Orosi, Costa Rica
Saturday, January 21st, 2012
Dec 23, 2011 – Orosi is a small town in Costa Rica’s Central Valley. It was our first stop in Costa Rica – we flew into San Jose and took a taxi here. Lush, very green (receives the most rainfall in Costa Rica,) it is well known for its coffee plantations.
We stayed here 2 nights, relaxing and enjoying the scenery. We walked around town (very small) and visited the old church which is said to be the oldest in Costa Rica. We had wanted to visit Irazu volcano which is 45 minutes away but had to abandon that because of bad weather on our 2nd day.
There is not much to do here (also note that it rains more in this area than anywhere else in Costa Rica) but Orosi ended up as a relaxing pit stop before hitting the beaches of the Pacific coast.
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We stayed at the Orosi Lodge
Our kind of place, a small (8 rooms) eco-lodge run by a very nice German couple and their son.
Our Tripadvisor review:
Orosi Lodge (we give 4 stars out of 5)
Pros:
• A comfortable, pretty room with mini fridge, coffee maker, and sink. Is basic in that there is no tv or AC – but this is an eco-friendly lodge and we didn’t need either.
• Free wifi, strong reception
• We found the room very charming and comfortable, nicely decorated. Outside our door, in front of the window, were 2 comfortable chairs where you could relax and enjoy views of the valley.
• Bed – I’ve heard travellers complain of the sheets (duvet style) and of the hard mattress. We enjoyed each – the duvet is washed for each visitor, it’s not one of those North American bed coverings which never seem to be washed.
• The coffee shop/reception area of the lodge is pretty and interesting with a nice gift shop. Connie and Andreas make good breakfasts, great cakes, and nice sandwiches. A very nice place to hang out and talk with the owners and other travellers. Note: check out Andreas’ collection of roadkill and other bugs/snakes found in the garden – very interesting.
Cons:
• I didn’t find much privacy there. Bathrooms are open concept (top of wall open to the rest of the room). I would therefore suggest you don’t go to the Orosi Lodge for a hot date because you’ll end up sharing the noises of all your bodily functions with your partner.
• I found the bed was creaky and made a lot of noise. If your partner moves around a lot in bed it will keep you up. Again, if you are on a “hot date” you’ll be sharing your experience with the whole hotel because noises carry in this lodge.
• We wished they served supper – is such a comfortable little place and would have liked having a simple supper in their coffee shop. We weren’t impressed by the Tapanti restaurant which they referred us to and it was both pricy and hassle to get to (note: everyone seems to be in bed by 10pm in Orosi – we were lucky to get a lift back to town from a restaurant employee).
Overall a very nice experience and we would come back if ever in this area.
f_thomae