Playa Blanca holiday villa: Costa Papagayo

Villa Jessica is well positioned for the shops and beaches of Playa Blanca; a 5 minute drive or a 15 minute stroll gets you to the Marina or HypoDino (the supermarket we used most). A 15min drive puts you on the National Park beaches or the National Park Volcanos.

We went for a family holiday in late October and were blessed with perfect weather.

We were impressed from the moment we opened the door to the villa-spottlessly clean, soft music playing and a welcome pack of 'get-you-started food'. The villa-support team were easily contacted and sorted out problems quickly. For example, the kettle in the kitchen didn't work but a replacement was brought round within half an hour.

The lounge and 3 bedrooms are spacious and the main bedroom is en-suite. Although not air-conditioned, there are fans and we slept well.

The best feature (in our opinion) was the swimming pool. We had excellent weather and when not out sightseeing or on the beach we were settled round the pool. The pool was clean and warm and we covered the pool each evening to retain the heat.

We would definitely use Vila Jessica again and have recommended it to our friends.

We would advise a hire car to get the most out of the island, but if you like walking then Papyago national park and beaches are within walking distance (about 45-60 mins). If you do arrive by car go carefully up the kerb ramp to the villa as, like all Spanish kerbs, its pretty high. We just parked on the road. There was no problem in the quiet neighbourhood.

All in all an excellent holiday villa- hence the 5 stars.