Infinity Pool Below Your Balcony: Casa Colina

Step onto the balcony and the infinity pool is right there below you, backed by the green hills of Ocotal and a soundtrack of howler monkeys. This top-floor corner condo in a gated, guarded community has two bedrooms, two baths, AC in every room, a real desk, in-unit laundry, and a propane grill. Ocotal's calm snorkeling cove is a 15-minute walk down the hill, Playas del Coco is 5 minutes by car, and Liberia airport is about 35.

Most condos near Ocotal make you walk to the pool. Here the pool comes to you. Unit 8024 sits on the top floor at the high end of the community, and its covered balcony looks straight down on the infinity-edge pool, the palm island in the middle of it, and the forested ridge behind. Mornings start with coffee out there while the howler monkeys finish their dawn chorus. Afternoons end the same way, with the hills going gold and something on the grill.

THE LIVING SPACE
Vaulted ceilings make the main room feel bigger than its footprint. A deep grey sectional and a loveseat face the wall-mounted smart TV, with bright Costa Rican art and a stack of local guidebooks on the coffee table. Wide sliding glass doors open to the balcony, and between the AC and the big ceiling fan you can dial the room to whatever "cool" means to you.

THE KITCHEN AND DINING
It's a real kitchen, not a kitchenette: full electric range and oven, a stainless side-by-side fridge with water and ice in the door, microwave, coffee maker, and enough cookware and dishes to host a proper dinner. Two stools pull up to the granite breakfast bar and the round hardwood table seats four. Auto Mercado in Coco stocks everything from local coffee to imported cheese, five minutes away.

THE WORKSPACE
Remote workers, this one's for you. There's an actual desk with an external monitor, an office chair, and a printer, tucked beside the dining area with the pool view over your shoulder. WiFi is included, and the community is quiet enough for calls.

THE BEDROOMS AND BATHS
The main bedroom has a queen bed, a soft teal accent wall, its own AC, reading lamps, and a window onto the treetops. The second bedroom is set up for kids or flexible groups with a solid wooden bunk bed, plus its own AC and fan. Each bedroom has a full bathroom with a walk-in shower, so nobody waits in line.

THE BALCONY AND GRILL
Covered, tiled, and private, with two chairs and a table for drinks. The pool is directly below and the mountains are straight ahead, so this is where you'll end up most evenings. There's a propane grill on the ground-floor balcony downstairs for the day's catch from the Coco fish market.

THE POOL AND GROUNDS
The infinity pool is the showpiece of the community: a big free-form pool with a rocky palm island, loungers, and a shaded rancho for the hottest part of the day. Stone paths wind through the gardens between the buildings, and you'll share the grounds with iguanas, magpie-jays, and the occasional troop of monkeys passing through the trees. The community is gated with a guard on duty around the clock, and parking is right below the building.

IN-UNIT LAUNDRY
A washer and dryer are in the hall closet, so pack light and rinse out the beach towels whenever you like.

OCOTAL AND BEYOND
Playa Ocotal is a small, calm cove with dark volcanic sand and some of the clearest swimming and snorkeling water in Guanacaste. Wade in by the rocks at the south end and you'll find fish within minutes. Father Rooster, the beach bar that's been on the sand since 1985, does fish tacos and cold beer with your feet in it. It's about a 15-minute walk down the hill from the condo (bring water for the walk back up) or 3 minutes by car. Playas del Coco, with dozens of restaurants, supermarkets, pharmacies, dive shops, and the boats for sunset sails and sportfishing, is 5 minutes by car. Liberia International Airport is 30 to 40 minutes, so you can be in the pool an hour after landing.

THE DETAILS
Top-floor corner condo, about 860 sq ft, in the gated Las Colinas de Ocotal community (Dolce Vita Villas La Colina)
Bedroom 1: queen bed, AC, reading lamps, treetop window
Bedroom 2: bunk bed, AC and ceiling fan. Four guests maximum
Two full bathrooms with walk-in showers
Full kitchen: electric range and oven, stainless side-by-side fridge with water and ice dispenser, microwave, coffee maker, cookware and dishes. No dishwasher
Granite breakfast bar for two plus dining table for four
Vaulted-ceiling living room with sectional, loveseat, smart TV, ceiling fan, AC
Dedicated workspace: desk, external monitor, office chair, printer
In-unit washer and dryer
Covered private balcony overlooking the infinity pool and the hills
Propane grill on the ground-floor balcony downstairs
Infinity-edge community pool with palm island, loungers, and shaded rancho, steps from the building
Gated community with 24-hour security, landscaped walking paths, parking below the building
About 15-minute walk (3-minute drive) to Playa Ocotal; 5-minute drive to Playas del Coco; 30 to 40 minutes to Liberia airport (LIR)

The condo is on the second floor, reached by an exterior staircase. There's no elevator, so it isn't a fit for anyone who can't manage stairs.
Las Colinas sits on a hill. The walk to Playa Ocotal is about 15 minutes down and a bit more back up. Most guests either drive (3 minutes), rent a golf cart in Coco, or make it their daily workout.
The view is the infinity pool, the gardens, and the mountains. There's no ocean view from the condo. The aerial photos show Ocotal Bay from above the community so you can see how close the water is.
Four guests maximum, little ones included.
Pools and grounds are shared with other residents. Pool hours are 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and quiet hours run 10:00 PM to 8:00 AM.
The propane grill lives on the ground-floor balcony downstairs. Please close the tank valve after every use.
There's a smoke alarm in the condo. There's no carbon monoxide alarm, and there's nothing that needs one: the range is electric and the only propane is the outdoor grill.
This is tropical Costa Rica: expect the odd gecko, and howler monkeys that start early. Please don't feed wildlife.
A rental car makes life easier here. Taxis to Coco run about 4 to 9 dollars, and the community is a 35-minute walk from town, which we don't recommend at night.
Tap water is treated, but like most guests on this coast we drink filtered or bottled.
No pets. No smoking inside or on the balcony. No parties or events.

Check-in after 3:00 PM, checkout by 11:00 AM
Up to 4 registered overnight guests, little ones included. No unregistered overnight guests
No pets
No smoking anywhere, including the balcony
No parties or events. Quiet hours 10:00 PM to 8:00 AM
Pool hours are 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM. No glass at the pool, and children under 12 need an adult with them
Close the grill's propane valve after use
Don't hang towels or clothes on the balcony railing (use the rack inside)