House in Catalina Foothills, AZ
8 guests · 4 bedrooms · 4 baths
Reasons to book
Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating
Great for petsBring all your friends and family, even the furry ones
High-end valueWell priced for this area
About this house rental
Welcome to your home away from home in central tucson.
Our charming home is centrally located in Tucson, 10 minutes from the University of Arizona. It is entirely walled by a 7 foot fence and remote controlled entrance gates, offering a secluded and safe heaven in town.
Within the walls, our large magical desert garden has 3 majestic ancient saguaros, a variety of olive, citrus trees, and roses.
The porches give you plenty of spaces where you can gather, sit, relax, work, dine etc while watching our many birds's hotels and enjoying the mountain views.
At any moment, you can swim in the blue saguaro pool, or enjoy the jacuzzi! The large pool, big enough for laps, is designed to safety codes with surrounding fence and closing child-proof gate.
And all this is within minutes of supermarkets, best restaurants, downtown, U of A, racquet and gym club, golf courses.
In the house, you'll be able to enjoy the luxury memory foam beds designed for a perfect sleep, and a well supplied kitchen (We like to cook).
The property has a main house and a guest house.
The main house has two master bedrooms, each with a king bed and its own attached bathroom with shower. There is a smaller bedroom with a queen bed and closet with a near bathroom with shower off the living room. Each bedroom has its own door that opens on to the front or back garden.
The guest house has a king bed, living room with its own cable tv, outside sitting area, and kitchen (refrigerator and microwave and seating area). It has its own bathroom with shower.
The house sits on a little hill and is completely surrounded by a seven foot fence, so it floats somewhat above the neighbourhood and gives unobstructed views to the north and east of the nearby Catalina mountains and foothills. It gives a truly unique experience of an 'old Tucson' gem in northeast central Tucson with a feeling of security and privacy.
Sit on the front porch and enjoy the view of the Catalina Mountains, or take a dip in the luxurious stone-decked pool.
The giant saguaros, with their many birds and hummingbirds of all colors, are the main attraction of the garden (and one of the main reasons we bought the house!) They are ancient and majestic, and 200 years old plus. The saguaros and mediterranean trees, orange and lemon trees and roses invite birds of all sorts to this quiet natural sanctuary, where all the best Tucson attractions are at your fingertips. Bird seed provided and we encourage the guests to feed the birds.
There are various sitting areas around the property, including a sitting area in front of hand crafted cheminea for outside fires. Wood is provided juniper and white pine.
The pool and oversized jacuzzi can be heated upon request and subject to weather conditions for an additional charge. In the wintertime we advise just heating the jacuzzi. We stop heating the pool on November 1 through March 1 as the nighttime temps are often below 40 degrees, even though the days can be above 70 degrees! That's the desert. The charge to heat the jacuzzi is $40 per day, the pool $60 per day. These are billed as supplemental invoices after a booking is completed and are charged in advance.
The side patio has a Weber propane grill and bar/seating area for dinner parties.
300 channels of Cox-provided cable television, broadband WiFi throughout the property, and a CD/tape stereo are provided, along with a decent library of CD’s. There is a large private library stocked with a variety of nonfiction and fiction titles. Not to mention a sizeable collection of Betty and Veronica and Archie comic books for the young ones.
Nest thermostat controlled heating/air conditioning in the main house via a powerful Trane HVAC .
EV charging capability inside gates. 240v nema 14-50 outlet
The house was a ranch, constructed in the early 1940's, when this part of town was still completely undeveloped with giant saguaros and became part of an artist's colony.
As Tucson evolved, the artist's colony was subdivided, but this property remained a rare 2/3’s acre lot that preserves a secluded desert feel right in central Tucson !
We have kept the Tucson spirit alive in the house with antiques, art, and a garden that still has a wild character. Native creosote bushes abound on the property, which many developers used to just tear up. They are now protected and give the garden it's unique smell during rain.
Ideally located just minutes from the University of Arizona, La Paloma and Lowes Ventana golf courses, the Tucson Tennis and Racquet Club, Refkin Tennis Center, Gem Show and Spring Training venues, it is also close to some of the city’s best restaurants and shopping places.
Tucson is becoming a bike city, there are dedicated bike paths everywhere. The house is 5-10 minutes from the Riilto Wash bike path, the longest and most known bike path that cuts for 15 miles plus through the center of Tucson and then loops all the way around Tucson for serious bikers. We find biking on the streets around the house and over to the shopping/restaurants on Campbell very easy as the streets are unusually wide and have very little traffic. Its a 15-20 minute ride to the University of Arizona campus. A cyclist's paradise! Bike to the Riilto Park Saturday farmer's market or to the Roasting Sage Coffee shop (voted best in town!).
Select grocery shopping at the Rincon Market /AJ's/Trader Joe's and the city’s best farmers’ market at St. Phillips Plaza. The new (and massive!) Whole Foods at River and Craycroft is 15 minutes from the house, and also reachable by the Riilto bike path. Upscale dining options include Vivace, Hacienda del Sol (voted #1 in Tucson) and Acacia restaurant. And local favorite El Corral. Don't miss the antiques on Country club ..., and Sammy's Sonoran hot dog stand at Country Club and Grant.
Convenient, affordable, and accessible day care options within ten minutes of the address.
Night-life at the historic Hotel Congress, Rialto Theater and Centennial Hall’s fine arts performances will keep you more than entertained. When you’re ready for adventure, take a day trip to Mt. Lemmon, Sabino Canyon or Saguaro National Park.
You will love the confort, privacy, and charm of this wonderful Tucson vacation getaway.
Perfect for snowbirds, families with children, hikers, golfers..
Tucson, vacation, rental, vacation rental, arizona, house, private pool, garden, central Tucson, u of a, ua, charm, confort, family, private, luxury, near university of arizona
Our charming home is centrally located in Tucson, 10 minutes from the University of Arizona. It is entirely walled by a 7 foot fence and remote controlled entrance gates, offering a secluded and safe heaven in town.
Within the walls, our large magical desert garden has 3 majestic ancient saguaros, a variety of olive, citrus trees, and roses.
The porches give you plenty of spaces where you can gather, sit, relax, work, dine etc while watching our many birds's hotels and enjoying the mountain views.
At any moment, you can swim in the blue saguaro pool, or enjoy the jacuzzi! The large pool, big enough for laps, is designed to safety codes with surrounding fence and closing child-proof gate.
And all this is within minutes of supermarkets, best restaurants, downtown, U of A, racquet and gym club, golf courses.
In the house, you'll be able to enjoy the luxury memory foam beds designed for a perfect sleep, and a well supplied kitchen (We like to cook).
The property has a main house and a guest house.
The main house has two master bedrooms, each with a king bed and its own attached bathroom with shower. There is a smaller bedroom with a queen bed and closet with a near bathroom with shower off the living room. Each bedroom has its own door that opens on to the front or back garden.
The guest house has a king bed, living room with its own cable tv, outside sitting area, and kitchen (refrigerator and microwave and seating area). It has its own bathroom with shower.
The house sits on a little hill and is completely surrounded by a seven foot fence, so it floats somewhat above the neighbourhood and gives unobstructed views to the north and east of the nearby Catalina mountains and foothills. It gives a truly unique experience of an 'old Tucson' gem in northeast central Tucson with a feeling of security and privacy.
Sit on the front porch and enjoy the view of the Catalina Mountains, or take a dip in the luxurious stone-decked pool.
The giant saguaros, with their many birds and hummingbirds of all colors, are the main attraction of the garden (and one of the main reasons we bought the house!) They are ancient and majestic, and 200 years old plus. The saguaros and mediterranean trees, orange and lemon trees and roses invite birds of all sorts to this quiet natural sanctuary, where all the best Tucson attractions are at your fingertips. Bird seed provided and we encourage the guests to feed the birds.
There are various sitting areas around the property, including a sitting area in front of hand crafted cheminea for outside fires. Wood is provided juniper and white pine.
The pool and oversized jacuzzi can be heated upon request and subject to weather conditions for an additional charge. In the wintertime we advise just heating the jacuzzi. We stop heating the pool on November 1 through March 1 as the nighttime temps are often below 40 degrees, even though the days can be above 70 degrees! That's the desert. The charge to heat the jacuzzi is $40 per day, the pool $60 per day. These are billed as supplemental invoices after a booking is completed and are charged in advance.
The side patio has a Weber propane grill and bar/seating area for dinner parties.
300 channels of Cox-provided cable television, broadband WiFi throughout the property, and a CD/tape stereo are provided, along with a decent library of CD’s. There is a large private library stocked with a variety of nonfiction and fiction titles. Not to mention a sizeable collection of Betty and Veronica and Archie comic books for the young ones.
Nest thermostat controlled heating/air conditioning in the main house via a powerful Trane HVAC .
EV charging capability inside gates. 240v nema 14-50 outlet
The house was a ranch, constructed in the early 1940's, when this part of town was still completely undeveloped with giant saguaros and became part of an artist's colony.
As Tucson evolved, the artist's colony was subdivided, but this property remained a rare 2/3’s acre lot that preserves a secluded desert feel right in central Tucson !
We have kept the Tucson spirit alive in the house with antiques, art, and a garden that still has a wild character. Native creosote bushes abound on the property, which many developers used to just tear up. They are now protected and give the garden it's unique smell during rain.
Ideally located just minutes from the University of Arizona, La Paloma and Lowes Ventana golf courses, the Tucson Tennis and Racquet Club, Refkin Tennis Center, Gem Show and Spring Training venues, it is also close to some of the city’s best restaurants and shopping places.
Tucson is becoming a bike city, there are dedicated bike paths everywhere. The house is 5-10 minutes from the Riilto Wash bike path, the longest and most known bike path that cuts for 15 miles plus through the center of Tucson and then loops all the way around Tucson for serious bikers. We find biking on the streets around the house and over to the shopping/restaurants on Campbell very easy as the streets are unusually wide and have very little traffic. Its a 15-20 minute ride to the University of Arizona campus. A cyclist's paradise! Bike to the Riilto Park Saturday farmer's market or to the Roasting Sage Coffee shop (voted best in town!).
Select grocery shopping at the Rincon Market /AJ's/Trader Joe's and the city’s best farmers’ market at St. Phillips Plaza. The new (and massive!) Whole Foods at River and Craycroft is 15 minutes from the house, and also reachable by the Riilto bike path. Upscale dining options include Vivace, Hacienda del Sol (voted #1 in Tucson) and Acacia restaurant. And local favorite El Corral. Don't miss the antiques on Country club ..., and Sammy's Sonoran hot dog stand at Country Club and Grant.
Convenient, affordable, and accessible day care options within ten minutes of the address.
Night-life at the historic Hotel Congress, Rialto Theater and Centennial Hall’s fine arts performances will keep you more than entertained. When you’re ready for adventure, take a day trip to Mt. Lemmon, Sabino Canyon or Saguaro National Park.
You will love the confort, privacy, and charm of this wonderful Tucson vacation getaway.
Perfect for snowbirds, families with children, hikers, golfers..
Tucson, vacation, rental, vacation rental, arizona, house, private pool, garden, central Tucson, u of a, ua, charm, confort, family, private, luxury, near university of arizona
Amenities at Central home nested in magical garden near UofA with private pool&spa 4 BR/4BA
Non-smoking
Pets allowed
Family friendly
Map of Catalina Foothills, AZ
Ratings and reviews
10 / 10Outstanding·Apr 2026
Palo Verde has become our home away from home when we are in Tucson. This was our second extended stay and we have already booked it for two months next winter. This amazing hacienda style home, including the veranda, the grounds, the pool and spa, and the separate casita are like a small, private oasis in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Tucson. And like a step back in time, when life was simpler and peaceful.The owner Toby (living in Paris) and Tom, the property manager in Tucson are both a dream to work with, extremely responsive, helpful, and friendly.Our best VRBO experience ever!
10 / 10Outstanding·Feb 2026
Toby was extremely hospitable and responded to email promptly. By far the most comfortable I've been when staying away from home. Lovely home that has a lived-in feel with everything you could need for a weekend or a month-long stay. The gardens are wonderful. It was a little cold for the beautiful pool but the hot tub was a welcome retreat after a day of exploring.
10 / 10Outstanding·Feb 2026
Amazing house and gardens, perfect for what we needed, both owner and caretaker were excellent in communication and hospitality. Beautiful gardens and birds galore to watch!
6 / 10Average·Jan 2024
I thought the grounds were lovely, and the property is very conveniently located to many amenities. The hot tub is large, though when I stayed in December it took several hours to come up to temperature - completely understandable, but something to watch out for. The beds were quite comfortable, the kitchen was well stocked with tools and appliances (though no garbage bags that fit the kitchen can) and the house was decorated in a fun, eclectic style. It is a comfortable home.
There were some issues with our stay. On arriving, we were informed that the bathroom in the casita had no hot water (though I'm sure it will be fixed). The casita on the property also has no central heat (the host supplied us with a portable radiator which was limited in its usefulness). The wireless network for the house also does not reach the casita. This latter issue is completely understandable, but should have been communicated prior to booking or our stay.
Additionally, there was a rainstorm during our stay, and the ceiling in both the main house and the casita leaked filthy water in three of the four bedrooms. These leaks made one bedroom unusable for an evening as water was dripping on the bed. Was the rain storm unusual for Arizona? Absolutely. Do significant rain storms happen in Arizona on occasion? Absolutely.
The property owner agreed to offer a small refund for the inconveniences, which I appreciate.
$$$$
Top rated by guests
9.6Outstanding
(122 Ratings)
"Palo Verde has become our home away from home when we are in Tucson. This was our second extended stay and we have already booked it for two months next winter. This amazing hacienda style home, inclu..."
Betsy W.Don't miss out! Price and availability may change
