Casa Marelie

Designed and built by a Swedish architect and known as Casa Sevana until 2018, Casa Marelie stands on a quiet road in the village of Puerto Carrillo, on the hillside above Playa Carrillo: the village mini-markets and restaurants are about 5 minutes on foot, the beach about 10 minutes on foot (the walk back up is steep) or 3 by car, and Sámara town about 15 minutes by car, so you will need a car. What holds your attention, though, is the bay below.

The house is very spacious: three bedrooms, with a queen bed in the master, twin beds in the second and a bunk bed in the third, and two bathrooms. All the bedrooms have air conditioning, and the downstairs rooms have large closets and sliding doors onto the pool and terrace. Upstairs, a fully equipped kitchen with beautiful wooden cabinets opens onto the living room, under teak cathedral ceilings that run throughout the house.

The large ocean-facing terrace is where the day ends, with sunset views, the birds and animals that roam the area, and a soft ocean breeze always moving through the rooms. Below it, the landscaped garden holds a separate BBQ gazebo and a sparkling 25ft pool that is totally private. There is a TV with digital cable, a DVD player and Bluetooth speakers, and internet fast enough for videoconferencing (100/10 Mbit).