A roofed terrace wraps this contemporary home with views of Arenal Lake, Arenal Volcano, jungles & tropical gardens. 1 bedroom, 1 bed, 2 baths, kitchen, living & dining room. US plumbing. On demand Hot water everywhere. Perfect for Honeymooners!
In Costa Rica it is traditional to name your home. We thought about it a lot, and over our first few months building here noticed a pair of beautiful huge birds that flew thru the valley along side of the house almost every morning. They appeared to live deep in the mountain valley on the right side of the house as you look at the Volcano. As they fly, they let out a piercing cry that is unmistakable. We realized we were building our home near their “home” . It seemed appropriate to name our home “The Home of the White Hawks” We even had our exterior door carved with one of my photographs of this magnificent bird. SO….
Welcome to your home away from home…
LA CASA DEL
HALCON BLANCO
(The Home of the
White Hawk)
We hope you enjoy our home, the area, the people you meet and the places you go while visiting this part of Costa Rica. BEFORE YOU READ FURTHER, PLEASE NOTE WE ONLY ACCOMMODATE TWO PEOPLE IN OUR HOME.
COME ON IN….
As you come in the house, you enter your home for the duration of your stay. Your dining room, kitchen and living room are here, along with an amazing view of the Jungle, Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal, right from the house.
Walking to the living area, you see a floor to ceiling glass wall that looks at Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal. A double glass door leads to your wrap-around terrace, an amazing place to spend as much of your day and evening as you wish. We like the small table around the corner for breakfast or coffee, the window bar for a snack and usually have dinner at the dining room table. But experiment and discover your favorite places. Remember to pause and listen to the rushing river just inside of the jungle…it is a wonderful sound that helps you relax during the day and puts you to sleep at night.
The kitchen is fully equipped to do anything from a simple snack to a gourmet meal. Great utensils, plus a microwave, 5 burner gas stove, blender, mixer, toaster, pots and pans...pretty much everything. There is a second full bath downstairs as well.
Your bedroom is upstairs with another private terrace, amazing views, a comfortable queen size bed, and an en-suite bath with one of the most amazing rain showers you will ever take.
Outside, you will have full access to the owners private tropical garden that covers about two acres. It has banana trees, and many flowering trees and shrubs. Here you will also have access to many trails right on the adjacent property and a trail to a private waterfall...about a 30 minute walk.
You will be able to do most anything this part of Costa Rica is famous for within a 30 to 40 minute drive. Zip Line...the best anywhere. Hanging Bridges...Amazing. Butterfly Conservancy...one of the only ones in the world that actually raises all of its butterflies. Hot Springs...perhaps the best in Costa Rica, and all within easy driving distance from here. Horse-back Riding...right up the hill. Art Galleries....one right here others in La Fortuna. Hiking trails....close by, from very difficult to easy. Your choice. Good Food...it's here. Kayaking on a lake...right here. Climb to a lake filled extinct volcano...right here. Tube a white water river...Right here. Remember, you can walk to our private waterfall right from the house and be one of a very limited number of people in the world who have visited that particular one. The rivers that split into a "V" here are the rivers you hear from the house. And from the terrace you will see the Turkey Vultures and hawks fly so close you can see the reflections off their eyes, and Toucans often sit in a tree right off the patio. Between 9 and 10 most mornings, the White Hawks screech and fly from their home high in the rain forest and often sit and hunt nearby. Spider Monkeys and Howler Monkeys are heard most days and often seen in the trees that fringe the terrace Jungle and the Jungle behind the house. There is so much to do you could spend a week and only dent the surface.
We are in an area where only a few speak English, but somehow everyone gets by. We will tell you about great Lunch and dinner places, you will eat breakfast at the house, cooked for you in your kitchen (and best eaten outside on the terrace, in our opinion). In El Castillo about 10 minutes away, you will find a small grocery store, several restaurants, a church, a snake zoo, a butterfly conservancy, an art gallery and views as you drive up the mountain you can only imagine.
A few other things to note. We serve a complete breakfast every morning, cooked to your order right in your own kitchen at a time you select between 7 and 9 AM. Most beef and chicken in Costa Rica are grass fed, and the fruits and veggies are generally Organic, at least where we are located. We have on demand hot water in every faucet in the house. Our toilets are American Style...you can flush the toilet paper, unlike most places in Costa Rica. Our water comes from a Jungle spring about 2 miles up the mountain.
You are close to Lake Arenal and a wonderful back road leads you around part of the lake for about 7 miles, before you come to a river crossing you can drive across in your 4WD vehicle...DO NOT TRY THIS DURING THE RAINY SEASON. We are managed by a neighbor, Kelly, who has a restaurant (La Ventanita) just down the hill in El Castillo. He is available on WhatsApp or a short drive/walk to town.
