Latitud 18 - Private Rincon Oceanfront Sanctuary

Absolutely gorgeous OCEANFRONT sanctuary! Your own private paradise less than 10 minutes from Rincon town square. Family friendly with Pack-n-Play & kids games/puzzles. Stainless steel gas grill. Fully air-conditioned, high-speed WiFi, private entrance with exclusive courtyard, upstairs deck, & downstairs deck. New 55" 4K TV with (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) channels free, with HBO, Showtime, etc. Fully equipped with kitchen & BBQ utensils, bedding, toiletries, beach gear...everything you need for a perfect stay! Latitud 18 is a private oceanfront home located in a safe, quiet neighborhood less than a ten-minute drive south of the Rincon town square. It was designed and built as two separate residences, each encompassing approximately (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) square feet of indoor air-conditioned living space, and each with its own steel gated and locked entrance. The guest area is comprised of the entire upper floor plus a downstairs private courtyard and sun deck, and I live full time in the lower residence. Parking is provided for two SMALL or SMALL-MEDIUM guest vehicles. Although Latitud 18 is located in a quiet and safe neighborhood, and further isolated by virtue of being on a side street (Lois Lane) off Carr 429 with only 9 oceanfront properties before rejoining Carr 429, your private sanctuary at Latitud 18 is secured behind two steel gates and three deadbolt locks. You should enjoy your Rincon retreat completely free of any safety or security concerns, and at Latitud 18 you will! Open entering through your exclusive street-level entrance, you first see the large 27’ x 18’ courtyard featuring switchable nighttime lighting and a large great-cooking gas grill (utensils and propane provided). Immediately beyond the courtyard is your spacious 17’ x 14’ oceanfront sun deck with padded loungers, and a six-person outdoor dining table and chairs. Both your downstairs private courtyard and oceanfront sun deck are for your exclusive use, and I will not access those areas during your stay. Furthermore, the building’s architecture and landscaping are designed to give you complete privacy in those areas, fully shielded from the eyes of anyone else. The entrance to your living area is via 16 easy steps up a very comfortable 4’ wide staircase with handrail. Past the 28 square foot landing is everyone’s favorite spot on the entire property: a roomy covered 17’ wide, 11’ deep upper deck, the view from which will positively take your breath away! It is appointed with a large round table with 4 comfortably padded chairs. Not only will this be “the spot” for your morning coffee and afternoon sundowners, it’s ever-present gentle breezes and constant soothing sounds of the surf will have you spending much of your on-property time right there. Instead of a sandy beach, Latitud 18 sets upon a sea wall that in times past served as the foundation for a railroad that serviced this area. By facing due south you will have spectacular views of the majestic colors of both sunrises and sunsets, although you will not actually see the sun descend into the sea. On some mornings as the sun rises and most afternoons as the sunset approaches you will be enthralled and entertained by a flock of pelicans flying around as they dive for small fish, sometimes so close that you could almost reach out and touch one. In addition to the entire floor of approximately (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) square feet of air-conditioned living area, and the outdoor decks and courtyard of almost another thousand square feet, all of which you will have exclusive access to and use of, there is a laundry room with a good washer and dryer just inside my entrance. You are welcome to use it at no charge anytime, and I'll even furnish the detergent. Just let me know so I can unlock it for you, and then I'll relock it when you're finished. Also, there is a really cool, almost water-level deck below my residence (see the last three pictures). To access that level you need to cross my deck space, which you are welcome to do at any time. Latitud 18 is one building that was designed and built as two separate residences. I live full-time in the lower-level residence. The upper level has a separate entrance. The entire upper floor (with it's adjoining upper deck and private lower-level courtyard and oceanfront sun deck) are on offer here. I am available 24/7 to insure your stay at Latitud 18 exceeds your expectations in every way, (Website hidden by Airbnb) YOUR vacation, and I will NOT be intruding upon your time or your space. When you arrive, I'll personally meet you at the top-of-the-hill and you can follow me back to Latitud 18. I'll give you the ten-minute tour and walkthrough, then I'll stay out of your hair.....unless needed 😎. I had an inquiry this morning (March 5, (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) asking for basic information from someone in the US that had never been to Puerto Rico. Below is my reply, copied here with hopes that others might find it helpful: H (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) , The island of Puerto Rico is around 100 miles long (east to west) and 35 miles wide (north to south). If you look at a map of Puerto Rico, you will see the capital city of San Juan on the northern coast, just a few miles from the eastern shore. Now look on the western coast....see that protrusion just down from the northern coast? That’s Rincon. The language in Puerto Rico is Spanish, although many of the people that work in the hospitality and tourism industries, government offices, and other public-facing places speak English. I moved here in November (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) and speak zero Spanish, and I’ve had absolutely no problems. The currency is the US Dollar; mail delivery is via the US Postal Service; bank deposits are insured by the US FDIC; the tap water is completely safe to drink on the entire island; and medical standards are on par with that to which you accustomed is the US. I have traveled extensively throughout most of the Caribbean, and while it is not unusual to get a sense of anti-American hostility on some of the other islands, you will NOT get any of that here on “The Enchanted Island”. The people of Puerto Rico are the kindest, most polite, most honest, and most caring people I have meet anywhere on earth! Although they are profundity proud of their Puerto Rican heritage and culture, they are equally proud of their special connection to the US and their United States of America citizenship. You will be made to feel very welcome here! Allow me to share a personal story with you: I flew into San Juan on an evening in mid-November (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) , to close on the purchase of my new home here the following day. I had with me two large suitcases filled with everything I thought I would need until my household goods were to be delivered by the moving company several weeks later; I had listed my house in Florida for sale; I was moving, by myself, to a country where I knew not the first person and didn’t even speak the language. Needless to say, I was experiencing a little bit of (Website hidden by Airbnb) I really doing the right thing? Over the years I had flown into San Juan several times, and each time the passengers would applaud and cheer when the plane touched down; I had always assumed this was in gratitude for a safe flight. So this time as the plane landed I had my earphones on listening to something on my phone, and I heard the normal clapping and cheering, and a few seconds later I hear what seemed to (Website hidden by Airbnb) As I removed my earphones and looked about the cabin, I was astonished to observe that probably two-thirds of the passengers had their phones held high and in unison were singing to a YouTube video. I inquired of my seatmate what they were (Website hidden by Airbnb) was Marc Anthony’s “Preciosa” (translation: Precious), a Puerto Rican anthem about the beauty of Puerto Rico, the specialness of its culture, and the love it’s people have for their Enchanted Island. It was then that I learned the Puerto Ricans were not applauding a safe flight...they were expressing happiness at being back in Puerto Rico! I can not imagine a better or more moving “Welcome to Your New Home”, nor will I ever forget it. Anyway, if you choose to stay at Latitud 18 in Rincon for your vacation, you will find this corner of paradise has everything to offer: great beaches, good restaurants, beautiful mountains with passable roads, awesome diving and snorkeling, (Website hidden by Airbnb) many great things to do and see that a week will definitely leave you hungry to come back for more! But in addition to all of that, Rincon has an extraordinarily laid-back surfer/hippy type vibe to it that I don’t think you can find anywhere else; to me, it’s the special sauce that puts Rincon over the top. A note about the location of Latitud 18: if you’re looking for a place that’s right in the middle of all the action with the sounds of people partying hardy throughout the night, then Latitud 18 is probably not your best choice. Although less than a 10-minute drive to the heart of all the action, what it offers is different...a stunningly gorgeous private retreat directly on the ocean, with all the majestic colors of both sunrises and sunsets due to its southern exposure, professionally cleaned before each guest arrival (it cost me more than the $69 cleaning fee that is included in your booking), a view from your deck of pelicans diving for fish that are so close it seems like you could reach out and touch them, and the constant soothing sounds of a gentle surf....then Latitud 18 is exactly what you’re looking for! Most people flying into Puerto Rico fly into San Juan (SJU) because of the large number of direct flights from the Eastern US; it’s typically a 2.5 hour drive from SJU to here, but will be more like 2 hours or less if you arrive after 7 PM. There is a closer international airport in Aquadilla (BQN) that is only 30 minutes from here, but it doesn’t have anywhere near the number of flights that SJU offers; it’s worth checking to see if that works for you. I hope I’ve answered your questions; if you think of anything else you’d like to know, please don’t hesitate to ask. Best regards, Bill