How Close is the Villa to the Beach?
The Villa is on a mountainside overlooking five beaches:
- Playa Ventanas, a beautiful and secluded sandy beach with cliffs and ocean-carved caverns - 10 minute drive from the Villa.
- Playa Pinuela, a long sandy beach with a small reef off the coast that makes for very little wave action, creating an ideal beach for swimming for all ages - two minutes north of Playa Ventanas on the highway
- Playa Arco and Playa Ballena, two shorter beaches facing the open ocean - five minutes north of Playa Ventanas on the highway
- Playa Uvita and the Whales Tail, a spectacular sand bar joining up to a reef and is only accessible during low tide - viewable from the Villa and a twenty-minute drive
click here for Google Map of local beaches
Do you have air conditioning?
Because the Villa is located 800 ft above beach level (and specifically designed for comfortable outdoor living) there is no need for air conditioning. The villa is built for the climate and oriented to take advantage of the constant cooling ocean and mountain breezes. There are also high quality ceiling fans throughout the villa including the terrace if you want to use them.
At sea level during the day, the temperature is generally in the mid to high 80's F or low 30’s C. Because of the villa's location, the temperature is about five degrees cooler. As well, we have a large covered terrace which is very comfortable for lounging in the shade.
At night the temperature at the Villa drops to about 70F or 21C or a bit cooler and great for sleeping with the breezes.
How Far are the Restaurants?
Most restaurants are within a 15-minute drive to Ojochal or near Uvita and many feature outstanding international cuisine.
click here for descriptions of Ojochal area restaurants
Can I drink the water in Costa Rica?
Unlike Mexico, the water in most parts of Costa Rica is safe to drink. If you are concerned about a sensitive stomach, bottled water is readily available and may be a good option in San Jose or very rural areas. Ask for "agua mineral sin gaz"(non-carbonated mineral water) or "agua en botella" (bottled water).
The water at Villa Mariposa comes from a high mountain spring and is safe to drink.
What is the currency of Costa Rica? Are credit cards accepted? Are travelers checks accepted?
Costa Rica's currency, the colón (colones plural) currently exchanges at roughly around ˘500 per US dollar. It is useful to think of a ˘5,000 note as a ten dollar bill, and ˘10,000 as twenty-dollar bill.
Credit Cards: Visa is the most popular and widely accepted, Amex and MasterCard less so.
Travelers cheques/checks do not work well here. You will be standing in long lines at the bank and pay a commission as well.
Bank/Debit Cards are the best way to access cash. The PLUS system is the most widely distributed international ATM while CIRRUS is available at most major tourist destinations.
There is a ScotiaBank ATM at the airport when you are waiting for luggage, located beside the Foreign Exchange Counter. The rates at the counter are the worst in Costa Rica, which is typical of airport exchange rates. Use the Exchange Counter to obtain some small bills (1000 colones denomination) to pay for tolls.
There are also ATM's in Uvita (the town where you will meet Joan our property manager).
Get at least 50,000 colones which is usually less than a $100 US depending on the exchange rate for day. Your bank usually charges per transaction.
US cash is widely accepted but the exchange rate at merchants is less than the bank. You can bring some US cash, small bills $20's or less, lots of ones. Fifties and hundreds are regarded suspiciously and difficult to spend.
Do not bring Canadian cash. The only place to exchange it would be the Foreign Exchange Desk at the Airport and the rates are not favourable (to say the least!)
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