Casa Uvita was a special home away from home. With a well-stocked kitchen and outdoor dining room, a pool, air-conditioned rooms, a laundry facility, wifi and a second shower and bathroom located outdoors, our two families were able to enjoy Uvita and its surrounding region. The only thing I would suggest is to bring basic spices like salt, pepper and cooking oil before you arrive if you plan to cook. We saw toucans and macaws in the trees as well as a couple of grey-necked woodrails that visited the pool every morning. Having access to a bird book to identify the birds in our photos was helpful. Even a cow visited near the property every now and then. You can tell the garden is beautiful and lush with many plants and flowers. However due to the dry season, the lack of rain dried out some of the plants. The beach and some nearby sodas and restaurants are accessible within walking distance. A vehicle is recommended if you need to access the groceries or do side trips. Marina Ballena is a beautiful beach worth visiting for the day but check the tide tables first if you wish to see the Whale’s Tail. We visited the Uvita Waterfall which has a natural waterslide for the adventure seeker and the Ventanas Beach which has great waves for young kids. You need to time the tides to be able to enter the caves. We also had a delicious birthday meal with nice ambience at Exotica in Ojochal. Rather than taking the 2 hour boat ride from Uvita to Cano Island, we drove to Sierpe (50 minutes away) where we took a boat tour through the mangroves to the island. We saw sloths, a toucan and monkeys but unfortunately no crocodiles. The highlight of that trip was when we saw a beautiful whale shark and snorkelled with it.

Very grateful to Tom and Anne Marie for accommodating our schedules and helping us get to the house.