While I can understand the frustration of the previous poster as it can sometimes be challenging travelling with a large family group and a baby, my husband and I had different needs and expectations for our vacation and had a different experience at Casa Seafever last month. We spent a wonderful two weeks in a B&B room and when we return to Barra, would stay with Alan and Karen again. Casa Seafever is a beautiful, spacious, clean and well maintained house with lots of outdoor space for guests to enjoy. While a family group was also staying there at the time, there was plenty of room for all of us at the upstairs palapa patio where there were two sets of Mexican style tables and chair areas, two comfy hammocks and a variety of other seating. We enjoyed the pretty view of the canal and there was always a comfortable breeze to cool us down. The palapa amenities include a fridge, microwave, bar b q, hotplate, blender and coffeemaker all in good working order. There were pots, plates, cutlery, drinking glasses and everything we needed to prepare food or drink. There were no spices, cooking oils or anything of that nature. We intended to cook some meals but the restaurant prices were so reasonable for the two of us, we enjoyed having dinner out each night. There is a small library with a variety of books and games for guests to use.
We stayed in the spacious Canal room which had a screened sliding door out to the palapa patio. We kept the door open all night and enjoyed the lovely breezes. Unlike the guests in the interior of the house, we never felt the need for air conditioning. We enjoyed the comfortable king bed, the beautifully tiled bathroom, the large shower, lots of storage and a never ending supply of bath and beach towels. We did purchase more toilet paper and bar soap when the starter supply was used. Our room was cleaned once a week by the maid. There was a large t.v. but only a few channels in English. We didn't find the supply of hot water or water pressure an issue like the previous poster but did learn to check with the owners to make sure the washing machine wasn't on at the same time.
The clean pool was a great place to cool off after an outing or sunbathe on one of the four comfy loungers. There was a covered area for shade and a large table where we ate our breakfast of granola, yogurt, fresh fruit, bagels and good coffee. If all of the guests were at the pool at the same time, it would have been crowded and not as comfortable. When we wanted a bit of privacy, we strolled down the street and spent the afternoon at the beautiful pool of the Cabo Blanco Hotel where we were welcomed by a friendly staff and could stay as long as we wanted to if we ordered a drink or a snack (never any pressure and very reasonable prices).
As Alan mentions in the description of SeaFever, it is located in a safe neighborhood a 10-15 minute walk to town centre where stores and restaurants are. Good walking shoes or sandals are required for the uneven stone streets and a lack of lighting makes a flashlight important at night. We always appreciated the walk back after dinner and never encountered anything that made us feel unsafe. If you don't want to walk home, there is a convenient taxi stand in town with friendly drivers who will take you home for $3.00 Canadian including tip.
If you are first timers to Barra, Karen and Alan will guide you to the best restaurants, tell you where to catch the local bus and tell you all about the area. We were disappointed that there was no where to spend the day on the beach at Barra that had the amenities we wanted (umbrella table, good food and drink) due to the hurricane a few years ago, but we enjoyed the many bars and restaurants on the beach with gorgeous sunset views. We highly suggest spending a day on the beach in Melaque, La Manzanilla and Cuastecomates where you will find all the amenities and beautiful beach scenery. All of these beaches are close by and easy to get to by local bus. If you are adventurous travellers like us who like to get out and see the area and are looking for clean and well priced accommodation,we know that you will enjoy the special place that Barra is and have a great stay at CasaSeafeaver.