Playa Negra · Puerto Viejo de Talamanca · Costa Rica
A little wild. A lot like home.
An open-air Caribbean house, painted turquoise and tucked into the rainforest — two minutes’ walk from Playa Negra, five from downtown Puerto Viejo. Your neighbours have four legs. Or wings.
Chapter 2
Out the front gate, turn right, and 142 steps later (the owner counted) you’re on the black sand of Playa Negra. The other way, it’s five minutes on foot to downtown Puerto Viejo. And all around the house: rainforest.
Not beachfront — a short stroll. You’ll still hear the waves at night.
Chapter 3
All private, all hand-painted, all with a fan, a mosquito net and screened windows. The bathrooms are shared — that’s part of the charm (and the price).
The blue hideaway
Heron murals, a desk by the window and a private balcony on the quiet side of the house.
from $38 / night*
The little painted nook
The thriftiest room in the house: a window on the garden and a wall full of painted macaws.
from $28 / night*
Sunshine on the walls
A single room with a full-size bed, sun-yellow walls and a painted sunset over the pillows.
from $29 / night*
Coffee with the canopy
A big private balcony facing straight into the jungle — and a desk for the days you have to work.
from $38 / night*
Up in the trees
The most sought-after room: perched on top of the house, windows all around, a balcony in the canopy.
from $40 / night*
Starting rate published on the house’s booking site (checked 31 Oct 2026). Your exact price for your dates is shown there.
Compare all roomsChapter 4 · For groups
Five bedrooms, up to nine of you, one big painted kitchen, a garden, balconies — and Playa Negra 142 steps from the gate. Rent the whole house for your family or friends.
* Published starting rate; children 12 and over; no pets.
Chapter 5 · Who lives here?
Sloths in the trees, howler monkeys for an alarm clock, toucans, iguanas and an endless array of colourful birds. And on the porch: Guapo and his crew. Tap a name to open its field card.
Wild neighbour
Bradypus variegatus
Where: In the trees around the house
The house’s most famous neighbours. Sloths are commonly seen from the Treetop Room, and they turn up on the house’s Instagram often — this brown-throated three-toed sloth was photographed in the jungle nearby.
Field fact Three-toed sloths climb down to the ground only about once a week — to go to the bathroom.
Wild neighbour
Alouatta palliata
Where: Passing through the canopy, often at dawn
You’ll probably hear them before you see them: the house describes waking up to the howlers, and a family sometimes moves through the tree right in view of the Treetop Room.
Field fact A howler’s call can carry well over a kilometre through the forest — howlers rank among the loudest land animals on Earth.
Wild neighbour
Ramphastos
Where: Fruiting trees around the balconies
The owners list toucans among the neighbours you might spot from the balcony rooms — listen for their croaking calls.
Field fact That enormous bill is surprisingly light: it’s made of keratin over a spongy, honeycomb-like inner structure.
Wild neighbour
Iguana iguana
Where: Sunning high in the branches
Iguanas are on the list of balcony visitors in the Jungle Balcony Room 4 description — look for a long striped tail draped over a sunny branch.
Field fact Green iguanas are strong swimmers and can drop from a high branch into water to escape danger.
Wild neighbour
Morpho
Where: The garden — especially near ripe bananas
There’s one painted on the house — and real ones visit the garden. This one was photographed by the owners feasting on ripe bananas.
Field fact The blue isn’t pigment: microscopic scales on the wings reflect light. The undersides are brown with eyespots, so in flight they seem to flash on and off.
Wild neighbour
Where: Everywhere, all day
In the owners’ words: “an endless array of colorful birds.” Bring binoculars if you have them, and a lot of patience with the morning coffee.
Field fact Butterflies and birds pass through the garden all day — the house keeps plenty of outdoor seating just for watching them.
Resident
Where: The porch… and the whole town
“Guapo is one of the happiest dogs in Puerto Viejo, he has friends all over town! You will find him out and about making his rounds but he always comes home for dinner!”
Field fact Quoted straight from the house’s Instagram. Guapo is a resident, not a guest — please don’t bring your own pets.
Resident
Where: Cushions, stairs, sunny spots
Guapo isn’t the only dog — the house’s other dogs (and an orange cat who supervises from the posts) share the porch, the cushions and the stairs.
Field fact Dogs, a cat and chickens live on the property — worth knowing if you have allergies.
Resident
Where: Free-ranging through the garden
The house’s free-range hens (with guinea fowl for company) roam the garden and get a starring role in the plant class.
Field fact For whole-house groups, the owners mention eggs from the free-range hens.
Wild animals keep their own schedules — sightings are likely, never guaranteed. Please don’t feed or touch them. More neighbours on Instagram ↗
Chapter 6
On a 600 m² property the house grows tropical fruit, roots, herbs and medicinal plants, with chickens and guinea fowl wandering through. “We are here to show you that you can do a lot in a small space!”
Medicinal & edible plant class
Wednesdays & Saturdays · 10 AM
or by appointment · 2 hours · at the house
Places are subject to confirmation by the hosts.
Chapter 7
“Not quite a hotel, not quite a hostel either,” says the owner — a warm, shared house that’s full of life. Swipe through a day.
Wake up to the sounds of the howler monkeys in the trees.
Coffee and tea are available at all times — take yours to the balcony and watch the canopy.
Two hours among cacao, pitahaya, lemongrass and the hens.
Out the gate, turn right: Playa Negra.
Fiber Wi-Fi reaches the balconies, so both are allowed.
Market fruit, Caribbean spices, a long blue bar and new friends.
“The sound of the ocean will lull you to sleep at night.”
Chapter 8
“You can visit them all in one day, even on a bicycle!” The owner’s own guide — her beaches, her favourite sodas, and her advice for getting home before dark.
Black sand by the house, surf at Cocles, swimming-pool water at Punta Uva, the end of the road at Manzanillo.
Beach guide
Cacao Huasi’s hot chocolate, cacao tours and the Afro-Caribbean cooking the owner can’t stop talking about.
Eat & drink
Cahuita, the Jaguar Rescue Center, Ara Manzanillo’s great green macaws and the coast road by bike.
Things to doTours are run by local operators — the house advises, they book.
Chapter 9
Pick your dates and we’ll hand you over to the house’s own booking site, with real availability. Rather chat first? Message on WhatsApp — the house answers.