From San Jose, the journey west to Santa Teresa transports us to the edge of civilization, away from our frenetic everyday lives and drops us immediately into the serenity of nature. This is a vacation home that encourages the most elegant, yet casual and easy living, where inside and outside, pool and beach all merge in the blur of the jungle. In keeping with the vision and design of the architect, the owners have chosen not to install coverings on the windows. This serves to enhance the experience of feeling immersed and at one with nature and to unite inside with out.
Everywhere is dense rain forest. A surfing community inhabits clearings cut along a dirt road that parallels perfect Pacific beaches - this is the town. Both secluded and easily accessible, the house is at the end of the town, above the beach and within walking distance of the best dining and health activities in town.
The seclusion of the house and the surrounding intact canopy, ensure the inhabitants’ total privacy. Bananas, mangoes, papaya, coconuts, avocados, guavas, and passion fruit all grow throughout the gardens of this paradise. The trees surrounding the house are inhabited by troops of small monkeys, both white-face capuchins and Howlers, some with infants on their backs, who stealthily prance from branch to branch picking berries in the trees surrounding the clearing where they have more sun and fruit. They show only slight interest in the human inhabitants on the ground.
A dirt driveway climbs up to the clearing. Through the trees the red screens of the façade appear as a forest of impervious metal pipes. Stairs ascends to the platform of the house. Sunk in the platform is a sensuous, salt-water lap pool of blue water with an infinity edge parallel to the house and ocean. On one end is a small lawn, on the other a shallow shaded sitting pool. In this benign climate only shelter from the seasonal rains is necessary. Otherwise it is the optimal movement of air for cooling and to prevent damp that makes perfect habitable shelter. To facilitate this is a double height ceiling with fans that circulate the air. The rear wall is louvered for cross ventilation. Bedrooms are stacked at one end in two stories, two guest rooms below, and the master above and they are equipped with efficient air conditioning, largely unnecessary because of the rest of the design elements.
Bedrooms are stacked at one end in two stories - two guest rooms below, and the master above. The master bedroom upstairs comes with a king bed and private bathroom. The 2 bedrooms downstairs have a queen and 2 single beds, which can be pushed together seamlessly as a king.
The rear wall thickens to contain the services – pantry and kitchen, perfectly appointed with modern appliances, storage, stair, and bathrooms behind sliding glass doors. Finishes are hand hewn and natural. Much of the furniture is masonry including the kitchen cabinets, counter and beds.
Most of the best restaurants in the Peninsula are all within a half-mile from the house. Kojis Japanese Restaurant, the best in town and in the country for sushi; Coleur Café, a French Bistro; Te Parto en 8 which is a low key spot for locals with delicious food. They are mainly Argentinian and Mediterranean Dishes. We also have Rey Patricio, Spanish Tapas. This house is just half a mile from Pranamar Villas and Yoga Retreat, with daily ocean front yoga in a huge teak wood shala with a gourmet healthy restaurant too.