We stayed in Valeri's beautifully-appointed house, surrounded by lush gardens and forest, for the month of March and found it the perfect spot to relax and as a base for exploring the El Valle area.
El Valle located in the centre of an extinct volcano is sunny and warm weather every day. Our house, facing east and located half way up the hillside, about a 30 minute walk from town, enjoyed lovely views up the valley, the sound of the little river running through the property and easy access to a delightful trail running alongside the river for miles, home to sloth, lizards, iguana and other creatures and many, many birds. We saw over a hundred different species during our stay including toucans, woodpeckers and hummingbirds, many coming to the fruit trees in the yard. While sunny every day during our stay, there was occasionally mist off the surrounding hills - being in the rainforest - and a brisk breeze, sometimes very brisk - so evenings were fresh and cool for sleeping.
There is so much to do in El Valle which explains its popularity with retirees, vacationers and youthful backpackers. We explored trails, engaged friendly local guides to take us to some more off-the-beaten-track places, spent a day with the experienced birding guides at well-respected Canopy Lodge as well as regularly visiting the popular Market, coffee shops, eclectic shops and good restaurants. Ideally situated between the mountains and the Pacific, a 30 minute drive took us to waterfalls, white sand beaches and a range of other interesting diversions.
Spanish, even beginner Spanish like mine, is useful as many locals, including Antonio who takes such wonderful care of the property, speak only Spanish.
We loved our stay and would highly recommend it!