Property Description:

Near Santa Maria de Dota (about 1-1/4-hour south of San Jose) - This is a lovely estate in a gorgeous mountain setting. The estate has a beautiful, three-level, 4,700-ft2, (437-m2) French Country-style home. The lower level of the home has a nice foyer (with sitting area), formal dining room (with built-in bar area, with lights and mirror), informal dining area, large living room (with a huge brick fireplace and dual French doors opening to the terrace), small but nice kitchen (with two ovens, dishwasher, pass-through to informal dining area, etc.), walk-in pantry, guest bath and two bedrooms (each with their own bath). There is also a huge glass-enclosed terrace with bar and BBQ areas (great for entertaining or just relaxing) and parking area for four cars.

The second level of the house has a third bedroom with its own bath, the master bedroom, with its own bath (with Jacuzzi tub, skylight, etc.) and walk-in closet, and an office/TV area, . The third level is currently used as a sewing room but could also be a fifth bedroom, office, play room, etc.

At the entrance to the property (through an impressive gated entryway) is a 760-f2 (71-m2) guest house (or worker's house) with three bedrooms, living/dining area, kitchen, bath and laundry area. Just above the guest house is an 848-ft2 (79-m2) barn with four stalls, tack room and open area, next to a fenced corral. The barn is currently being used for storage but could easily be converted into a three-bedroom guest house (or rental house, etc.).

The 1.5-acre (6,055-m2) property is gorgeous...landscaped, park-like grounds all enclosed by a six-foot chain-link fence and electric gates. There are thousands of flowering plants and shrubs, and 263 trees such as ciprés, pine, eucalyptus, willow, orange, navel orange, lemon, sweet lemon, mandarin, grapefruit, Japanese plum, apple and peach. The stunning grounds are completed with a running stream, man-made waterfall close to the house (providing a soothing background sound) and small pond.

The climate in that area is nothing short of amazing! Being close to the continental divide, the air currents from the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean interact such that the area receives more sun and less rain than many of the surrounding areas. And, being at an elevation of about 6,000 feet, the area always enjoys a Spring-like climate year-round (being so close to the equator, there is very little temperature variation throughout the year here). The temperatures generally range from about 75º during the day to 57º at night...year-round. But the natural beauty alone is enough of an attraction. The nearby town of Santa Maria (five to ten minutes away) is a shining example of "Old World" Costa Rica, where everyone greets you on the street. Your daily shopping needs can be met in Santa Maria but a weekly trip to Cartago (45 minutes) or San Jose (an hour or so) takes care of any specialty needs you may have. It's a fabulous place with a fantastic climate and a wonderful pace of life. You really must see it to fully appreciate it. A rare find!!