Ute's house is absolutely stunning. This is one of those houses where you really could spend all day and be happy. Of course there are also the many other charms of the region. We drove up from Dominical and went through the mountains into San Ramon and then Chachagua. The drive is tricky -- very easy to get lost. The views on this route were jaw-dropping. Ute provided good driving directions, but some of the landmarks are hard to find - BE ALERT. We arrived early but were still able to get access to the house early. The property is adjacent to the Chachagua Rain Forest Lodge which provides many benefits - delicious restaurant, walking trails, impeccable landscaping, helpful staff (for info on the region). We ate several meals at the restaurant. The pool looked lovely although we ran out of time and didn't use it. The house is up a hill from the lodge, very private. The house was warm inside (stayed there in July) but the porch is PERFECT! Seriously, we wanted to spend all day on the porch on the hammocks. You will see TOUCANS and an amazing variety of moths (really, we took so many pictures). Even though the house felt warm during the day (again ...porch time!!) it cooled down well in the evening. The house was very well stocked with cooking implements, soap, towels, paper towels...better than many places I've visited . Chachagua (five minutes away) has options for gas and essentials. La Fortuna (about 20 minutes away) has tourist attractions and many restaurant options. TRY OUT THE RAIN FOREST CAFE!! Be aware, many of the most popular sites have fees. If we had been there longer, we would have explored more of the local (less touristy) areas. La Fortuna waterfall is worth seeing. Arenal Volcano Park is nice (again, a minimal fee but with less hiking than I expected). CHECK OUT THE HOT SPRINGS. There are some local coffee tours available - we didn't do any tours but did enjoy a lovely cup of coffee at one of the coffee plantations. Regrettably, I don't speak much Spanish, but everyone I met in CR was very hospitable.
Ute's house is good for couples, families, friends...really, anything! We are DEFINITELY eager to go back!!!!!!!