ABOUT THE HOME....


The Zabala house is nestled in a lush organic coffee farm called Finca Flor Mar. This 100 acre farm produces organic Arabica coffee, plantains, bananas, mangos, limes, starfruit, & avocados.

The home is shaded by an abundant Mango & Lime orchard that is buzzing with butterflies & native birds.

With 4 bedrooms (3 bedrooms + loft) & 2 full baths, the Zabala house hosts a max of 8 people (6 adults with extra room for kids). It is the perfect couple’s getaway or family vacation home. The home has a fully functional kitchen and a maid that comes 2 times per week. Your floors will be cleaned, and dishes sparkling =) Laundry service is included.

The open floor plan boasts a rustic yet luxurious feel. It is comfortably furnished & tastefully decorated. The Zabala house features a large eat-in kitchen, wireless high-speed internet, two story high living room with a flat screen TV & DVD & Chromecast, a living room-like front porch, an expansive master suit with a spa-like hot shower, two upstairs bedrooms (one room with a twin bed, the other with a queen), and an open loft bedroom with queen bed & quadruple doors that open to a private patio. (The loft has an additional mattress nestled into the balcony nook that will sleep 2...great for kids.)

This is the only home of its kind in the area. It was hand-built by the community with local hard woods. All the doors, windows, & much of the furniture is artisan-made by the next-door neighbor. This house is the home of the Zabala family, who has temporarily returned to Atlanta. It has been called (with jaws dropping) a wonderland...the home is full of art, full of soul, and it is Costa-Rican gem like nothing else you can experience on the mountain.

I just posted a video link on our VRBO site from one of our guests who did a video blog of our house and their time in Monteverde. Enjoy! You will see in the picture that since that video was done we have completely renovated the exterior of the house, installed a new sidewalk that has no stairs, and installed some new bed and artwork! Enjoy the video though. It gives you a great sense of how comfortable and big the house is!

ABOUT MONTEVERDE...

Monteverde is a largely bilingual town. It’s home of the Cloud Forest Reserve, stunning natural landscapes, world-class restaurants, local shops, a strong art community, & a bustling local economy.

The world-famous Cloud Forest Reserve is a private nature reserve listed as #14 on Newsweek's 100 Places to Remember Before They Disappear. The massive 10,500 hectare reserve draws 70,000 tourists a year. It is known as
the site with the largest number of orchids in the world, and houses 60 species of amphibians (including the near extinct
Monteverde-endemic golden toad) and the elusive bright Blue Morphos butterfly. This area is also a stop for 91 species of migratory birds. The famed quetzal resides here seasonally.

What is now considered Monteverde was founded by Quakers from the United States whose pacifist values led them to defy the American draft during the Korean War. These conscientious objectors blended well with the Costa Rican philosophy of peaceful living. The Cloud Forest Reserve was set aside by Quakers to preserve the Cloud Forest & protect the water shed. Monteverde & surrounding areas are inhabited by a blend of Costa Ricans, Americans, & families from around the world.

The Zabala house is located about 20 minutes outside of Monteverde, in a small town called San Rafael. San Rafael is usually a good bit warmer & less rainy than Monteverde. It is a 100% Tico town, outside of the residents of Finca Flor Mar. This active town is formed by a strong community of families, a tasty restaurant, a pottery pavilion, local bar, two pulperias (small general stores), and two public schools.

CASA ZABALA DETAILS

The Zabala house is THE most personal, unique, and authentic way to experience Monteverde, Santa Elena, &
San Rafael, Costa Rica. High-end hotels of comparable quality to The Zabala house are $150-$250 a night for a single room. The Zabala house offers 4 bedrooms for $125 a night. Our home is about 2,000sqft of Costa Rican hardwoods & rustic comfort. It is one of the largest, most unique houses in the area.

Finca Flor Mar is the birthplace of the Sustainable Coffee Initiative. Chelsea’s father, Ken Lander, is the founder of this community based organization that created a system which exponentially increases the farmer’s profits compared to Fair Trade. San Rafael is the center of an agricultural revolution for the coffee industry. The Sustainable Coffee Initiative’s practices & philosophy are being explored around the world. Come visit Ken Lander at The Common Cup (or at his home next-door to The Zabala House), who will take you through the ever-growing world of the Costa Rican coffee farmer.

We strongly recommend having a rental car when you stay at Casa Zabala. It is a 25 minute drive to Monteverde & 3 minutes to San Rafael's center. Sooo much to do...but you will need to drive there. The value of staying in our house verses a hotel or rental closer to Monteverde in incomparable.

Please email us for more pictures. We have lots! (Had fun taking them...our home is lovely!)

FOR BIRD WATCHERS!: We had a group of diehard bird watchers who came and spent most of their time on the farm and surrounding area doing what they love to do! Here is the results! Thanks Nancy and all of your team!:

Some Birds of Casa Zabala & Neighborhood, Guanacaste, CR

Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Comments: Party of Capek, Johnson, D'Hont, Edmondson.
45 species

Gray-headed Chachalaca
Turkey Vulture
Swallow-tailed Kite
Red-billed Pigeon
White-tipped Dove
Squirrel Cuckoo
Common Pauraque
White-collared Swift
Purple-throated Mountain-Gem
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Orange-bellied Trogon
Lesson's Motmot
Turquoise-browed Motmot
Emerald Toucanet
Hoffman's woodpecker
Golden-olive Woodpecker
White-fronted Parrot
Orange-fronted Parakeet
Yellow-bellied Elaenia
Common Tody Flycatcher
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Social Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Long-tailed Manakin
Masked Tityra
White-throated Magpie-Jay
Brown Jay
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
House Wren
Rufous-and-white Wren
Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush
Slatey-backed Nightingale-Thrush
Clay-colored Thrush
Blackburnian Warbler
Rufous-capped Warbler
Blue-gray Tanager
Palm Tanager
Blue-black Grassquit
Yellow-faced Grassquit
Buff-throated Saltator
White-eared Ground-Sparrow
Great-tailed Grackle
Yellow-billed Cacique
Montezuma Oropendola
Yellow-throated Euphonia

Keywords: coffee farm, secluded, family, couples, mountain home, relaxing home, tropical, cloud forest, costa rica, monteverde, rustic, open floor plan, full kitchen, orchard, authentic, farm, gardens, casa, finca, finca de cafe, espanol, honeymoon, family vacation, romantic getaway