Luksus Beachside Villa # 3 - 3 Bed / 4 Bad, Gated Fællesskabet

We stayed 4 months in Cayo and overall enjoyed the property and the quaint fishing town

The PROS:

- Home is built to North American standards with high end finishes

- Ocean breeze pours through home nicely (not as much need for A/C). View is incredible

- You can hear the waves from every room

- Safety and security is 10/10! They have a 24/7 guard, a wonderful guard dog, gated and locked, very secure!

- VALUE! For the size of the house, the quality, and the proximity to the ocean, one of the BEST values in South America

- Cayo. The town is very safe to walk in (day or night), has cheap restaurants right on the beach & everyone is friendly

- Quiet! There is NO hustle bustle, just a very relaxed atmosphere. BEAUTIFUL beach all to yourself

- Immaculate, clean, the pool is great, access to the beach, just wonderful!

The CONS:

- Quite stark and empty. Bedrooms had only a bed. Top terrace had no furniture to enjoy rooftop deck with. Lack of a cozy feeling

- VERY hard beds

- INTERNET. We work from home and internet is a MUST. We would have DAYS of outages, or ‘dial up’ speed where nothing would load. Constant struggle of reporting it, having people come out, setting up a secondary account, etc. If you are reliant on Internet for your job, you NEED to get all the facts before booking. As of Dec 2015 it is not suitable, but I heard they may be installing fiberoptic.

- Power outages. We experienced 27 of them during our 4 months. The biggest issue with them in these homes is the stove is electric (no cooking) & so are the toilets/shower. Pair that with no internet and it was VERY hard to deal with. Again, check with manager as they MAY have installed generators

- DOGS. Tons of stray dogs on the road to town, in town & on the beach. Not always friendly and there were a few attacks while we were there so we started walking with sticks.

TIPS:

- Cayo really does not have any stores to buy groceries. VERY basic milk, eggs, bread, pop, chips kind of stock. You will travel to Manta or Lopez to grocery shop! Manta has a SuperMaxi that is quite nicely stocked.

- Hire JO as your driver. She is FANTASTIC and is the best tour guide/driver/friend in the area!

- You might get on better with a car. We did not and soley relied on the (very cheap) buses and Jo

- This is a great home for short or long stays for people who love peace, adventure, developing countries & priority for safety.

This is a beautiful, friendly community in sweet little Puerto Cayo, Ecuador. The property itself is modern, comfortable and clean, and its location right on the beach makes it feel like paradise. The manager was so welcoming of us and made sure we had what we needed. The staff is kind, helpful and always available to help with taxis or answer questions about the property. I am so glad we stayed here. It was a quiet, safe place for our family to unwind and play. There are six houses in the villa which gives it somewhat of a neighborhood feel, although there is lots of privacy. I enjoyed meeting the other tenants. I highly recommend this property to anyone hoping for a quiet, mellow get away on the gorgeous Ecuadorian coast. Oh, and we were there in August which was a fun time to watch the whales, up close as well as from our balcony!

The villa is new and fully equiped, rooms and bathrooms are spacious

and luxurious. The property is located in a gated development with

only 6 other houses, private swimming pool and private access to the

beach.

Sigrid was a great host, provided us with all the information we

needed and made us feel welcome.

The villa is located next to the town of Puerto Cayo where there are

restaurants and shops and not far from the great beaches and towns of

Parque Nacional Machalilla with all sorts of activities (whale

watching, bird watching, trekking, horse riding, etc..). A car or driver is

essential.

The villa is new and fully equiped, rooms and bathrooms are spacious

and luxurious. The property is located in a gated development with

only 6 other houses, private swimming pool and private access to the

beach.

Sigrid was a great host, provided us with all the information we

needed and made us feel welcome.

The villa is located next to the town of Puerto Cayo where there are

restaurants and shops and not far from the great beaches and towns of

Parque Nacional Machalilla with all sorts of activities (whale

watching, bird watching, trekking, horse riding, etc..). A car is

essential.

Sean is a wonderful host and made our Ecuador experience amazing. The house was very comfortable with air conditioning throughout. If you dream of long quiet walks on a nearly private beach with warm water lapping at your feet then this is it. Thanks for everything Sean and D.