My wife and 2 young daughters (1.5 and 3.5 yrs) just returned last Wednesday from a week long trip to Club del Sol. We stayed in unit #7, and booked through Expedia.

Our condo was on the ground floor, steps from the shallow end of the pool. We could not have asked for a better location. The sliding doors all have locks that are up high, preventing little ones from letting themselves out. That was a big plus for us.

The condo was very clean. We have absolutely no complaints - it was all great - with the exception that the dishwasher didn't work. That wasn't a big deal, as the cleaning staff washed the dishes that were not clean every day.

We asked for a crib for our 18 month old, and it was in the room when we arrived.

I would have rated the sleep quality at 5 stars, with the exception that there is a highway that is a hundred feet or so from the back bedrooms. The trucks with engine brakes got a little annoying on the first night, but after that we didn't notice them. I was told that there was a rooster that woke up residents on the other side of the condo. Give me the trucks any day!

We spent most of our days in the pool. We only went to the beach once, and it was HOT. The sand has a muddy consistency, and we just chose to stay close to the pool.

We did go to Neo Fauna one day (the butterfly farm). Cab ride each way was $10, and entry fee was $15/adults - our kids were free. Our guide was nice, and seemed educated about the animals. Not a bad way to spend a few hours.

The last full day, we arranged for a van to take us and two other families to Manuel Antonio. We paid for a "guide" to show us the animals at the park, but he turned out to be a dud. The only benefit of getting a guide is that if the line is long, you get to go in first... Wear your suit into the park if you go. We mistakingly left ours in the van, and had to swim in our clothes. There are fresh water showers to rinse off with just steps up from the beach.

On our way back, we ate at a restaurant called El Avion in Quepos. I would highly recommend it!

Speaking of restaurants, Los Amigos in Jaco was pretty good. There is also a pizza place on the west side of the road between Jaco and Club del Sol - I can't recall the name, but it is an outdoor restaurant - that was really good.

We bought a lot of groceries at Mas x Menos. Cab rides home were around 1200-1500 colones (a little over $2 US). The most we paid was 1,800 colones, and that was when we called a cab to the hotel to take us in for dinner.

There are better deals to be found than what Expedia offers. We got into a discussion one night with a few other guests, and the rates paid ranged from $1,800 for a month, to $700/week for 2-1/2 weeks, to the $1,300 or so that we paid for one week. I didn't see these all in writing, but I did want to highlight that you can shop around, and try to find how these are being managed/rented. Contacting the office (Julietta) is probably the best bet for pricing on extended stays....

We booked Juan Carlos, the driver recommended by Club del Sol to take people to and from the airport, for the whole day when we went to Manuel Antonio. He was awesome. I think that the 10 passenger van cost us $210 for the day (we tipped up to $240).

The walk into town is about 15-20 minutes. It gets really hot in the middle of the day, so I would encourage you to go early, or to go late if you want to walk.

Credit cards are taken, with a photo ID. I was told that restaurants charged a surcharge for credit card use, but we always paid cash. Dollars work, too, just about everywhere.

We ate dinner at Club del Mar, Club del Sol's sister property on the beach, on the first night we were in Jaco. I would not recommend it. The food was overpriced for the quality that it was. Take a cab, and head into town!

There is a new highway (opened this year) between San Jose and Jaco. The drive is about 1.5 hours, versus the 2.5 hours that it took before the highway opened. For those brave enough, the drive looks manageable if you wanted to try it on your own. We chose for a shuttle (arranged elsewhere) to get us to and from the airport.

My wife and I have already discussed returning next year. We had an awesome time, and met some really great people. If you are looking for a party place, there are probably better ones closer to town. But for just about anyone else, this is a great place.