Casa de Ventanas

This fabulous, three-bedroom, three and a half bath home is nestled on 6.14 acres in the private Cinco Ventanas community in the coastal foothills of Playa Ventanas, just 32 km south from Dominical in Ojochal, Costa Rica. Cinco Ventans is also only 1 km north of Ojochal, and a short 25 minute drive north from the airstrip at Palmar Sur (see our information on the air and car rental service at Palmar Sur on our "Maps/Directions" page). It has incredible views of the ocean, offshore rocky islets, the Terraba River delta and entire Osa Peninsula, and lush, jungle-covered mountains. As you will see when you visit our link on "Daily Visitors", the wildlife that is in and around the property is simply amazing. Waking up to the sounds of the jungle as it wakes up is an experience you will not forget.  Toucans are daily visitors to the trees surrounding the house. Howler monkey and White face monkey troops are resident in our area, heard always and often (and fyi, very early in the morning...) and seen shaking the limbs in the trees surrounding the house with regularity. Perhaps the most amazing, but little thought about are the beautiful "Morpho" butterflies. Seemingly impossible to photograph they are seen daily (usually in the morning). Their neon blue wings are a color you will only believe when you have seen them. This is not a "sleep in" holiday. The sunrise and sunset in this area are just incredible.

The above is the view of Playa Ventanas and the coastal mountain range behind it taken from kayaks. Casa de Ventanas is in the lower mountain range to the left center of the picture. As can be seen, there is still a preserved natural beauty with a minimal human foot print in the area.

This lovely layout is perfect for maximum appreciation of the beautiful natural environment on the South Pacific Zone. The estate is surrounded by banana trees and jungle wildlife, including howler and white-faced monkeys, toucans, parrots, sloth, lizards and butterflies. The grounds include streams and primary old growth forest. Access is gravel from a private gated road. Due to the gravel road as well as issues with all roads in the area 4WD VEHICLES ONLY should be rented for your stay. Although the Cinco Ventanas road as well as the private drive have each been recently resurfaced, 4WD is necessary at times. In addition, most of the "off the highway" roads in the area are not in as good a condition; hence the 4WD is a must.

The property is bordered by the Media Luna river which runs year round with small waterfalls and swimming holes just a short walk down from the swimming pool. The photographs (1,2) are of the stream during the dry season.  The pool will be almost twice as large during the "green season" of May through November. There are safety lines leading down to the stream, which is a short 5 minute walk down from the house.

In addition to the natural falls and pools on the property, the area is home to literally hundreds of cascading waterfalls. Many are near, and open to the public. In addition to the famous Nauyaca Falls, there is a wonderful fall and pool in Uvita as well as a favorite at the Talapia Farm just south of Ojochal.

The beautifully crafted, 2,400-square-foot, furnished home features glass, wood, and stone with vaulted ceilings. The home, built in 2000, has 3 bathrooms. The estate includes a 20' by 30' swimming pool. The house has been completely renovated inside and out since 2007.

The master bedroom suite includes a king-size bed, private bath with double vanity, tub and a shower with porthole with ocean view. Guest suites have private baths with showers. One room has a queen-size bed and the other guestroom has two twin beds. Each bedroom is individually air conditioned with wirelessly controlled ductless a/c units. Brand new high thread count bedding and towels are included.

This open-concept home has a living room with ceiling-to-floor windows overlooking the ocean and the jungle. The fully equipped kitchen includes a snack bar and dining area. Right off of the kitchen are laundry facilities with washer and dryer. Renovations include the addition of a new Rancho and renovated pool decking area with sandstone throughout. The rancho provides a wonderful spot in the shade with ceiling fan and lighting for enjoyment during the dry or green season.

The Costa Rican jungle is just steps from the door of this home. Three resident Howler monkey troops live in the immediate area and white faced monkeys and Toucans are daily visitors to the trees surrounding the house. Travel down the mountainside less than 10 minutes to the nearby pristine beaches of Playa Ventanas, Playa Tortugas, the Ballena national park and others. View the sunset poolside over the canopy of primary rainforest or experience a Ventanas beach sunset for a truly memorable experience. Enjoy the many activities, such as scuba diving, snorkeling, surfing, sport fishing, mangrove tours, horseback riding , waterfalls, canopy tours, and much more. As discussed in our Maps/Directions section, Ojochal has many fine restaurants. A brief description of the village's restaurants can be found here.

Given our coastal location, some of the most exciting things to do can be done via boat. There are several operators in the area. We have fished primarily with the sportfishing group at Aldea del Rio. Aldea del Rio works out of Sierpe (40 minutes from the house, 20 minutes from Palmar Sur airstrip). The town of Sierpe is located on the Sierpe River. Your fishing trip will require a 30 minute voyage out the Sierpe River before entering the Pacific Ocean. Although the southern coast is most well known for sailfish; dorado, wahoo and yellow fin "football" tuna are abundant.  Most days are action packed with trips offshore never out of sight of land. Not only can you fish offshore all day, they can also arrange for spending part or all of your day swimming, snorkeling or kayaking along the beautiful Drake Bay coastline. In addition to these activities, Randy and Jungle J will be happy to arrange ziplining for you at the Corcovado Zip Lining located in Drake Bay. You will travel by boat from Sierpe to a landing at Drake Bay and then be transported 10 minutes by truck to the entrance to the Canopy Tour.