Ever considered a Costa Rica road trip? Read on to learn more about the third day of our eight day road trip across the Northern part of the country. Did you miss Days 1 & 2? Catch up here!
We spent our second night amid the clouds in the Monteverde region. More specifically, in the town of Santa Elena. This quaint little mountain town is quite a different scene from the beach towns, on various levels. The area is quiet and there’s a different level of comfort all around. We start our day with a GREAT breakfast (included with the cost of the room – a whole $20!!!) With a coffee shop next door, we decide to buy a fresh brew for the road as we make the 5km drive to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve.
As with most regions of Costa Rica, there are plenty of eco-tourism tours in the Monteverde area.
Thank Goodness for Cafe Colibri
We make our way along the windy, rugged road toward the Monteverde Reserve, excited for what animals this particular forest will hold. The park is open from 7am to 4pm and costs $17 per person. As we approach the gate around 9am, we notice that it isn’t open. When we pull up to the, we notice two police officers and an un-uniformed individual standing by. We roll our windows down and ask if the park is open (it definitely doesn’t appear to be). They tell us “No.”, and our further inquiries remain unanswered by our limited Spanish vocabulary. We manage to get from them that there is a Café, mere steps away, where we can enjoy hummingbirds as consolation. So we thank them and proceed there. How very curious this park closure with heavy security…
As we make our way up the steps to the left of the Reserve’s entrance, we find ourselves on a pavilion, hosting several hummingbird feeders. There’s a certain buzz in the air, as we notice each feeder is hosting multiple hummingbirds. And they are brilliant! We’ve never seen anything like these beautiful, vibrant little creatures. The feeders are ornamental to a little gift shop/café where we linger for a few minutes as we discuss Plan B for the day.
Always Be Flexible
The lovely folks at our hotel provided us a hand drawn map of all the local ‘attractions’. This handy little map shows a ‘Ficus Tree’ in the local vicinity. As soon as we notice it, we realize we have to check it out.
Banyan: this is the word used to describe a collective of strangler fig species. These ‘ficus trees’ grow up and around other, host trees. Once it has completely ‘strangled out’ it’s host, the host tree dies off, leaving a hollow ficus behind. How cool is that?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banyan
Given the recent change in plans, with the Cloud Reserve being closed, we decide to head to the Santa Elena Nature Reserve. And on our way, we stop at the locally famous ‘Ficus Tree’. Set just off a side road, the thick woods house several ficus trees. As we wander along the path, we walk past a few, but none like the one that we are seeking. One that you can climb, from the inside! We actually meet another traveling couple at the tree. They are from Switzerland and also on a Costa Rica road trip. The four of us exchange stories and itineraries as each of us takes our turn scaling the tree. After exchanging farewells, we jump back in the car and head towards our cloud forest adventure.
Santa Elena Nature Reserve (La Reserva Bosque Nuboso Santa Elena)
As an alternative to the Monteverde Cloud Forest, we decide to explore the Santa Elena Reserve. The park here is open 7AM to 4PM, and costs $14 USD per person. The trails here are said to be longer than Monteverde, but we welcome the option. We commit to the red trail, which is the longest one on site, and is said to have the best views. While we don’t see any wildlife, the forest is filled with many various songs and calls. And there are plenty of glorious plants along the way. Over 2000 species to be exact!
The hiking trail is very well defined, and though there are some inclines, an easy hike overall. At the midway point, you find yourself at the top of the trail overlooking the rolling green hills of the region. A perfect photo opportunity! The complete loop takes us about 2.5 hours.
Sugar, Coffee and Chocolate. oh my!
After our hike, having arriving back at the car in plenty of time. We are excited that we have enough time to be able to visit a coffee plantation on our Costa Rica road trip! The nearest one, enroute from Santa Elena to Tamarindo, is El Trapiche, a coffee, sugar and chocolate plantation. The tours here cost $33 USD per person, but when you consider that you are getting three tours in one, it is definitely worthwhile. And, as ecotourists, it’s right up our alley with it’s Certification for Sustainable Tourism.
Costa Rica and Sustainable Tourism: Costa Rica prides itself on it’s environmentally responsible approach to tourism and it’s commitment to the environment as a country. It is the only country in the world that runs 100% on renewable energy. And the World Bank is sponsoring it to be the first country to ban single use plastics by 2021. How cool is that? !
Getting our Coffee Knowledge on
The tour is an easy two hour walk of the vast plantation. It includes a fresh coffee tasting of their various beans, as well as sugar cane, moonshine and cacao samples along the way. The farm also has various fruit trees to sample from, and you tour includes an ox cart ride!
Our tour guide explains the origin and history of coffee, and describes the varieties (like wine grapes) as well as the process in detail, from plant to cup! The most curious fact we learned is that Costa Rica exports 80% of their coffee and imports 50% from Nicaragua. Their main exports are to Canada, Australia and Japan, and all of their harvest is by hand. The farm workers are paid $3 per 13 kg they pick, which translates to 3kg of coffee grounds.
It Doesn’t End There…
Next on the tour, we learn about the cacao bean, it’s history and the processing it undergoes to end up as the chocolate bars we have come to love. Traditionally deemed a ‘gift from the Gods’, cacao is only grown in greenhouses here. We have the opportunity to sample parts of the cacao bean along the way, from fresh whole fruit through to fully processed chocolate.
Last But Far From Least
We learn about sugar cane! Our tour guide goes into detail about it’s origin, harvest, as well as how it is processed to the granules that we are all familiar with. Have you ever tried FRESH sugar cane?? It’s almost like chewing on a fibrous celery stick from which you only extract the juice. It is DELISH! They even make their own moonshine on site, which visitors also get a chance to sample. WARNING – it’ll put some hair on your chest! The brand they produce is available around the country, but as a lower alcohol concentration.
At the end of the tour, the group heads back to the main house for a cup of (what else?) coffee! The coffee they serve is brewed in the traditional Costa Rican method via a correador. This consists of a fabric sock, which holds the coffee grounds over which they pour hot water. The sock hangs over a receptacle (mug, pot, what be it). They also offered some freshly squeezed lemonade from one of the lemon trees just outside the reception hall.
We are so glad we took the tour! The wonderful staff was very knowledgeable and did a great job describing the history and various processes that take place on the farm. We learned all about Costa Rica’s main exports, from picking the right beans to the temperatures required to achieve the perfect roast.
After the tour, we jump back on the road for our three hour drive to Tamarindo. We are heading back to the Pacific coast for Day 4 of our Costa Rica road trip.
Have you ever seen how coffee, chocolate and sugar are grown, harvested and processed?
