I loved my stay at the Casita Granada! The casita is in excellent condition and has been decorated in an international/Spanish Colonial style influenced by the host’s travels through Latin America and features some of the small treasures she found along the way. Furnishings are high-quality throughout and the kitchen is well-equipped for meal preparation at home. The owner has obviously put a lot of care and work into making the casita a special place, far better than any hotel or thrown-together rental room.
The casita is about a 15-minute drive from either “town,” and after exploring them you may decide that cooking at home is the best option (Isabel II is the official town and mostly serves the local community; Esperanza serves tourists but most restaurants are merely tourist-trail quality) (notable exceptions are the casita owner’s restaurant in Esperanza, El Quenepo, and Tin Box, which is closer to the casita). A vehicle is necessary when staying here.
Set high on a ridge between the north and south slopes, the breezes ensured that it never got too hot – I never needed to turn on the AC; just left the ceiling fans on low and that was all that was needed. There are two other homes on the 3-acre property, the owner’s and another smaller casita, which are fairly close to this casita – however because of the landscaping and position, it feels very private. The owner maintains fruit trees and small gardens across the property which are nice to look at from the front porch or on a stroll around the grounds. Birdsong and frog calls fill the evening air for a few hours from dusk; it’s rather loud but really feels like you’re up in the forest!
The owner, Kate, was extremely helpful and eager to make sure I had a great stay. She picked me up at the airport and took me to pick up my rental car since the rental agency didn’t have anyone to send to pick me up, drew up maps showing me where to see some of the highlights of the island, and was very helpful with local advice. Communication pre- and post-stay was fast and helpful, and she was interested in how to improve her property (I offered some very small suggestions such as a salt & pepper shaker; the only thing that I would say is a caution is that the bed in the master bedroom is very high from the floor and may be difficult for smaller or older people to jump into). During my stay, she had the just the right balance of being helpful/available/interested without being TOO much of any of those.