Walk down a few steps into a second courtyard that has similar seating areas, planters holding a profusion of bright flowers and succulents and ferns.  A venerable old montitlan (pepper) tree provides shade.

The dining room, next to the kitchen, is great for a few people or it can accommodate 24.  It has an 18-foot ceiling, wood cupboards, one turquoise wall and one pink wall, old Mexican iron work.  Views are of the pool and the gardens.
The bedrooms are scattered around the house.

The Master Suite is at the left end of the courtyard that you entered when you first came onto the property.  This is a large room with a king bed that has a Mexican cotton cover in pink and turquoise. There is an armoire and built-in cupboards, a large stone fireplace that has a Mexican tile surround and a brick hearth.  A Mexican sofa and easy chair are placed in front of a tall window.  A round table, also in front of the window, seats two.  One wall is painted terra cotta and the other walls are natural stone.  There are books, pottery and an assortment of Mexican art.

The suite has a small kitchen area with a sink, stove and refrigerator.  There are dishes for a private breakfast and wine glasses for an evening drink.  The large en suite tiled bathroom has a small tiled tub with a shower over tub and a double sink.

The suite has a large private patio with comfortable outdoor furniture and beautiful views over the roof tops down into town.  A sturdy spiral staircase winds down to a shady area near the pool.  At the bottom of the spiral staircase, there is a beautiful mural made of Mexican ceramic tiles.

The Frida Kahlo Suite is on the same level as the Master Suite.  It's off the front courtyard and is entered from the entrance patio.  First, there's a small sitting area that has a round table and two chairs and a Mexican cupboard.  A big arched window looks down onto the pool.  The en suite bathroom, off this sitting room, has a large tiled shower.  The bedroom, at the left of the sitting room, has a queen bed with a blue Guatemalan bed cover.  An antique wood angel hangs on the wall over the bed.  A tall dresser and chest of drawers provide excellent storage.  There's an easy chair, a gas fireplace and many photographs of Frida Kahlo.  The bedroom window overlooks the pool.

The Green Suite is directly upstairs from the dining room and accessed via the stairway in the dining room.  The house's second living room adjoins this bedroom.  The sitting room has two large, comfortable sofas and a big easy chair all covered in cream-colored wool.  There is cable TV, DVD and video player and a selection of movies and books.  A bar area has a small sink, a tiny refrigerator and a small table with 4 chairs. One window looks down on the front garden courtyard and one looks down into the dining room.

The Green Suite's bedroom has a standard double bed with a Mexican cotton bedspread in cream, green and magenta. Walls are painted deep green.  An old rug hangs above the bed and a large gas fireplace is on the wall opposite the bed. There's an armoire and a chest of drawers.  An arched window overlooks the pool and garden and has long views of hills and the red tiled rooftops into town.  The adjacent bathroom has a funny, narrow tub with a shower over tub and a tiled sink.

Two bedrooms are on the ground level.  They are near the pool, but all are secluded from the pool's sun and action.  These bedrooms interconnect, but doors between the bedrooms provide privacy.

The Stone Bedroom has a king bed with a Mexican carved headboard and a rich bed cover in tones of rust.  This is a very large room that has a Mexican clothes cupboard, a table, a settee and two chairs.  The room is shady and still and peaceful.  The large private bathroom has a tiled shower. This room's private patio is at the bottom of the master bedroom's spiral staircase.  It has outdoor furniture and many plants.

The Yellow Bedroom has a standard double bed with an iron headboard and a yellow, orange and blue Mexican bedspread.  An old, big wardrobe provides excellent storage.  The glass door opens onto the large patio that has a table and four chairs.  The pool area is just beyond this patio.

This bathroom connects to a little room that has a day bed with a Guatemalan cotton cover.  This would be a good sleeping space for a child who doesn't want to share a room with parents, but needs to be close.  This room is also used by licensed massage therapists who can come to the house.  The tiny en suite bathroom has a toilet and a sink only, no tub or shower.

Two more bedrooms are on the same level as the pool, but they are accessed via their own stairway (near the kitchen) that ends in a private courtyard. The courtyard has a large fountain with a Madonna statue and a bubbling reflecting pool.  Fanciful murals are painted on the tall walls.  This is a great area for reading, meditation or just having some quiet time.  A large laundry room is off the courtyard.

The Mariposa Bedroom has a queen bed with a fringed orange blanket.  There is an ornately carved armoire, a blue-painted chest of drawers, a calla lily tapestry hanging on the wall, a wood-burning fireplace.  A tiled bench sits in front of a large window that looks out onto the courtyard.  The en suite bathroom has a large tiled shower and a  pretty ceramic sink set into an old table..

The Courtyard Bedroom is accessed from the courtyard with the fountain.  It has twin beds  that have orange coverlets.  A yellow cupboard with blue trim provides storage.  A large window looks out to the courtyard.  A lamp with a fish , a wall tapestry, photos and a green table complete the scene.  The en suite bathroom has a blue and white tiled shower.

The large heated pool will be the most popular area of the house.  The patio space is divided into separate sitting areas, some sunny and some sheltered.  There are chaises and a dining table at pool side.  Many pots hold flowering and green plants.  Views of town are spectacular - as are the sunsets.

The house is located in Atascadero, one of the first of the town's many colonias (neighborhoods).  It's on a hillside above the town, but it's only a 12 minute walk or a $2 cab ride to the town center where restaurants, cafés, shops and galleries are among the best in Mexico.  The ambitious among you can take a biking tour, visit historic sites or play golf or tennis at the local country club.

The rental includes the services of the friendly household staff which consists of the house manager, the cook, the maid and the gardener. 

You can rent the house without meals, but we recommend that you dine at home some or all of the time as the cook is excellent.   We have dined there on several occasions and it's a good as any fine restaurant.  One recent night, we enjoyed a light pecan soup, salmon and vegetables wrapped in a banana leaf, grilled shrimp and delicous salad and flan for dessert.  Incredible.

We will send menus to you.  Food and alcoholic beverages are extra.  All food and water in the house are hygienically purified.

This house can be rented with 4 bedrooms or 7 bedrooms.  If you choose the 4-bedroom option, the two downstairs bedrooms (Mariposa and Courtyard) and the upstairs Green Bedroom are not available, but the upstairs sitting room and the entire rest of the house will be available for your enjoyment.   There may be an additional cost for extra serving and housekeeping staff if you book the 7-bedroom option and dine there often.  The house manager will discuss this with you when you talk to him about the menu selections.

Children are warmly welcomed here, but be aware that the swimming pool is not gated.

We can arrange for professional facials, manicures, pedicures, massage and reflexology at the house.  A nanny can be hired if you give us adequate time to arrange this for you.

The property is an easy 10-minute walk down to the Jardin (the lovely park in the middle of centro) and an uphill climb back home (or a $2 cab ride).

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE:

As this is a multi-story house, we regret that it is not suitable for anyone with more than a moderate degree of mobility limitation.