Apartment is first floor of owners' home (owners live on the second floor) in quiet, rural setting, surrounded by nature. Contains queen-sized bed & twin bunk beds, a good-sized bathroom with a hot shower, well-supplied kitchenette, gated parking, and the fastest, most reliable internet in the area ((16 Mbps download and 16 Mbps upload). Perfect for families or for working or studying online. The apartment has a big front porch with a hammock, which guests are welcome to use. From its elevation of 1390 meters (4560 feet) the apartment's sliding glass doors open out to a view of the Gulf of Nicoya, partially concealed by the abundant plant life on the steep hill below the house (a railing protects children from falling). The house is located on 3/4 acre of forest, banana plants, organic vegetable garden, and flowers, and is a wonderful place for a private retreat, a quiet work environment, or simply to spend a quiet night after enjoying the sights of the area all day. Because of the elevation, the temperature is pleasant and there is no need of air conditioning here. The porch in front is shared with the owners, who use it primarily only for accessing the stairs to the second-floor house. The property is secured with a gate, which is closed at night. A washer and a dryer are available for guests' use. Guests are also welcome to use the upstairs porch where we have a table and chairs and a better view of the Gulf of Nicoya! The bilingual owners live upstairs and are available to answer questions or find needed information (Hector is from Guatemala and Emily grew up in Monteverde, oldest daughter of one of the first Quaker families who settled here in 1951). However, at present, the owners are out of the country, so a friendly young man (Jorge Marín) is living in the house; he is also bilingual and is an experienced guide so has more knowledge of the area and its resources than the owners do. The neighborhood is rural and the people are friendly and helpful. Just down the road is a Canyoning Tour where visitors can rappel down a series of waterfalls. The Monteverde Extremo Canopy Tour is about a kilometer away. Santa Elena is only three kilometers away and boasts numerous restaurants, souvenir shops, tourist information offices, and even some night life! Parking is available in front of the apartment. A four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended but not necessary since many of the roads in the area have recently been paved or almost paved; however the kilometer to our place is not paved so its condition varies. Taxis are available in Santa Elena and will come out here if called. There is a bus from Santa Elena to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and back several times a day, and shuttles to most of the parks are available in Santa Elena. The apartment is in La Cruz, which is three (3) kilometers from the town of Santa Elena. Guests will need to have their own transportation unless they want to depend on taxi service, available for about $10 to Santa Elena. Two of the area's attractions are within a kilometer of the apartment, others are a little farther away.