Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Those who linger in the area should spend the night at
El Toucanet Lodge
(
2541-3131;
www.eltoucanet.com
;
Copey de Dota; s/d incl breakfast & bird-watching walk from US$76/
124; )
, a lovely country lodge perched at 1850m and offering seven rustic hardwood
cabins with wonderful views of Valle de Dota. It's accessible from the Interamericana at
Km 58 or via the beautiful country road from Santa María de Dota; find detailed directions
on their website.
One of our favorite
sodas
(lunch counters) in the region is
Soda G&A
( 2541-1289;
meals US$5-10; 7am-7pm Mon-Sat)
, a cute little family-run joint serving up
casados
(set
meals),
olla de carne
(beef stew) and other local specialties made with more inspiration
and verve than the norm. In Santa María de Dota (300m west of the park), it's on the road
to San Marcos de Tarrazú.
Most drivers from San José take the Interamericana south to Empalme, almost 30km
from Cartago. Just south of the gas station a signed turnoff leads west on a paved road and
turns to Santa María de Dota (10km away), San Marcos de Tarrazú (7km beyond) and San
Pablo (4km further). Six daily buses (US$4, 2½ hours) connect these towns to San José.
San Gerardo de Dota
San Gerardo de Dota is unlike any other place in Costa Rica - a bucolic mountain town
run through by a clear, rushing river and surrounded by forested hills that more resemble
the alps than the tropics. It's set deep within a mountain valley; the air is crisp and fresh,
and chilly at night, and orchard-lined Savegre basin hosts high-altitude species that draw
bird-watchers from around the world. The elusive quetzal is such a celebrity in these parts
that in 2005 the national government demarcated a national park in its honor.
Visiting the national park is largely a self-organized, DIY affair since it has no perman-
ent infrastructure, but the town of San Gerardo provides easy access to the trailheads and
offers a wide assortment of tourist lodges. In stunning contrast to Costa Rica's famous
tropical regions, San Gerardo de Dota is a charmer, well worth seeking out for a quiet
couple of days of fresh mountain air.
History
The banks of the Río Savegre were long protected by the steep flanks of the Talamanca
mountains, prohibiting settlement in this area. It wasn't until 1952 that Efraín Chacón and
