Casa Pacis is a nice (in the traditional and interesting Sea Ranch style), peaceful (away from other houses and distractions), and well-equipped (nicely provided kitchen, electronics, WIFI, etc.) house. The property is well maintained. Unfortunately, when my wife and I were at the house, we had a couple of problems – a window blind broke and we had objectionable heater noise in the master bedroom. The owner was responsive to correcting the problems, and I doubt other guests will be affected by them. The check-out housekeeping requirements were also a bit confusing and a burden for us, but the owner was open to receiving feedback. Within days, a clear and very fair new policy was implemented. It is reassuring that in addition to providing a nice place for guests, the owner is interested in their satisfaction and is responsive if problems arise.
A note on activities: The house is a good place to relax and get away from it all – it even has a small library of books. Outdoor possibilities are fantastic: Numerous walking/hiking trails that offer a variety of land and ocean settings. We saw whales, seals, pelicans, and deer on our walks. There is good street cycling because roads in the Sea Ranch complex are lightly traveled (guests can use a couple of bikes at the house, but we brought our own). We discovered hidden beaches and groves of woods here and there.
Tips: Bring slippers as the owner asks that outdoor shoes not be worn in the house. We liked this because the floors and carpets were very clean. Also be prepared to dress in layers: The weather changes almost daily (fog on some days and full sun on others – typical of the northern California coast). Know what California’s seemingly most common native shrub-vine, poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum), looks like and avoid it. There is none on the property, but it crops up near trails. The Surf Supermarket in nearby Gualala on Hwy 1 doesn’t look like much from the road, but we liked it a lot better than the Gualala Supermarket across the street. Check out the nice selection of local artisan breads at Surf.