Hard to add to what's been said in other reviews - you come as a guest and are quickly made to feel like a friend. If you want impersonal service from an anonymous staff then this is not the place for you. My wife and I recently spent the first few days of our Costa Rica vacation at Rancho Armadillo and weren't sure what to expect. By our first evening, we were sitting around the pool sipping wine and watching the sunset over the Pacific and then the night stars with Rick - our host. Rick is a wealth of knowledge about Costa Rica flora and fauna and is happy to share what he knows. He'll also go out of his way to help hook you up with whatever tours, hikes etc. you might be interested in taking. The estate is set back from the main road on a mostly unpaved road so is nicely secluded but only minutes from town. The rooms are comfortable (with air conditioning if desired) and well maintained. As has been said elsewhere, you feel like you're staying at someone's house but they have a really cool house!

My husband and I recently stayed at Rancho for our honeymoon and loved it. I did a ton of research on many different destinations for our trip and decieded on Costa Rica and Rancho Armadillo b/c of the beautiful scenery, exotic location, friendly locals, exciting excursions and great reviews from Trip Advisor.
This vacation is not for the faint of heart though. If you are used to staying in a large all inclusive and having a tour guide drive you and 2-20 other people to an excursion this is not the place to stay. If you love adventure and can handle renting a car and driving with the locals or Ticos as they call them ( there are no shoulders on the roads and most people walk or ride their bike in the road) then you will love this vacation.
Rick the owner went so above and beyond from the first email I sent to him. He will give you great advice and ideas for planning your trip. If you are planning to stay there I suggest you get his advice before you make any plans.
THE ESTATE
I did all of the planning so when my husband and I arrived in Costa Rica he was a bit nervous. It was a bit of an adventure getting to our resort but once we made it there Rick took all of our worries away. The resort was a little hidden paradise. Rick gives you a great at home feeling. Rick also has so much knowledge of the plants and animals on the estate. The rooms are very low key but well kept and you don't ever have to worry about your stuff getting stolen. The pool and bar/resturaunt area was so relaxing and beautiful. You can select the music you would like to here will sipping on a pina colada and taking in the view.
THE FOOD
The food in Costa Rica is hit or miss. I was surprised by how unflavorful some of the places were. The places we had luck with were Coconuts in Playas Del Coco (good fish tacos) and the Tortilla Factory. Rick will tell you to go here after horseback riding. Even though Rick gave us warning that it looks like a run down metal shed at the edge of town we were still a bit nervous when we got there. We decided to still try it out b/c Rick never steared us wrong and oh my, it was good. They fill your plate with a ton of homemade food and it is only $2.50. The best meal we had though was the one Rick made us. Rick is a retired Chef from Detriot that owned resturaunts all over the place. He really listened to our likes and dislikes throught the week and made a fabulous meal for us that we had leftovers to munch on for two days.
THE ADVENTURES
Must do's include the Canopy Tour, Secluded Waterfall (be ready to truck through the mud on foot for about 15min if it is rainy season to get there), Diving with Almaco Diving and Miguel (make sure you do the beach lunch, it is paridise), and horseback riding to a waterfall. We could have done without the River Float Tour. We saw a couple of monkeys and a croc's, but it got a bit long.
THE AREA
We were surprised be how undeveloped the towns were. The locals are very poor even though there are large resorts going up all over the place. It's like two different worlds. The town (Playas Del Coco) is very small with a few places to shop and eat. I suggest going out atleast one night though and getting to know the locals, they are usually really nice. We made some great friends the second night we were there. The best part was we ran into them later in the week at the grocery store and a soccer game and they both gave us big hugs and a chat.

If you are looking at going to Costa Rica please feel free to contact me on any other questions and I will be happy to help.

Paradise discovered,
If you’re looking for paradise in a quaint B&B that truly represents all that Costa Rica has to offer, go see Rick at Rancho Armadillo. Amazing sunsets from the pool and tiki bar seam endless, the rooms are wonderful and the star filled nights made this a perfect location for those looking for a true vacation from the all inclusive resort nightmare. Once you check in, head down to Playa de Coco for fantastic eats at Papagayo Pura Vida and grab an ice cold Imperial or grab a “Hala” shot at the local bar, it will make you HOLLER!!!!


Rick is a perfect host who knows more about Costa Rica than and guide book or tour, his recommendations and knowledge were perfect and enabled my wife and I to have the best honeymoon imaginable.

For cyclist, stop into CR Bikes and see Riccardo for the greatest mountain bike tour in Costa Rica. It’s more than worth the time, energy and expense for his tour. Exceptional single track and more wildlife than you can imagine. Tell him Annie and Gary from Atlanta say "Hi."

Pura Vida,

Gary

Had the pleasure of spending a week at Rancho Armadillo. We traveled with dear friends and our four teenagers. The accomodations and Rick's hospitality were top notch. Rick makes sure his guests feel right at home. We thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the property - the rooms, pool, food, vegetation, the breathtaking view, and the pampering. Rick offered many suggestions for dining, shopping and side trips. Each one proved a hit with our group. If you want the "personal touch" in an intimate setting, Rancho Armadillo is the place for you!