An Off-Grid Jungle Bungalow at the Tip of the Osa Peninsula
Punta Jaguar sits 120 meters above the water at the southern tip of the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica's wildest corner. It's one of only four homes on a gated stretch of primary forest, which means it feels perfectly secluded, and seven acres of jungle run from the veranda to the sea.
The owners built it as their second home on the Osa, and took three years to solve one problem: how to let the rainforest all the way in and still have somewhere dry to sleep. Designed with a local architect and hand-crafted by area artisans, the bungalow is made from native woods and sustainable materials, and it's run entirely off-grid on solar power and its own well. Screens and rain curtains open the rooms to the canopy. When the afternoon storms roll through, you watch them from inside.
Inside, the plan is simple and modern. There's an open kitchen with a six-burner gas range, and a master suite with a walk-in closet and an open-air jungle shower. Cooling fans and a constant sea breeze take the place of air conditioning. High-speed wifi reaches the veranda.
The veranda is the real living room, hung over the treetops with the Golfo Dulce spread out toward Panama. That private path drops through the Matapalo strangler figs to the beach, steep enough that guests describe it as the day's exercise. Capuchin, howler, spider and squirrel monkeys move through the branches, scarlet macaws cross at eye level, and toucans and morpho butterflies are your closest neighbors. In season, humpbacks pass through the gulf below.
Layout
This vacation home for rent on the Osa Peninsula sleeps up to six guests. Three bedrooms and two full bathrooms sit under one roof, with an exterior half bath off the veranda. The master is a suite, with a walk-in closet and an open-air shower.
• Bedroom 1: King, en suite, walk-in closet, open-air shower
• Bedroom 2: King
• Bedroom 3: King
• Shared full bathroom
• One exterior half bath
Experiences
A personal chef, private massage, yoga and surf lessons can be arranged directly through the on-site caretakers, along with daily housekeeping, grocery provisioning and taxis.
The hosts can also connect guests with local guides for whale and dolphin watching, sport fishing, horseback riding, kayaking with Matapalo Kayak Tours, and wildlife-refuge and monkey tours.
Good to know
Daily cleaning is included in the rates. The road to the property requires access by 4x4. You'll call the caretaker at the gate to be let in. The house runs off-grid on solar and a private well, so it's screened and fan-cooled rather than air-conditioned. Pets are welcome, and small events are allowed (with prior notification). There are no shops nearby, so stock up in Puerto Jiménez on the way in.
Amenities & services
Off-grid solar power, private well water, high-speed wifi, fully equipped kitchen, six-burner gas range and oven, refrigerator, coffee maker, washer, dryer, towels and linens, beach chairs, beach towels, in-room safe, mosquito screens, rain curtains, cooling fans, master en suite with open-air shower, exterior shower, exterior half bath, private beach path, seven-acre private grounds, on-site caretakers, on-site parking, pet-friendly
On request: Personal chef, prepared meals, daily housekeeping, grocery provisioning, airport and town taxi, surf lessons, yoga, massage, whale and dolphin watching, sport fishing, horseback riding, kayak tours, wildlife-refuge and monkey tours
Around
Cabo Matapalo sits at the far southern tip of the Osa, between Puerto Jiménez and the end-of-the-road village of Carate. This is surf country: Pan Dulce, Backwash and King Louie break within a few minutes' drive, and the beaches at Pan Dulce, Sombrero and Matapalo are usually empty. The wider peninsula holds Corcovado National Park, which packs an outsized share of the planet's species into one stretch of coast, and the calm water of the Golfo Dulce, good for kayaking, dolphins and seasonal whales. For dinner there's really one place: Buena Esperanza, known locally as Martina's, an open-air jungle bar on Route 245, famous for seared tuna, mahi-mahi and a Friday-night market that draws the whole coast. Puerto Jiménez, 45 minutes north, is where you stock up, and the last town of any size before the wild begins.
Location
Cabo Matapalo, Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Nearest airport: Puerto Jiménez (PJM), roughly a 56-minute drive. International flights arrive at San José (SJO).
Best time to visit
December to April brings the driest roads and clearest ocean views. The green season from May to November is lusher and quieter, with humpback whales offshore at their peak.
