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PLAYA LAPA FOR SALE
beachfront home and property in Carate, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
CONTACT: OSA PEN REALITY
Playa Lapa is a unique, private beach front residence in the remote town of Carate on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. Carate is nestled in a lush primary rainforest, between the amazing Corcovado National Park and the Pejeperrito lagoon. Because of it's proximity to the park, Carate, and subsequently Playa Lapa enjoy a vast and protected biodiversity of animal species and vegetation including 400 species of birds, 116 species of reptiles and amphibians, 139 species of mammals, the endangered jaguar and scarlet macaw, and some of the tallest rainforest trees in the world. The Osa Peninsula has been called "the most biologically intense place on earth" by National Geographic Magazine. La Leona ranger station on the southern end of the park is a short 45 minute walk on the beach from Playa Lapa, giving us an unequivocal advantage for daily exploration, as well as a Corcovado expedition.
Playa Lapa is situated on a tract of land extending from the Carate road to the Pacific Ocean, and includes .6 hectares of regular titled land, and 1 full hectare of maritime land on the Pacific ocean. With a graveled driveway through a copse of native kahuna palms, Playa Lapa is landscaped throughout with beautiful tropical flowering ornamental plants, and fruit trees including mangos, avocados, pineapples, citrus, almonds, coconut palms and four species of bananas. A sturdy foot bridge from Playa Lapa's back yard crosses over a fresh water slough flowing between the edge of the property and the beach. This waterway feeds into the the Pejeperrito lagoon, located 1/4 mile east on the beach from Playa Lapa; sand dunes and coconut palms protect the casa from the pacific surf just fifty feet beyond.
Playa Lapa means "Beach of the Scarlet Macaw", fondly named for the lively flocks of these magnificent endangered birds that feed in our almond trees near the beach. But the most spectacular event on the beaches of Carate is the nesting turtles. Sea turtles are most frequently seen when the females come ashore to deposit their eggs just above the high tide line, usually at night. Our beach is an important nesting site for four species of these prehistoric animals, which include the Olive Ridley, the Hawksbill, the Leatherback and the Green sea turtle. Their season extends from June through December, and babies will be hatching from August through February. Turtle research has been important in Carate for many years; in fact Playa Lapa was the former location of the The Osa Sea Turtle Foundation. It is a stunningly beautiful beach, pristine and totally undeveloped facing the open Pacific ocean, with the Pejeperrito lagoon to the east and the Salsipuedes Point of Corcovado to the west.
In addition to the macaws in the trees and the turtles on the beach, Playa Lapa is part of the daily migratory feeding range of four species of monkeys, including the white faced Capuchin monkey, as well as the endangered squirrel monkey. Corcovado is one of the last two remaining areas in the range of the little "Titi". They are arboreal and diurnal, passing through Playa Lapa usually in the late afternoon. Less frequently seen is the more timid spider monkey, and the largest of the group, the howler monkey--though you may not often see the howlers, you will certainly hear them.
A large variety of interesting reptiles and amphibians inhabit Playa Lapa's lower grounds, and include the green iguana, the striped whiptail, several species of ctenasaurs, beautiful tree frogs and our beloved "bufos".
Coatimundis cross the property at all hours of the day, sometimes in groups or families of ten or more individuals. Armadillos, kinkijous, agoutis and peccaries are also possible sightings; less frequently seen but even more spectacular are the jaguarundi, collared anteater, the tapir and the puma. The puma has been photographed extensively by the Rio Piro research group within a half mile of the casa.
The slough, part of the Pejeperrito watershed, supports a fascinating ecosystem all it's own; here a myriad of shore birds can be observed feeding on small fish and frogs right from the back deck. Fishing in the lagoon as well as in the surf is very rewarding with Snook, Snapper and Jack. When the lagoon breaks over into the ocean during the rainy season, large numbers of these fish enter from the ocean to spawn, creating a fisherman's dream. Crocodiles and caimans can be seen nightly on the lagoon; shore birds including the roseate spoonbill will be observed there throughout the day, but best sightings are at dawn.
Our beautiful custom built CASA of teak and purple heart wood has 2 bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an open-air cathedral living room. A spiral staircase of purple heart and cara de tigre provides a stunning architectural accent rising up through the center of the house, with a master bedroom suite, guest room and railed walkway to the second level deck overlooking the ocean.
The spacious kitchen has a six-burner gas stove with oven, a DC chest refrigerator, washing machine and gas dryer, and a lunch bar. There is a floor to ceiling pantry closet, and full service place settings of china, glassware, stainless flatware, and commercial quality cookware, cutlery and serving ware.
The furnishings throughout the house have been custom fabricated from zebrawood and include a colonial trestle dining table with two trestle benches and two straight backed chairs, two comfortable futon armchairs with ottomans, and a matching futon sofa that folds out into a double bed. The arm chairs fold out flat to make two additional twin sized beds. There is a queen bed in the master bedroom as well as a chest of drawers, and a double bed in the guest bedroom, for a total sleeping capacity of eight. There are five accent tables, four bar stools, and two chaise lounges of matching style in zebrawood. Oak towel bars are installed in the kitchen and both bathrooms, as well as oak and purple heart peg racks in the bedrooms and at the front door. Ceiling fans are located in every room (total of four), and the house is fully screened, with steel security on all doors and windows, and teak shutters surrounding the living room. Complete sets of bed linens, mattress covers and towels are available. Aluminum folding beach chairs for use on the beach as well as for lounging on the spacious decks are available. Covered decks are located on the front, side (covered pergola), and back of the first floor, as well as a large covered deck on the second level, and a small, private deck off the master bedroom.
A sustainable Energy consumer, Playa Lapa functions in harmony with the environment by harvesting energy from the sun and water via ten 85 watt solar panels and a Pelton Wheel to power essential appliances in the casa. Hot water is available via a passive solar water system built into the roof, and all water into the casa is filtered through an ultraviolet sterilization system. An Internet satellite on the roof with a wireless router provides state of the art communication.
For more information about the utilities and power, please review the Guest Information brochure. (This document is a 480kb PDF file and requires Adobe Acrobat to view.) Playa Lapa is a very popular destination for all the obvious reasons: it's beachfront location, it's proximity to the park, it's location within the Pejeperrito watershed, the undeniable beauty and comfort of the casa--Playa Lapa has a built in revenue stream from rentals booked from mid December through September. Please check our Rates and Reservations for an idea of the income potential available by renting the casa during times the owners do not themselves occupy the property.
We are offering our beautiful home at the beach for sale in order to relocate closer to the marina. It has been a difficult decision between our passion for the wildlife and seclusion of Carate and our love of the deep sea and fishing. Playa Lapa is a rainforest paradise within the fringe of Costa Rica's most remote national park, and shares completely in it's bio-diversity. With the current movement in Carate for wildlife protection and a community trail system, residents, visitors or researchers have access to a variety of habitat and altitude changes of the Carate watershed. This protection creates a true habitat addition to Corcovado because the animals can't see political boundaries and move freely between the park and our existing private properties.
