Entire home

Best Place in Drake

Photo gallery for Best Place in Drake

Outdoor dining
Exterior
Beach nearby
Property grounds
Terrace/patio

Reviews

9.4 out of 10

Exceptional

Entire home

4 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 8

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
    Parking available
  • Washer
    Washer
  • Breakfast available
    Breakfast available
  • Pet friendly
    Pet friendly
  • Kitchen
    Kitchen
  • Air conditioning
    Air conditioning

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Best Place in Drake

The Big Banana House is in the beating heart of Drake Bay, a well known gathering place for celebrations by the home owner and her friends. Private but close to everything in Drake, restaurants, grocery stores, tours, the beach and trails. Guests enjoy walking a few steps to the boats, bars and restaurants. Support our local economy by booking all your tours and activities with us, from Corcovado, to scuba, snorkeling and sport fishing with the best local guides and fishermen. Sweeping views of Drake are unmatched from the patio. Humpback whales breech, tides ebb and flow, distant weather are experienced from the Mack Daddy of all houses in Drake Bay.

The house, like Drake, is authentic, traditional and truly, unapologetically and purposely Costa Rican. The larger living space is outdoors as that's where you should be when in paradise. Inside is built out of traditional materials with hardwood floors and walls throughout. There's a bathroom in the house and one just outside. As well as an indoor shower we have two outside with one bamboo rainforest one overlooking the bay so you can wash with an ocean view. The living room and kitchen is designed to be open, I believe the cook should always be part of the party and the conversation, so my hatch with a view is my favourite thing. This is a place to gather, reconnect and enjoy company.

This is also the perfect place to host a retreat or reunion by combining our other two properties and sleep up to 14 people.

Jose will help show you around and organize and book your tours for you. He will take extra good care of you and help with anything you may need.

He can meet you at the beach if you arrive by boat from Sierpe. You can also fly in to the nearby Drake Airport on Sansa Airlines and take a beautiful short taxi drive to us. Driving is the ultimate jungle adventure, you'll need a 4x4 and the last gas station is at Chacarita, where you turn off the Interamerican Highway. There's secure off street parking and we're always nearby in case you need something or for an emergency.

Bahia Drake is a small village. No Starbucks, no traffic, and no worries. The coffee is good in Drake.

Drake Bay is on the national power grid and electricity is reliable but occasionally there is a power outage. If you use a c-pap machine or another medical devise that requires electricity it would be advisable to carry a backup battery unit. This would be good advice for traveling anywhere in Central America.

There are no banks or ATMs, so plan accordingly!!

There are 12 or more small restaurants and 2 small super markets within walking distance. Offering typical Costa Rican fare, seafood, pizza, chicken, etc.

We recommend booking any tours directly with us and we will see to it that you get top local guides only. Tours booked through us are same price as everyone and all tours are run by locals. We can usually get you on tours when none are available. Help support the local economy of Drake Bay.

Questions contact Sue on + 506 6282 0434. Using WA is best.

Property manager

Debra

Languages

English, Spanish

Property amenities

Beach

  • Near the beach

Internet

  • Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Onsite parking

Kitchen

  • Refrigerator
  • Stovetop
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Spices
  • Cookware/dishes/utensils
  • Toaster
  • Blender
  • Coffee/tea maker

Dining

  • Breakfast available for a fee
  • Dining table

Bedrooms

  • 4 bedrooms
  • Bed sheets provided
  • Day bed

Bathrooms

  • 2 bathrooms
  • Shower
  • Towels provided
  • Toilet paper
  • Soap

Living spaces

  • Living room

Outdoor areas

  • Balcony
  • Garden

Laundry

  • Washing machine and dryer

Comfort

  • Air conditioning

Pets

  • Pet friendly
  • 2 total pets

Suitability/Accessibility

  • Designated smoking areas
  • Note from host: Outside away from the house

Services and conveniences

  • Concierge services
  • Housekeeping (on request)

Location highlights

  • Near the ocean
  • Near the sea
  • On the waterfront
  • In a rural location
  • In a village

Things to do

  • Swimming nearby
  • Power boating nearby
  • Birdwatching nearby
  • Rafting nearby
  • Surfing/body boarding nearby
  • Ecotours nearby
  • Wildlife and game walks nearby
  • Kayaking nearby
  • Fishing nearby

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector)
  • Smoke detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property)

Similar properties

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 2:00 PM
Contactless check-in available

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Pets

Pets allowed
2 total pets
Restrictions apply; for more information contact the property at the number on the booking confirmation

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Parties and events (including family gatherings, birthday parties and weddings) are allowed on site; maximum attendees: 40
Note from host: Please check with hosts
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation

Property is also known as

Best Place in Drake Drake Bay
Best Place in Drake Private vacation home
Best Place in Drake Private vacation home Drake Bay

About the neighborhood

Map
Drake Bay, Puntaranas

What's nearby

  • Drake Bay Beach - 1 min walk - 0.1 km
  • Playa Colorada - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
  • School & Soccer Field - 4 min walk - 0.4 km
  • Drake Bay Hiking Trailhead - 8 min walk - 0.7 km
  • Cocalito - 32 min drive - 3.1 km

Getting around

  • Drake Bay (DRK) - 32 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Restaurante Casa El Tortugo - ‬9 min walk
  • ‪La Choza - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪Mar y Bosque - ‬3 min walk
  • ‪RestauranteDelicias Bahía Drake - ‬3 min walk
  • ‪Roberto's Marisquería - ‬2 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is Best Place in Drake pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows pets (limit 2 total).

What time is check-in at Best Place in Drake?

Check-in begins at 2:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Best Place in Drake?

Check-out is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Best Place in Drake located?

Situated on the waterfront, this vacation home is steps from Osa Peninsula and Drake Bay Beach. Playa Colorada and School & Soccer Field are also within 5 minutes.

Best Place in Drake Reviews

Reviews

9.4

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 7 out of 9 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 1 out of 9 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 9 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 9 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 9 reviews" "

10/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Steven W.

Liked: Cleanliness
Loved this house!
We were in Drake Bay for three nights for a couple of days of diving with our two adult children. The house was perfectly situated, lots of space, and an amazing covered deck area with an afternoon breeze. Everything went very smoothly from first communications through to check-out. Overall we have no hesitation giving this house five stars.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2024

6/10 Okay

Peter L.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great Deck/View — Be Ready for “In-Town” Noise Small Bedrooms
The house is blessed by a great deck and large outdoor living space — with a spectacular view of Drake’s Bay. The location is convenient to everything in the small town and a 4 minute walk to the main beach where you get boats various places to visit (snorkeling and national park). Kitchen was nice in that it opened on large deck, but it was not well stocked with pots/pans and material for cooking (fridge was broken on our arrival and small “temporary” fridge was provided promptly for our use during our stay). One of best features for some of us, was outside shower with open view on to the bay. We also benefited from introduction from owner to Elsa — travel guide who arranged for our day trips (and even led our wonderful snorkeling trip). The “three stars” is because, while the outdoor living space was great…you could not/do not spend all you time outdoors when home (hard at night to linger outside given light naturally attracting varieties bugs). The indoor spaces are not “great.” Bedrooms all benefit from having separate AC, but are all very small and the two on back of house are on the Main Street (small/unpaved) in town and motorcycles/car noise throughout the night. If looking for “jungle experience” this is not it. No rooms had views as you needed to keep closed to keep bugs out — so going to your room meant going to small enclosed box and very firm beds. The common space indoors was not designed for living space — but for common/shared large hallway.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Erica M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Amazing View!
Corcovado was the highlight of our trip. The view was amazing and Jose and Elsa were so helpful arranging tours and making us feel at home.
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Zach T.

Liked: Cleanliness
AMAZING
Absolutely the best place we stayed on our trip throughout Costa Rica. The view is fantastic and the rooms are all very comfortable. We loved spending time on the deck watching the fauna and the location was super close to everything with a small grocery mart across the street. We could walk anywhere needed within 5 minutes. On top of that, everyone involved in the management of the property as well as the owner were VERY helpful and accommodating when we had an unrelated issue. They were not obligated to help us, but they did anyway and we are super grateful to them for that. Definitely the best place to stay in Drake Bay!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Rajan D.

Liked: Cleanliness
Beautiful views
The villa is situated on a beautiful spot and the views from the large veranda are amazing. There are a variety seating and laying places to appreciate the beauty of Drake Bay! However, we weren't able to utilise the veranda as much as we would like to have, due to the mosquitoes. This is NOT a negative reflection on the property but it is the reality living in the jungle. Inside the house all bedrooms were air-conditioned and kitchen was well equipped with the hatch window to connect the veranda. We had a problem with the main fridge Freezer, the next day the host provided us with a temporary fridge. Having no air-conditioned in the lounge area prevented us from having meals together as a family. The beach can easily be accessed down a short path. On returning, it was a pleasure to shower off the sand in the outside shower. Host and representatives responded to messages promptly and provided with all what we asked for. The location of the property is ideal for all local activities and restaurants.
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Charlie N.

Liked: Cleanliness
Drake Bay is an amazing place.
The host helped us with everything f on booking our boat ride to and from Drake and most of our activities (diving, snorkeling, trip to Corcovado NP). Sue answered ALL my questions accurately and timely. Elsa took care of all our booking details, and Jose took care of our needs at The Big Banana House. Everyone was superb. The house itself sits up on a hill with a wonderful view of the bay. The beds were comfy, the kitchen was complete and the outdoor shower was fantastic. If you're going to Drake, book Debra's Big Banana House. You simply can't go wrong.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Rosalyn B.

Liked: Cleanliness
Drakes Bay
Fabulous location and a fantastic place to explore the area from. Property had all we required and all was sociable and friendly
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2022

10/10 Excellent

Gregory B.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great house with amazing service
The house was good, 4 bedrooms and an indoor and outdoor bathroom. The deck and covered patio are the really amazing spaces: view of the whole bay, macaws by day and parrots in the evening. Located right next to a store and a tour operator so errands were very easy. Private (steep) path down to the beach. The most amazing amenity by far was the property manager Kim. She helped us with all our activities and transportation: taxis, boat shuttles, restaurants, night tour, day tours, even letting us know to book in advance as things were filling up. She was so helpful and easy to work with.
Stayed 6 nights in Mar 2022

10/10 Excellent

katherine S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great place
Good experience overall.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2021