Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [99]
North of Naranjo, the road winds for 20km until it reaches Zarcero’s 1736m perch at the western end of the Cordillera Central. This s a gorgeous location: the mountains look as if they’ve been lifted from landscape paintings and the climate is famously fresh. But the real reason you’re here is to look at the country’s most intense shrubbery.
Parque Francisco Alvarado, in front of the peach-and-blue Iglesia de San Rafael (built 1895), was just a normal plaza until the 1960s, when a gardener named Evangelisto Blanco suddenly became inspired to shave the ordinary, mild-mannered topiary into a bizarre series of drippy, abstract shapes. Over the years, these have morphed into statuesque heads, freaky octopi straight out of Star Trek and a double tunnel of surreal, melting arches. In other words, bring your camera.
In addition to the space-age trees, Zarcero is a center for Costa Rica’s organic-farming movement. You can find unusual varieties of pesticide-free goodies all over town, and the surrounding mountains are just perfect for an afternoon picnic.
If there was ever a place where the roadside stands are worth it, this is it. Winding country lanes in the area are all lined with stands selling fresh cashews, honey, sweets (the coconut cajeta is good) and queso palmito, a locally made cheese that has a delicate taste and goes well with fresh tomatoes and basil. Once you’ve packed your picnic basket, find a grassy spot – or have a feast within view of the bizarre bushes in Zarcero’s main plaza.
If you brought your swimsuit, stop at Piscinas Apamar (2463-3674; admission US$2; 7am-4pm Mon-Sat), 500m west of the park on the road to Guadalupe (up the hill, behind the Musmanni), where there’s not only a huge swimming pool but also three hot tubs.
Just north of the town church is Hotel Don Beto (2463-3137; d with/without bathroom US$33/28, tr US$39; ), a comfortable spot with eight tidy rooms accented in bright floral linens, and hardwood floors – many of which come with private balcony. The helpful Tico owners can organize trips throughout the area, including excursions to the nearby Los Ángeles Cloud Forest Adventure Park or the Parque Nacional Juan Castro Blanco.
Hourly buses traveling between San José and Ciudad Quesada stop at Zarcero, though some buses may be full by the time they reach Zarcero, particularly on weekends. There are also buses from Alajuela, San Ramón and Grecia.
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BAJOS DEL TORO
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A road snakes east out of Zarcero, through winding hillsides dotted with family farms, up into the lower reaches of the area’s cloud-forest ecosystem. If you were looking for a little piece of Costa Rica where everybody knows everybody, then look no further. This 250-person town is rural idyll at its finest. Besides, the mountain air couldn’t possibly be any fresher.
There are no banks or internet cafes. Bring all the cash you need. Businesses are all listed in order as you drive into town.
Bosque de Paz Rain/Cloud Forest Lodge & Biological Reserve (2234-6676; www.bosquedepaz.com; per person incl 3 meals US$114-150; ) This 1000-hectare reserve has more than 22km of trails in tropical old-growth forest, as well as a 12-room hacienda-style inn with a dozen whitewashed, terra-cotta–tiled rooms with large windows that offer forest views. More significantly, the area is part of an important wilderness corridor between Parque Nacional Volcán Poás and Parque Nacional Juan Castro Blanco, so you might just run into a group of researchers during your stay. Needless to say, bird-watching is a specialty. Vegetarian and vegan diets can be accommodated; rates are based on double occupancy.
El Silencio (2761-0301; www.elsilenciolodge.com; per person incl 3 meals US$240; ) When it comes to absolute serenity, there are few places in Costa Rica that can beat this superbly designed mountain lodge that doesn’t just talk the environmental talk, but walks it as well. No earth