Villa Serenidad: secluded home, warm private pool, river walk, amazing 180° view

Welcome to Villa Serenidad, now with high-speed 100Mb Fiber Optic Internet! Villa Serenidad sits on 2 acres (8,000 m2) of pristine land in the Central Valley in a small, private, gated community near the city of Atenas in the province of Alajuela, Costa Rica. A single-level home featuring a private pool, 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, sleeps 10 and covers about 4,250 ft2 (395 m2) and is suitable for the entire family. Have a look in the gallery to see what's new or read more to find out why we fell in love with Villa Serenidad and why you will too.

Villa Serenidad is about 18 miles (28 km) or 35 minutes from Juan Santamaría Airport (SJO). We are 1 hour away from the Pacific beaches. Most of our guests have LOVED the location. It makes for a wonderful central location to take a half or full-day trip to Manuel Antonio National Park, the beach, volcanoes, and zip lines and of course is fantastic as a place to just rest, relax and enjoy Costa Rica. The roads to Villa Serenidad are flat and very easy to access with any type of vehicle. A 4x4 is not required. Of course, our team is always happy to help with requests including arranging transportation to and from the airport with our trusted drivers.

Continuing for 2023, we provide a 20-page welcome letter and information packet for all of our guests. This unique guide contains a wealth of information and covers most questions that arise when coming to Costa Rica for the first time including a lot of information about the villa and the area in general. Providing this info is part of our commitment to providing you with an enjoyable experience. All of our guests who have read the packet absolutely love the information provided and we’ve received a number of comments wishing all hosts would supply as much information as we do. The packet includes contact info for our team, communication, and language info, address, directions, and coordinates, discusses using GPS, mobile phones, the internet and Wi-Fi, house and community access, early arrival / late departure, driving and renting cars in Costa Rica, paying for goods and services in Costa Rica, climate and weather info, dry season and rainy/wet season, recommended clothes and dress, items that we supply and a suggested list of what to bring, a list of activities and excursions in our area, safety and security in Costa Rica, available outside services, shopping info, additional villa info and more. A fantastic resource!

Villa Serenidad is nearly 3,000' (920 meters) in elevation. One of the biggest reasons we chose Atenas is because it's known as the "world's best climate". Quite literally, it's around 65 °F (18 °C) every night and about 82 °F (28 °C) every day, 365 days a year. It only varies a few degrees year-round! It’s perfect for sleeping at night and perfect for activities during the day. We have no need for air conditioning or heat! It’s simply amazing!

The pool at Villa Serenidad receives sunshine throughout most of the day and is comfortable to swim in day or night, year-round. There aren’t any buildings or large trees blocking the sunshine which makes a tremendous difference in water temperature. Having previously rented a number of other houses in the area, many of them have pools that are terribly uncomfortable due to the lack of sunshine on the pool.

Villa Serenidad features warm and beautiful cedar wood throughout. Long cedar planks adorn every bedroom in the house and ceilings throughout. The master bedroom, with a comfortable king-size bed and huge glass windows with an 8' wide sliding door, opens up to views of the terrace, the valley below, and the mountains in the background. Attached to the master is an en-suite bathroom featuring a huge walk-in shower. On the opposite end, a queen bedroom also has huge glass windows on two walls allowing views of the valley meadows. The third bedroom, one without windows for those who prefer a darker space to nap during the day, also features a queen bed with a large en-suite bathroom featuring dual sinks, a large walk-in shower, and an abundance of closet space. The fourth bedroom has dual twin trundle beds of which one bed is stored underneath the other while not in use. The lower beds can be rolled out and used in this bedroom or easily rolled into the living room as a 5th sleeping area. The third bathroom, again with a large walk-in shower, is located just outside the doors to this bedroom. Each bedroom has a variable-speed overhead fan with a chain extension so it's easy to use. In addition, bedside lamps, ample closet space, new comfortable mattresses, new linens and bedding, many pillows (20 throughout), and enough plug-ins on each side of the bed to charge your phone, plug in a laptop and still power the alarm clock and bedside lamp are available. Not to be overlooked, the bathrooms feature delightfully soft Turkish cotton hand and bath towels.

As a guest at Villa Serenidad, we welcome you to use and enjoy premium RAW Botanicals Ylang Ylang Shampoo, Banana Glistening Hair Conditioner, and Papaya Tangerine Body Wash provided in each shower. These ultra-premium salon-grade products are handmade in Costa Rica and found in high-end resorts throughout the country. Pack light and enjoy these Costa Rican originals.

Stepping into the very spacious kitchen with its 24' high ceiling and big center island, you feel like there is room for the whole family to cook. Exquisite granite covers both the counters and the center island. A number of amenities you're not likely to find elsewhere include a dishwasher shipped in from the US and an in-sink garbage disposal with an air pressure switch. Of course, the kitchen has all the things you would want; a stove, an oven, a microwave, a blender, a toaster, a coffee maker, an electric teapot, an electric can opener, a blender, a juicer, a large assortment of pots, pans, dishes and Tupperware, spices and more.

We have three dining areas including an indoor table with seating for 8, the kitchen island with seating for 3, and the outdoor patio table with seating for 6. Each of the tables can fit additional chairs when needed and we include a booster seat for the little one. We have full place settings available including dishes, plates, bowls, table mats, trivets, cups, wine glasses, coffee mugs, knives and silverware, napkins, and more.
In the living area, you can sit back on either of the two couches, relax and enjoy satellite TV which includes a number of channels from the US including the NFL Network, plug in your smartphone or media player to the stereo system and enjoy the tunes while playing in the pool or sunbathing on the terrace or just cuddle up with a good book under the reading lamp on either of the two reading chairs. An assortment of DVDs are available to view on the TV, and a number of books are available to read as are coloring books, crayons, play cards, and games for the family. Free WiFi coverage is available throughout the house and out onto the patio and terrace. Massive sliding glass doors open on either end of the living area, combined with a number of jalousie windows and overhead fans allow you to regulate airflow throughout the house for maximum comfort.

The laundry room has a clothes washer and clothes dryer, a number of lightweight aluminum folding racks for outdoor drying, a mop sink, and a large set of metal shelves for cleaning products and excess storage. We include a supply of laundry detergent, a few dishwasher tablets, dishwashing liquid or paste, a starter supply of toilet paper, one roll of paper towels, garbage bags, some napkins, and a tank of propane for the BBQ grill.

Stepping outside is like a breath of fresh air. It's all-encompassing with the 180-degree view of the Rio Cacao river valley and a clear view of the volcanoes and mountains some 15 to 30 miles in the distance, all from the wonderful outdoor terrace. The peacefulness and serenity you will experience is inspiring. Opening the massive glass sliding doors from the living area gives you unabridged access to the covered patio with incredibly comfortable wicker lounge chairs to relax in the shade throughout the day or venture a little further onto the terrace surrounding a big 13' x 26' swimming pool and enjoy a fun-filled day in the sun. The terraced stone, known as Coralina, was imported from the Dominican Republic. Under the scorching hot sun, you can walk comfortably on the Coralina without fear of burning your feet. Yes, it's that good. In addition to being cool, Coralina is not slippery when wet. We've experienced way too many pools around Costa Rica that are slippery as ice when wet.

Spread throughout the patio and terrace are numerous lay-down wicker loungers, wicker lounge chairs, an outdoor dining table, and wicker dining chairs. Easy to use wide steps with a stainless steel handrail allow easy entry and exit from the pool for all ages. One of our pet peeves with every other place we've traveled to is a lack of pool toys and floats never being included at homes with otherwise wonderful pools. We have a nice supply for you to enjoy. And we also include an electric pump to inflate and deflate them at the touch of a button. An outdoor shower allows for a quick shower and hopping right in the pool without tracking water all over the house. Of course, just like the soft Turkish cotton towels inside the house, we supply the same wonderful Turkish cotton towels to lay on the loungers and use around the pool.

We have a full complement of safety items in our home including multiple smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and more. The house is protected by an alarm system with an easy-to-use wireless remote control and the community is protected by a huge steel gate. Two small remote controls (one for the gate and one for the house alarm) and the door code are the only items needed to get in and out. Life simplified!

We have designed and provided for what we believe will be a 5-star experience for you!