Retreat into the rain forests of CR and relax to the sounds of wildlife. Close to amenities, but far enough to forget they exist. With beaches just minutes away, there are activities for the whole family. Situated on 1.5 Acres of lush gardens, is the spacious hacienda with large common areas. Beyond the house is a very large pool, and the centerpiece of the villa, the grande pavilion - with large bar/kitchen and 2 bathrooms of its own. A perfect place to drink margaritas with monkeys! Manuel Antonio Esterillos is the best place to stay when visiting Manuel Antonio. World famous Manuel Antonio is the best National Park in Costa Rica and is highly recommended.  Therefore, it is very popular with many tourists.  Although Manuel Antonio is a fantastic place to visit, Esterillos is the best place to stay.  Esterillos Este is 45 minutes before Manuel Antonio and is centrally located and closer to the other destinations you will want to visit. Manuel Antonio is a small park so you can see almost everything in a day.  It is recommended to hire a certified guide as they carry spotting scopes, know how to find animals, and are very knowledgeable.  You are guaranteed to see multiple types of monkeys, some up very close.  And if you are lucky, you can see more rare animals like the sloth.   Monkeys The Titi Monkeys (squirrel monkeys) typically sleep on this property, close to the banana trees on the side of the house. Their daily migration patterns have them waking at sunrise and traveling to neighboring jungles. They return in the evening to snack on the fruits of the tall palms and make their nests in the bushy palms. They are very entertaining to watch and keep their distance. Please do not feed them as it will change their behaviors. Everyone's favorite pastime is to sit by the pool or under the thatched roof pavilion in the evening, sipping on their favorite drink, watching the monkeys play. Beaches Esterillos is one of the closest tranquil beaches to the San Jose International Airport. The pristine, vast, and typically uncrowded beaches of Esterillos are right down the street from the house. A quick (less than 5 min) drive will put you on the beach of Esterillos Este. If you get there early, you may be lucky enough to find sand dollars and unique shells! In Sept and Oct you may even spot a whale in the distance. During turtle mating season, you will occasionally see turtle tracks that lead to their nests. If you find one, you should leave it undisturbed and let Gorge, the surf instructor in Esterillos Oeste, know. He manages the turtle rescue of Esterillos. If you go by his surf shop in Esterillos Oeste, you may want to ask him if there are any hatches coming up. The baby turtles are amazing to watch as they journey down the beach to their new home in the ocean. Tides Esterillos is a surfer's beach. You will see world class surfers at this beach. The waves are very fun to play in but can be dangerous. Please be careful with children and make sure you understand riptides. If you would like to relax in calm waters you can go to Esterillos Oeste, near the mermaid statue. Here there are tide pools with calm warmer water. The best time and place to watch the surfers is when high tide is just before sunset at the Esterillos Oeste beach. (search the web for Esterillos tide charts) Watching surfers at sunset is amazing and not something you will soon forget. Nearby Around the corner from the house (5 min) is Town Center which has many restaurants, stores and a small grocery store with ATM. For more local Tico flair, you can go to Esterillos Oeste which also has a small grocery store, restaurants and bars. The best restaurant this side of CR is Los Almendros and is in this small town. Guests will have access to entire property I'm available to help, but will not be local. Esteban will be your local contact/host. The house is in the neighborhood called Monterey. It is an up-scale neighborhood with very large lots, with most of the lots still being open. There is security as part of the HOA but with the lack of traffic, it is mostly at night. The primary guard station is on the back of this property. It is a very safe neighborhood with this particular house being extra safe. The San Jose airport (SJO) is about 1h 30min away. But this is dependent on traffic and construction. Traffic in the neighborhood is non-existent and there are about 6 covered parking spots on the property grounds. The drive to the nearest beach is about 3 minutes. The drive to the closest grocery store and ATM is about 4 minutes. Please Note: Even though the system shows "Service Fee $0", their fees are 15% and hidden in the per night cost. Very safe! In the back of the property is the caretaker's house and the primary guard station for our neighborhood. 2 small pets are permitted with 5,000 colones per pet fee. Please bring your own pet bedding and eating containers. Pets are NOT allowed in the pool at any time! This is strictly enforced and will result in damage fees if not obeyed. Any damage caused by the pet to the property is the responsibility of the person making the reservation.