We really enjoyed our month long stay at Maquey F1. The unit is nicely decorated and clean. It looks out over the pool and beautiful gardens and is very quiet and peaceful. We don't often like to swim in pools but this one is very clean and there weren't a lot of people hanging around it which was nice. The grounds are so beautifully landscaped and it was just a few steps to the ocean. Inside we had everything we needed for our stay - lots of towels, glasses, dishes and appliances. The king bed was extremely comfortable and we enjoyed a good sleep in it. Because of the lush gardens it's a haven for birds so most mornings at around 5:45am there will be a symphony of nature that lasts until around 7:45am but then promptly ceases. Everyone we met from our neighbours to groundskeepers and security guards (Fransico is the best!) were extremely friendly. If you need water just ask one of the groundskeepers and they will bring it to the room, cost is 50 pesos but we often just gave them 1 dollar US. We enjoyed the company of 2 feral cats who visited every day. The cats are spayed and friendly and help to control vermin and lizards - who are harmless and help control any undesirable insects. The mosquitos were bad during our stay as it rained a lot at night and because of the garden setting. Bring lots of bug spray. You can purchase citronella candles at the grocery store. Not sure if something could be done to help with that - mosquito repelling plants? screening in bedroom? screened porch?
The Perla Marina community is very safe and we had no problem walking down the road at night, often to go to one of our favourite restaurants Ceiba Cafe (great pizza and casual atmosphere) or Crazy Ranch (amazing ribs, brisket, chicken wings and an especially delicious grilled chicken breast sandwich). Ceiba Cafe is within the gates of Perla Marina. To get to Crazy Ranch you need to cross the main road - BE VERY CAREFUL CROSSING and watch for small motorcycles. Sometimes the vehicles will have no lights and they are always passing other vehicles so keep your eyes peeled. Right next to Crazy Ranch is a pretty good mini mart where we often bought our buns, bananas and beer - you can also buy vegetables, wine, pop, chips, cold meat and more there. If you are doing a bigger grocery shopping head out to Sosua to either Super Pola or Playero supermarkets - we slightly preferred Playero but both are very good and you can find just about anything you're used to.