Contact

This house is owned by Canadian novelist William Deverell (http://www.deverell.com) and is available at reasonable rates (see Rates below). Twice-weekly maid and gardening services are included, as are all utilities including cable TV. We are offering a 15% discount to writers, artists, and supporters of environmental organizations.

250-629-6622 / 917 856 5517

Rates

Rates are subject to change without notice.

From San Jose to Quepos

From Quepos to Villa Tekla

The trip to Villa Tekla follows the main road to Manuel Antonio National Park as far as the El Lirio road / Manuel Antonio school. Turn left off the main road and up the El Lirio road for approximately 250 meters until just before you get to a small store (our local pulperia) and a fork in the road. Villa Tekla is on your left about 20 meters before the store. There is a black gate and driveway leading to a white house. The gate is opposite a house called Villa Ardilla (look for the squirrel figures).

 

If taking a taxi from Quepos tell the driver you want to go to "Super Papi" the name of a former store. Most locals will also know this name. Buses from San Jose will let you off at the Manuel Antonio school. The house is a 5 minute walk from the school. The airport shuttle will usually take you up the El Lirio road as far as the store.

Click to enlarge.

 

Views from Villa Tekla

Enjoy This Distinctive Villa -
Beaches, Wildlife and Manuel Antonio Beach and National Park

Villa Tekla is a distinctive three-level Spanish-Moorish hacienda, an eco-friendly home designed for the tropics, on 4 acres of forest and landscaped grounds, with ocean and mountain views, set off the main road. It has extensive patios and is fully furnished. It can easily accommodate three couples and is suitable for families traveling together.

Especially designed for the climate of Costa Rica's south-central coast, it is an open house, but protected from both sun and rain by wide roof overhangs and rain blinds on pulleys and is intended to provide an optimal experience for nature lovers and yet be entirely secure. Sitting atop a spur over jungle that runs all the way to Manuel Antonio National Park, it commands views west, north and east, towards the ocean and the forests and the mountains. Rare semi-precious and precious flowering hardwoods east and west shade it from the sun.

It is one of few large properties in the area. The acreage is fenced, some of it planted in various fruit species and hardwoods, the remainder natural vegetation.

The property is midway between the thriving fishing town of Quepos and the sweeping tourist beaches that continue on and into the national park. Several smaller and more private beaches can be accessed by car and foot, and we can provide directions to them. The park can be easily gotten to by foot, car, bus or taxi, and its beaches, trails and wildlife offer nature lovers a unique, unforgettable experience. Because of increasing human traffic, and to avoid the park becoming stressed, it is closed every Monday.

Though at nine degrees latitude, the climate is benign, the temperature ranging in Fahrenheit from the low 70s to the mid-80s, depending on the season. The dry season extends roughly from Christmas to Easter, but is variable, and is cooled by fresh breezes from the ocean during the hottest hours. The green season (there is no winter or summer in Costa Rica) is preferred by many, with its late-afternoon showers and morning mists and rainbows and verdant growth - and near-empty beaches. Occasionally, the rain can fall in torrents, and it's an experience which visitors should enjoy. The house has been carefully situated so that the sun does not enter in the heat of the day, and offers sunset views in the Green Season.

As you relax in one of our hammocks, don't be surprised if the titis (squirrel monkeys) come by the house, swinging from tree to tree and clambering over the roof. Other animals we have seen from the house are sloths, coatis, raccoons, armadillos, anteaters, tree iguanas, and some rare species. Birders will be awed by the numbers and variety of hummingbirds, mot-mots, toucans, flycatchers, swallows, tanagers, woodpeckers, wrens, thrushes, trogons, hawks, and you'll awake at dawn to a many-throated chorus. At night you'll hear nightjars, owls, pootoos, laughing falcons, a constant melody of crickets and frogs, and the singing geckoes that patrol the house for small bugs. Birds and butterflies fly in and out.

And constantly you'll hear the distant crash and rumble of the Pacific surf.

Useful information and hints to enhance your tropical living experience

1. Agent

Rebecca Wells is our agent in Manuel Antonio, and she and her husband Jacob, who runs a handyman service, live only a few minutes away down our road. Rebecca can be reached at 309 - 0944 (cell). She is completely bilingual and will help you with any problems. It's best to phone Rebecca soon after your flight arrives in Costa Rica and arrange to meet her at the house (8 a.m. to 6 p.m.) if you haven't already done so by long distance or by e-mail.

2. Cleaning

Lorena is our cleaning person, and comes in about 8 a.m. twice a week (at our expense), or more often as required, for washing and polishing of the tile floors, dish washing, laundry, and other domestic chores. If you require her on extra days, she charges 1,200 colones an hour (about $2) or 1.500 on weekends. Otherwise there are Laundromat services nearby at Hotel Flor Blanca.

3. Gardener

Our gardener Francisco comes twice a week at 6 a.m. to cut the grass and tend to the outdoor plants. He is also paid by us. We hope you will treat our staff with trust and respect - they have ours. They have been with us for years.

4. Linens and Towels

We supply all essential household goods, including linens and towels, but please bring your own beach towels or buy them at one of the many shops in Quepos and near the beach. Please do not use the household towels for mopping up. Aside from your personal items, we suggest you need bring only a small flashlight in case of power outage (we have a supply of candles at hand) and possibly your own favourite small sharp paring or Swiss Army knife.

5. Communications

We have cable T.V. and a DVD player for your use. There is no cable Internet in this area (yet) but for long-term guests who bring a laptop we can arrange a landline connection to the national server RACSA. Depending on your service, cell phones may work. Our house telephone line 777-1092 does not permit international calls except through long distance phone cards which can be purchased at many shops. There are Internet cafes nearby.

6. Waste disposal

Please follow basic ecologically sound practices. Use as little disposable plastic and metal as possible, and rinse these items and deposit them in the purple plastic garbage container below the sink. (Rinsing keeps insects, cats, and raccoons away.) On Monday, Wednesday and Saturday mornings, at about 6 a.m., a municipal truck does garbage pickup at the bin on the road. We recycle and compost when here but realize it is difficult as a visitor so please just place your disposables into the roadside bin the day before or early morning prior to the truck coming. If you prefer to compost, one of our staff will show you where the pit is.

7. Garden

Enjoy any fruit that ripens in the orchard. Bananas, papayas, pineapples, grapefruit, lemons, limes, sour and sweet oranges, mangos, coconuts, avocados and guayabana grow in front of and below the house. Many of these are, however, seasonal, and our gardener will offer fruit as it comes available - or ask him to pick for you.

8. Water

We are connected to the municipal system, and the water as in most of Costa Rica is potable. We have a pump and storage tanks that access water from the underground water lines of AyA, the government water utility. Its water system frequently shuts down (almost every afternoon) or runs slowly. This is a situation even the luxury hotels face, but wider pipes are being installed by AyA to solve it. By the way, please rinse off beach sand in the shower under the outside tank before using the showers inside; otherwise the bathroom drains can plug. Please do not flush biodegradables (dental floss, tampons, condoms etc.) which can clog the septic tank.

9. Climate

The climate tends to make many things - from ice cube trays to electronic equipment - more fragile than up north, so take more care with them more than you usually would. During the rainy (green) season, keep anything sensitive and electronic - radio, computer equipment, camera in the dry closet. Our radio, TV and DVD are in the living room closet, which has a humidifier and should be kept shut when the TV and DVD are not in use.

10. Power

We are on the same voltage system as North America, and you can bring, for instance, your own hair dryer. The electric oven and counter top are new, as is all the kitchen plumbing. The refrigerator should not be kept open, as that risks motor burnout.

11. Keys

You will be given keys to the gate, the three outside doors, the dry closet, the living room closet, and to the main-floor bathroom, which can serve as an additional security room. The dry closet also contains the fuse box. Any large items (bicycles, surfboards) can be stored in the outside bodega, which is secured by two locks. Rebecca will have the keys.

12. Groceries

Groceries can be bought in Quepos - Super Mas (recommended), Super 2000, and Pali are the main stores. But an eight-minute walk toward the beach brings you to Super Josette, which has everything you need, and an excellent juice and wine selection. There are butchers, bakeries and hardware stores in Quepos and several drugstores both nearby and in town. The Quepos Mercado is by the bus station and fresh fish, juices, meats, fruit and vegetables can be bought there, but the freshest produce by far is available Saturdays, five a.m. till noon, at the Farmers' Market, which is set up along the seawall in Quepos. For simple items (milk, sodas, soap, toilet paper) turn left at our gate, and there's a pulperia at the corner run by a helpful owner, friend, and community leader, Macedonio, and his daughter Sonia.

15. Money

Money (must be U.S. dollars) can be changed at several banks in Quepos (where you will often have to endure annoying lineups) or the Promerica bank in Manuel Antonio where there is a much shorter line-up. The are a number of ATMs in the area that take bank cards. A few businesses will also change U.S. travellers checks or accept payment in U.S. dollars. The current rate (Jan. 2007) is about 515 colones to the dollar.

16. Restaurants

There are many of varied quality and price. You will not find them inexpensive - Costa Rica has a much higher standard of living than Mexico and elsewhere in Central America and the cost of living is accordingly higher. Avoid the little restaurants on the road near the beach. Cheap but risky to the stomach. It is a good idea to pick up a free copy of Quepolandia, the English-language monthly, which is available at many stores and business and contains current information about restaurants, transportation, and local events. The Costanera is an excellent local monthly with an English section. The Tico Times is the national English weekly, comes out Fridays, and www.amcostarica.com is a daily Internet journal. International newspapers and magazines can be bought at the two Starbucks-style Cafe Milagro outlets or at La Buena Nota near the beach.

17. Traveling

We know this area as few others do (we've been coming here since 1980) but for newcomers we strongly recommend a good travel book such as Lonely Planet or the New Key to Costa Rica (house copies of these should not be removed). Lynch Travel, in Quepos, is very helpful, especially with local flights. Quepos is a twenty-minute flight (SANSA or Nature Air) or a 3 1/2 - hour drive from the international airport west of San Jose, and Directo buses run several times a day from the Coca-Cola station there. One of your best bets, though, is Interbus, which will take you directly from a San Jose hotel or a location near the airport right to the house for $25. Taxis are ubiquitous in Quepos, and charge about $1,500 ($3) to the house from town (ask first for a fare quote). Returning from the beach, all taxis become collectivos, charging 300 colones a head). These are 2007 rates, and tend to rise annually. The Quepos-Manuel Antonio bus runs every half hour, more often at busy times, and currently charges 105 colones. The nearest bus stop (5 min.) is located in front of Manuel Antonio's soccer field. Cross the road, walk back past El Lirio (a hotel surrounded by a tall cement wall) and our driveway is a few minutes walk up the hard-surface road.

18. A word about security

You may be surprised how often unattended bags go missing at the beach. Someone should always be assigned to stay with your belongings (especially if this includes house keys) while others in your party enjoy the water. If alone, join up with another tourist, and take turns. Avoid taking valuables to the beach. Though most of the members of our neighbourhood are honest and hard-working and respectful of others' property, there are some thieves around, and they include a few local youngsters. They pose no physical danger, but they are pilferers. And other folk who are otherwise honest sometimes yield to temptation if they see valuables lying about. Don't leave temptation in their way, especially at night. (There's an attitude among some that running shoes and wet bathing suits left outside have been abandoned.)

The house is designed to be secure but you'll feel more relaxed if you lock items like passports, bags, cameras, in the dry closet or bathroom overnight or when you leave the house. Wallets, keys, cellphones, shouldn't be left in a pair of hanging pants except in the bathroom.

You should lock all doors whenever leaving the house and at night when you retire. Make sure you turn the key so the lock clicks twice. Our locks are costly to replace, and this must obviously be done if keys are lost. In the event this happens, please contact our agent immediately.

Please lock the gate each night and when you're away from the property. That keeps kids and dogs and horses off the property. (And please don't feed the dogs and cats that may wander by - it only encourages them and discourages our gardener).

It is common practice (among both Ticos and foreign residents) not to invite a stranger at the door into the house. Conversations are held on the entrance patio.

Overnight trips to San Jose or elsewhere shouldn't cause problems, but if you plan to be away for more than a few days, advise our agent, who will arrange for security during your absence.

19. Climate

On occasion the humidity can be high, and a couple of times a year a temporal occurs - two or three successive days of rain - and you may find the dampness excessive. This is something everyone living here faces, in both closed and open houses. Leather goods can get a coating of fungus and are not recommended for this climate. Keep clothing free-hung so it has proper air circulation and keep the closet lights on. In this part of the world, people never leave wet clothing in a heap - that encourages mildew which can develop overnight. If it pours, just remember to relax, the sun will soon come out and shine ... and dry everything out. The rain won't enter the house unless there's a strong wind, which usually comes from the northeast. It is only with strong winds that you need lower some of the rain blinds. They should be left to dry for a few hours after a rain before being rolled up again.

20. Insect tips

Nature is in balance here, and because of the bountiful bird life insects are rarely a problem. (A closed house keeps them in, our open house allows them to escape.) Little ankle-nippers may visit at dusk, so use the floor fans and the several high-speed ceiling fans. We are rarely bothered by mosquitoes, but for those who react to them, we recommend lotions and the use of our mosquito nets at night. (By the way, it rarely gets cool enough to require more than a single sheet cover.) The big bugs - the odd stray locust or scarab beetle - are totally harmless except maybe to the plants and are a marvel to watch. The fireflies are a delight.

We tend not to use insect sprays, though we keep them handy: bugs simply don't like white walls and yellow lights, they don't like not having hidden spaces to crawl into, and they are bored by people who put food away and keep the dishes clean.

A well-trimmed lawn keeps most creatures and bugs away from the house. The nightjars and the flycatchers and the swallows and the blue-grey tanagers and house wrens do the rest. Tiny ants, however, will sometimes mysteriously appear, and they do an efficient job of cleaning up - if you haven't - but disappear if there's no work available.

21. Finally

Please respect our home as you would your own. We hope you have as pleasant a stay as we do when we're there, and at the end of it, if you have any comments - useful, critical or otherwise - please let Rebecca or us know. Enjoy the house and the wonders of nature and Tico culture that surrounds it.