The stars reflected like little lights in the smooth sheets of water that washed up on the beach in front of the house the evening we arrived. That is when I knew we were in for something special staying at Sand Dollar Cove. We were given exacting instructions on how to get there. The roads were easy to navigate and were in good condition, though the trek is not for the feint of heart. We wanted to get away from it all and enjoy time with family and friends in a setting ripe for adventure and SDC was the perfect fit for us. Our party included four adults and six children, four of whom were teenagers. We spent our days reading in the hammocks (great collection of books at the house - thanks!), sitting on the spacious porch overlooking the beach, boogie boarding, playing in the waves and riding the bike along the beach all the way to the estuary. In San Francisco de Coyote, we discovered a bakery and got to know the local grocer; he made us special drinks & helped us find food for all those teenagers. Pat (the manager) made sure we had all we needed and helped arrange to do a kayak trip through the mangroves. She had great recommendations for restaurants that were a short drive away. Cheo (the caretaker) brought us fresh eggs every morning, made pinto gallo & fresh tortillas for us, fried up fresh fish and made enough arroz con pollo that we actually had leftovers! (no small feat with a house full of teenagers) Cheo's son took the kids fishing one morning and Cheo made a bonfire for us on the beach. The howling monkeys woke us in the morning and we quickly adapted to the local habit of going to bed with the sun. By week's end, we felt like locals and could have stayed forever.