Concrete meets the jungle at this stand-out coastal home in Costa Rica, and we can’t wait to book a stay. You’ll be deep in the rainforest, with all the species-rich wildlife that you’d expect. If the local birds - there's 350 different varieties around here - are a little too small for your personal safari, you’ll find that near to your retreat is Bahía Ballena, one of the finest places in the world to see humpback whales.
Thing is, you won’t have to rough it while planning your next excursion, because this coastal home is a landmark piece of brutalist architecture. Perhaps you won’t go out at all.
Make sure your rental is a four wheel-drive so that you can navigate the track from the main road and then expect to gasp as your coastal home for the holidays opens up before you. Villa Art is a symphony that celebrates concrete in classic brutalist fashion, both inside and out. There’s five bedrooms and what’s described as 6.5 bathrooms, which should just about be enough. This doesn’t remotely begin to describe this coastal home: high up on a rainforest ridge, Villa Art looks west towards the sunset, celebrated through floor-to-ceiling glass walls. You never know, a scarlet macaw might fly in to greet you.
Out to the terrace and into the infinity pool, which for our money is the best place to enjoy both view and jungle in this one-of-a-kind coastal home. And did we mention the indoor pond and copious art? Given all of this, and the unforgettable nature of a stay in this coastal home, the asking price of around £1,500 per night - or about the same as a suite at Claridge’s in London - seems almost reasonable. We’d be happy to move in for good.
