Costa Rica Guide - Paul Glassman

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Paul Glassman’s Costa Rica Guide
PASSPORT PRESS Eleventh Edition Copyright © 2003 by Paul Glassman

All rights reserved. The reproduction of any part of this book without the author’s written permission is strictly prohibited.

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9
The Central Valley

In almost every way, the Central Valley is the heart and soul of Costa Rica. Most of the population lives on this twenty-by-fifty mile plateau, bordered to the north by the Poás, Barva, Irazú and Turrialba volcanoes, and to the south by an older mountain ridge. Almost all of Costa Rica's industry, most of the all-important coffee crop, and much produce for home consumption come from here. Public administration, education and power generation are centered in this mini-state.

And as if all the facts about industry and agriculture and human resources were not sufficient for one small region, the Central Valley is blessed as well with more than its share of natural beauty: great slopes carpeted with coffee trees, and broken by waterfalls, rippling streams, and rivers of rapids; pine groves and pastures on rolling hills; rocky canyons and lakes; a climate as benign and temperate as any on earth, where almost anything will grow; slumbering volcanoes, their slopes carved into farms of neat squares; and small, well-built houses everywhere. It is as close to one's idealized vision of the "country" as one is likely to get.

And yet, hardly a part of the Central Valley is really rural. Paved highways reach almost every point, giant electricity pylons step across the landscape, rivers are dammed and harnessed at every edge of the plateau. A cement factory, a knitting mill, rise amid pastures and coffee. Town gives way to fields and then to village and fields and town, each settlement with its dominating church and flowered gardens.

Nevertheless, man and nature appear for all the world to live in beauteous harmony. All of man's intrusions might have been placed with a sense of how things look, how they interrelate, and how they are kept up. It is this machine-in-the-garden aspect of the Central Valley that is especially attractive, and unique in this part of the world.

Swissness

The Central Valley is the part of Costa Rica that sometimes is called the Switzerland of Central America. In fact, there is nothing Swiss about the climate, or the tin-roofed houses. The bare statistics of per-capita income would not earn the population a place at the lowest social rung of any Swiss settlement. Only contented cows munching in mountainside pastures present a roughly comparable vista. But in the apparent industriousness of the people, in their concentration and use of all resources at hand, in their general public orderliness, it could be said that the Swiss are somewhat reminiscent of the Costa Ricans of the Central Valley.

Not that all is sublime at the heart of Costa Rica. Aside from the economic shocks of recent times, there are natural shocks. Volcanoes erupt periodically and spew ashes, boulders and destruction. Earthquakes shake down houses and cathedrals. People, too, are not always kind to the land when they live so near one to another. A close look reveals that many a gurgling stream is off-color or slimy, and lined with trash. But by the standards of the region, and of many a more developed area, most things are well.

Volcanic Origins

The volcanoes of the Cordillera Central to the north are the source of the contours and the wealth of the Central Valley. Much of the land was shaped over many centuries, as volcanic ejecta and lava showered, washed down and oozed, to settle into two basins, separated by the low hills that lie between the present cities of Cartago and San José. The lava made for a natural fertility, renewed by periodic eruptions.

Pine forests dominated these basins for centuries. The Spaniards found the climate at altitudes of 900 to 1500 meters ideal for subsistence agriculture, if not for wealth-producing plantation crops, and began to cut back the natural cover. Coffee trees, of course, came eventually to be the main vegetation in the valley, complemented, according to slight differences in altitude, by sugarcane, corn, and pasture. Coffee is now to Costa Rica what citrus fruit is to Israel. Yields per acre and caffeine content are among the highest in the world.

Coffee trees are what visitors will see most as they tour the Central Valley, but how these are seen depends on the time of year. Always the trees are shiny-leafed, crowded, and usually pampered in the shade of larger trees. Shortly into the rainy season, they glisten with moisture. Dozens of delicate, white-fingered blossoms erupt on each branch, then shower down. For most of the growing season the berry (cereza, or "cherry") is green, turning red and finally to oxblood when ready for picking.

The rains are mostly over when the armies of coffee pickers enter the dusty fields, wrapped like beekeepers in heavy shirts and leggings and rubber boots against the abrasions of dense branches. The coffee harvest is a fabled time of hard work, crucial to the well-being of the nation, and the president himself hands out awards to the best workers. Ripe berries are selected by hand, dumped from baskets to carts, and hurried to the mills where simple machines scrape off their outer hulls. The slime that coats the beans is soaked away by a day of fermenting, then the beans are spread, sun-dried during the day on concrete platforms, and mounded and covered by night. A second skin is rubbed off, the beans are sorted and polished, and a government agency supervises the orderly marketing of the crop. Harvest time is when the plantations are busiest, but throughout the year, workers plant and prune and clear and fertilize and otherwise tend the trees.

The relatively advanced development of the Central Valley makes it easy for the visitor to explore. Roads go everywhere, and on most of them, buses both comfortable and frequent. Good hotels and restaurants are not part of the valley's blessings, though there are some establishments worthy of recommendation; and no place is far from the haven of San José.

CARTAGO

Population: 35,000; Altitude: 1450 meters (4756 feet); 23 kilometers from San José.

Defeated in their attempts to found viable settlements in the merciless lowlands, the early Spanish settlers of Costa Rica turned their attention to the temperate uplands. In 1564, Juan Vásquez de Coronado, the Spanish governor, was able to write to the king: "I have never seen a more beautiful valley, and I laid out a city between two rivers. I named the city Cartago, because this province also bears that name."

The Guarco valley, where the new head settlement was sited, had abundant water, fertile earth, and a population of a few thousand who were less hostile to Vásquez than the natives of the coast had been to his more belligerent predecessors. While the colonists did not succeed in establishing full dominion over the colony from their new highland base, nor in subjecting native peoples to labor on vast plantations of export crops, they at least were able to till subsistence crops and hold their own. In and around Cartago, which remained little more than an impoverished village for many years, was Costa Rica born and shaped.

Cartago lost its central position toward the end of the colonial period, as Costa Rica achieved a rough prosperity and settlement pushed westward in the Central Valley. The relative decline of the city was affirmed shortly after independence, when the capital was moved to San José.

Costa Rica's old capital is today not at all colonial in flavor. Virtually all structures of the pre-independence period were damaged or destroyed by a string of natural disasters: earthquakes in 1841 and 1910, and intermittent rains of ash and debris from the always-threatening volcano Irazú that looms over the city to the north.

A Religious Capital

But despite its political decline, Cartago remains a religious capital. Ten blocks east of the main square is the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles (Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels), with its six-inch-high black statue of the Virgin, the object of special devotion on August 2, and of pilgrimages throughout the year.

According to tradition, the little statue was discovered on the outskirts of Cartago on August 2, 1635, by a girl named Juana Pereira. It was twice removed and placed in a box, and each time miraculously reappeared in its original location. Yielding to divine will so clearly expressed, the ecclesiastical authorities decided to build a church where the Virgin had been found. The statuette twice was stolen from its shrine, in 1824 and 1950, but each time was returned. The original church was damaged in the 1920 earthquake, and the present basilica dates from 1926.

That is the religious background, which is considerably more impressive than the structure itself. The basilica stands out as an agglomeration of confused styles, roughly Byzantine at the front, with a motley collection of angels grafted on, domes bubbling overhead, barren, gray stone blocks forming the sides and rear. It is as if the officials of the Church realized that they had to do something for their Virgin, but, having abandoned colonial and native artistic traditions, found themselves at a loss as to how to go about it.

The interior of the basilica is no better. Vaults and columns painted in splotches of green and brown and glittering silver defocus one's attention from the altar.

The shrine of La Negrita, as the statue is familiarly called, is below ground level. Nearby is a room full of discarded crutches, and miniature gold and silver hands, legs, arms, and assorted other parts of the body, all testifying to the healing powers of the Virgin and of the waters that flow from the spring under her shrine.

Back at the center of Cartago are the more esthetically pleasing ruins of the Church of the Convent (Iglesia del Convento, or, more simply, Las Ruinas). Only the massive, moss-encrusted stone-block walls remain of this colonial structure, with their simple, pleasing, Moorish-Spanish contours. The roof fell in during the 1910 earthquake, after the structure had been damaged in previous tremors, and the church was abandoned. The walls now enclose a gardened space, where bougainvillea, pines and a lovely pond attract a variety of birds. The cobbled section of street in front of the church adds to the atmosphere.

Getting There

Buses for Cartago leave from Calle 5, Avenidas 4/6, San José, about every ten minutes from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Trains for Cartago leave from the San José station (Atlántico) during the week at 5:30 a.m., 1:45 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., return at 6:45 a.m., 2:50 p.m. and 6:35 p.m. On Sunday, trains leave San José at 9 a.m., 10:20 a.m. and 12:40 p.m., return at 9:10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Aside from its religious structures, Cartago is on the routes to the Irazú volcano and the Orosi valley, and many day tours make a brief stop in town.

What to Expect

Do not try to stay overnight in Cartago! All the hotels, clustered a block up from the market, across the railroad tracks, are fleabag, noisy dives of the worst sort. (I know!)

The food situation is mildly brighter. There are numerous modest sodas and restaurants around, including one behind the basilica, and fast-food outlets in the center of town.

IRAZU VOLCANO

At 3432 meters (11,260 feet), Irazú is the highest volcano in Costa Rica. It is also one of the most active, and certainly the most feared, a rumbling presence, continually steaming, boiling and fuming, that has practically destroyed the city of Cartago on more than one occasion, and played continuing havoc with the lives of farmers who till the soil and raise livestock on its slopes. But paradoxically, the volcano is also a benefactor. Its ash renews the richness of the soil, even while it blocks water pipes and roads.

Irazú's most recent active cycle started with a bang on March 13, 1963, when boulders and ash began to rain down on homes and farms near the volcano's peak. Over a two-year period, rivers in the vicinity of Cartago were dammed and the city flooded; corrosive ash fell like a gray snowstorm over San José, damaging water pumps, home furnishings, and many a respiratory system. Dairy production plummeted as pastures were seared or covered over, and output of coffee and vegetables likewise fell. With help from abroad, dikes were hurriedly constructed to divert deviant waters from doing further damage, and the millions of tons of ash were swept up, and carted away. Irazú's peak assumed a new form as part of the mountain collapsed into the space vacated by magma. Even today, spurts of sulphurous smoke, steam and water are part of a continuing reformation and growth of the mountain.

The distinction of Irazú among volcanoes in the modern world is that is one of the few semi-active ones that can easily be viewed up close. A paved highway climbs right to the peak, which is protected as a national park. If you happen to ascend when the peak is free of clouds—a near impossibility during the rainy season, and an uncertain condition even in dry times—you'll be rewarded with views to both oceans, or at least to a good part of the country.

How to Get There

Get an early start! Aside from the unique experience of ascending a volcano, you'll want to beat the clouds to the peak in order to get an ocean-to-ocean view.

Public buses for Irazú leave on Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 a.m. from Avenida 2, Calles 1/3, San José (near the Gran Hotel); they make a stop in front of the ruined church in Cartago a half hour later. Fare is about $4. Call 251-9795 to check the schedule.

On other days, you can catch a bus in Cartago alongside the Ruinas church for Tierra Blanca, on the volcano's slopes and hike the rest of the way—a strenuous effort in the thin air—or else look for a taxi at the end of the line. Otherwise, go in a rented car, on a tour, or in a taxi from Cartago. The crater is 32 kilometers from Cartago, or 54 kilometers from San José, and the route is well marked. There's a nominal admission charge to the volcano, usually collected only at busy times.

What to Take

Visitors to Irazú should be prepared with warm clothing. A couple of sweaters will do, though a down ski jacket would not be too much. Rain gear will help even during the dry season, when wind-borne moisture will sting the skin.

On Your Way Up

The ride up Irazú proceeds slowly, through pastures and corn fields. Past the town of Cot, the air becomes increasingly windy and cold, and the trees more twisted. On the cool, ash-fertilized slopes, potatoes are the main crop, along with carrots and onions. And there are many dairy farms, all now recovered from the 1963-65 calamities, and awaiting the next ones.

Sites on the way up Irazú include the neat farming villages of Potrero Cerrado and Tierra Blanca, each dominated by a church; a pair of miradores, or lookout points, furnished with concrete picnic stools, and a rambling old white, tile-roofed sanatorium.

Past the sanatorium, a trail leads to the Prusia Forestry Reserve on the western slopes, an area that was replanted after it was turned into a desert in the 1963 eruption. Hiking trails, campsites and picnicking facilities are available. Common trees are pine, alder and eucalyptus. There is also an unusual mushroom forest, where some species grow up to a foot across.

About 20 kilometers out of Cartago, and 12 kilometers from the crater, is a run-down hotel.

At the Top

Over the last few kilometers of the ascent, the face of the mountain changes dramatically, from green pasture to oak forest laden with epiphytes at the park boundary, then to a seared, boulder-strewn primeval surface of ash and bare soil where wind-beaten ferns and shrubs maintain a tenuous hold. Around the next turn, one half expects to encounter a herd of dinosaurs poking their heads through the mist. Charred tree trunks stand as monuments to the last period of intense activity, while a few younger saplings take root for what will probably be an abbreviated life in the severe surroundings.

Once atop Irazú, you can examine a small exhibit on geysers, fumaroles, mudpots, ash, and other forms and evidence of volcanic activity. Slog through the ash and view the craters—slowly. The air at this altitude is short of oxygen, and you will be short of breath, as well as buffeted by wind and mist. The Diego de la Haya crater contains a lake, tinted to a rusty hue by dissolved minerals. The main, western crater, which swallowed up several earlier craters, currently shows virtually no activity or gas emissions. There are active fumaroles on the northwestern slope. Much of this, it bears emphasizing, will not be visible because of the clouds that shroud the peak even during much of the dry season. But even when the top of Irazú is clouded over, a few minutes of exposure to the nasty environment and a glimpse of the fantasy-world landscape will be long remembered.

Avoid the area on the side of the main crater opposite the parking lot.

THE OROSI VALLEY

East of Cartago is the well-traveled scenic circuit through the Orosi Valley. The route covers only about 55 kilometers from Cartago, easily driven at a leisurely pace in a couple of hours. Bus travel requires some backtracking, but a trip to the halfway point will give you more than half the available pleasure.

Orchids

About seven kilometers east of Cartago is the Lankester Botanical Garden (Jardín Lankester) of the University of Costa Rica. Take the Paraíso bus from Cartago's main square, or drive, from Cartago to the Ricalit roofing factory (on the left), then continue one-half kilometer down the side road to the south, to the entrance.

The Lankester Garden is most famed for its orchid collection (said to be showiest in March and April), the largest of its kind in the world, begun as a private effort by Charles (Carlos) Lankester, a native of England. But there is much, much more in this well-planned wonderland: bromeliads and other epiphytes, acres and acres of transplanted hardwoods, fruit trees, bamboo groves, cacti, medicinal aloe plants, dreamy and deadly nightshade, and many others. Species are identified only by Latin tags, but you'll recognize some as house plants, especially in the more jungly areas, where ponds are crossed with the aid of bridges made from vines. One large section has been left untended to grow back to native forest.

Guided walks through the gardens are offered on the half hour from 8:30 a.m. to about 2:30 p.m. daily. You can wander through at other times, but you'll be assigned an employee as a tail to make sure that you stick to the brick path and don't pick anything. Admission is about $1.

To continue your trip without a car, go back to the highway and pick up a bus marked "Orosi."

Views

A couple of kilometers past Paraíso on the road to the south is a mirador, or lookout point. Take advantage of it if you can for 20-mile views down into the great Orosi valley, carpeted with pasture, sugarcane, and, of course, dark green coffee forest. The Río Grande de Orosi snakes along at the bottom and joins lesser streams to form the Río Reventazón—the Foaming River. The town of Orosi can be picked out, along with smaller clusters of houses and ranches and coffee plantation centers on hillsides and in the lesser valleys spreading out in all directions, as clearly as if you were flying overhead. In the distance is the very end of Lake Cachí. This is surely one of the most spectacular views in a country of spectacular views, superior in clarity to any road map.

The lookout point is a garden with manicured pines, hedge cedars, bougainvilleas, and picnicking and play areas and shelters. Even if you're travelling by bus, it's a good place to stop with a box lunch. Or you can pick up snacks at the adjacent stand.

Lookout Lodgings

Just before the lookout point, modest accommodations are available, all affording outstanding vistas down into the Orosi valley.

The bed-and-breakfast of the Teutol family, tel. 574-7632, has three rooms with warm quilts, at about $15 per person. English, Spanish and German are all spoken fluently.

Sanchirí Lodge, tel. and fax 573-3068, 800 meters off the road, charges $50 with breakfast for up to three persons in rustic woodsy cabins, each with a balcony on the edge of a precipice, and a bathroom below lined with sheet stone quarried on the site. The restaurant serves olla de carne, picadillo, mondongo, and other country specialties for about $5.

Orosi

After the lookout point, the road twists and descends into the valley, and finally straightens and runs flat along the river, through coffee groves to the garden town of Orosi, in colonial times a village where Indians were forcibly settled. Here is a lovely restored church dating from the mid-eighteenth century, with brightly whitewashed walls and red tile roof. In violation of all tradition, the main door faces eastward, rather than to the west. The church houses a small collection of religious art. There are hot springs at the edge of town, but you can safely save your swimming for later.

Coffee Tours

Orosi Coffee Adventure offers daily tours at the Renex plantation and mill tours (on the main road, past the village), at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The fee is $16 with lunch, $12 with a snack only, and, according to when you visit during the year, you can see the picking, washing, repeated peeling, fermenting, washing, drying, and sorting of the famous bean before packing for export.

For information, contact Aventuras Turísticas de Orosi, tel. 573-3030.

Tapantí National Park

A branch road two kilometers from Orosi passes the Río Macho hydroelectric works, and winds ten kilometers up yet another beautiful valley to Tapantí National Park, accessible only in your own vehicle or on foot. There are nature trails a kilometer past the entry point (you pay a small fee), with plants well marked with their names, and explanations of their roles in forest life. Signs point the way to a bouldery wading area in the rushing Río Macho, which is known as a good trout stream. Three kilometers past the hiking area is a lookout point, which offers prime views to a chute of water, and down the valley, but as vistas go in Costa Rica, this one is not of national standing.

Park Lodging

A youth-hostel-type shelter, with mattresses only, is available to visitors for a small fee. Call 233-4160 and ask for a radio patch to Tapantí if you wish to reserve a space.

Cabinas Kiri, just before the entry to the park and 300 meters off the access road, has four guest rooms in two cabins, at about $39 per person with three meals. You can also stop here just for a meal or drink.

Palomo

Past the suspension bridge two kilometers from Orosi (or adjacent, by a shaky footbridge that avoids a road loop) is Palomo.

Right at the end of the bridge, without an identifying sign, is the Motel Río (or Palomo Resort), which has an oversized swimming pool overlooking the Reventazón, open to non-guests at a small charge. The pleasant, cane-ceilinged pavilion dining room is best known for its river fish, and also serves steaks. Main courses cost about $5. You can phone or fax the motel at 573-3057 to reserve for a night in the country. The seven units are not luxurious, but they're quite large—some have kitchens—and the rush of the river by your door is soothing. At about $40 double, they're a good value, indeed. If the car gate is closed when you arrive, walk in and look for the caretaker. Dinner is served by reservation only.

Most buses to Orosi end their run near the Motel Río. Without a car, you can walk or hitch a ride toward the Cachí Dam, or backtrack to Cartago to pick up a bus to Cachí, through Ujarrás.

Cachí Dam

Continuing by car (or tour bus), you'll proceed about eight kilometers past the spur for the village of Cachí.

Along the way is Casa del Soñador (House of the Dreamer), the fanciful bamboo-panelled house of woodcarver Macedonio Quesada. Statues of town gossips, worked in coffee root, stare at curious passersby from the windows. Inside is a trove of folkware and pre-Columbian pieces; adjoining is a studio used by the artist's son, Hermes.

Onward is the Cachí Dam, one of the larger hydroelectric projects of the Central Valley. The dam is encrusted with lilies on one side; a trickle of water spills downstream into a great chasm on the other.

The Ujarrás Mission

Past the dam, a kilometer and a half to the west down a side road, at Ujarrás, are the remains of a Spanish mission, one of the first churches in colonial Costa Rica. According to tradition, a humble Huetar Indian fished a box from the river and carried it to Ujarrás, from where it could not be budged. When opened, it was found to contain an image of the Virgin. A church was built on the site, in about 1560. A few years later, when the British pirates Mansfield and Morgan landed at Portete, a force was hastily organized to expel the invaders. After a prayer stop at Ujarrás, the defenders marched to the Caribbean, where they defeated the superior English force. The victory was attributed to the Virgin of Ujarrás. The church was later abandoned after a series of earthquakes and floods, and the image, now less recalcitrant, was taken to Paraíso. But the ruins, in a manicured park, remain a pleasing sight. They are the locale of an annual tribute to the Virgin in mid-March.

Charrara Park

Charrara recreation area, two kilometers from the main road down a spur from the road to Ujarrás, is something like a lakeside state or provincial park, with swimming area, basketball court, changing rooms, and a restaurant. It's well-kept and pleasant enough. Closed on Mondays, small admission fee.

More Views

The last stopping point on the Orosi circuit is the Ujarrás lookout point, high above the valley, where the highway curves back to the west, toward Paraíso (six kilometers from the Charrara turnoff) and Cartago. Take a good look before you leave the scenery behind.

West of San José

HEREDIA

Population: 35,000; Altitude: 1152 meters (3779 feet);
11 kilometers from San José.

Founded in 1706 at the foot of the extinct Barva volcano by migrants from Cartago, Heredia is a short commute from San José. One of Costa Rica's largest coffee mills is on the outskirts; the National University is located here; and there are some impressive mansions on the western side of town. But most of the population is working-class, and the central area has a down-at-the-heels air.

Nevertheless, there are some architectural gems in Heredia. The main church on the central park, dating from 1797, is one of the few in Costa Rica that survive from the colonial period. With massive walls of stuccoed stone blocks stained brown and black and overgrown with moss, a triangular pediment, and an almost separate, squat bell tower, it is a near-perfect example of the public architectural style of the last years of Spanish rule. The low contours were meant to resist earthquakes, or at least control damage from vibrating, toppling towers and walls. The church is also one of the more atmospheric buildings in Costa Rica, without excessive restoration and sprucing up.

Set back from the north side of the park is El Fortín, the old Spanish fortress tower that is the symbol of Heredia. With gun slits that widen to the exterior, in defiance of standard military architecture, El Fortín stands as an unintended symbol of Costa Rica's non-belligerent nature. A number of other buildings on the square have a colonial air, with colonnades and aging tile roofs.

One last item to see in Heredia is an art deco church on the secondary square at Calle 6 and Avenida 8. It's homely, but cute in its way.

Getting to Heredia

While Heredia's attractions are not to everybody's taste, the town is on the way to Alajuela and the Barva and Poás volcanoes. Do stop by if you have the time. Microbuses for Heredia leave from Calle 1, Avenidas 7/9, San José. Bus service is also available from Alajuela.

Trains for Heredia leave from the San Pedro-University of Costa Rica station Monday through Friday at 5:45 a.m., 6:30 a.m., noon, and 5:15 p.m., returning at 6:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday departures are at 10 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and noon, returning at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Staying in Heredia

Heredia has some of the advantages of suburban Escazú as a place in which to stay: a scarcity of traffic, slower pace of life than that of San José, a butcher and baker and corner store wherever you turn so that you can practice your Spanish. It's more middle class to working class than other suburbs and nearby towns, so if that suits you ideologically and esthetically, you'll try one of the lodging houses that you walk by. A newer establishment is Hotel America (P. O. Box 1740-3000, tel. 260-9292, fax 260-9293), with 40 rooms near the center of town and a rate of about $$35 double and airport pickup available.

Near Heredia

In San Pedro de Barva is a museum dedicated to everything that has to do with coffee. An assortment of specialized equipment is on display, some of it dating back to the last century. The museum, four blocks north of the church, is open weekdays until 3 p.m.

The bus for San Pedro de Barva leaves from Avenida 1, Calles 1/3, Heredia.

Barva, a couple of kilometers north of Heredia, is a standard Central Valley town, but for the low, thick-walled buildings with red tiled roofs that line the grassy square. It's not really colonial—the church is baroque nineteenth-century—but it's enough to make you think you're in some less-advantaged part of Central America.

The bus for Barva runs from Calle 1, Avenidas 1/3, Heredia.

In San Joaquín de las Flores, on the way to Santa Bárbara, is Butterfly Paradise, one of several exhibition areas of this sort that have opened in Costa Rica in the last few years. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. For information, call 212015 or 241095.

Hill Resorts

North and east of Heredia are suburban villages and private and public forests that are a weekend resort area for the capital. Roads are poorly marked. If you're driving, stop and ask for directions at every church.

San Isidro de Heredia has a large, impressive, country-Gothic church. The village is most easily reached by a turnoff to the west from the expressway to Limón. (This is not San Isidro de Coronado, which is east of the highway).

Directly north of San Rafael de Heredia, a cedar-lined road climbs the slopes of Barva volcano, through pastures broken by streams rushing down over falls. If you have a rented car, it's pleasant to poke around the byways of the area, though some, such as that leading to the Bosque de la Hoja Park, are suitable only for four-wheel-drive. Near Bosque de la Hoja is a miniature working railroad, open on weekends.

Monte de la Cruz park, high up, offers from its concrete cross, for a small fee, magnificent views over rolling pasture and beyond a screen of pines to the city of San José and the Central Valley stretching out below. Behind are duck ponds, and above, gnarled and mossy bromeliad-laden oaks. There are picnic tables; or, you can stop at an inelegant but reasonably priced restaurant, which offers the same great vistas through its picture windows, and shelter from the continuous winds as well. Up here on the edge of the volcanic divide, rain clouds can blow through at any time of the year.

Where to Stay

On another road branching from the Monte de la Cruz road is Hotel El Tirol, a Tyrolean-style hotel in a private forest, where you can spend the night or stop for an excellent meal. Farther west on the slopes of Barva, on the narrow, paved road that winds from the village of San José de la Montaña down to Birrí, are three more hotels that take advantage of the broad views and fresh mountain air. (These are all described at the end of this chapter.)

BRAULIO CARRILLO NATIONAL PARK

Farther north from Heredia is Braulio Carrillo National Park, which takes in the extinct Barva and Cacho Negro volcanoes. The park was established to protect the flora and fauna along the highway to Guápiles and Limón, in the Caribbean region.

Carrillo Park, which varies in altitude from 500 to 2906 meters (9534 feet, the peak of Barva volcano), encompasses tropical wet forest, premontane wet forest, and montane wet forest, or cloud forest. All that "wet" means that branches are laden with orchids, bromeliads and mosses, while ferns, shrubs and much else compete with trees for floor space. On the Atlantic slope are numerous waterfalls and pools. Strong winds blow through, between the Irazú and Barva volcanoes.

Common animals in Carrillo Park include foxes, coyotes, white-faced, spider and howler monkeys, ocelots, sloths, and several species of poisonous snakes. More than 500 bird species have been catalogued, including the uncommon quetzal, the long-tailed symbol of liberty whose feathers were treasured in ancient Mesoamerica. Spottings of the quetzal are usually made in the forest atop Barva.

Access Points

One entry point is 20 kilometers from Heredia, reached via a road through San José de la Montaña, and the horse country and oak forest beyond. This route will take you to the crater lake atop Barva Volcano (see below).

The toll road to the lowlands ("Autopista a Limón") runs right through the saddle between the Barva and Irazú volcanoes, roughly following a historic cart road that connected San José with the railhead at Carrillo, before the line from Limón to San José was completed. The eerie roadside vegetation is untouched by farmers, in contrast to readily accessible terrain everywhere else in the country. The winding highway, fog, and heavy traffic make it unwise to stop just anywhere along this route, though there are some sections of the park partially developed for visitors.

Buses for Guápiles will drop you at the ranger station near the entrance to the Zurquí tunnel. Departures are about every half hour from Calle 12, Avenidas 7/9, San José.

The Alto de la Palma entrance, north of Moravia, has been closed to visitors because of landslides and preservation work on the old cart road. Inquire at the park service as to current conditions.

BARVA VOLCANO

Barva (2906 meters) presents a different aspect from the other major volcanoes of the Central Valley, Irazú and Poás. Its peak is lower than that of its neighbors, and forested. The top is reached by a trail, so it doesn't constitute an "attraction" for groups on tour buses. Views from the top are limited. But the cloud forest is fascinating, and with a start by car or by public transportation, Barva can be visited on a day outing from San José.

The narrow road through San José de la Montaña, winding up Barva's flanks through horse-grazing pastures and oak forest, is paved as far as Sacramento, and passable beyond with four-wheel drive. If you've come by car, park and lock at this point, or as far beyond Sacramento as you can go. Three kilometers beyond the end of the pavement is a ranger station, at the boundary of Braulio Carrillo Park. Official hours here are from 8 a.m. or 4 p.m.

Ascending Barva

A muddy jeep trail (used only by official vehicles) ascends from the ranger post through dense, moss-laden high cloud forest, then narrows and descends to the lake in Barva's crater. Once you reach the shore, you can continue for another 200 meters or so, via a more difficult and squishy trail, to a lookout point at a higher elevation, though it is usually fogged in. At a steady pace, you can reach the lake from the ranger station in under an hour, and return—mostly downhill—in about a half-hour.

By public transportation, take a Paso Llano bus from Heredia (6:30 or 11:30 a.m.), get off as far as it goes toward Sacramento, and start walking. From here, it's about two hours or more to the peak. Later buses go only as far as San José de la Montaña, adding still another hour to your walk, through beautiful forest and past small dairy farms, but along a paved road, and not very adventurous. Confirm bus hours, and current rules concerning camping, with the park service at the zoo in San José before you go.

ALAJUELA

Population: 51,000; Altitude: 941 meters (3087 feet); 23 kilometers from San José

Located just a short ride west of the capital, Alajuela ("a-la-HWEH-la") is Costa Rica's second city, founded late in the colonial period, in 1790. Bustling, with a climate warmer than San José's, Alajuela is an important cattle marketing and sugar-processing center, and, increasingly, a site for small manufacturing industries. The denizens of the town are famously good humored, and well they might be, for Alajuela is the most pleasant of the provincial capitals, a place where lingering around the square is the chief diversion, and a recommendable one.

Alajuela's main claim to fame is as the birthplace of Juan Santamaría, the drummer boy who set fire to the headquarters of the American adventurer William Walker in 1857, thus helping to bring about the defeat of the filibuster forces that had taken control of Nicaragua.

Getting to Alajuela

The city is just a short hop from San José. If you're driving, take the Cañas highway (Autopista General Cañas, or simply "la pista"). The turnoff for Alajuela is near the airport.

Buses leave from Avenida 2, Calles 10/12, San José, every 15 minutes or so until about midnight, then every hour on the hour. The bus terminal in Alajuela is at Calle 8, Avenidas Central/1, three blocks west of the square. Microbuses leave as well from Avenida 4, Calles 2/4 for San José.

ACCOMMODATIONS

The Hotel Alajuela, Calle 2, Avenidas Central/2 (P.O. Box 110, tel. 441-1241, fax 441-7912), a half-block from the square, $32 single/$40 double, is a fairly clean, homey, and relatively modern establishment, with 32 modest rooms. Rooms on the street side can be quite noisy. There are few decent hotels in downtown Alajuela, and only 20 rooms in this one, so call before you come. (Hint: Alajuela is only a half-hour from San José by frequent bus and microbus.)

On the edge of town, Apartotel El Erizo (P. O. Box 61-4050 Alajuela, tel. and fax 441-2840), ten blocks west of the square along Avenida 1, at the Lucky Strike sign, has 11 harshly furnished garden apartments in a stuccoed block, with cooking and laundry facilities, as well as phones and televisions. The gardens are pleasant, anyway. The rate is $60 daily, and each sleeps three or four persons.

Hostal Villa Real, tel. 441-4856, two blocks north and one block east of the church, is a bare-bones traditional wooden house, clean and adequate, operated as a lodging place by enthusiastic young people. There are five rooms sharing bath at $15 or under per person. Tell Flavio that I sent you.

There are a few enjoyable restaurants in Alajuela. The menu of Joey's, a drinking and eating spot open to the square, decorated with garish winking light strings, interleaves French toast, hamburgers and fries, chef's salad, filet mignon and sea bass with Pittsburgh, Durango, Costa Rica, and other elements in the life of the proprietor. About $6 to $8 for a meal. Joey's doubles as a travel agency and home-away-from-home for wanderers.

Marisquería La Sirenita, on the south side of the main square near the church, serves inexpensive seafood. With harsh fluorescent lighting and minor nautical decor, you won't come for the atmosphere. But the sea bass in a tomato-and-herb sauce is excellent for a couple of dollars or so, and you can order shrimp by size without breaking your budget.

The Cencerro ("the cowbell"), upstairs on Avenida Central, facing the park, serves charcoal-broiled steaks and fish and chicken dishes. $8 and up.

For more home-style cooking, try La Jarra, at Calle 2 and Avenida 2, a block south from the square and upstairs, with many windows to catch the breeze. Scores of potted plants decorate the large room, and there are a few balcony tables. About $6 for a full meal, $3 for the daily luncheon special, sandwiches for less.

Las Cocinas de Leña, Calle 2, Avenida 6 (three blocks from the square along the same street as the Hotel Alajuela) is an unpretentious Tico-style bar and grill with Formica tables and varnished walls. Mexican and Tico snacks—nachos, chalupas—and grilled steaks and fish go for $4 and $5. Live music on weekends.

Alajuela Sights

The main square of Alajuela is a shady forest-garden, with mango and palm trees, where locals and not a small number of resident foreigners observe the passing of the day from stone benches. Also hanging out in the park, more literally, are a few two-toed sloths, those snail-slow creatures that look slug-ugly in photos but are cute and furry in the flesh. Assorted statuary and fountains complete the picture. Bordering the park are a number of substantial old buildings from the coffee-boom days, with massive walls, stone-trimmed windows, iron grilles, and, in one instance, corner turrets.

A statue of the Erizo (the "Hedgehog," as local hero Juan Santamaría is affectionately known, for his bristly hair) may be seen a block south of the main square, on Calle 2. Torch in hand, rifle at his side, he stands ready to repeat his deed.

Facing the east side of the central park is the city's main church, an uninteresting neo-classical structure with simple lines. (For orientation purposes, Calle Central runs along the east side of the park, by the church, Avenida Central along the south.)

About five blocks east of the central park is a more attractive church, built in a Costa Rican simplified baroque style, with angels popping up around the edge of the façade.

A block north of the square is the Juan Santamaría Historical Museum, housed in the solid building at the corner of Calle 2 and Avenida 3. Costa Ricans and Yanqui-bashers will examine the artifacts and battle paintings of the Walker war. Others will admire the building itself, with its wide archways, massive beams, whitewashed walls and tile roof.

William Walker continues to serve a rather useful purpose in Costa Rica, as an outlet for any resentments against Americans, who are generally liked. If you get into a conversation on the subject, be sure to condemn Walker's acts of more than a hundred years ago, which were, in fact, despicable. The man sought to re-institute slavery, held elections of doubtful validity, and found excuses to break numerous promises and betray his friends.

Hours at the museum are 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., daily except Monday.

On From Alajuela

Once you've made the rounds of Alajuela, you'll have your choice of continuing to Poás volcano, Ojo de Agua springs, a butterfly farm, a tropical zoo, and the towns of Grecia, Sarchí and Naranjo; which places are described below in that order.

POAS VOLCANO

Poás has several distinctions. It has one of the largest geyser-type craters in the world—1.5 kilometers across and 300 meters deep. It contains two lakes, one in an extinct crater, one in the fuming main crater. It is in continuing activity, in the form of seeping gases and steam, as well as occasional geysers and the larger eruptions of every few years (the last in 1978). Most practically for the visitor, it is easily reached by a paved road to the peak (2704 meters—8871 feet—above sea level), and the facilities atop the mountain are the best in the national park system.

The climate atop Poás is less severe than that on Irazú; the peak is several hundred meters lower, and the steam and gases burn out a smaller area. Vegetation is therefore more abundant. But on a windy day, or when the peak is enshrouded in a dripping pea soup, the visitor will find nothing benign about the environment. Nighttime temperatures well below freezing are not uncommon.

Much of the upper part of Poás is cloud forest, the enchanted, cool, moist environment where orchids and bromeliads and vines thrive at every level, along with humble ferns and mosses on the ground. The Poás cloud forest is especially rich in mushrooms and lichens. Parts of the national park are former pastures that are being allowed to return to their natural states; these contain many oak trees. Other sections near the peak are meadow-like, or are characterized by low shrubs and gnarled and twisted trees.

Wildlife in the Poás forest is not abundant, possibly because nearby slopes are farmed intensively. Among the inhabitants are brocket deer, coatis, sloths, cougars, and the Poás squirrel, which has been found only in this vicinity. Birds include several types of hummingbirds, trogons, and the emerald toucanet among more than 70 recorded species.

Visiting Poás

Get an early start! Aside from the unique experience of ascending a volcano, you'll want to beat the clouds to the peak in order to get an ocean-to-ocean view. Take a good look at the volcano before you start your ascent. If the cloud cap is dense and widespread, it might be better to wait for another day.

Poás is open to visitors from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Rain gear will come in handy even in the dry season, when heavy winds whip clouds across the peak. Take a sweater or jacket as well. Temperatures can dip sharply in minutes.

Two routes are available, through Alajuela or Heredia. These converge at the little village of Poasito, high on the volcano's slopes.

Either way, the visitor ascends through coffee, cattle and horse country. I won't bother to describe in detail the increasingly dramatic and grandiose vistas that are afforded of the Central Valley and of distant volcanoes and mountain ridges as the road winds onward and upward into pine and oak altitudes, such landscapes and views having been mentioned elsewhere.

If you're driving, take the Cañas expressway to Alajuela, then follow the clearly marked road via San Pedro de Poás and Poasito. The peak is 37 kilometers from Alajuela, 59 kilometers from San José. An alternative route from San José goes through Heredia and Barva, and up to Los Cartagos and Poasito, through equally dramatic and windy landscapes as those along the Poasito road. Try both routes.

A public bus to Poás (Tuasa, tel. 233-7477) leaves on Sundays only from 12 Calle, Avenidas 2/4, San José. Be there by 8 a.m. Fare is less than $5. This is an all-day excursion—bring a snack. The ride up takes two hours, with a twenty-minute rest stop at a café high on the volcano, near Poasito. Three hours are allowed on top before departure, more than ample time to see both accessible craters and the cloud forest. On other days, buses are available from Alajuela to Poasito (lately at 5 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.). This still leaves you ten kilometers from the peak. You'll have to walk, hitch, or hire a taxi to finish the ascent.

Tours operate to Poás most days from San José, or you can hire a taxi to take you all the way at a reasonable cost.

The substantial visitors' center includes an auditorium where a half-hour slide show about the national parks is sometimes given. Orient yourself at the exhibit area before walking around, since you'll be covering a lot of territory. Aside from a model of the volcano and its craters, there are some wonderful peek-a-boo contraptions where you can try to identify animals by their tracks; samples of volcanic products; volcanic cross-sections; and descriptions of the extensive flora of Costa Rica.

From the visitors' center, you'll probably head first to the main crater. Along the walkway you'll notice the plant called the sombrilla del pobre (poor man's parasol), which is characteristic of the open areas of Poás. The leaves grow up to two meters across, which explains the name and occasional use of the plant.

Visitors are not allowed to descend into the fuming main crater, but the views from its rim are impressive. At the bottom is a sometime lake formed by rain water, its shade of green changing according to the amount of sulfur it contains at any given time. Water level varies according to the whims and fury and fractures of the earth underneath. Intermittent geyser activity results from water seeping into fissures along the bottom of the lake, then boiling and exploding upward. More likely, you'll see gas and steam escaping from fumaroles along the lake's edge. The rim of the crater is burned and strewn with rock and ash, and only a few shrubs struggle for survival in the noxious environment.

After a visit to the active crater, climb to Laguna Botos, the water-filled extinct crater near the highest point on the volcano. The lake is named for an Indian tribe that once inhabited the area.

The last major attraction atop Poás is the nature trail, a run of about half a kilometer through a relatively undisturbed stretch of cloud forest, providing a more interesting route to the crater than the road. The signs in Spanish along the way are more poetic than informative, and some specific labels of trees and plants would be useful (says the gringo). This is the most accessible area of forest of this type in Costa Rica.

Vistas and Fog

Unfortunately, it's easier to describe many of the features of Poás than actually to see them. The top of the mountain is often clouded over, at least partially. However, the clouds shift frequently. If the main crater is obscured at first, take another look before you leave. The shroud might have lifted. The view to either coast, and northward into Nicaragua, might also open up from time to time, so keep an eye peeled.

OJO DE AGUA

A few kilometers south of Alajuela, just southeast of the international airport, are the Ojo de Agua springs and recreation area (not to be confused with the town of the same name, which is west of the airport). Water gushes from the earth at a rate of 200 liters per second, and most of the flow is directed into an aqueduct that supplies the city of Puntarenas, on the Pacific.

Much of the remainder is used for the amusement of the citizenry. In the tree-shaded park surrounding the springs are three pools, tennis courts, and a lake with rowboats. On weekends, this is a great place to rub elbows and much else with the locals. Go during the week if you prefer solitude, or serious swimming (or pass it up altogether if the pool at your hotel is more to your taste). Entry costs about 50 cents, and changing rooms are available. There are cheap eateries both inside and outside the gates. Through no particular logic, the recreational facilities are managed by the national railroad company.

Buses operate to Ojo de Agua from Avenida 2, Calle 22, San José, hourly on the half hour during the week, and every fifteen minutes or so on weekends. There are also buses from Alajuela and Heredia.

Butterfly Farm

West of Ojo de Agua, at Guácima, is the Butterfly Farm, where several dozen species of the insect are raised for live export to European exhibitions. The part open to the public is a hillside rain forest under protective netting. A dammed stream tumbles into a pond, ferns and fronds and violets and impatiens step up and around the boulders, trees tower above. And, of course, there are butterflies, several dozen species or more, according to the season, along with ants and spiders and lizards that the netting doesn't keep out, and displays of leaf-cutter ants under glass.

The farm is about half a kilometer south of Guácima, southwest of the international airport. Take the road around the airport, or the road westward from the Cañas expressway through San Antonio de Belén. Signs are posted at every junction. A direct bus runs intermittently from San José (currently Monday, Tuesday, Thursday).

The Butterfly Farm is open daily from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Admission is a steep $10 for the butterfly tour, $9 for a bee tour and oxcart ride, or $16 for both (this is not a misprint). Rates are lower for students and children, but most families can find better values elsewhere. Call 438-0400 to arrange a pickup and tour, or check the latest bus schedules. The owners speak English.

There are several other butterfly gardens in and near San José. Choose the one that fits your itinerary, unless you're a specialist.

LA GARITA

West of Alajuela, along the highway to Atenas, at Dulce Nombre, is the Zoológico de Aves Tropicales (Tropical Bird Zoo, "SOH-oh AH-veh"), which holds an outstanding collection in a lovely landscaped setting, some of them threatened species that are bred here. (In fact, the area around Dulce Nombre and La Garita is replete with beautiful gardens and plant nurseries.) Species represented include owls, honeycreepers, toucans, hawks, and parrots, especially macaws.

Usual hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, admission is a hefty $8 or so. Kids pay less and like it more than grownups. Stop this way if you're passing through the area, or have a special interest in tropical fauna. The Atenas or La Garita bus from Alajuela passes the entrance (on the north side of the road), or you can look for a Dulce Nombre bus from the Coca-Cola terminal in San José. By car, drive eastward for three kilometers from the Atenas exit of the expressway.

The road onward to Atenas is popular for weekend excursions. Various roadside restaurants specialize in chicken roasted over coffee wood, and barbecued meats. The Fiesta de Maíz eatery serves pozole, tamales, tortillas, and everything else fashioned in whole or part from corn, the traditional staff of life of Central America—corn on the cob, corn fritters, tamales, corn soup, corn stew, corn bread. Open Fridays through Sundays only.

About four kilometers up the road from the Fiesta de Maíz toward Turrúcares is Las Campanas, a charming indoor/outdoor roadhouse illuminated by fixtures with macramé lamp shades, where the likes of paté de foie, chili con carne, sirloin in sauce, and quail are served, along with rabbit, which is not on the menu. You can be served in English, French (à la canadienne) or Spanish.

Lodging

Several bed-and-breakfasts, largely owned by retired Americans, are located in the area around Atenas. These are described at the end of this chapter.

GRECIA, SARCHI, NARANJO

The old Pan American (or Interamerican) Highway skirts the northern rim of the Central Valley, passing through the picturesque towns of Grecia, Sarchí and Naranjo. Most traffic now speeds to the coast on the Bernardo Soto Expressway. But the old highway affords a pleasant, slow meander through rolling countryside.

Grecia is most notable for its unusual brick-red church. The surrounding hills here at the hotter, lower end of the Central Valley are largely planted in sugarcane, and much of the output is processed in Grecia.

Beyond Grecia is Sarchí, the preeminent craft center of Costa Rica, where dozens of small wood workshops line the highway. Here, tropical hardwoods are made into chairs, tables, and, of course, the brightly painted oxcarts with kaleidoscopic wheels for which Costa Rica is famous. The intricate painted designs on the carts are said to be handed down from father to son. These items are strictly for the local market, but the miniature oxcarts and statuettes are suitable for carrying off. The bi-towered church of Sarchí, with its unusual number of windows, is worth a glance. Costa Rica's country churches are, in general, charming, in contrast to the dull metropolitan temples.

The last major town on th Pan American Highway, before it drops to the coast, is Naranjo, dominated by an attractive cream-colored baroque church with double mission-style towers.

Buses operate to Grecia, Sarchí and Naranjo every half-hour from Alajuela (Tuasa station). To continue to the coast, take a San Ramón bus from Naranjo to the Soto highway ("la pista") and flag down a bus for Puntarenas or Guanacaste. You can also continue to Ciudad Quesada (San Carlos) and onward to Lake Arenal or the northern lowlands

Villa Sarchí Lodge (tel. and fax 454-4006, P. O. Box 34 Sarchi, $35 single/$45 double) is a pleasant stopping point in the lush garden valleys around Sarchi. You'll probably just stay a night, but if you wish, they'll take you into the rain forest or on a handicraft tour, or up to Arenal volcano or a coffee farm. Ask for the lodge at "ochocientos metros noroeste de Coopearsa" (eight blocks north of the co-op).

San Ramón, junction for the road to Ciudad Quesada (San Carlos), has yet another intricate church in intricate northern Italian style. Next to the main square is a museum that honors the way of life of country people, with a replica of a peasant home and old-fashioned tools.

South of San José

The road through Aserrí crests the mountains that crown the Central Valley, and twists up and down broken terrain through the towns of San Marcos de Tarrazú, San Pablo de León Cortés, San Cristóbal Sur, San Gerardo de Dota and Santa María de Dota, in a loop back toward the Pan American Highway and Cartago. With these names—Saints Mark, Paul, Christopher, Gerard and Mary—this has come to be called the Route of the Saints.

Santa María, reached first by the ribbon of branch road from the Pan American Highway, has an attractive square, with a monument to those who died in the 1948 civil war. Otherwise, it is just a typical Central Valley Town, picturesque not in itself, but in the breathtaking approach by which it is achieved, with successive mountain silhouettes as a backdrop.

Copey, six kilometers beyond, has a falls and small lake.

Buses for Santa María depart about every two hours from Avenida 16, Calles 17/21. Check with the tourist office for the latest schedules. The Hotel Dota, tel. 541-1026, with bar and restaurant, $7 per person, will do as a stopping point for the night.

COUNTRY LODGING NEAR SAN JOSE

Attractive alternatives to city hotels are to be found in the villages and valleys and on the mountain and volcanic slopes around San José. Despite surroundings of orchards and forests, the inns and lodges of the Central Valley are only minutes from downtown San José, and a short ride from the international airport.

The valley hotels are most suitable if you have a car at your disposal; or are a repeat visitor, and know exactly what you are getting. But anyone can consider them as a base for all or part of a stay in Costa Rica. And, should you change your mind about your preferred style of accommodation, you needn't feel isolated and locked in. These hostelries will also give you a rough idea of country living in the Central Valley, in case you're considering a move. For approximate locations, see the map at the beginning of this chapter.

Finca Rosa Blanca Country Inn, P. O. Box 441-3009, Santa Bárbara de Heredia, tel. 269-9392, fax 470-9090, vblanca@sol.racsa.co.cr. U.S. reservations: tel. 800-327-9854.

Six suites, one master suite. $85 to $170 single, $165 to $250 double

I was uncertain whether to list the Rosa Blanca as an accommodation or a point of interest. The main house, set amid orchards of citrus, macadamia and cashew trees, is a fantasy made real, a combination of Gaudièsque and Pueblo Indian elements, along with personal whimsy. Stuccoed walls curve around a central, 40-foot chimney, pre-Columbian ceramics in its niches. Nooks abound. A staircase climbs skyward to the master suite with its crows-nest bedroom and terrace, and pool/tub filled by a stream coursing through a rock garden. Outside, birds are everywhere.

Directions: from the airport or Alajuela, through Santa Bárbara, turning north at the sign before Barrio Jesús. Airport pickup and customized transportation are available.

Mi Kiva, in the hills above Santa Bárbara, operated by the former owners of the Rosa Blanca, has a large main house in Santa Fe pueblo style, and two miniature pueblo bungalows available for rent. Contact Rosa Blanca for directions and rates.

Posada de la Montaña, P. O. Box 1-3017, San Isidro de Heredia, tel. and fax 268-8096, cwatzo@sol.racsa.co.cr. U.S. reservations, P. O. Box 308, Greenfield, MO 65661, tel. 417-637-2066. $55 double, including breakfast, $80 and up for units with kitchenettes, lower rates for rooms sharing bath.

On a cool, wind-swept slope, the "Mountain Inn" is an American-owned bed-and-breakfast on several acres affording long views of San José, the Central Valley, and the forests stretching toward Limón between the volcanoes Irazú and Barva. The property includes coffee and fruit plantings and a huge vegetable garden, all of which attract birds. Six rooms in the main house, each with two beds, are off a huge sala with fireplace. Six more concrete "cabina"-style units, with outside entry and parking at the door, can be combined with kitchenettes for families or groups. Washing machines are available to guests, and horses can be hired nearby. Beverages and airport pickup available. Children and pets welcome. English, Spanish, Russian and French spoken. This is the closest accommodation to Braulio Carrillo National Park.

If driving, take the Limón Highway to the San Isidro de Heredia exit (left side), continue four kilometers to the bridge, then 1.5 kilometers north. Signs point the way. Call for bus instructions.

The hotels below are along the road between Birrí and San José de la Montaña, north of Heredia. Buses run from Heredia to San José de la Montaña. Continue by taxi, if you're not driving.

Hotel de Montaña El Pórtico, P. O. Box 289-3000, Heredia, tel. 227-6022. 16 units. $75 double, $15 per additional person.

The best of the country lodges in the immediate area, with brick-and-wood units clustered around a pond, a restaurant, sauna and pool. Phone 212039 in San José to arrange transportation.

Hotel Cypresal, P. O. Box 7891-1000, San José, tel. 232-5258 in San José, fax 221-6244. 24 rooms. $65 single/$75 double. Credit cards accepted.

Also with pool, whirlpool, sauna, large restaurant. Units have kitchenettes t.v., television, some have fireplace. Horses available, also meeting facilities, along with package trips with excursions to several national parks, using the hotel as a base.

Cabinas Las Ardillas, tel. 260-2172.

Adjacent to the Cypresal in a pine-and-cedar park. Units, built of logs and brick, have long valley views, and there are a restaurant and play area. The rate is about $45 for a unit that will sleep a couple and two children, $85 for a much larger unit into which up to eight persons can be crowded.

Higher up, near the park at Monte de la Cruz, is:

Hotel El Tirol, P.O. Box 7812-1000, San José, tel. 239-7371, fax 239-7050, tirolcr@sol.racsa.co.cr. 23 units. $100 double in chalets, up to $200 double in suites, breakfast included.

The main building here is genuinely Tyrolean, in a suitable mountain landscape of conifers and meadows, and the cottages are two-story dollhouse versions, with cutout wood trim. On-site are a private forest, hiking trails and waterfalls. Riding horses are available. Dinner is served in front of a fireplace in the main building, and is attraction enough for many visitors, at about $25 per person. All in all reminiscent of the original Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont.

Orquídeas Inn, San José de Alajuela (P. O. Box 394, Alajuela), tel. 433-9346, fax 433-9740. U.S. phone: 330-898-6804. orchid@sol.racsa.co.cr

18 rooms. $60 single/$75 double, to $150 in suite or dome, with breakfast.

This is a colonial-style hotel in a little estate just past the junction for Grecia on the road from Alajuela to Poás volcano. Rooms have arched openings, and furniture throughout is of white wicker.

[ Personalized service, airport pickup, convenient to Poás volcano by car.

! Road noise could be a problem.

Xandari, P. O. Box 1485-4050 Alajuela, tel. 443-2020, fax 442-4847. U.S. Reservations: tel. 800-686-7879, 805-684-7879, fax 805-684-4295.

10 villas. $55 to $250 per unit, lower in rainy season.

If you're sampling unique accommodations in the Central Valley in search of the perfect getaway, include Xandari on your list. It's just a short hop from the international airport, but secluded, seductive, accommodating. Each unit has its own floor plan, with a private terrace where the included breakfast is served, and refrigerator stocked with beverages at no charge (well, no extra charge). Use the lap pool, hike the three kilometers of trails, hold your meetings in the palm-roofed pavilion, read in the library, paint in the studio, watch a different movie every night, partake of vegetarian meals with ingredients grown on the property, and when you have time, go out and see Costa Rica.

Michele's B&B, near Alajuela (P. O. Box 74-4030, San José), tel. and fax 433-9864. Amid coffee trees, not far from airport (pickup available). $60 double.

Pura Vida, P. O. Box 1703, Alajuela, tel. and fax 441-1157. Simple suburban home with views to Poás volcano, convenient to airport. $70 double.

Poás Volcano Lodge, Vara Blanca (P. O. Box 5723-1000 San José), tel. and fax 441-9102. 8 rooms. $80 and up double.

A lodge with a British country flavor, built of stone, concrete, and hewn beams, surrounded by pasture, forest, and Central Valley views.

Villa Blanca Hotel, San Ramón (tel. 228-4603, fax 228-4004 in San José). 36 units. $110 double in cottages, $75 in lodge rooms.

This is an attractive cloud-forest country lodge on a huge cattle farm 20 kilometers northwest of San Ramón (which is along the highway to Puntarenas), including a forest reserve and trails. The main building has the flavor of a traditional hacienda great house, with open kitchen and a central fountain. Cottages are in good taste, with exposed beams, splashily colored rugs and spreads, rocking chairs, built-in ledges, beehive corner fireplaces, and a former president, Rodrigo Carazo, to serve as host.

Near La Garita

La Chatelle. P. O. Box 755-1007, tel. 487-7781, fax 487-7271. $90 and up double, with breakfast and airport transfer. Rates lower May, June, and August through November.

Here's an idiosyncratic collection of one-unit cottages, all named for volcanoes. The "luxury" units (their term), with cone-shaped roofs reminiscent of Africa, have a queen-sized and single bed in a loft, another bed downstairs, and full kitchen; the Presidential Suite, with woody decor, has a vaulted ceiling. Standard units have brick walls, and are probably damp on rainy days. Facilities include a pool. The grounds are lush and rolling, and there is a steak-house restaurant that gets a weekend clientele. The rate includes breakfast and transfer from the airport; but a rented car would be helpful, as the owners, who include an American, are not always around to see to the needs of guests. The hotel is one kilometer south of the Fiesta del Maíz restaurant on the road to Atenas.

La Piña Dorada bed-and-breakfast, Turrúcares, tel. and fax 487-7220. 5 rooms, $65 to $90 double.

If you follow directions (take the first left after the Fiesta de Maíz restaurant in La Garita and continue 2.8 kilometers) and show up here under your own steam, you'll think you've wandered out of your way. La Piña Dorada is just your standard Spanish-Mediterranean country estate, with vaulted central ceiling in the great house, formal library, huge sala with arched picture windows, hand-carved chairs, projection t.v., and all the other bare necessities. The grounds, covering two acres, include citrus, banana and mango trees, a goldfish pond with falls and a palm isle, parking under cover, and a large illuminated pool squarely in front of the house.

Guest units vary in size—the largest has a huge sitting room. Comfortable furnishings include wicker chairs, and double or king-plus custom beds. Local art hangs everywhere. Despite the overwhelming facility, hospitality afforded by Mr. and Mrs. Bill Coffey is home-style and friendly. Wine is served at cost, breakfast is huge, with sausage or bacon. Here's your chance to live like the rich and famous for a few days, or for a few weeks, while you see Costa Rica.

By taxi, it's just 15 minutes from the airport to La Piña Dorada.

Bed and Breakfast

Here are some additional B&Bs in the Central Valley. For more information, either call the B&B directly, or one of the B&B associations (147). Except as indicated, only English is spoken. ("Spanish spoken" usually indicates a Costa Rican rather than a foreign owner.)

West of San José and the international airport:

Paraíso Canadiense, P. O. Box 68-6151, Santa Ana, tel. and fax 282-5870, parcdn@hotels.co.cr. Spanish and French spoken, 10 kilometers from airport, $50 double, no breakfast.

Vista del Valle, Grecia (P. O. Box 185-4003 Alajuela), mibrejo@sol.racsa.co.cr, tel. 661-2401, fax 451-1165. Luxury house on a coffee farm on the Pacific slope. $60 double.

Posada Mimosa, P. O. Box 135-4100 Grecia, tel. and fax 494-5868, mimosa@mimosa.co.cr. Concrete bungalow in gardens, multilingual owners. $65 double with breakfast.

El Cafetal inn Santa Eulalia de Atenas (P. O. Box 105 Atenas), tel. 446-5785, fax 446-5140, cafetal@cafetal.com, is a modern hillside chalet with terraces and commanding views of the nearby lush valleys, as well as pool. Rates are $50 to $75 double. Most practically approached by turning left off the Puntarenas highway (coming from San José or the airport) just before the Rafael Iglesias bridge, after the Sarchi-Grecia turnoff. (Got that?)

Villa Sarchi Lodge, tel. 454-4006 (see page 219).

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