We stayed at Los Cocos for 2 weeks and then had to move on for our last week to the Sol Y Mar because the house was booked up. I Liked the Sol Y Mar for its Bar and Restaurant but the accomodations were not nearly as nice as staying in a beach house at Los Cocos.
We (Mick and Jodie, in our mid 40's) stayed at the Harry House and I expected some nice atmosphere, but OMG it was just mind blowing how nice it was, the house is 2 story, just BARELY off the beach with a huge wood deck on the second story, beautiful hardwood throughout and 2 bedroom upstairs and a self contained apartment downstairs with access to a washer and dryer of your own. bikes in the garage for you to use (very nice) and pleasantly located amongst the palm trees for shade. We had a very romantic time and if you want anything around Zancudo, Andrew is the guy, and I mean THE guy. Our flight couldn't take anybody's luggage and they said they would "send it on the next day" This was MAJOR, because the airport is a hour boat ride away. Not to worry, when we arrived , Andrew said he would take care of it for us. (he runs the private water taxi service too) Sure engough, the next morning, he arrived back from the long round trip back to Gulfito with our bags in hand, didn't ask for a thing , I gave him 20 bucks anyway, I was so grateful. They are so laid back and yet take care of you it makes you feel very comfortable right away. The house totally made our vacation and next time I am going to book one for the entire vacation well in advance. Los Cocos had several things we liked. Great service, NICEly located out near the resources but very private, far enough away from the popular bar to be quite but near enough that it was only a 10 minute walk down the beach. This place was so enjoyable that I felt I was a newly wed (married 10 years) and was the vacation of my life for me. Los Cocos offers a variety of accomodations from little cabinas to full on houses and they are all pretty nice, I especially liked the look of the "Teak House" a small beautiful house, just perfect for 2. and I would heartily endorse the "Harry House" God I miss it ! Andrew and Susan were also wonderful to us, and we took the kayaking trip up the river to do some back country mangrove kayaking with some really great wildlife experiences. We also had them arrange for us to go over to the Oca peninsula wildlife reserve and hike around for a day, very nice and they set it all up for us, providing the transportation across the Gulf to Puerto Jimenez and even brought us a couple of thermoses of coffee for the trip , just for us, so nice! If you don't want to go to the restaurant down the road to eat, you can just stock up at the country grocery store a 5 minute walk the other direction. Just to let you know what to expect, the beach is right there and its nice but the sand is not white, its kind of grey and yes, stuff washes up every night, but its mostly just wood and palm branches. You can expect to walk the beach any time of the day or night safely and you will probably pass about 10 people per mile of beach MAX. its out of the way but worth it just for that. When you fly into Gulfito, you have to take a cab down to the little dock (Mulliticto) but its only about 5 bucks, very cheap. Andrew will pick you up there and take you all the way to Los Cocos accross the gulf about a 40 minute ride which is BeauTI-ful and a nice setup for things to come . the public water taxi runs a couple of times a day, but it is NOT worth the savings , Like everything there are cheaper options but Los Cocos offers up the better stuff and its SO worth it. I would do this again and plan to , the only thing that held us up this year was my wife needed eye surgery. If I could somehow make a living there, I would move to Zancudo and when I go back, I am staying at Los Cocos.

Andrew and Susan are great hosts and linked into the local community including exciting trips throughout the area. They have Cabinas for rent and also manage the rental of a couple of houses. This location is spectacular for the ocean views, the relaxing atmosphere and the friendly environment. This is a very affordable vacation spot if you are looking for friendly, beautiful and relaxing place. Vegetable and fruit deliveries come twice a week to your location, local trips are available and Andrew and Susan are a wealth of knowledge about the area.

For my wife and I, traveling means getting away from urban life: traffic, cell phones, car alarms and smog, and what better place to get away to, than Playa Zancudo. There are not a lot of options in Zancudo, but we were glad we chose Cabinas Los Cocos. We stayed in the "Teak Cabin" which is managed by Susan and Andrew, but next door to the property. The Teak Cabin is a rustic cabin constructed entirely of gleaming teak on the exterior. It has a large porch, with hammock, table and chairs, a full kitchen, double bed and rather large bathroom. It was a comfortable stay, but the best feature, as with all accommodations in Zancudo, was its proximity to the huge and largely deserted grey sand beach. Swimming is pleasant and safe at Playa Zancudo, even for children, because the Osa Peninsula, across the Golfo Dulce, shields Playa Zancudo from the Pacific Ocean. When we were there, the waves rolled in long and low, and with little force.

For $75 dollars per night and the option to self-cater, we felt the Teak House was an excellent deal. For an additional $15 dollars each way, Andrew will pick you up by boat in Golfito and return you the morning of your departure; there is a road but, like many roads in Costa Rica, we heard it’s rough and tough slogging. Boat is the primary source of transportation around here.

Playa Zancudo feels like Robinson Crusoe and is truly off the beaten track, even by Costa Rica standards. Yes, people come to Playa Zancudo to disappear from civilization, but the good thing is, there's plenty of local bars, restaurants and even a grocery store to get all your essentials. You don't have to eat out, but we ate several meals at Sol Y Mar (a five minute walk up the beach) and Bar Sussy and all meals were excellent. Sol Y Mar has a thriving pub life which hints at the civilized world you left behind, but few people wear shirts and you'll almost never see a cell phone.

Susan and Andrew were gracious hosts and booked us a trip to Santuario Silvestre de Osa, which is a “must do” for anyone visiting Cabinas Los Cocos. Not only do you get to see the beauty of the Golfo Dulce, but you also get up close and personal with the wild animals of the rainforest, all of which are rescued, rehabilitated and returned to the forest by a dedicated group of naturalists.

Some people complain about garbage on the beach and that the community should do a better job of clearing it up. I don’t necessarily think it’s up to the community; if every visitor to Zancudo picked up a few items of garbage, it would help keep the place clean. It’s not really that bad, as the tide washes all the rubbish and flotsam towards the back of the beach, near the tree line, leaving the actual beach virtually spotless and smooth. You can walk for several hundred metres on Playa Zancudo before seeing another footprint.

Playa Zancudo is famous for it’s sunsets because across the Golfo Dulce cumulonimbus billow over Corcovado almost every day, and provide a colourful backdrop in the evening. Star-gazers will love the fact there’s little light to pollute the night sky. The weather was always warm, but a persistent breeze kept us comfortable, even at night and with only a ceiling fan.

Many people we spoke to come back to Playa Zancudo every year, because they’re sick of resorts, crowds and overt tourism, so the trick is to keep Playa Zancudo from over-developing. Some long-term residents already notice an uptick in visitors and some even feel Playa Zancudo is loosing its soul, becoming too commercialized. That’s hard to imagine, because there’s few places in the world where you can walk a three-mile long beach not see another soul for two of those miles. So consider Playa Zancudo and the Teak Cabin if you want comfortable accommodations just off a largely deserted beach, just bring along a volleyball to keep you company.

We are so happy we chose to stay at Los Cocos during our honeymoon in Zancudo. We specifically chose this location and accomodation based on its peaceful, private atmosphere. The hospitatality and overall knowledge and graciousness of the owners, Susan and Andrew, made our three-week vacation wonderful. After viewing some of the other accomodations in Zancudo, we are happy we chose to stay at Los Cocos, where we received excellent, personalized care.

In all areas, we believe Los Cocos exceeds any other lodging option in Zancudo. Their well-kept, clean cabinas provide the perfect space in which to relax and unwind in relative seclusion. On top of the cleanliness of our lodging, the grounds at Los Cocos are beautifully appointed and reflect the time, energy and love Susan and Andrew put into their property. We felt our hosts invested the extra attention and care we needed to get the most out of our experience in Costa Rica. They were always available to answer questions and were consistently accomodating toward our needs and even offered further suggestions to maximize our time. Andrew gives incredible boat tours, so don't miss the opportunity to go out with him on the water!

When we chose to leave the haven of our spacious front porch, we were within short walking distance of two restaurants - Sol y Mar and La Puerta Negra, both of which we would highly recommend. La Puerta Negra is an excellent Italian restaurant, and your chef Alberto will always make your meal unforgettable. We took advantage of two Los Cocos tours, visiting the Osa Peninsula and a wildlife sanctuary on the Golfo Dulce. The sanctuary was spectacular, and we would wholeheartedly recommend it to other travelers.

One thing to know about Zancudo is that it is quite remote. The benefit to staying with Susan and Andrew at Los Cocos is that they know the area well, have lived there thirty years and understand how to make guests feel happy and at home. If you want a virtually private beach with stunning flora and fauna as well as inobtrusive and invaluable hosts, stay at Los Cocos.