Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ethanol-burning stoves keep rooms toasty (and redolent of rum). A nature reserve com-
plete with private trails is just steps away, as well as a spa for post-hike pampering. If the
price tag is too steep, stop by to browse the gallery's collection of art from all over Latin
America or book a romantic dinner at the Tico-continental Restaurant Le Tapir (mains
US$10 to US$19).
Savegre Hotel de Montaña
LODGE
( 2740-1028, in USA & Canada 866-549-1178;
www.savegre.com
; s/d/ste incl 3 meals US$136/190/
254; )
Owned and operated by the Chacón family since 1957, this lodge is a local institution, es-
pecially among bird-watchers keen to catch a glimpse of the quetzal. The rooms and suites
are gorgeous: wrought-iron chandeliers hang from the high wooden ceilings, while rich
wooden furniture surrounds a stone fireplace.
Set on a 160-hectare orchard and reserve, this riverside lodge is hemmed in by avocado
trees, the favorite perch of the bird of paradise. It also has a roster of professional guides
and an onsite spa.
La Comida Típica Miriam
COSTA RICAN
( 2740-1049; meals US$5-10; 7am-7pm; )
One of the first places you will pass in San Gerardo, about 6km from the Interamericana,
is the cozy house advertising
comida típica
(literally, 'typical meals') - regional special-
ties. 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: a modest
but comfortable place to spend a night or two.
Café Kahawa
CAFE
( 2740-1081; mains US$5-10; 7am-8pm; )
With alfresco tables sitting above the river, funky skull art and sparkling fish tanks filled
with fingerling trout, this atmospheric spot prepares trout in eleventeen excellent ways.
There isn't much on the menu that doesn't feature this local fish, but variations on the
