Villa Tekla, Costa Rican paradise! - Houses for Rent in Quepos, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Villa Tekla is our family home: a unique and open multi levelled house on five acres of forest and landscaped private grounds, with ocean and mountain views as well as a pool, situated near Manuel Antonio Park with endless beaches and incredible rain forests. The space Villa Tekla is a distinctive three-bedroom, three-level Spanish-Moorish hacienda, an eco-friendly villa designed for the tropics, set off the main road between Quepos and Manuel Antonio park. It has extensive patios, is fully furnished and immediately below the house is a private lap pool. It can easily accommodate three couples and is suitable for families traveling together. Especially designed for the climate of Costa Rica's south-central coast, it is a partially house with wooden shutters that can be closed for security (these are new and not shown in current photos). Two of the three bedrooms are fully screened in addition to wooded shutters: one on the main level and a separate one on the lower level accessed by outdoor stairs that includes an ensuite bathroom. The thrird bedroom is an airy room on the upper level. We use numerous built-in fans and the natural jungle breeze to cool down, there is no air conditioning. The house is protected from both sun and rain by wide roof overhangs and is intended to provide an optimal experience for nature lovers and yet be entirely secure. Sitting atop a spur over jungle that runs all the way to Manuel Antonio National Park, the house is nested in the jungle but with views west, north and east, towards the ocean and the forests and the mountains. Rare precious and semi-precious flowering hardwoods shade it from the sun. Some of the acreage is planted in various fruit species and flowering tropical hedges, but most of it is a natural canopied forest. The property is midway between the thriving tourist town of Quepos and the beaches of Manuel Antonio National Park. The main beach is five minutes away by car or bus, thirty minutes by foot. Several smaller, unpopulated beaches are even closer and we can provide directions to them. The park, with its crescent beaches, trails and wildlife, offers nature lovers a unique, unforgettable experience. It opens at seven a.m. daily, but is closed Monday. It's best to visit early in the morning, when wildlife is more active. Though at nine degrees latitude, the climate in Costa Rica is benign, the temperature ranging from the lows 20s to low 30s C (low 70s to low 80s F), depending on time and season. The dry season extends roughly from Christmas to Easter, but is variable, and is cooled by fresh breezes from the ocean during the hottest hours. The green season (there is no winter or summer in Costa Rica) is preferred by many, with its rain at night, late-afternoon sun-showers, morning mists, rainbows and verdant growth... and unpopulated beaches. Occasionally, the rain can fall in torrents, and it's an experience which visitors enjoy. Wide roof overhangs and rain blinds keep the villa dry. The house has been carefully situated so that the sun does not enter in the heat of the day, and it offers brilliant sunset and sunrise views in the Green Season. As you relax in one of our hammocks, don't be surprised if the titis (squirrel monkeys) come by the house, swinging from tree to tree and clambering over the roof. Cara blancas (white-face monkeys) visit regularly too, but are shyer, and in the early morning howler monkeys can be heard calling from the tall trees. Other animals we have seen from the house include sloths, coatis, raccoons, armadillos, anteaters, pacas, agoutis, land and tree iguanas, a peccary that wandered down from the mountains, a Mexican dwarf porcupine. Birders will be awed by the numbers and variety of parrots, parakeets, hummingbirds, mot-mots, toucans, manikins, orioles, flycatchers, swallows, tanagers, woodpeckers, wrens, thrushes, trogons, hawks, and you'll awake at dawn to a many-throated chorus. At night you'll hear nightjars, owls, pootoos, laughing falcons, a constant melody of crickets and frogs, and the singing geckoes that patrol for small bugs. Birds and butterflies fly in and out. And from time to time you'll hear the distant crash and rumble of the Pacific surf. Guest access Fully equipped kitchen and washer and dryer. All linen is provided. You will access to our washer and dryer but please do not overload, our house keeper can also do laundry for an additional fee to be arranged with Rebecca. Twice-a-week cleaning service and gardening services are provided at no cost to you. Cable TV, broadband internet, and wi-fi are all included. Other things to note House Manager Rebecca Wells is our manager in Manuel Antonio, with her husband Jacob, a skilled contractor and a computer electronics consultant. They live only a few minutes down our road. Rebecca can be reached at the numbers in the house manual once you book. Rebecca and Jacob are all completely bilingual and will help you with any problems. Rebecca can also assist you with arrival arrangements. We also have a close friend Melvin Bejarano who is an excellent bilingual tour guide offering white water rafting, hiking, and other amazing nature tours through Costa Rica Tropical Adventures/Manuel Antonio Rafting, contact info will also be provided at booking. Housekeeper and Gardener Our housekeeper comes mornings once a week for four or five hours. If you would like additional help, Rebecca can arrange for that at her regularly hourly rate. We have reliable company once a week to do pool maintenance. Our gardener comes twice a week, early in the morning, for grounds maintenance. We hope you will treat our staff with trust and respect - they have ours. Linens and Towels We supply all essential household goods, including linens and towels, please only brightly coloured towels to the beach. Dry and shake sand outside before bringing inside. Communications We have one TV set for your use, with 66 cable channels, as well as DVD and VCR players, and a small library of movies. A high-speed internet service will provide those who bring laptops or netbooks with a fast, reliable wi-fi service at our cost, for which Rebecca will provide a password. We have speakers that connect with personal devices for music, as well as a separate player that can be used in lower level room. Our house telephone line does not permit international calls but can be used for local taxis and food delivery. There is an internet cafe nearby and more in Quepos and many along the road to Manuel Antonio Park and beaches. MORE VALUABLE INFORMATION WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE HOUSE MANUAL ONCE YOU BOOK!