Casa de La Vida Grande: A Tropical Paradise in Playa Grande in Playa Grande

Recently completed in February 2007, this Spanish Mediterranean-style house is located in Palm Beach Estates in Las Baulas Marine National Park in Guanacaste.

The house is a 5-minute walk to Playa Grande beach, the seasonal nesting grounds of the endangered leatherback turtle and an internationally famous surfing beach, and also a less-than-5-minute walk to the mangrove estuary, several restaurants (Bula Bula, Cantarana), a market/bar/internet cafe (Los Malinches), and surfboard rentals and lesson providers. Several additional restaurants, bars and surf shops are available within a 5-minute drive, and Tamarindo is accessible within a short water taxi ride across the estuary, along the beach during low tide, or in 25 minutes by car.

The main house has 3 bedrooms (2 upstairs, 1 downstairs), each with a queen-size bed, its own closet with security safe, and private balcony/lookout, plus 2 full bathrooms (one with a double shower and one with a bathtub). The downstairs contains a spacious open living and dining area, full kitchen with oven, microwave, refrigerator/freezer with icemaker, range/breakfast island, and a study/reading room with ADSL broadband internet connection that opens up to the pool and patio area. The upstairs has a sitting room with cable TV and DVD player, plus a full-size futon for additional sleeping space. All rooms have individually controlled air-conditioning and ceiling fans, all floors are wide Brasilian tile, and there are 4 telephones available throughout the house.

The studio apartment, available as a separate rental unit, contains an additional full-size bed and futon, as well as a small kitchen, dining table, full bathroom, and its own telephone line.

The outside features a large wrap-around terrace with a dining area and hammock, semi-shaded lap pool with patio and chairs, lush tropical garden with plentiful flora and full-grown trees, and an outdoor shower for rinsing off after the beach. There are plenty of wildlife viewing opportunities available right from the terrace or patio, with hundreds of birds, howler monkeys, iguanas and butterflies in the neighborhood.

Our property manager is based right in Playa Grande and readily available to assist with all aspects of your vacation, including arranging ground transportation, a private chef if desired, child care, laundry and grocery shopping services, as well as booking the many tours and activities available in the area, such as surfing, SCUBA, snorkeling, sunset sailing, deep sea fishing, horseback riding, estuary boat tours, zipline canopy tours, bike rentals, golf, tennis, turtle watching, yoga, massage and spa treatments.

Location Type & Theme:

• near the ocean
• rural
• relaxation
• adventure
• away from it all

General Amenities:

• safes in both main house and studio
• towels and linens provided
• local maps, activities and restaurant dining guides
• air-conditioning and ceiling fans
• alarm clocks
• security system
• telephone

Kitchen:

• refrigerator and freezer with ice maker
• microwave, toaster, blender and coffee maker
• oven
• gas stove top burners
• cookware, dishes and utensils
• kitchenette in studio with refrigerator, stove, oven, microwave and coffee maker

Laundry:

• washing machine
• clothes dryer
• iron and board

Dining:

• indoor and outdoor patio dining areas
• small eating table in studio

Bathrooms:

• downstairs bathroom with dual sinks and double shower
• upstairs bathroom with dual sinks and bathtub
• studio bathroom with shower
• outdoor shower, perfect for rinsing off after the beach or pool

Bedrooms:

• sleeps 12 with 3 bedrooms in main house, 1 bedroom in studio
• upstairs master bedroom with queen bed
• upstairs guest bedroom with queen bed
• downstairs guest bedroom with queen bed
• upstairs TV room with full futon
• studio with full bed and full-size futon
• Each bedroom has plentiful closet space. Both upstairs bedrooms open up to a private balcony, and the downstairs bedroom opens up to a private patio with a hammock and view of the pool and garden. There is an additional full-size futon in the TV room available as additional sleeping space, ideal for children.

Entertainment:

• wireless broadband accessible throughout property
• board games for kids and adults
• cable TV and DVD player
• stereo system with CD player
• books and magazines

Outside:

• private outdoor pool
• outdoor gas BBQ grill
• off-street parking
• unscreened wrap-around terrace
• garden
• garage
• private balconies
• hammock
• pool and garden chairs
• beach chairs

Suitability:

• non-smoking only indoors
• long term renters welcome
• children welcome
• pets considered

Onsite Services and Equipment:

• housekeeping, garden and pool care included
• private chef, massage and childcare services available upon request
• beach towels, coolers and chairs

Local & Leisure Activities:

• beach
• walking
• fishing
• swimming
• water skiing
• cycling
• tennis
• horseback riding
• scuba diving or snorkeling
• surfing
• sailing
• wind-surfing
• deepsea fishing
• bird and wildlife watching
• hiking
• rafting
• snorkeling
• sight seeing

Nearby Attractions:

• restuarants and bars
• national park
• estuary
• rain forests
• volcanoes
• eco tourism
• adventure tourism
• scenic drives
• zoo

Three night minimum. Rental rate includes daily pool cleaning, housekeeping three times per week, all linens, beach towels, plus staple items such as toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, salt, pepper, and sugar.

Main House Rates:

Low Season (May-Oct): $270/night, $1600/week

High Season (Nov-Apr): $300/night, $1800/week

Holiday (New Year's, Christmas, Easter): $420/night, $2500/week

Studio Apartment Rates:

Low Season (May-Oct): $60/night, $360/week

High Season (Nov-Apr): $80/night, $480/wk

Holiday (New Year's, Christmas, Easter): $100/night, $600/wk