This was our 5th trip to Costa Rica; our 2nd to the Junquillal area. We have rented ~40 homes in many countries; Mary Dierkes & her staff are tops! The house & grounds are very private; well-secured by fencing, gates, prickly landscaping & alarm system. Nothing to be concerned about - typical CR security measures. Infinity pool amazing & landscaping extensive. We heard the May>Nov rainy season was not as wet as usual. In 1/2018, vegetation was lush in this area & insect repellant needed; this year hardly any need. The beach, Playa Blanca, is cove-protected, mostly sand w/ rock offshore for protection; best snorkeling we have found in CR. Tide is 5-8 feet: snorkel at low tide out over the rocky shallow bottom, play in the water on the then sandy bottom at high tide. 5 sets of masks/snorkels provided, but only 1 set of back-strap fins. Walk the beach for miles (almost no trash); sunsets amazing. Water shoes best for a walk; some rocky areas. 3 pairs of water shoes provided, size 8,11,?. Playa Junquillal, next beach south, far rougher surf. Seeing baby turtle release at sunset from the marine turtle hatchery is special. Releases, if & where, not well publicized; ask at the turtle hatchery, Junquillal EcoLodge, TPV tours downstairs & Verdiazul (see Goggle). Don’t miss Playa Negra for boogie-boarding (~4 boards provided). A friend who stayed with us had never boogie-boarded before; she had big smiles. Go to Lola’s, picture perfect beach restaurant. Beach road to Playa Negra & then Lola’s has 2 seasonal creeks; no problem with higher clearance 4wd SUV. The birding highlight was a blue-diademed motmot along this road. Also ate at Guacamaya Lodge, Junquillal EcoLodge and MundoMilo; all very good. Mary sent caterers list before trip; PuraVidaCateringCR.com came to the house. The 4 of us watched, asked questions of our gregarious cooks, learned new techniques & had a spectacular meal. There was 1 outage of the municipal water supply each week, none longer than 3 hours, all in the afternoon. Owner said uncommon to be off that often. Mary ordered a 5 gallon water dispenser. The MBDR AC needed freon; Mary had it fixed next day. DSL Wi-Fi didn’t extend beyond MBDR and indoor&outdoor dining tables. Daily outages, an hour or so, possibly related to the cable crews we saw each week on road to Santa Cruz. The outdoor cat, Felix, is friendly, does not scratch & keeps other animals away, except for an armadillo which we saw once when Felix was on patrol elsewhere.
