Casa Blanca

Casa Blanca is a modern three-story house of 3,000 square feet, set in a tropical garden on the hillside of the gated Samara Reefs community, on the east side of Sámara. It was built for privacy and quiet, about two minutes by car from the beach and four from town, with its restaurants and shops; we recommend a car or golf cart, as the walk follows a busy road with no sidewalk.

Each of the three bedrooms has its own elegant bathroom with a large walk-in shower and ocean views, with a king bed in one and a queen in another. A second living room with a sleeper sofa sits on the second floor, and there is a powder room on the first, so the house is comfortable for groups and families of up to six.

The living room and new kitchen — fully equipped, with a gas stove and modern appliances — open onto a wide terrace above the pool and sun terrace, with panoramic ocean views over Guanacaste's Pacific coast. The gardens are planted with native flowering species, bougainvillea and royal palms among them, and draw birds, butterflies and howler monkeys.

There is on-site parking and free high-speed fiber-optic Wi-Fi. Oscar, our guard, looks after the pool, the plants and the calm of the place, and will gladly help with a question about an appliance. He speaks Spanish only.