Hey- did we say RETREAT! There's plenty to do :


                                                         The local town is minimal- a corner store, school,
two soccer fields and a church. Ask the caretaker's wife about "TURNOS"- these are
community fairs or parties - there are always soccer games going on sometimes with food
vending to fundraise for the church or the school. Now and then a dance is a real hoot to go
to as they sure have fun and so can you. The farm grows coffee (there is coffee picking
Oct-Feb), bananas, platanos, pineapple, corn, and yuca (manioc). Lots of guavas and lemon
mandarines as the both grow like weeds. You can enter the forest across the road from the
main gate- ask the caretaker to help you at first. There's monkeys! but you have to get up
early in the morning to see animals usually and get lucky -this is not the nature channel- it's
the real thing. You can explore on horseback- and you can swim every day in the river if you
choose- it's clean and super picturesque with all the epiphytes and lianas. You have to hike
or drive down the hill - It's all on the farm - a kilometer and a half of river. There is a waterfall
up the same river you can tour to on foot or horseback-

Nearest big town is San Isidro de El General. It's a country cowboy style center with lots of
character, much slower, safer and old style Costa Rica than San Jose. Full services are
available however - supermarkets, even health foods, banking, internet access and post
office. Weekly vegetable and fruit market on Thursday pm and Friday am. (We also have
vegetable vendor coming by the farm.) Lots of restaurants with typical costa rican foods,
a good Mexican restaurant, some seafood and local fast food. The beach is down at
Dominical and Uvita- you will find a lot of foreigners there and more of a night scene if you
wish- with some accomodations. If you have a vehicle you can easily do day trips to the
beach. It's a beautiful hour and a half drive over the fabulous coastal mountain range.

Our place can be used as a home base for exploring Southern and middle Costa Rica:

* 2km from our house is the forest preserve of the world famous ornithologist Alexander
Skutch - author of The Birds of Costa Rica- go early in the morning

* Chirripo Mountain- a national park that is a huge Biosphere Preserve and includes one of the
highest peaks in Central America at 12,533 feet- access is through Rivas, PZ

* Primary forest hike in the hills behind the house, a vigorous hike with sensational views

* Cedral- a nearby town to the northeast has a gorgeous river and a high mountain
atmosphere. Look for Rigo Gamboa- he'll take you for a hike.

* Up the coast from Dominical you can stop at Matapalo (long beach!) and then on to
Quepos - this is by Manuel Antonio -a popular beach and national park- check your guide
book. The drive up the coastal highway is a real adventure- the road's not too bad- you go
through rice and oilpalm plantations and see alot of small towns and coastline the typical
visitor to Costa Rica never sees.

* In southern Costa Rica- you are 2 hour drive from WILSON BOTANICAL GARDENS
a must for plant lovers and others in San Vito.

The TICO TIMES is the weekly English language newspaper available in San Isidro
or see your guidebook for other destinations. See our links too