El Nido is a second-story apartment on a lake-front property, with panoramic views and a wrap-around patio. This two-bed, one-bath contemporary apartment is named El Nido (Spanish for "the nest"), because of the abundant wildlife in the area, including resident bald eagles nested across the street in a designated wetlands. The space is fully furnished and is new construction as of the summer of 2024. The owners have a workshop and office space on the first floor, with occasional day use. The space El Nido is a contemporary two-bed, one-bath apartment, situated on 1.6 acres overlooking Totten Lake, just outside of Cortez, Colorado. The apartment is pet-friendly, with a large yard and lake access. El Nido is centrally located and provides a perfect hub to explore southwest Colorado and the Four Corners area: the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park is 7.5 miles away; Phil's World mountain biking area is 2 miles away; The Four Corners Monument is 44 miles away; Hovenweep National Monument is 48 miles away; Durango is 43 miles away; and Telluride is 77 miles away. Additionally, there are countless opportunities to access other public lakes, rivers, and land in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. The property is a member of the Totten Lake HOA, which has 26 acres of shared space, including most of the east shoreline of Totten Lake, and gives guests direct access to the lake for fishing and other water recreation. The property sits at the top of a small bluff overlooking the lake, so there is a small hike down to the shoreline. The Totten Lake boat ramp is located approximately 200 yards south of the property, and guests can hand-launch canoes, SUPs, kayaks, windsurfers, and other recreational water vessels. The lake is known for its bass and northern pike, which makes it a local favorite fishing spot. The lake, boat ramp, and south shoreline of the lake are open to the public. Directly east of the property is the Simon Draw Nature Preserve, which is a federally-protected wetlands area that supports a strong migratory bird population and creates spectacular birding opportunities. The preserve is closed to access from April through July annually to promote nesting activities. El Nido also has panoramic views of Sleeping Ute Mountain, Mesa Verde National Park, and the La Plata mountain range. The city of Cortez is two miles away and provides convenient access to grocery stores, restaurants, bars, and events. Guest access El Nido is a private, fully furnished, and well-appointed two-bed, one-bath apartment, and is the only residence on the 1.6-acre property. Pablo and Betty (the hosts) have an office, workshop, and storage on the first floor of the building, with only occasional day-use. The owners are generally not present on the property during guest stays, and will never be on premises during evenings or nights. The property has a large turn-around driveway and parking area, that can accommodate multiple cars, trailers, campers, and other sports equipment, as necessary. There is a weather-tight and secure "Gear Shed" that guests can use during their stay to keep larger items, such as bikes, SUPs, coolers, fishing gear, etc. Guests have access to the entire 1.6-acre parcel, as well as the adjacent shared spaced owned by the HOA, which includes most of the east shoreline of Totten Lake. Other things to note The property was previously part of the Totten Lake open space and, unfortunately, as a result of the prior public access, there is/was broken glass in the area. Pablo and Betty have cleaned up the property and picked up a significant amount of trash and glass (and will continue to do so). However, we do not recommend that guests walk barefoot around the property. There are also various cactus, yucca, and native thorns, that make bare feet a bad idea. Guests should also be aware that a few houses down the road have dogs that occasionally wander into our yard and say hello. Specifically, Bonnie and Roo are two wonderful and friendly dogs that come by from time to time. If your pets do not do well around other dogs, please keep an eye out for unexpected visitors. If you love dogs (like we do), say hello to Bonnie and Roo for us.