Art House in Santa Teresa

Set within the el Bosque section of marAmar, this four-bedroom home was positioned with a single intention: to place you directly above La Lora, Santa Teresa's most consistent surf break, with nothing between you and the Pacific but air and Pochote trees. In the dry season, those trees shed their leaves and the view opens further still — surfers tracing lines across the water, sunsets assembling themselves in slow colour over the horizon.

The house unfolds across two levels, each oriented toward the ocean. On the lower floor, an open-plan kitchen and dining area anchor the social life of the place — an L-shaped couch, a long table, a bedroom with a queen bed tucked to one side, and a wide balcony that catches the afternoon light. A few steps down from the main living area, a private infinity-edge pool sits quietly with two lounge chairs and its own full bathroom, the kind of spot that tends to absorb entire afternoons. Upstairs, custom Guanacaste wood stairs lead to three more bedrooms: a master with a king bed, private ensuite, and balcony with the most arresting views in the house — the sort of perspective that makes it genuinely difficult to get up in the morning — plus two guest rooms, one king and one queen, sharing a bathroom between them.

The jungle presses in on all sides, generously. Howler monkeys work through the Pochote canopy at close range; iguanas are regular and unhurried guests. The property sits about 30 metres from a reserved parking area within the gated community, and a 4x4 or ATV is strongly recommended — the hill is steep, and in the rainy season it earns that reputation. The beach is reachable on foot, but the walk back up is a different matter.

marAmar's 24/7 security holds the perimeter. Everything else — the surf, the restaurants, the rhythm of Santa Teresa Norte — is just down the hill.