Casa Colibri is a 5,000 sq. ft. 5-bdrm villa in the luxurious Samara Reefs gated community. Of the 7 houses in Samara Reefs houses, Casa Colibri is one of the largest and is owned by a Canadian couple; it was designed with comfort, elegance, and entertaining in mind. It is the perfect house for an extended family or for 3 couples looking for a spacious house close to town where every bedroom has a stunning ocean view. There is a fully-outfitted gourmet kitchen, a 40-foot private saltwater infinity-edge swimming pool, and an elegant outdoor dining room. At the far end of the pool deck is a Vermont Castings outdoor BBQ grill/outdoor kitchen. Surrounding the house are beautiful gardens, huge palm trees, and mature native trees that attract families of monkeys, parakeets, hummingbirds, and many species of tropical songbirds. Throughout the house, natural materials have been used: local hardwood, Colombian limestone floors, and bamboo,. This gives the house a relaxed tropical ambiance. The house has extensive gardens and huge palm trees at the front and back of the house. From the poolside, it is not unusual to spot a troop of howler monkeys up in the trees. Or hear scarlet macaws squawking as they fly to a nearby palm. At 4:00 pm, head up to the sunset deck to watch the monkeys hanging out in the trees across the roadway.
Built in 2008, the 7 Samara Reefs houses are situated in a row along a 7-acre ridge 150 feet above sea level. Each house has picture-perfect ocean views that overlook the horseshoe-shaped bay of Playa Samara and the tiny island called Isla Chora. Casa Colibri has an ocean views in front and jungle to the sides and the back. The view from the front door the view is dense green jungle and the Werner-Sauter protected ecological reserve. The reserve is filled with huge native trees that you would expect to find in much more remote regions of the country. Because of its elevated position on the ridge, Casa Colibri receives both off-shore and on-shore breezes which help to keep the house feeling fresh and cool. Sitting at the dining room table, it is sometimes VERY breezy!! Casa Colibri's location allows not only stunning ocean views, but also picturesque sunrises, AND incredibly beautiful sunsets.
Unlike other high-end neighbourhoods in Samara or Nosara, Samara Reefs is accessed by paved roads the entire way. It is located within easy walking distance to Samara Beach (15 minute walk or 6 mintue drive) and is close to Samara's many restaurants and bars. A car is not necessary. Taxis are available, or rent a golf cart or quad. The town of Samara is very friendly, offering vacationers a huge choice of excellent restaurants, cafes, a tap bar, and a surprisingly large number of international choices. For a small town, there are literally dozens of activities (including surfing, diving, fishing, kayaking, zip-lining, hiking, ATV's, horseback riding, boogie-boarding, gyrocopters, turtle-watching, etc). Samara has 2 banks, 7 grocery stores, several souvenir boutiques, an excellent dentist (Dr. Shirley), an English-speaking doctor (Dr. Freddy), several tour companies, and the very helpful Samara Information Center - which is like having your own personal concierge.
Casa Colibri Features:
- 2 Master Bdrm Suites, each with a large ensuite bathroom
- 1 King size bedroom (upstairs)
- 1 Queen size bedroom (upstairs)
- 1 Guest bedroom with 2 single beds (main level) appropriate for children or single adults.
-40-foot private SALTWATER infinity edge pool, with jets and lights
- Large fully-outfitted gourmet kitchen with new Bosch gas stove
- Awesome outdoor dining room with seating for 8
- Covered outdoor BBQ/kitchen
- Air conditioning and screened windows in all the bedrooms
- A large TV room with a/c, comfortable leather furniture
- Ceiling fans in all bedrooms & throughout the house
- 4 bathrooms - plus one outside washroom by the pool
- A covered roof-top sunset deck with lights and seating for 16.
- 2 outdoor showers
- Full size washer and dryer
Casa Colibri was built in 2008 by award-winning Architect Karin Nagel and interior designer Julietta Jurado; the house is elegantly furnished, extremely functional, and built to high-end US standards. From the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the kitchen cabinets, all of the carved hardwood doors and the staircase, every feature of this house is custom-made. Important details like large windows with high-quality window screens and secure locks ensure maximum comfort. One of its best design features of the house is how the rooms flow seamlessly from one to another. Large glass patio doors off the living room fold up fully, connect all the main rooms into one large open-aired living space: the kitchen, dining room, and living room, the pool, and the sundeck.
Chefs will appreciate the well-designed kitchen, the stainless steel appliances, gas stove, large countertops, and high quality knives (imported from Spain) and pans (imported from Italy). The kitchen work space is bright and inviting with windows on all sides; it is large enough to accommodate multiple chefs. The 4-person sit-up bar is very handy extra seating.
A unique feature is the large walk-in kitchen pantry. This room is air-conditioned and humidity-controlled and is the perfect area to store dry-goods, wine, beer, and fruit.
The upstairs master bedroom is very large 650 sq.ft., and takes up one-third of the upper floor. There is a king-size bed, solid almond-wood floors, remote control A/C, a Tommy Bahamas ceiling fan, 2 reading lamps, tons of storage, a walk-in closet, a very large ensuite bathroom, beautiful frosted glass doors, and a large ocean-front sundeck. You can open up the curtains and enjoy huge panoramic ocean views - right from your bed! The sundeck runs half the length of the top floor and, being on the 2nd floor, you get a spectacular view of the entire Samara Bay AND gorgeous sunrises. A table with 2 chairs is perfectly situated for you to enjoy morning coffee on your deck. Great for bird-watching!!
From the en-suite bathroom there are 3 view windows; there is even a window in the walk-in shower. From the full-size bathtub, enjoy views of the dense jungle behind.
Beside the bedroom is an Office - a perfect room where you can set up your computer and work from home. Close the door for total privacy.
Throughout the day, you will see large flocks of parakeets, yellow kiskadees, 6 scarlet macaws, and dozens of hummingbirds (colibris) dartingin and out of the pink-flowered trees below. In front of you the view is multi-layered: there is a dense canopy of trees, then beyond that, sandy Samara Beach, and beyond that, the island called Isla Chora - the view that Samara is famous for.
Because Costa Rica is so close to the equator, the sun rises at 6 am and sets at 6 pm year-round. The temperature stays warm in the evenings; there is no need to pack a sweater. Our barbecue area has an outdoor sink, a large countertop AND it's locatation is superb: beside the swimming pool at the edge of the sundeck and overlooking the canopy below. It is SO perfect that it has inspired the phrase "Barbecue Envy" from recent guests.
The house has 2 pool-side hammocks, 3 lounge chairs, and is large enough so that, even with 8 people, quiet corners can be found to enjoy a book or have a nap. If someone wants to watch TV without disturbing others, there is a separate air-conditioned TV room.
Adjacent to the house is a unique feature - a beautiful waterfall feature. Modeled after our favourite hotspring resort, Tabacon Resort in Arenal, the water from the fountain flows along a rocky "river". The water then falls over a cliff, cascading down into the "jungle pool" below. One of our favourite activities is sitting under this waterfall and getting a great shoulder massage! It is exhilarating and ultra-relaxing. During the hottest hours of the day, do check out the shady grotto behind the waterfall. Note that the water comes on automatically each morning for only an hour.
Another unique feature of the house is our "sunset deck". This is located on the rooftop of our carport. One day we realized how wonderful the sunset view was - and the views of the surrounding back hillside. So we built some seating and put a string of lights up. Now this area is one of our favorite evening spots where we regularly enjoy wine and appetizers. By day, it's a quiet spot to do yoga. It's also a great spot for watch troops of monkeys swinging in the jungle on the nearby hillside. Seats 16 comfortably.
The tropics can be hot! But because of the way Colibri is situated on the hillside, there are wonderful cross-breezes that flow right THROUGH the house. At certain times of the day, breezes flow off of the ocean and INTO the house. In the late afternoon, cool mountain air comes off the hillside behind the houses and flows through from the front door INTO the outdoor dining room. It can sometimes be WINDY! Open up the glass folding doors to keep cool and refreshed!!
But the absolute best feature of the house is the view. Whether you are inside the house, or out, you will find yourself utterly captivated by the stunningly beautiful panoramic ocean views, the rounded shoreline of Samara beach, the island of Isla Chora, and the protective reefs that appear and disappear with the tide. From the bedroom windows you will have a bird's-eye-view into the surrounding hillsides watch, kayakers heading to Isla Chora, or fishing boats headed out to sea. It is truly a magical place.
