Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [324]
Later, they supplemented dairy-farm activity by stocking their streams with trout and planting apple orchards and other fruit trees. The former had the effect of attracting anglers from San José, while the latter (along with the abundant wild avocado trees) attracted the resplendent quetzal, in turn attracting bird-watchers.
As tourism in Costa Rica flourished, so did San Gerardo. Today, this little farming village has become famous for highland bird-watching. Quetzals are spotted frequently every April and May (during breeding season) and are fairly common throughout the rest of the year.
Return to beginning of chapter
Activities
SPORTFISHING
The trout fishing in the Río Savegre is excellent: May and June is the time for fly-fishing and December to March for lure-fishing (see boxed text, opposite). And the Chacón family, now several generations deep, operates the well-established Savegre Hotel de Montaña (opposite) on the grounds of their productive farm, while other facilities have sprung up around the village.
BIRD-WATCHING & HIKING
The best place to go bird-watching and hiking in the area is Parque Nacional Los Quetzales. Unfortunately there are not yet information facilities for tourists in the park, so inquire at the lodges in San Gerardo before you set out.
Return to beginning of chapter
Sleeping & Eating
All of the following places offer access to the Parque Nacional Los Quetzales and are along the road from the Interamericana.
BUDGET
Ranchos La Isla & Restaurante Los Lagos (2740-1038; campsites per person US$4, meals ₡1500-2500; ) If you’re heading to Chirripó then you’re probably prepared to do a little bit of camping, which is a good thing as this attractive property offers a handful of shady campsites alongside a small river. The accommodating Chinchilla families also go all out to make sure their guests are entertained by guiding hikes to nearby waterfalls in the hope of spotting the elusive quetzal. If you’re looking for a hot meal, the onsite restaurant is a modest affair serving up wholesome, country-style casados, or set meals.
La Comida Típica Miriam (cabins US$35, meals ₡1500-3500; ) One of the first places you will pass in San Gerardo (about 6km from the Interamericana) is the cozy house advertising comida típica, or ‘typical meals.’ Eating is almost like receiving a personal invitation to dine in a Tico home: the food is delicious and abundant and the hospitality even more so. Miriam also rents a few cabins (US$35) in the woods behind the restaurant, which are a modest but comfortable place to spend a night or two.
MIDRANGE & TOP END
Trogon Lodge (2293-8181; www.grupomawamba.com/trogonlodge/index.html; s/d from US$86/80; ) Despite the obvious package-holiday ambience, this midmarket resort lodge caters well to the masses with a laundry list of activities including horseback riding, mountain biking and even an onsite canopy tour. Accommodations are in rustic wooden cabins that are clustered around a manmade pond, on grounds overflowing with flowers. The bar and restaurant faces out towards a gushing river, and diners congregate at massive tables constructed from fallen trees.
Savegre Hotel de Montaña (2740-1028; www.savegre.co.cr; s/d/ste incl 3 meals US$125/179/254; ) Set on a 160-hectare orchard and reserve, this justifiably famous lodge has been owned and operated by the Chacón family since 1957. It’s now something of a Costa Rican institution, especially among bird-watchers keen to catch a glimpse of the quetzal. Of course, this isn’t a difficult proposition in these parts, especially since the edges of the grounds are lined with avocado trees, the favorite perch of the bird of paradise. The suites are simply gorgeous: wrought-iron chandeliers hang from the high