Notes from the host
Angler's Lair
On an acre of tropical gardens, ponds and wildlife habitat 300 steps to the beach. Wildlife is integral, you will hear wildlife throughout your stay. Our pride is a habitat where people and animals can co-exist.
Regardless of the size of your group, we rent to only one party at a time, assuring you a place to kick back with 3 beds, 3 baths in jungle-style luxury. A romantic getaway in the garden level apartment (maximum 2 persons/$150 night); your family vacation in the tree-level 2 bedroom home (starts at $180 night) or a friend-group fills the house (up to starts at $225 night). Regardless of the size of your group, each rental is to one party only at a time. Owners reserve the right to restrict access to unused areas.
The fully furnished 100 m2 ground floor apartment sleeps two; choose to have the bedroom arranged with a pair of single beds or an enormous King, all properly outfitted with high quality mattresses, plump pillows and imported linens. Furnishings crafted of reclaimed lumber include a dry-box closet, nightstands, and overhead fans. Security screens afford plenty of airflow or may be shuttered to assure absolute privacy. We've done everything we can to guarantee a good night's sleep, but the Howler Monkey “alarm clock” is beyond our control… take it up with them over your first cup of fine Costa Rican coffee enjoyed in the garden ranchita.
The downstairs kitchen includes range, toaster oven, refrigerator, blender, coffee maker, cookware and table settings allowing you to prepare your own meals. We'll stock some basic for your arrival then guide you in harvesting many of your ingredients from the gardens, shopping the weekly farmer's markets or haggling with the mobile vendors over local fruits and vegetable, fish, eggs and meat. Belly up to the breakfast bar for casual seating, dine at the hardwood table under ceiling fans, or head out to the pool deck or ranchita for a gourmet picnic in the garden.
The ample seating area is furnished with artisan bamboo furniture. The sofa and two oversized chairs provide cushioned seating in the wall-less room where the outside blends to inside. Under the wide eaves and overhead fans, this area is cool on even the warmest of days. Hammocks along the perimeter put you under-cover but virtually in the garden, a decadent way to spend the afternoon.
One of a kind bathroom features a sink carved from a tree trunk, evolving mosaic mural and a garden shower, all faucets deliver plumbed hot water. An assortment of bathroom essentials and quality towels are for home use and we provide sarongs for the beach. A jacuzzi sits undercover of a traditional thatch roof allowing you a soak among the beautiful gardens regardless of weather. The pool features a sandy pebble zero-entry, wet deck for sunning, and plunge depth. This has become a favorite place to watch the monkeys overhead.
The tree-level upstairs is an open floor plan, where you are at times eye-level to the howlers and sloths that frequent the property. The kitchen, dining and living area are surrounded by bannisters and open walls, like living on a big covered deck. The effect is amazing. Overhead fans throughout the space supplement the natural breezes.
Equipped with a full kitchen, oversized refrigerator/freezer, 6 burner stove, oven, double sink, prep island, microwave, toaster oven, blender and an abundance of quality cookware, the kitchen draws in helpers for the family style feast. A gas BBQ is situated around the corner to allow easy access, but assure safety.
With a huge table hand constructed from a single tree, the dining area will seat up to 10 comfortably. An ample quantity of dinnerware, in delightful bright fiesta colors set a table that makes any meal a party. Or gather the crew and play cards, board games or build a puzzle when you just want to sit up high and watch what might climb, crawl, creep, flitter, or buzz by as you gaze out through the trees to the garden below.
The living area features a large cushioned sofa and two oversized cushioned chairs, two rocking chairs and a hammock. A handprinted game table features backgammon, checker/chessboard, and cribbage. Wifi throughout the house keeps you connected and able to post those selfies to jealous friends back home.
The Master bedroom features a king-sized bed and headboard crafted from reclaimed lumber designed to celebrate the Caribbean colors and philosophy of up-cycling. Overhead fan and secure screens create a restful night sleep. The ensuite bath includes a sink and toilet with the shower perched on a ledge extending off the back of the house. Generous plantings and screen afford modesty while providing a unique experience. An artistic mural depicting a beach scene created by a local artist covers the interior bath area, while a mosaic installation designed/installed by the owner covers the shower area.
The second Family bedroom suite is two distinct rooms. The bedroom includes a king-sized bed with a handcrafted headboard of live-edge wood designed by the homeowners. Utilizing the often-discarded pieces of fallen trees, the headboard stirs the imagination similar to seeing pictures in clouds. The family room also features a bunk bed with a double on the bottom and a twin on the top. The bunk, too, is crafted from reclaimed lumber and live-edge wood. Sleep well knowing you saved a tree!! The adjoining bathroom also features a sink and toilet within the house and a shower perched off the back. Here the theme is jungle with a waterfall scene depicting local Volio Falls, a favorite day trip for locals.
Extensive plantings and a frog pond provide habitat for many species of wildlife; keep tabs on Max the sloth and her expanding family who now occupy several trees on the property, catch the routine visits of the agoutis, and try your luck at nabbing the perfect photo of the magnificent blue morpho butterfly as it regularly weaves through the garden. Outdoor seating areas, swimming pool, hot tub, hammocks, and covered picnic tables immerse you in the tropical setting with hundreds of species of bromeliads, tillandsias and orchids. Heliconias, gingers and other flowering plants attract an endless rainbow of birds and butterflies. We take pride in the design of our home and garden spaces maximizing nature's paradise.
Owners, Janet & Nick, share the home with their overgrown Rhodesian Ridgeback pup, Zuri, and an elusive cat, Delgado; they're available to you when you need, absent when you don't. Well, really, the cat does what he wants and Zuri will surely show up anytime she thinks you're willing to throw a stick. UPDATE: Janet, Nick and Zuri are overseeing a new project on the beach, so, beginning March 2018, we will offer the entire house (!!) for vacation rental on a limited basis. The upstairs and downstairs will be rented only as one unit, and will be “first come, first served”. We will honor all current bookings through February 2019 in the downstairs apartment. The garden-level space has been so popular for couples and BFF’s traveling together, and believe it will continue to provide an on-site get-away for larger groups or families that need a larger space.