Bahia Pez Vela Resort

6 members of our family stayed in Villa #13 at Bahia Pez Vela for 4 nights/5 days. We booked and paid for "3BR Deluxe Beachfront w/Private Pool" to accommodate our 82 -year-old great-grandmother and our 3.5 year-old granddaughter. More on that later. The PROs: *Driver/transport was excellent: able to stop at mercado and purchase fruit, snacks and milk for the condo. *Spacious 3 bedroom unit, well furnished, comfortable and clean. *Kitchen and bathrooms extremely well stocked with all amenities. *Beach towels, plentiful *Washer/Dryer and all appliances worked like a charm. *Property grounds were gorgeous, with lots of birds, howler monkeys, iguanas, etc. to watch and enjoy *Restaurant had large portions, easily splittable, of local cuisine as well as some universally enjoyed foods, e.g., burgers, pasta. The Ceviche of all types was spectacularly good! The breakfast papusa was delicious and easily shared by 2-3. *The main pool area included a separate shallow pool for kids (important for us), and was right off the restaurant. *Loungers were widely available and shade was plentiful both near the pool and on the beach. *The beach was clean and the sand was nice. The tide pools available to explore during low tides were interesting and fun. *Snorkeling was better than expected, especially on sunny days which helped light up the darker sand of the area and highlight the many, varied fish, ray and crab species. *Chef was willing to prepare dinner with tuna we caught fresh on a fishing tour! The $15/pp charge for the sides served family-style was very reasonable. *No pressure to purchase, or hawking of alcohol, but when we chose to indulge, the drinks were stout and well-made. *Massages were really good! Rosa and Anna came to our Villa and set up out on our balcony. The price was very reasonable and the service exceptional. *The view from our terrace at Villa #13 was stunning, and the terrace itself incredibly large and inviting. We had an outdoor sink/grill area and well-kept hot tub, which our granddaughter considered her very own pool. There was comfortable outdoor seating for 12. The CONs: *No real hiking opportunities: no marked trails to self-explore. *The distance from anything other than this hotel would require a vehicle if you wanted to do more than rest and relax. *No musical entertainment, or entertainment of any kind. (Some local enrichment opportunities, or local musicians could add much to this experience.) *Sketchy reservation system. I mentioned above that we had booked a "3BR Deluxe Beachfront w/Private Pool." We received an update after we paid our deposit letting us know they had booked someone else in the Villa and they offered us a downgrade at a cheaper price. We explained that getting the Villa we'd booked and paid for was important, given the age and abilities of some family members. They did not offer to reinstate us in the Villa we'd booked. While visiting on the beach with a lovely woman from MMassachusetts I discovered s

Good

Great value Check in staff- amazing and accommodating. Prices at restaurant were a bit high. Great value.

Superb Villa was perfect. Staff very friendly. Dinner was however unfortunately overpriced goven the quality and proportion of servings.

The hotel staff were very friendly but the hotel itself was not that great. Definitely make sure you have a car or you’ll have to climb mountains to go anywhere. Definitely don’t book the studio room- it isn’t very clean and it isn’t in a good location.

We stayed at Villa #6, Villa Toucan. The villa was spacious and the kitchen was well equipped. The back patio was lovely for having coffee and watching the birds. The villa is only a 1 minute walk to the pools, restaurant and beautiful black sand beach. We definitely plan to return for another vacation.