We absolutely loved our stay at Angler's Lair! My wife cried when we left. Nick and Janet were amazing with helpful hints, and locals to contact for our needs. This house is amazing! The description does not do the house or the property justice! Even the pictures do not fully tell how wonderful this property is. I almost don't want to elaborate because I feel it will be so popular that we won't get another booking. ;).
The House- it is a lot bigger than it appears in the photos. My rating of cleanliness is not a reflection on the quality of work, but on the overall building. There are so many nooks and crannies that it would be impossible to make the entire place spotless. We were not at all disappointed with the cleanliness. There are fans provided, and the sleeping areas were screened in, and very few bugs and critters got in. There were 4 of us, and not once did we feel cramped. There was lots of room. The beds were very comfortable too.
Kitchen was fully equipped. It even had a mango corer, a saviour during mango season. Fridge and stove were brand new.
Area- Playa Chiquita is an ex pat haven. Lots and lots of expats. There are ample restaurants. Be aware that the restaurants are geared towards expats, and charge accordingly. They charge in Colones, and if you aren't aware of the conversion, you may end up paying $100 for breakfast. There is a popular grocery store down the road (5 minute walk) that has everything you may need, including a gluten free shelf.
Beach- The beach is a magical walk away. All beaches are public in CR, so to get there, you walk down the road about 100m, then through a jungle trail to the beach. The most immediate beach has an undertow, so I would suggest walking to the right about 100m, to a more protected beach. There are some rocks at the point with some sandy tidal pools to hang out in. Just be aware of the undertow, it is there, and you do not want to get caught in it.
Overall, we will be back. We just got home, and are starting to plan our return.
Wildlife- As I have said on other reviews of houses in Costa Rica, don't go to Costa Rica, if you don't want to interact with wildlife. There are bugs in the house as in every house in CR. Big ones. But ones that won't hurt you. There are animals about. Agouti, Macaws, racoons, chameleons, and geckos to name a few. We saw monkeys on the tree beside the shower!
We cannot thank Janet and Nick enough. We will be back, sooner than later.