Villa Erika
San Jose de la Montana
A Beautiful Mountain Home
above Costa Rica's Central Valley
Villa Erika is a 5,000 sq. ft., 5 bedroom, 3 1/2 bath house located 1/2 mile above the small town of San Jose de la Montana. Less than a half-hour from the San Jose Airport, Villa Erika is ideal for a family or small group. Owned by Austinite Wayne Gronquist and his Costa Rican partners, Erick and Anna Quesada, this 50-year old house on the mountain Barva Volcan is three miles above Barva, the first Spanish Colonial town Costa Rica declared to be historic (founded in 1562).
The first photo shows the backyard with Barva Volcan in the background. The ranger station (park entrance to Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo) is approximately six miles up the mountain from Villa Erika. Climbing Volcan Barva is a five to six hour round-trip adventure along a well maintained trail, with side trails to waterfalls and other natural points of interest.
At 5,500 feet Villa Erika is just above the mountain, shade grown coffee region and enjoys an ideal climate in which heating and cooling systems are redundant because temperatures are always in the fifties at night and seventies/eighties during the day. Costa Rica's Capital, San Jose (15 miles), and province capitals Alajuela (12 miles), and Heredia (5 miles) are all just down the mountain.
Erick Quesada or I will pick-up your party at the airport, take you to Villa Erika and provide general orientation and trip assistance. Erick can rent you an automobile if you want one. A car will provide maximum mobility although driving in Costa Rica may be difficult at first and even finding your way back up the mountain through the series of small Spanish Colonial towns can be a challenge. Accordingly, you may prefer alternatives to automobile rental such as the reliable bus system, taxis, and tour guides.
Villa Erika has a large well equipped kitchen, fire place, washer & dryer, cable TV, flower and herb gardens, fruit trees, coffee and cocoa plants, a small pine forest, and extraordinary mountain and valley views. The fresh air, readily available fresh fruits, vegetables and coffee, and excellent drinking water will make your stay at Villa Erika memorable. Indeed, be advised that you may be enthralled with the beauty of the surroundings and want to return.
Tico breakfast, house cleaning, and laundry services are provided as desired by our neighbor Anna. Her husband, Alvaro, maintains the yard, and George, our horticulturist, oversees the gardens on a regular basis.
Rentals must be approved by the partners (we love Villa Erika. It's our second home).
Contact: Mark Gronquist
512-452-1746
to make rental arrangements.
Weekly or monthly rental rates are available and will vary depending on the number of people and services desired.
Our Villa Erika guide book will provide you dozens of ideas for adventure, recreation, cultural, and eco tours all within 10 miles of Villa Erika and personalized tours can be arranged on request.
