ALSO SEE OUR 3 BR LISTING with pool table VRBO 573635
**300 Mbps fiber optic internet/cable TV, see below the list of 106 typets of birds seen from this house in 30 days **
Here is the complete, unedited review from guest Dan of Ontario, Canada: "This was one of the most beautiful homes I have stayed in ... The pictures do not do it justice it is much better in person ... The kitchen was our favourite! New appliances and everything you need was provided... Currently staying at a very expensive apartment in Tamarindo and does not provide anything, a coffee maker or frying pans or even hot water! I miss this home in Heredia!
Some other positives are the manager picked me up at the airport, took me for groceries, got to the house it was very clean, the internet was fast, I recommend bringing apple tv ;) it does have satellite TV, beautiful view, the grocery store was relatively close by ... the weather was never too hot or too cold it was always perfect. Anyway I recommend this house hope to stay again someday soon!" (end of Dan's review, and yes, he and his wife became repeat customers)
Owner Steve's property description: As Dan stated, we will pick you up at my expense at the airport or your car rental office, so you will not have a problem finding the place, and we will take you grocery shopping at a nice nearby supermarket on the way to the house. If needed we will arrange a taxi back to the airport at your expense.
This newer 2 BR 2 Bath is in a park-like country setting, yet close to the city. It is an architect designed passive solar penthouse with high end materials and artistic details. All ceilings, cabinets and doors are renewable teak. Spring weather year round (high 70's/23-26 C, never too hot). 3 roofed balconies catch sun and birds all day. Electric gate with remote, part time handyman-gardener-mechanic, covered parking for 2 cars. All floors and bathrooms have imported Spanish tile, ceramic and stained glass artwork by local artists, an all glass separate sunroom with stationary exercise bike, fully furnished and equipped with US appliances including new dishwasher, new teak queen bed frames with Guatemalan bedspreads, Fiber optic 300 Mbps internet and cable TV to drive ALL your wireless devices simultaneously and run clear video calls, landline and 49 inch LED Smart TV hooked to wifi (your Netflix and Youtube will run on TV), 3 desks (two with amazing views), granite kitchen island seats 7, fully screened but well above the mosquito altitude zone, all rooms have ceiling fans, but the natural cross ventilation from local breeze allows easy temperature adjustment. 30 minutes to the downtown National Theater and the museums, 25 minutes to the Universidad Nacional (UNA) in Heredia. Under 2 1/2 hours by car to either Atlantic or Pacific beaches. 20 minutes to the 2013 Lincoln Mall, 30 minutes to the new Oxigeno (2018) mall and recreation site with first run movies and top restaurants, 12 minutes to the Brumas del Zurqui coffee shop with the coffee judged best in the world in 2012. 12 minutes to the Toucan Rescue Ranch exotic animal park. 14 minutes to the award winning Bougainvillea hotel gardens and restaurant, 13 minutes to the Bromelias del Rio restaurant and bakery, 18 minutes to the Sibu organic chocolate factory-restaurant and tour, 17 minutes to the new Riverside Pizzeria and Gastropub, 30 minutes to the Britt coffee tour farm and packing plant. 60 minutes to the Jungle Tram or Zoo Ave bird sanctuary, 1.5 hours to the Sarchi woodworking town or the Lankester gardens. No Pets, No smoking.
We call this the Birdwatching House. Marilyn and Bill of Michigan saw 25 kinds of birds in a one week stay, Drew of Canada saw over 40 kinds of birds in a 20 day stay, but the record is now held by Bruce and Joan of Vancouver, who saw the 106 kinds of birds listed below in a 30 day stay in Feb 2019:
Brown jay Blue and white swallow Black vulture Indigo bunting Great Kiskadee Greyish Saltator Clay-coloured thrush Turkey vulture Cattle egret Rufous tailed hummingbird Band-tailed pigeon Red-billed pigeon Bullocks oriole Baltimore oriole Social flycatcher Summer tanager Lesser goldfinch Peregrine falcon Sharp-shinned Hawk Rufous-collared sparrow Hoffman woodpecker Lineated woodpecker Rose-breasted grosbeak Tennessee warbler Ruddy pigeon Western kingbird Belted kingfisher Montezuma oropendola Little blue Huron Blue-gray tanager Cerulean warbler Rough-legged tyrannulet Paltry tyrannulet Melodious blackbird Gray-necked wood-Rail (sound) Great-tailed grackle Black phoebe Common Bush-tanager Common ground dove Cooper’s hawk Flame-coloured tanager Tropical kingbird Ringed kingfisher Common pauraque Great black-hawk Vermillion flycatcher Gray hawk Golden-bellied flycatcher Lesser greenlet Gray-headed chachalaca Common Nighthawk (sound) Great blue heron Philadelphia vireo Great egret Common Tody-flycatcher Snowy egret Rock pigeon Crimson-fronted parakeet White-winged dove White-napes brush-finch Greenish Elaenia Brown-crested flycatcher Red-lored parrot House wren Fiery-throated hummingbird Sulphur-winged parakeet Golden-olive woodpecker Crested caracara Yellow-winged vireo Chestnut-collared swift Vaux swift Ochraceous wren Broad-winged hawk White-eared Ground-sparrow Hepatic tanager Inca dove Northern harrier Buff-throated saltator Mountain thrush Black-headed Nightingale-thrush Yellow Tyrannulet Yellow-bellied elaenia Northern rough-winged swallow Piratic flycatcher Striped owl (sound) Orchard oriole Golden-naped woodpecker Black-headed Saltator Slate-coloured Saltator Yellow warbler Yellow-winged warbler Boat-billed flycatcher Sooty robin Masked tityra Rufous-capped warbler Blue Dacnis Chestnut-sided warbler Orange-billed nightingale-thrush Yellow-faced grassquit Gray-breasted wood-wren Slaty antwren Yellow-bellied seedeater Cabanis’s Wren Dusky-capped flycatcher Gray catbird White hawk
Add dates for prices
Have a question?
AI iconBetaBeta
Get instant answers with AI powered search of property information and reviews.
Similar properties
Modern and secure apartment in exclusive sector close to restaurants pet’s OK
San Rafael
Modern and secure apartment in exclusive sector close to restaurants pet’s OK
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios and terraces, which may not be suitable for children; if you have any concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm that they can accommodate you in a suitable room
About the area
Pará
Located in Pará, this holiday home is in the city centre and near theme parks. Sabana Park and Braulio Carrillo National Park reflect the area's natural beauty and area attractions include Toucan Rescue Ranch and Spirogyra Butterfly Garden. Casa de la Cultura and Children's Museum are also worth visiting. Discover the area's water adventures with nearby swimming, or enjoy the great outdoors with hiking, ecotours and mountain climbing.
How much is parking at 300 Mbps fiber optic internet/cable TV, Birdwatching, 300 degree Mountain Views?
On-site parking is available at the property.
What time is check-in at 300 Mbps fiber optic internet/cable TV, Birdwatching, 300 degree Mountain Views?
Check-in begins at 12:00 PM.
What time is check-out at 300 Mbps fiber optic internet/cable TV, Birdwatching, 300 degree Mountain Views?
Checkout is at 12:00 PM.
Where is 300 Mbps fiber optic internet/cable TV, Birdwatching, 300 degree Mountain Views located?
Located in the heart of Pará, this holiday home is 2.5 mi (4 km) from Toucan Rescue Ranch and within 6 miles (10 km) of Lincoln Plaza and Braulio Carrillo National Park. Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Ayma and Universidad Nacional are also within 6 miles (10 km).
About the host
Hosted by Steven Huffstutlar
I am retired from overseas consulting work in agriculture and road projects. I grew up in California (BA from UC Berkeley 1968). I have managed my own rentals for 30+ years. I have lived in Costa Rica for 26 of the past 38 years, having come here in 1984 to manage an agricultural project for the US Embassy. I spend part of the year in California with the grandchildren. I have gone through all the residency requirements for Costa Rica and can offer general and residency advice about visiting and living in Costa Rica (I will e-mail you my personal 40 page Central Valley tourist guide once you book). Since retiring in 2007 I built this passive solar teak-lined house surrounded by mountains, forest, vast skies and rainbows, with inside temperatures in the high 70's-F/23-26-C year round. No need for air conditioning or heat, inside temperatures are adjusted by opening and closing screened windows for cooling by mild natural breezes.
Why they chose this property
I lived at the beach in Costa Rica (Manuel Antonio) and after a couple of years found the hot weather was uncomfortable and getting gradually worse. Then I moved to 900 meters altitude in San Antonio de Belen (Cariari) and found temperatures there were also uncomfortable. This house location at about 1150 meters altitude (3700 ft) has great weather and is close to San Jose area attractions, and is much less crowded, hot and congested than the other side of the valley such as Santana and Rohrmoser-Escazu. I left California's urban congestion to find an idyllic place like this. Located at the end of a paved quiet country lane between two rivers, the surrounding properties on three sides are undeveloped farms or private gardens. We are visited by flocks of noisy green parrots during parts of the year, along with occasional Montezuma's oropendulas, mot mots and orioles (see the full birds sighted list in the property description). This is the resident nesting territory of the Great Kiskadee, yellow flycatchers, brown and white jays, yiguirros (Clay Colored Robins, the Costa Rican national bird) and powder blue tanagers. Buzzards and hawks patrolling our two nearby rivers treat us to flying ballets all day long. To the north a 3-mile/5-km stretch of the mountains of the Braulio Carrillo Park is visible with its constantly changing crown of passing clouds coming and going. To the east we see the Irazu volcano and to the south the mountains behind San Jose. To the west we see sunsets from the second bedroom balcony. We have impressive rainbows often on all sides.
What makes this property unique
This house has amazing views from high panoramic windows and 3 roofed balconies. Please note there are 20 steps up to the house with a sturdy handrail. We have 300 Mbps fiber optic internet, and a separate 100 Mbps backup internet, both exclusive to this house. The property's grounds below have lawns and a riot of colorful flowers year round. The house has 16 skylights, some in every room and the hot water is solar heated with electric backup for rainy days. The roomy master bedroom has its own colorfully tiled bathroom with skylight, Delta shower and granite-topped solid teak commode. The second bedroom has its own colorfully tiled bathroom with tub and Delta shower, skylight and granite topped solid teak commode. Each bedroom has a ceiling fan (seven ceiling fans total) and its own private, roofed balcony. The queen beds have teak frames, high count US cotton sheets and colorful handmade Guatemalan bedspreads. The all glass sunroom catches early morning sun and has a stationary exercise bike. Full set of US appliances, including a dishwasher, all cooking and kitchen utensils, espresso maker, coffee grinder, rice cooker, convection oven, air fryer, and 49 inch smart TV and DVD player. We have cable TV and two kinds of wi-fi internet (300 Mbps and 100Mbps) working simultaneously to run all your devices. Wifi reaches every room. New curtains in bedrooms, 3 desks, two with great views. Covered parking for two cars. Has 20 steps up to front door. Sleeps 4 plus couch.
Languages:
English, Spanish
Premier Host
They consistently provide great experiences for their guests