Villa Serenidad is now under new ownership! Valentino and Keysha are wonderful new owners and you will be in good hands with them as they continue with the same wonderful staff that has been helping us the past 6 years. WE ARE NOT RENTING THIS VILLA AT THIS TIME! PLEASE CONTACT NEW OWNERS! Look for their listing on Airbnb. It's an amazing place! Villa Serenidad is now under new ownership! Valentino and Keysha are wonderful new owners and you will be in good hands with them as they continue with the same wonderful staff that has been helping us the past 6 years. Their Airbnb listing number is:946388278663079991 or just use the map to search the same area with the same photos. Villa Serenidad is near the city of Atenas in the province of Alajuela, about 18 miles (28 km) or 35 minutes from Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO). We are an easy one hour drive from the Pacific beaches. Atenas makes for a wonderful central location to take a half or full day trip to Manuel Antonio National Park, the beach, volcanoes, La Paz Waterfall Gardens, zip lines and of course is a fantastic place to just rest, relax and enjoy Costa Rica. Most of our guests have LOVED the location. The roads to Villa Serenidad are flat and very easy to access with any type of vehicle. A 4x4 is not required. Atenas is a small, very friendly town with wonderful people. Of course, our team is always happy to help with requests including arranging transportation to and from the airport with our trusted drivers. Continuing for 2023, we provide a 20 page welcome letter and information packet for all of our guests. This unique guide contains a wealth of information and covers most questions that arise when coming to Costa Rica for the first time including a lot of information about the villa and the area in general. We believe it’s better to have too much info than not enough. Providing this info is part of our commitment to providing you with an enjoyable experience. All of our guests who have read the packet absolutely love the information provided and we’ve received a number of comments wishing all hosts would supply as much information as we do. The packet includes contact info for our team, communication and language info, address, directions and coordinates, discusses using GPS, mobile phones, the internet and Wi-Fi, house and community access, early arrival / late departure, driving and renting cars in Costa Rica, paying for goods and services in Costa Rica, climate and weather info, dry season and rainy / wet season, recommended clothes and dress, items that we supply and a suggested list of what to bring, a list of activities and excursions in our area, safety and security in Costa Rica, available outside services, shopping info, additional villa Info and more. It could take a week of work to gather the information we supply. Villa Serenidad is in the central valley, not in the mountains but definitely up in the hills. We’re near three thousand feet (920 meters) of elevation. One of the biggest reasons we chose Atenas is because it's known as the "world's best climate". Quite literally, it's around 65 °F (18 °C) every night and about 82 °F (28 °C) every day, 365 days a year. It only varies a few degrees year round! It’s perfect for sleeping at night and perfect for activities during the day. We have no need for air conditioning or heat! Very few places in the world you can enjoy saying that. It’s simply amazing! The pool at Villa Serenidad receives sunshine throughout most of the day and is comfortable to swim in day or night, year round. There aren’t any buildings or large trees blocking the sunshine which makes a tremendous difference in water temperature. Having previously rented a number of other houses in the area, many of them have pools that are terribly uncomfortable due to the lack of sunshine on the pool. Villa Serenidad features warm and beautiful cedar wood throughout. A very rare site in Costa Rica due to its expense, cedar is elegant and feels like a home should feel. Long cedar planks adorn every bedroom in the house and the ceilings throughout. The master bedroom, with a comfortable king size bed and huge glass windows with an 8' wide sliding door, opens up to views of the terrace, the valley below and mountains in the background. A spotting scope is available to view the diverse wildlife in the area and attached to the master is a en-suite bathroom featuring a huge walk in shower and wonderful soft lighting from the large frosted glass windows on two walls. On the opposite end, a queen bedroom also has huge glass windows on two walls allowing views of the valley meadows. The third bedroom, one without windows for those who prefer a darker space to nap during the day, also features a queen bed with a large en-suite bathroom featuring dual sinks, a large walk in shower and an abundance of closet space. The fourth bedroom has dual twin trundle beds of which one bed is stored underneath the other while not in use. The lower beds can be rolled out and used in this bedroom or easily rolled into the living room as a 5th sleeping area. Again this bedroom has large glass panes and cedar wood throughout and the third bathroom, again with a large walk in shower, is located just outside the doors to this bedroom. Each bedroom features high ceilings which helps tremendously with cooling and also has a variable speed overhead fan with a chain extension so it's easy to use. In addition, bedside lamps, ample closet space, new comfortable mattresses, new linens and bedding, many pillows (20 throughout) and enough plug ins on each side of the bed to charge your phone, plug in a laptop and still power the alarm clock and bedside lamp are available. Not to be overlooked, the bathrooms feature delightfully soft Turkish cotton hand and bath towels. The custom beds were handmade by the artisans in Sarchi and Atenas. As a guest at Villa Serenidad we welcome you to use and enjoy premium RAW Botanicals Ylang Ylang Shampoo, Banana Glistening Hair Conditioner and Papaya Tangerine Body Wash provided in each shower. These ultra premium salon grade products are handmade in Costa Rica and found in high end resorts throughout the country. Pack light and enjoy these Costa Rican originals. Stepping into the very spacious kitchen with its 24' high ceiling and big center island, you feel like there is room for the whole family to cook. Exquisite granite covers both of the counters and center island. A number of amenities you're not likely to find elsewhere include a dishwasher shipped in from the US and an in-sink garbage disposal with an air pressure switch. Of course, the kitchen has all the things you would want; a stove, an oven, a microwave, blender, toaster, coffee maker, electric tea pot, electric can opener, blender, juicer, a large assortment of pots, pans, dishes and Tupperware, spices, and importantly acrylic glasses that can be used throughout the home and on the terrace without fear of broken glass. We have three dining areas including an indoor table with seating for 8, the kitchen island with seating for 3 and the outdoor patio table with seating for 6. Each of the tables can fit additional chairs when needed and we include a booster seat for the little one. We have full place settings available including dishes, plates, bowls, table mats, trivets, cups, wine glasses, coffee mugs, knives and silverware, napkins and more. In the living area you can sit back on either of the two couches, relax and enjoy satellite TV which includes a number of channels from the USA in both English and Spanish, plug in your smart phone or media player to the stereo system and enjoy the tunes while playing in the pool or sunbathing on the terrace or just cuddle up with a good book under the reading lamp on either of the two reading chairs. An assortment of DVD's are available to view on the TV, a number of books are available to read as are coloring books, crayons, play cards and games for the family. Free High Speed Fiber Optic Internet with 5G WiFi coverage is available throughout the house and out onto the patio and terrace. Massive sliding glass doors open on either end of the living area, combined with a number of jalousie windows and overhead fans allows you to regulate airflow throughout the house for maximum comfort. The laundry room has a clothes washer and clothes dryer, a number of lightweight aluminum folding racks for outdoor drying, a mop sink and a large set of metal shelves for cleaning products and excess storage. We include a supply of laundry detergent, a few dish washer tablets, dish washing liquid or paste, a starter supply of toilet paper, one roll of paper towels, garbage bags, some napkins and a tank of propane for the BBQ grill. Stepping outside is like a breath of fresh air. It's all encompassing with the 180 degree view of the Rio Cacao river valley and a clear view of the volcanoes and mountains some 15 to 30 miles in the distance, all from the wonderful outdoor terrace. With the nearest neighbor on this side over a 1/4 mile away on the other side of the river gorge, the peacefulness and serenity you will experience is inspiring. Opening the massive glass sliding doors from the living area gives you unabridged access to the covered patio with incredibly comfortable wicker lounge chairs to relax in the shade throughout the day or venture a little further onto the terrace surrounding a big 13' x 26' swimming pool and enjoy a fun filled day in the sun. The Coralina, known as Coral Stone in the states, was imported from the Dominican Republic. As the oceans transformed over the millennia, coral limestone deposits were created and are quarried in the southern part of the country. As you walk around the terrace, you may notice tiny shells and similar natural items embedded in the Coralina, very cool. Speaking of cool, Coralina, with its unique thermal properties, rejects heat from the sun better than any other material in the marketplace. Under the scorching hot sun you can walk comfortably on the Coralina without fear of burning your feat. Yes, it's that good. In addition to being cool, Coralina is not slippery when wet. We've experienced way too many pools around Costa Rica that are slippery as ice when wet. Coralina is a wonderful material and if you've never had a chance to experience it, be sure to do so. Spread throughout the patio and terrace are six (6) adjustable lay down wicker loungers, six (6) more wicker lounge chairs, two portable wicker drink tables, a small glass table, the outdoor dining table and six (6) wicker dining chairs. There are a dazzling number of places to lay out in the sun or shade or sit back in a lounge chair with your feet dangling in the pool while reading a book. The pool varies in depth from about 36" (0.9m) to about 50" (1.3m) at the deep end. Easy to use wide steps with a stainless steel handrail allow easy entry and exit from the pool for all ages. One of our pet peeves with every other place we've traveled to is a lack of pool toys and floaties never being included at homes with otherwise wonderful pools. We've had to waste many hours searching for something so simple that we always thought should have been provided but never were. So we brought down over a dozen various tubes, rafts, floaties and similar pool toys for you to enjoy. And we also include an electric pump to inflate and deflate them at the touch of a button. Very few people are aware of how important it is to shower before using a pool due to the chemicals your body expels. To make it easy, we installed an outdoor shower next to the pool so you can quickly shower and hop right in the pool without tracking water all over the house. Of course, just like the soft Turkish cotton towels inside the house, we supply the same wonderful Turkish cotton towels to lay on the loungers and use around the pool. Just off the patio is a lush grassy area that wraps around the house to the covered carport where the propane BBQ grill is located under cover for your enjoyment. A few outdoor toys, like an American football, are also available for you to enjoy. Walking up and down the sole private road in the community is great exercise and for those more adventurous, the gravel road/path leading down to the river below our house makes for a great hike, especially during the dry season. After walking in the grass you can use the lower part of the shower to wash off your feet or sandals or cool off all around and jump back in the enticing pool. Not to be overlooked is the safety in our home, each bedroom and the living area has a smoke detector, a fire extinguisher resides in the laundry room, a carbon monoxide detector is installed and a first aid kit with extra band aids is also available. A land line phone is also available for local calls and emergencies. A programmable safe, like you might find in a hotel, is available for your valuables should you want to use it. The house is protected by an alarm system with an easy to use wireless remote control and the community is protected by a huge steel gate. An easy to use electronic lock means you never have to worry about carrying keys for the house and the lock will accept your own chosen 3 to 6 digit code during your stay and automatically stops working after your departure. Two small remote controls (one for the gate and one for the house alarm) and the door code are the only items needed to get in and out. Life simplified! We have designed and provided for what we believe will be a 5 star experience for you! Guests have access to the entire house, both inside and outside, except a few small closets that are reserved for the owners. Our property manager, Eunice lives and works in Atenas and is available should the need arise. In addition, a caretaker lives next door. You're in great hands with everyone on our team. 2 miles (3.4 km) from Atenas central and a quick 6 minute drive, Villa Serenidad is the epitome of quiet and relaxing. We're near the end of a paved dead end road. It's not uncommon to go a full day without hearing a car. Our closest neighbor in view from the pool or patio is over 1/4 mile away across the river gorge. Atenas, famous as the Best Climate in the World according to National Geographic Magazine is a tranquil community with fresh markets, a Friday farmers market, numerous restaurants and small shops and importantly a wonderful community of ticos and expats. Immerse yourself in the Costa Rican culture or enjoy the many establishments run by expats. Either way, the people here are fantastic! Shorts, sandals and T-shirts will get you through most days throughout the year. With evening temperatures in the 60's (17-20 Celsius) and day time temps in the mid 80's (26-30 Celsius), the weather here is near perfect year round. Rent a car, call a taxi, walk, hike, bike Villa Serenidad is located in the Mercedes district near Barrio Fatima. When renting our home, we will provide exact details including maps and directions. You won’t have any problems finding the house. It’s a very easy 6 minute, 2 mile (3.3km) drive on flat roads. Unlike many homes with amazing views, we don't have any crazy mountain switchback roads to get to our house. We also provide a video showing the exact route to the house. For those that have been in Costa Rica for some time, you know on occasion that the water gets turned off for a day or two at a time. Simply put, we can’t have that affecting you while on vacation. As such, we’ve installed a 5,000 liter water holding tank system which should last more than a week if the public water supply (AYA) get shut off. You will also notice throughout Costa Rica the showers barely run due to the general low water pressure throughout the country. Along with the water tanks, we’ve installed a water pressure pump which will give plenty of pressure to all three showers and sinks at the same time. A good water supply is critical to us. For our soft Turkish cotton towels, the cranberry (red) towels are only for use inside the house. The white towels with stripes are for pool use. Our towels are not allowed to go off-site or to the beach. Please bring along your own beach or travel towels. NEVER leave a child unattended around the pool! You accept all responsibility for any accident, injury or death associated with the pool at the Property. Infants should use swim diapers.