Natural Leona

Natural Leona is a modern two-story house in a quiet residential inside Punta Leona, with a garden, a BBQ grill and a saltwater pool and rancho behind it, one hour by car from the San José airport. It is one of a pair of houses: Lapas Paradise is next door, the two share the pool, the rancho, a half bath and the garage, and you can book both together as Lapas Leona Home. It sleeps up to eight in two bedrooms with five beds and two and a half bathrooms (two full, plus a half bath by the pool shared with Lapas Paradise next door), and it suits families and two couples who want the beach at Playa Mantas on foot and a first or last night close to SJO.

The ground floor is one open space under a double-height ceiling with rattan pendant lamps: a kitchen with a marble-look island and bar stools, an induction cooktop, oven, refrigerator with water dispenser, coffee maker, rice cooker and air fryer. A round wooden dining table and a sitting area with a TV share the space. Glass doors slide open onto the terrace, an artificial-turf garden and the pool. A floating wooden stair leads to two bedrooms with air conditioning and ceiling fans; a third bedroom stays locked. There are two full bathrooms, and by the pool and rancho a half bath shared with Lapas Paradise. You also get an outdoor shower for the sand, a paid washer and dryer, a BBQ grill with utensils, and Wi-Fi measured at 119 Mbps. A keypad handles self check-in, and parking is on the premises and on the street.

Three reviews so far, all five stars. Guests describe the feeling when you first walk in, a house that looks better than the photos, and a pair of scarlet macaws in the trees outside. We kept in touch through the trip, left a welcome gift, and were flexible on arrival and departure. Children loved the pool.

Know before you book that the pool and rancho can be shared with the house next door when it is booked at the same time. If you need the pool to yourselves, ask us before booking or book this house and Lapas Paradise together as Lapas Leona Home. Playa Mantas is on foot. Playa Blanca is along the sand from Mantas or by paid club bracelet, which also opens the club's pools and restaurant. Raccoons live in the neighborhood: keep the back doors closed. Quiet hours run 21:00 to 08:00, pets are not allowed, and the condominium does not permit commercial photography. Rinse sand at the hose out front and shower before the pool. The pool is salt water rather than chlorine, easier on eyes and skin.

Check-in is from 15:00 by keypad. We send directions and the code before you arrive, and we answer on WhatsApp with tips on where to eat: restaurants, a small convenience store and an ice cream shop are within walking distance.

Punta Leona is on the central Pacific coast, about one hour by car from San José airport (SJO) by our estimate; guides put it at around 90 minutes with traffic. The road is paved the whole way and no 4x4 is needed. Enter Punta Leona by the main access road, not the hotel entrance, which charges a fee to non-guests. Inside, the residential streets are not named on every map app and several guests were sent to the wrong block by their navigation, so follow the directions we send rather than the pin, and arrive in daylight the first time. Airbnb shares the exact address after booking; the lock code and directions arrive by message before check-in. You will want a car for supermarkets and restaurants beyond the walkable few.