If you are comparing Mary Jane's Dragonfly Cottage to others, do yourself a favor and book this space now! I promise you will not be disappointed.
My love and I work long hours so we did not arrive at the cottage until almost 10:00 pm. We had no trouble finding it in the dark and no problems going up the roads in my little hatchback. We recommend picking up your groceries ahead of time as you will not want to leave once you arrive and the closest grocery store was about 25 minutes. Stopping by the Corralitos Market and Sausage Company is a must in our book.
The fridge is a mini-fridge with the freezer as its own compartment. If you are only staying a few nights, it is the perfect size. We decided to bring our crockpot so we could spend most of the day outside and didn't have to worry about prepping and cooking a meal. We picked up some steaks and bacon from the market. Make sure to keep a close eye on your bacon as we set the smoke alarm off. We fanned it out pretty quickly and the smell didn't stay and linger. The stove and oven looked intimidating at first. Once looking at it, it was very easy to turn on and use. I don't recommend using the sprayer on the sink. It smelt like standing water. It worked, just smelt. Lighting a candle and opening the windows cleared it right up though!
The bed was comfortable and had lots of warm blankets. The throw blankets on the couches were also really cozy and nice to sit curled up with a cup of coffee on the porch. We very rarely ever get any time to just sit, watch, and listen and the porch and hot tub lookout spots are perfect for that. We spent all of our time soaking in the hot tub and sitting at the lookout spot, and then moved to the porch once the clouds came in. Even with the clouds hovering and the mist falling, it was still a beautiful and enjoyable view. The bird feeder was a nice touch as it always had a bird if not multiple on or near.
The heater has a switch just on the side to turn on and off. It didn't take long at all for it to get the whole cottage warm. We did see some other reviews to keep the bathroom door open to heat it as well. We did not do this the first night. Learn from our mistake and keep that door open! The shower itself was clean and roomy with provided shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. There is no bar soap if you prefer that to the alternative.
We recommend bringing flipflops and a big towel or a thick robe to use when walking to and from the hot tub. It is a little walk below the cottage itself. There are some mentions that the cover is hard to remove, though we had no trouble. The chairs there provide a perfect lookout space to just take it all in. A good place for breakfast as well.
Mary Jane, Martin, and their furry friends live on the property close enough to hear voices outside. We still felt like we were secluded and we had total privacy. It was a nice sense of security knowing they were so close if something were to happen but we also forgot that we were not the only ones on that mountain.
The only thing I wish was a little different was the shrubbery and plants at the porch and lookout that have grown since Mary Jane has offered this space. They have grown a little tall to the point where you have to look over or past some to see the view. We will definitely be returning so it wasn't a major problem. I still give the Dragonfly Cottage a 10/10. We are hoping for a soon return!