El Perezoso guide

From Quepos, follow the signs up into Manuel Antonio. The entire road connecting Quepos to Manuel Antonio national park (& beach) is about 5 miles (7km) long. Approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) from Quepos, you’ll pass a T-junction, with Café Milagro on the left and Plaza Vista (Banco Promerica) on the right. Take the next hard hard right onto Pacific Canyon Drive. (There is a sign at the turnoff for ‘Anjali’.)  You’ll pass a guardhouse and security gate which is only in operation at nighttime. Follow this road as it snakes out to the residential neighborhood, about 300m. You’ll see the yellow façade for Castillo de Amber above the open-front garage on the left. The garage is first-come / first-serve, however you can also park in front of the house. 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/qi9B6ENdSCz1wFAr5 

Normal check in time is 3:00pm or later. If you arrive during normal business hours, one of our staff (likely Jasmin, our wonderful housekeeper!) will be there to greet you, show you the apartment and give you the keys. If you arrive outside of normal business hours, we will leave the key in a small, white key safe next to the entry to the apartment. 

El Perezoso is located down the stairs on the left--follow the signs.

Key safe code: 5673

Normal check out time is 10:00am or earlier.  Please let us know ahead your planned departure time so we can plan with housekeeping. 

• Check the safes for your valuables
• Turn off ACs and lights in all rooms
• Lock doors & place key in key safe (or give to housekeeper)

Please don’t forget to tip the housekeeper—she works hard to keep the place tidy! ;)

Thanks for staying at Castillo de Amber!

The wifi router is located in the living area--please do not do anything other than turn off / on or it may become misconfigured.

• Network: Castillo de Amber guest
• Password: tomato15

There is a smart TV in the living area with a Roku device.

There is a mini-split AC  in the bedroom. Please do not set below 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit), as this may cause the unit to freeze up. Electricity is expensive in Costa Rica AND we want to protect the environment, so please turn off the AC when you’re not using it, or leaving the property for longer than 1 hour.

The laundry facilities are not for direct use by our guests, however our housekeeper can do loads for $10 each. Please coordinate at least one day ahead of time and use the provided laundry baskets.  There is no laundry service on weekends, however.

Also, please use only the beach towels for the beach and pool area. Lost or damaged towels will incur a fee of $25/each. 

There is a 2-car open garage which is first-come, first-serve.  You can also park on the street in front of the house.

• The pool area is serviced Mon, Wed & Fri  in the mornings by Oscar. However--in the rainforest leavers are constantly falling!  There is a pool net if you wish to scoop them from the surface.
• Please use only plastic glasses around the pool area.
• The BBQ and lounge area is first-come, first-serve but please be mindful of others’ right to use it also. 
• Please be respectful of noise levels and others’ right to tranquility. Quiet hours start at 9:00pm on weekdays and 10:00pm on weekends.

While the most common thieves in the area are the monkeys, please do take sensible measures to ensure the security of your valuables and Castillo de Amber. There is a night watchman for the neighborhood from 6pm to 6am.

• Lock all doors when you leave and go to sleep. Do not leave your valuables lying around the pool area outside
• Do not leave valuables in your car when you go out, or unattended on the beach. 

Safes:

• There are electronic safes in the bedrooms, in the closets. There are instructions on top of each safe. For programmable safes:

1. Open safe.
2. Push small, red button on back of door.
3. Push desired code: 3 digits, followed by either ‘A’ or ‘B’.
4. Remember your code!
5. Leave key in safe.

Pre and post-stay housekeeping is included, and a mid-week housekeeping service is included for stays of 6 nights or more. Be sure to coordinate day & time beforehand with your concierge to ensure availability. Our housekeeper works hard! If you feel it is deserved a tip is always greatly appreciated!

The closest beach is Playa Espadilla—the main public beach. Turn right on the main road and drive 5 minutes.  There are a couple of parking areas before you hit the busy part of the beach, including Buena Vista Villas, which has a restaurant. If you go all the way to the end, where the entrance of the national park is, park where you want—official-looking people will stand in the road and try to tell you where to park.  Ignore them and park wherever you find best--though you will have to pay between 3,000 - 5,000 colones for a full day.

Yes the water is drinkable all throughout Costa Rica.

The Costa Rican electrical and water systems are very dated. Occasionally, there are lapses in electricity, water or internet—though these are generally short-lived. If any of these services goes out for longer than 30 minutes, please inform your property manager immediately to be sure.

Your concierge! She is always available to assist, and knows the best tour operators, transportation companies, guides, chefs and spa therapists in town. Please reserve well ahead of time to ensure availability. For some tours & services there is a deposit required, and no cancellations after 5pm the night before. 

Vanessa - 8714-0033

In terms of food—no, though your concierge can help set up delivered groceries before your arrival or during your stay. In terms of cooking implements—yes. There are full cooking utensils, pots & pans, a coffee-maker, blender, microwave, toaster, stove, oven, and refrigerator.. There is also salt, pepper, vegetable oil, and paper towels.

The usual check-out time is 10:00am, and the usual check-in time is 3:00pm. If there are no other guests leaving / arriving on the day of your arrival / departure, we can be flexible with the time—however, this can only be confirmed one day prior to arrival. You are welcome to come early and use the pool and/or drop off your bags, however.

For price and selection we recommend getting groceries in Quepos at the Mini Price Store, or BM (just outside of Quepos).  In Plaza Vista is a small supermarket / convenience store, but expensive.

Uber technically isn't legal in Costa Rica yet. Taxis are easy and affordable, however. You can order a taxi via Whatsapp:

• Quepos Taxis: 
• Whatsapp: 8908-0842
• Phone: 2777-0425 & 2777-1207

There are bus stops just at the main road.  Busses for the beach and Quepos pass by every 15 minutes during the day (7am - 6pm) for approx. $1.50 one-way.  From 6-9pm they run every 30 min.

Dial 911. (You may have to dial +(506) beforehand if your phone is not local.)
 

There is always an English speaker if you request. However--also follow up that call by calling Quepos Urgent Care or Metropolitano, as the 911 response can take a long time.

• Quepos Urgent Care: 2777-1727
• Metropolitano: 4070-4040
• MARP Emergencies: 8888-7005

Outside of normal business hours, call the MARP Emergencies number below. 

• Non-serious emergencies include getting locked out of the house, getting locked out of your safe the morning of your departure, or other situations which require immediate assistance. 
• These do NOT include issues with AC units, appliances, water outages, electrical outages or internet outages. 
• MARP Emergencies: +(506) 8888-7005

Please contact your concierge or property manager during normal business hours (ie 8am - 5pm).