We had a wonderful stay at Casa Tortuga. The views are spectacular and the house is spacious and beautifully constructed. Litibú Beach is a fairly remote area, so the beach was never crowded, and we always felt safe. The house has a great kitchen, and if you are considering hiring a chef while you’re there, ask for Yolanda - she’s a fantastic cook. The pool area is gorgeous, and the owner (Reggie) had done a great job with the plants and trees, making the grounds feel very lush. We appreciated that the property is dog friendly, so we could bring our two dogs.
Things that could be improved upon:
• Two entrances on the bottom level can not be closed, which meant we had to keep a close eye on our dogs to keep them from wandering off. This could also be a concern for families with small children, especially since there’s no fence around the pool.
• The pool wasn’t heated. On warmer days (high 80s) it was cool but enjoyable, but when the temps outside were in the low 80s or upper 70s the pool was way too cold to enjoy.
• We longed for lounge furniture where we could put our feet up, take a nap outside, etc. Other than three lounge chairs by the pool, there are only dining style chairs, which aren’t very comfortable for relaxing.
• There is a slight musty smell in all of the bedrooms.
• The “queen” beds seemed more like doubles to us.
• The Wifi service was spotty and very slow.
• There was construction underway on the top level of the house during our stay, so we had to put up with a lot of noise most days.
A few other things that might be considerations for some guests:
• The owner & his family live on the lower level. It’s nice having Reggie nearby when you need help with something, but it does mean you have a little less privacy.
• The owner has a German Shepard who has free reign of the property. We liked him and appreciated having him on guard duty at night, but if you are scared of dogs, that could be an issue.
• A rental car is a must-have. Relying on taxis here would be challenging if not impossible. Additionally, the road conditions are rough, so the driving to get here might not be in everyone’s comfort zone (lots of potholes and huge speed bumps, and you literally have to drive across a stream to get to the area where the house is located).
• There are a lot of stairs, so anyone with mobility issues would be challenged.
• Cell coverage for some members of our group (Verizon users) was spotty. Our AT&T phones worked fine.