The Castle of Rincon has been built on the top of a private mountain overlooking the Puerto Rican surf town. The basic design has been inspired by medieval castles but at the same time a lot of modern design elements have been incorporated on the lines of William Randolph Hearst’s San Simeon estate. Spread over 55 acres the estate is popularly known as ‘the J-Lo Castle’ among the local residents. The owner Gary Hellings is a 40 year construction veteran and had built it after purchasing the Palatine Hill in western Puerto Rico. Gary built his dream house with the design and amenities on the line of a high-tech private lair of a super villain. Despite its medieval design it is modern and luxurious.
The Castle with a Medieval Design and Modern Amenities
The 10,000 sq ft estate has been listed for an asking price of $4.8 million and Nicole Travis of Texas Realty Select is handling the sale of the property. The estate with a fortress in the middle was built over four years with predominantly Caribbean building materials. Hellings has incorporated medieval amenities and Corinthian columns in the main house to capture the spirit of Knights of the Round Table. Hellings and his wife who spend six to eight months on the island property want to downsize and that’s why have listed the property. He has plans of building a smaller version with relatively lesser amenities.
The Castle with a Roof Top Observation Deck
The listed castle features four bedrooms, five bathrooms, two kitchens, a library, and a great multi utility room which boasts of a wood-paneled ceiling and has a seating capacity for 100 guests. The highlight of the castle is the rooftop observation deck. There is a glass elevator to take you there or if you like climbing stairs to keep fit then there is a floating spiral staircase to access it. The exterior of the house has a series of balconies. Most of the doors opening outside are sliding and catch the fresh mountain breeze. The deck on top features a saline pool with spa, a wet bar, and a changing area with bathroom and laundry facility. The castle is being sold with its custom made furniture. The buyer is sure to love the armored knights. The handling agency is targeting both the US mainland as well as international buyers.
The Castle that Uses Green Energy
Apart from the main building, the gated compound has other buildings including a guest house. The estate has a three car garage, a wine cellar, a carriage house and a “barnâ€. Now you can even find apartments with helipad and this estate also boasts of a helicopter landing pad but the current owners use it mostly for meals, as it offers views of the entire valley and beachfront below. The castle has been built to be self sufficient. It boasts of wind turbines, solar panels and a 30,000 gallon water reserve tank and because of its own systems the utility bill of the estate is as low as $75 per month. Puerto Rico’s real estate market had also gone down like the rest of the US but the prices have firmed up in the recent past and there is every reason to believe that the luxury property will soon find a buyer.
