Ventana Mar

Ventana Mar is a residential resort community in harmony with its natural rain forest setting.  The community provides a relaxed tropical lifestyle with a range of residential choices…mountaintop homes that enjoy panoramic ocean views, homes closely engaged with the natural rain forest, and creative casitas and condominium residences located within an active hilltop village.  The Master Plan for Ventana Mar is aimed at creating a balance between the community improvements and the impressive natural site…set within 1,300 acres of mountainous rain forest overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  This commitment to the natural site is accomplished by setting aside significant areas of protected rain forest and clustering private homes within the most suitable portions of the property.

The focus of activity is the pedestrian-oriented Ventana Mar Village located on a hilltop overlooking the ocean.  The compact village presents a broad array of year-round activities and enjoyable public spaces defined by contemporary tropical architecture and surrounded by lush vegetation.  In the heart of the village is a public plaza…with dramatic ocean vistas and surrounded by retail shops, galleries, restaurants, and a chapel.  In close proximity to the plaza is a full-service lodge with world-class spa and fitness facilities as well as a state-of-the-art conference center.

Care and preservation of the rain forest within Ventana Mar is paramount.  To help accomplish the protection and preservation of this significant asset, large portions of the mountainous rain forest have been set aside, with no roads or homesites within those areas.  Other significant areas between homesites and access roads are managed for protection as well.  This is made possible by establishing “Building Envelopes” for each homesite…thereby designating the most suitable area for structures and maintaining the remainder of the site in a more natural state.  These “seams” of rain forest between clusters of homesites will allow natural flora to be maintained while providing continuity to wildlife habitat and movement corridors.

To further emphasize the importance of the rain forest, a parcel of land is set aside within the village to house an on-site research and conference center for a non-profit foundation or institute dedicated to sustaining rain forests and other environmentally-sensitive ecosystems.  Trails that offer recreational hiking will also provide understanding and direct contact with the environmental considerations and topics addressed at the “institute.”

The lifestyle of Ventana Mar is about relaxation, choices of privacy or social interaction, and active recreation in a powerful natural setting.  The tropical climate and ocean breezes are key design influences to the architecture and outdoor spaces that foster a broad range of private and social places.  Individual homesites are located to assure personal and family privacy…a retreat from the activities of the nearby beach communities.  On the other hand, the village offers venues for music, dining, meetings, and browsing.  In addition to retail shops and art galleries, the village offers cultural venues and a chapel that can support multi-faith services and weddings.  A broad spectrum of recreation is presented from the swimming pools, fitness facilities, and luxury of the spa…to the rigorous hiking trails that lead through the rain forest from the village hilltop to Rio Camaronal in the valley below.

There are approximately 259 single-family homesites within Ventana Mar.  The homesites are located in a variety of natural settings, ranging from dense rain forest with major trees and tropical vegetation to open terraces that enjoy panoramic ocean views.  In general, the homesite lots range in size from 4,000 to 10,000 square meters (1 acre to 2-1/2 acres).  Within each homesite, a Building Envelope has been established that indicates the area of the homesite that is suitable for structures and other associated improvements.  The Building Envelopes range in size from approximately 1,300 to 4,500 square meters (1/3 acre to 1 acre).  While much of Ventana Mar is located within mountainous terrain, each homesite has been located to provide a building site that does not have excessive slope…generally there is a buildable area that does not exceed 40% slope, and often the slope falls within a range of 10 to 25%.

The Building Envelopes have also been configured to assure privacy and views.  This is accomplished in the horizontal location of the Building Envelope relative to its neighbors, but also through vertical changes that allow one site to look over an adjacent, lower site.  While homesites are clustered to achieve a balance with open space and rain forest preservation, the low density and layout of the homesites will allow privacy, views, and a relaxing tropical lifestyle to be enjoyed within each carefully located lot.