Is a wire transfer safe?
Yes! We used wire transfers exclusively for the entire building process of the Four Winds Villas. There are two main reasons why wire transfers are used in Costa Rica. One is that a personal or cashiers check from the United States can take up to a month or more to clear a Costa Rican bank. It is extremely difficult & expensive to process credit cards in Costa Rica so most owners use Pay Pal or rental site processing companies. Since most rental homes in Costa Rica are set up in Costa Rican Corporations and are taxed there as well, any income not received in Costa Rica is subject to United States income tax and then taxed again in Costa Rica. That being said, wire transfers are the least expensive and most direct method of payment for rental properties.
How
close is Four Winds from the local beach? The villas are about a five to seven minute walk to the beach, depending on how badly you want to get there and how many boards you are carrying.
Where
are the houses located? The houses are in the ‘K’
section, between the Nosara Yoga Institute and the When
is the best time to visit? What
are your rates? Please click on the below link
to visit our rates page. Do
you have onsite managers? A.L.G. property management will
take care of checking you in and out of the villa(s), as well as tending to any house
related issues you may encounter during your stay. Feel free to ask questions. What
if we want to stay an extra day or week? If you chose to extend your
stay while already at Four Winds Villas, please contact Nella or Alvaro at A.L.G.
for availability. We can provide dailey maid
service for $35/day, but we need to know in advance. Arrangements can be made for an
on site Chef to prepare meals. We can provide a price per meal or day for the
chef and food cost depend on the menu selected. What
is the reservation process? An initial $400 deposit via
credit card will secure your reservation. This money becomes your security deposit
after the rental agreement has been finalized. Payment must be received no
later than thirty days prior to your visit. What
is the check in process? Flight information must be
provided two weeks prior to arrival. Once we have your exact arrival time in
Playa Guiones, we can arrange for one of our representatives to meet you, who
will take you to the house and carry you through the rest of the check in
process. Should
we pack beach towels or linens? There are four, full size,
beach towels for use around the pool ONLY. You should pack additional towels to
take to the beach. Bed linens and bath towels are provided. What
kind appliances and kitchen utensils do you have? Link to amenities page. (full
inventory of kitchen) Where
can I safely store my valuables during my visit? We have provided a programmable
safe in each bedroom to store valuables. You should store original passports and
any other travel documents within the safes. Copies of travel documents and
passports (including your driver license) should accompany you throughout your
travels. There is a Surf Board bodega
(Storage) with surf racks. A pull down door with lock allows you to conveniently
store you gear. The outside shower is right next to the bodega! Is
there enough seating for guests? There are four lounge chairs
and four table chairs at the pool area. There is seating for six adults in the
family area, seating for two in the master bedroom, and seating for five in the
kitchen.
Wireless access is available by
purchasing a password at Café Is
tap water safe to drink? In ten years of travel back and
forth, we have never had a problem. But, everybody is different. If in doubt,
bottled water is your answer. Are
insects a problem? In ten years of travel back and
forth we have never found insects to be problematic. However, you may encounter
mosquitoes and the occasional scorpion. Mosquitoes can be dealt with by keeping screen doors
and windows closed and wearing insect repellent at dusk. Scorpions tend to
gravitate towards dark and damp places. Shoes, clothes and towels lying on the
floor should always be picked up or shaken before being used. Are belongings safe to leave outside? Swim
at your own risk. Some of the most consistent
breaking surf in the world can be found on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Some
beaches offer calm surf, while others are relatively violent. Playa Guiones
offers both.
Absolutely! Obviously there is
nothing better than your own equipment, but with the cost and inconvenience of
traveling with boards you may want to consider renting. Nosara Surf Shop has an
extensive selection as does Steve at Coconut Harry’s. Check out their
selections at www.nosarasurfshop.com
and www.coconutharrys.com .
Four Winds offers board storage at the rate of fifty dollars per year. Four Winds is not currently
providing its customers these items. They can be rented at Coconut Harry’s. We do provide
a cooler for the beach and it is stored in the board bodega. Most car rental agencies offer
4wd in a compact & mid size. So long as the budget allows these models would
be the best choice for this area. We recommend National Car Rental and provide
detailed information in our Rental Packet. Detailed Travel and driving
tips are supplied in our Rental Packet. Common sense is always advised when
driving. Obey the speed limit and local
traffic laws. If you do get stopped, DO NOT pay the police. Get the ticket and
take it to the car rental agency when you leave. Can we get a private
driver or shuttle to and from YES,
we provide this information in our Rental Packet. YES,
we provide this information in our Rental Packet. Where should we shop for
groceries? There
are several good places to purchase groceries fresh produce.
We provide this information in our
Rental Packet. What about a medical
emergency, doctors or dentist? There
is a medical center in the heart of Guiones as well a Pharmacy. If you need a
Dentist, there is one on the way to Nosara however his hours are part time. You
may need to drive to What shouldn’t we bring
on our trip? Pack
what you think you need and then take half of that. Folks always take more than
necessary. You can do laundry while there and typical sundries are available as
well. What’s the dress code? Shorts,
Tee shirt & Sandals Does YesCan we have a maid through the week?
Can a Chef prepare meals on site?
Where can I store my Surfboards and beach gear?
Internet Access?
No. Is the ocean safe for swimming?
What type of waves could we encounter?
Are there surfboard rentals?
Are there beach chairs or umbrellas?
Car Rentals? Two-wheel or Four- wheel drive?
Driving & Travel Tips?
How are the traffic police?
Are there local restaurants?