On this recent trip to Costa Rica, my 12th in 17 years, I was lucky enough to be able to stay with 2 different friends, each for part of my time there. And I was even luckier that one of my friends, Ernesto, was on vacation from his teaching job and agreed to travel with me somewhere in the country for a few days. I wanted to go somewhere I hadn’t been before, or at least not for a while, and that was a reasonable distance to travel to for 2 or 3 days for 2 people who don’t drive. Oh, and it had to be safe. There have been quite a few high-profile crimes committed against tourists in the past few years, and as I was searching for a destination, I felt my options getting fewer and fewer.
I launched into a search for a destination. Using a combination of an old Lonely Planet guide book, TripAdvisor forums, and simply by googling “off the beaten path Costa Rica,” I was led to San Gerardo de Dota. Never been there–check. Don’t need a car–check. 2 1/2 hour bus ride from San Jose–check. Seems to be safe–check. It appears I had found my destination!
Located in southern Costa Rica, San Gerardo de Dota is flanked by the Talamanca mountains and the crystal clear Savegre River runs through this picturesque town. It was founded in the 1950s by the Chacon brothers who came to the area and set up a dairy farm. Currently the only major industries in the region are trout fishing and tourism, and it remains relatively undiscovered except by birders.
From Ernesto’s home outside of San Jose, we took an Uber to the bus station, a bus to San Jose, a taxi between bus terminals, and then another bus to San Gerardo (MUSOC indirect bus from San Jose to San Isidro de General runs hourly–ask to be let off at Kilometer 80). At Kilometer 80 we departed the bus, and waited for our prearranged pickup from our hotel. Despite having bought a Costa Rican SIM card, I had no service in the mountains, and Ernesto had almost no battery left on his phone, so luckily our driver arrived promptly in a pickup truck to get us.
The hotel I had selected, Cabinas El Quetzal (http://www.cabinaselquetzal.com/), was lovely. Only 4 cabins, on lush grounds along the Savegre River, it seemed to be a perfect spot to relax for the 2 nights we had booked. (Be aware that the hotel required a bank transfer to secure the deposit–traveling with a Costa Rican, this wasn’t a problem because Ernesto did it easily, but it would have been more complicated if I had had to do that. However, the property is also available through booking.com, which is probably a simpler way to book from outside of Costa Rica.) The hotel staff was helpful and accommodating, and a delicious breakfast and dinner were included in the price.
Our 2 bedroom cabin.
Once we checked in and got settled, we went off to explore the area. The truth is, there isn’t a lot to do in San Gerardo but that is part of its charm. It was really a perfect place to relax and rejuvenate. The area is full of beautiful flowers and trees but it is really famous for birdwatching, and it is one of the few places to see the resplendent quetzal, an elusive bird found in these highlands. (It also happens to be the national bird of Guatemala and their unit of currency.) I learned that the quetzal doesn’t like the sun, therefore, the tour the next morning to (hopefully) see it would be at 5:30 AM. Gulp.
When I did research into the region, I learned that it would be cold at night and in the early morning in these high altitudes (40’s F). What I wasn’t prepared for was how cold it would be indoors, since there was no heating. Not in the dining room and not in the cabin. I’ve never been so happy to have a Uniqlo heattech shirt and a light down jacket! It started to cool off early in the day, around 6 PM and nightlife in the region seemed to be pretty non-existent, so after a delicious dinner of locally caught trout, Ernesto and I just returned to the cabin for an early evening.
At 5:30 AM the next morning, dressed in most of the clothing I had brought with me, I met our guide Carlos. The tour consisted of just Ernesto, me, and an American couple who were *serious* birders. Now, I respect that people have all kinds of interests, and birds are interesting and pretty to look at, but there’s nothing like experiencing a culture that you don’t know very well as an outsider. I’ll just say that people take their birds very seriously. Carlos was great, though. He helped the serious birders find the rare birds they were excited to see, and took pictures with my phone through the telescope of whatever I asked him to. When we got to the spot where the quetzals were hanging out, we converged with what appeared to be every tourist staying in the region.
Hoping to spot a glimpse of the quetzal.
Male quetzal.
Female quetzal.
Hummingbird.
While I haven’t gotten to the point of having a life list, I did get excited about seeing the beautiful quetzal, as well as other birds found in the region. Following the 2 hour birding tour, Ernesto and I returned to the hotel for breakfast and then went for a hike on our own. Luckily the weather completely changed by late morning, to the extent that it was comfortable to be in just a t-shirt and lightweight pants for the greater part of the day.
The hotel had some bird feeders and it was nice to just sit near them and see which birds came around.
Acorn woodpecker.
San Gerardo de Dota was a perfect destination for what I was looking for on this trip. Would I recommend it to someone visiting Costa Rica for the first time? Maybe not, just because there are so many places where one can see a wider range of wildlife and participate in more varied activities. But if you are a serious birder, or you are planning an in-depth visit to Costa Rica, and want to get off the beaten path for a few days, this might be the place for you.
Fierce Sunflower 