We ate at Father Roosters several times...wonderful margaritas and the food was delicious. We also had breakfast at Claudia and Gloria's in Coco one morning. Picantes was a neat place to eat and their food was delicious, as well. The ocean was wonderful. We went snorkeling and saw many different, beautiful fish. The beautiful pool was also enjoyed by all. Very refreshing!! We took two excursions. Zip lining was awesome and then the river cruise where we saw crocs, many birds and the cutest little white faced monkeys that actually came onto the boat and mingled with the passengers. Wow!

All in all we had a marvelous time. If ever we would go back to Costa Rica, we definitely will stay here again. Thank you, Rick, for sharing your beach house with us. All your suggestions beforehand were helpful.

Just returned from our 2nd trip to Costa Rica and 2nd stay at the Merrick House. It was only my daughter and myself for just a relaxing, beautiful time on the beach. Previous reviews give most information. If you are not in for a total resort vacation and being totally pampered then this is the place for you! We were there 12 days and cooked most of our meals at the house breakfast and lunch, appetizers and many cocktails. The kitchen was nicely equipped. We rented a car the second part of our stay through Poas car rentals which they delivered right to the house. We made the reservation on line and found them to be very friendly and reasonable. We did walk to town Playa de Coco a number of days and took a taxi back to the house for about $5. Shopping at the market was easy there are 2-3 to choose from. Coco has a number of great little restaurants. I would highly recommend The Lookout and Villa Italia!! We used Google Maps on our phone to get around and had no problem getting great directions. OF course Father Rooster's back at the beach was a daily visit for fishbowl margaritas and great appetizers. Try their fresh ceviche which is not on the menu but the best we found. There was no shortage of things to do around the house. Rocket Frogs Diving right next door offers great service for scuba diving and snorkeling. There is a reef right off the condo which had some incredible snorkeling this visit. The staff at Los Almendreos was very friendly and helpful especially Stephanie and Luis. Maid service is available once a week or you can pay for extra days at a minimal fee. There are alos 2 great restaurants at Ocotol just a short but steep climb up the hill, Ocotol Resort and Picante at Pez Vela. Both offer spectacular sunset views. I guess you can tell we love this place and can't wait to get back there!

This place just makes me happy! My US and Costa Rican families meet and love it here -- we just had our 3rd visit, or was it our 4th? Merricks offers the loveliest of settings at such a reasonable price.

Adding to the review above, here is some other useful info: It is a location that is probably best with a car in order to get back and forth from the grocery store, to town for restaurants/shopping, and even to explore other beaches (which I highly recommend doing in Costa Rica). That said, this time, my older kids went ahead of us by bus and did not have a car for a half day; they took a taxi to the store and back with no problem (about $20). Management on site is excellent and supportive for these types of things. It is certainly possible NOT to have a car, but plan on using some form of hired transport at some point. My kids are often training for their sports while we're there, and the area is a good running zone because it has some relatively flat road, not dusty, safe and the town of Coco is about 3 miles in (good destination running :); getting to and from by bike is also possible -- many locals ride bikes for transport. (The running usually happens early or late in the day due to heat.) There are also some new rental options for paddleboards, kayaks, scuba and snorkel equipment/trips right around the corner from the house. We had a lot of fun snorkeling right off the beach this trip - the water was very clear. We usually have a full household of 8, but with the 3 bedrooms, easy access to the beach right out back, the pools, town, and Father Rooster, we never feel crowded - everyone can find their spot. And when we all are together for family meals, we fit nicely around the table. We do most of our own cooking, so I can speak for the well-equipped kitchen!

One element that likely keeps this rental at such a great price, but should be emphasized for those who are super heat sensitive, is that air conditioning is in the bedrooms, but not in the living area or the kitchen which are essentially outdoors with the open air set up; Costa Rica is always hot during the day at the beach. We love and adapt to this part (like the monkeys in the trees out back sometimes -- we just hang out), but this might not appeal to all...

We highly recommend Merricks --- Rick, the owner, has been responsive, efficient and very kind --- to us this place is simple perfection!