I enjoyed your eco focused article, “Canyoning in Costa Rica”. Since graduating from Santa Clara University with a double major in environmental studies and anthropology I have remodeled and landscaped our family vacation home into a luxury villa which I named Casa de Tranquilidad. The beauty of Eco-friendly architecture is that you are tapping into and amplifying the peace and exhilaration of nature. When I first walked the hill above the Sarapiqui River I could feel how peaceful that area was. The goal of remodeling the villa was to combine luxury in the jungle with a peace beyond imagination.

I designed oversize custom furniture built for comfort, added soft décor, ceiling fans and all amenities including a fully equipped kitchen, entertainment system and Wi-Fi. 38 huge wrap-around windows were installed to minimize the need for artificial lighting and provide a 360° view. I also raised the roof of the foyer to 35 feet to create a natural convection system that draws the cool river breezes through the villa.

A balcony running the length of the back of the house was added to optimize the views of the river island and thousands of acres of rainforest reserve on the far shore. Sipping delicious Costa Rican coffee on the cushioned furniture or resting in a hammock overlooking the rainforest canopy is surreal. You find yourself sharing one continuous moment with the multicolored humming birds, toucans, and flocks of green parrots flying by at eye level.

Eco is fun. There is a 100 foot tall stand of bamboo fifty yards from the villa. The clicking sounds it makes as it sways in the wind are incredible. I decided to maximize the experience of the bamboo and the view of the river by building a 600 sq. ft. outdoor entertainment area complete with BBQ, bathrooms, tables, chairs, hammocks and a dance floor for gatherings and parties.

The landscaping was designed to enhance the eco-architecture. Eco is easy, we like what the wildlife likes.

Want birds?
Planting fruit trees increases the wildlife populations and provides us with the delicious fruits we enjoy. Bananas and papaya are favorites of the humming birds, toucans and parrots, mamón chino (rambutan), shaped like a small green plum with rubbery red spines succulent and sweet, draws in hundreds of golden tailed oropendolas.

Want butterflies?
Plant bougainvillea, hibiscus, bird of paradise and dozens of other varieties of native heliconias with intense colors and shapes you may never have seen before. Blue morphos and a variety of species of butterflies with brilliant orange, red and green flutter throughout the property.

Want longevity?
10 acres on the river bank and island are a rainforest reserve.

Want community?
All of the artisans, landscapers and staff are from our local community. They have become friends who share in the satisfaction of creating the first and only luxury villa in Sarapiqui.

Want motivation?
Helping the habitat helps ourselves
Costa Rica is fast becoming the first country to reach carbon neutrality.

Next time you are in Sarapiqui, Costa Rica I would like to invite you to be our guest.

David Lando Ramírez