In short: Villa Diosa del Mar is a beachfront art villa in Junquillal, Costa Rica, designed and built by hand by French architect Patrick Rey and artist Valérie. Its sculptures, furniture and even its light switches came out of their own workshop, and the century-old trees in its garden were painted by them, one by one.
Arrive at Diosa del Mar after dark and the first thing you reach for is a light switch. The drive from Liberia is behind you, you feel along the wall, and your fingers find wood instead of plastic: a small plate made from what was on the property. You notice on the second day, then you notice everything.
Who designed Villa Diosa del Mar?
Patrick Rey is an architect, designer and builder. Valérie is an artist and interior designer. Both are French, and they did not arrive with a finished plan. They learned the country first. When they felt ready, they built with their own hands.
They describe that period with an image of their own: a little bird that does not know how to build a nest, but builds it anyway. Diosa, their first house here, was that nest, and their son Luca grew up in it while it was being built. Today Luca is the on-site concierge, which means the person who meets you at the door knows the house from the inside.
Working as a couple on a single house for that long is not always gentle. They are honest about it: sometimes you have to fight, and that is the beautiful part, because in the end they always agree. You can feel those negotiations in the house. Nothing is accidental, and very little is symmetrical.
What does "make everything, buy nothing" mean in practice?
It was their rule, and they kept it further than most would. If it could be made in the workshop, it was. The furniture is artisanal, and the pieces in the garden are original works by the owners, not decor from a catalogue.
The light switches
The detail we come back to is the switches. Even those were made in wood, from materials found on site. It is a small thing, which is why it matters: in a house where someone carved the light switches, nothing else was left to chance.
Why are the trees at Diosa del Mar painted?
The garden holds trees that were standing long before anyone built here, some of them a century old. Patrick and Valérie did not clear them to make room. They built around them, and then painted them by hand, turning the trunks into part of the work rather than a backdrop to it.
We won't reduce the gesture to one meaning. What guests describe is simpler: at dusk, between painted trunks and sculptures, with the ocean below, the line between house, garden and artwork blurs. That is the idea behind the tagline the founders chose, "Where Art Meets the Sea."
What is it like to stay in an art villa on the beach?
Diosa sits on a small cliff above Playa Junquillal. A private staircase reaches the sand in about a minute, and the infinity pool faces the open Pacific. The house unfolds as a sequence rather than a floor plan: a vaulted outdoor living room where most evenings end, an air-conditioned indoor dining room for long dinners, a BBQ terrace, a solarium, and a firepit for the hour after sunset.
There are five bedrooms, each with a private bathroom and air conditioning, but the house is lived as a whole. That is why we call Diosa the soul of Odisea, and Villa Hermes, built later next door, its masterpiece.
The best description of Diosa is not ours. It is this: "Diosa, if I could imagine it, is like a living being… a place that gives you peacefulness, a peace of mind, somewhere where you can let go." Or, more briefly: "This is the place I want to be forever."
Diosa is not for everyone. If you want a white box with a view, this coast has plenty. If you want to sleep inside something two people made by hand, with the ocean at the foot of the stairs, it is a rare place. For the next chapter, read how Villa Hermes won Best Architecture.
Where to stay
- Villa Diosa del Mar — beachfront art retreat →
- Villa Hermes — modern architectural beachfront villa →
- Rent both villas together as Odisea Retreats →
Frequently asked questions
Is Villa Diosa del Mar directly on the beach?
Yes. The villa is on the front line of Playa Junquillal, set on a small cliff above the sand. A private staircase leads down to the beach in about a minute. It is a quiet, undeveloped stretch of coast, with no beach bars or crowds in front of the house.
Is the art at Diosa del Mar original?
Yes. The sculptures in the garden are original works by the owners, Patrick Rey and Valérie, and the furniture was made by hand in their workshop. The century-old trees on the property were painted by them. Even the light switches were carved in wood from materials found on site, following their rule of making everything.
How is Diosa del Mar different from Villa Hermes?
Diosa was the first villa, organic and artistic, built around its garden, trees and sculptures. Hermes came later and is more architectural, with a curved wooden vault and double-height spaces designed around the sunset. In Patrick's words, they go together but offer different experiences, different architecture and different interiors in one place.
Can I rent Diosa del Mar together with Villa Hermes?
Yes. The two villas are next to each other on the same beach and can be booked together as Odisea Retreats: ten bedrooms, two infinity pools, gardens and private beach access. It suits retreats, weddings and multigenerational families. Group size depends on the event, so the concierge will confirm the right setup with you.
