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Corso Lecheria Tour

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Corso Lecheria Tour - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024) - Tripadvisor

Corso Lecheria Tour

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Corso Lecheria Tour - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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Phone Numbers CR +506 2269 9392 US/CAN +1 305-395-3042

Corso Lechería: Where Costa Rica Goes to Farm

Imagine, if you will, a Costa Rica that looks more Switzerland than tropical : rolling green hills, evergreen-dappled mountains, endless blue sky, and just the hint of a chill in the air.

You are here, at a little-explored tourism secret in the Central Valley – at Corso Lechería (formerly, Freddo Fresas), a cultural and farming tour high in the mountains of Heredia, at the base of Poás Volcano (close but not too close, for the record) and just 45 minutes from Finca Rosa Blanca .

Did you know that Costa Rica was once built on agriculture? Beyond the coffee trade and before the country became a haven for tourism, Costa Rica’s economy once relied heavily on fruits and vegetables, milk and cheese. And it’s these roots you’ll explore – not to mention, savor and sample! – on one of our favorite cultural and family-friendly tours .

Corso Lechería Farming Tour

A scenic drive wends through the mountains between Finca Rosa Blanca and Corso Lechería, ascending ever higher into high-altitude agriculture – mostly coffee, tomatoes, cheese, and strawberries. Along the way, roadside stands offer their wares of candied fruits, bulbous strawberries, and handmade cheeses.

These are just what await at Corso Lechería, a working dairy and strawberry farm that promises fun for both the young and young-at-heart.

Choose from the walking or tractor tour – although we know which we’d recommend, if you have young kiddos (or a senior) in tow! – and explore the farm’s gentle hills and plains. Keep an eye open for spectacular views of Poás and Barva Volcanos , if the skies are clear; try your hand at milking a cow (don’t worry; she’s friendly!); and pick your way through strawberry fields bursting with berries.

The farm comprises nearly 550 acres of rich soil, ripe for the picking (literally). You’ll be pleasantly flabbergasted by the size and heft of Heredia hills strawberries ; at the height of strawberry season, they fit about two to the palm and yet can still be sweeter than the best you’ve ever had. It’s a marvel of volcanic soil, to be sure.

The milk here – and, thus, the cheese – is fresh and wonderful. Key word: Fresh. You won’t find much in the way of aged cheese – think: no hard cheddars or creamy bries – but you will find farmer’s cheese, herbed cheeses, and Costa Rica’s famous palmito , a giant’s take on string cheese. (It’s about the size of an adult male’s fist).

Sample, savor and taste to your heart’s delight. And then, stop by Corso Lechería’s restaurant, for a taste of Costa Rica’s most traditional foods. And be sure, oh-so-absolutely sure, to order one of their famous strawberry milkshakes! Darn it. Now we’re craving one.

Family Vacation? Culture Vultures? Want a Taste of the Real Costa Rica?

If Corso Lechería sounds like your kind of day trip, then hello, it’s nice to meet you. Because this is our kind of tour, too.

At Finca Rosa Blanca, we delight in Costa Rican culture and outside-the-box kinds of fun. From our Organic coffee farm tours to our favorite activities in the area, we seek out the most authentic , the most memorable , and even the most off-the-beaten-path kind of tours. Because a great vacation is an amalgam – part bucket-list, part serendipity. And always, extraordinary.

Tip : Looking for more inspiration? Check out our family vacation in Costa Rica : a kid-entertaining, family-pleasing, make-some-forever-memories kind of trip. With a stop at Corso Lechería, of course!

For more details, please get in touch .

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Want to know what travel documents are needed, places to visit, and what to pack? Then request our Costa Rica Travel Checklist!

Corso Lechería

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Héctor Calderón

At this dairy outside Fraijanes, a one-of-a-kind bilingual tour opens a window onto local farming. The two-hour experience flies by, taking visitors from the milking stations all the way through the process that transforms milk from its raw form to its final near-perfect state as cheese. (Don’t worry: There are plenty of samples on offer at an on-site store.) Then the tour moves outside to the garden for a ride aboard the region’s gaily colored oxcarts that roll past the farm’s strawberry fields. Children, especially, will enjoy seeing all the bunnies, pigs, horses, and hens.

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Costa rican flavor.

One of the great highlights of traveling through Costa Rica, is meandering through the streets of the capital city San Jose. Yes, everyone wants to hit the beaches and rain forests, but a day or two spent in the capital gives a little foundation to the adventure. A ton of markets on the streets to shop in, with anything you can think of! Some markets are formal and ongoing, but most are Pop ups where haggling is the norm. Vibrant colors, wafts of food and warm characters line the streets around the plazas and parques. Highlights here are the archealogical museum, the national theatre, plaza principal, Central market...... Gran Hotel is a great place to stay in the center of town too... In the historic area, the hotel sits right across the street from the national theatre, where you can catch great symphonies and ballets.... The old feel to the hotel makes you think you are sitting at the bar or outdoor restaurant, waiting for Hemingway to join you about his latest Latin American Adventures!

The Best Taco Stand in the World

This is the best taco stand in the world. Period. It’s located on the main road in the dusty beach town of Playa Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, near Malpais. You have to get into the hot sauce at this joint. On offer was chipotle mayo and some sort of aioli or pesto-based sauce, but the stuff in the green bottle is liquid gold. It’s basically pureed fresh jalapenos with something to give it the perfect amount of sweetness. Squeezed over grilled fish that was delivered by a guy on an ATV just moments before, this is your ideal lunch coming in off the beach. View the full album!

Unexpected Scarlet Macaws: North of Hermosa

Some experiences in life immediately have that once-in-a-lifetime quality. For years, my birdwatching boyfriend spoke of the elusive Scarlet Macaws. How desperately he wanted to see them in the wild (they’re quite limited in their range). Last year, we got married in Dominical, Costa Rica. After making a last minute decision (at the San Jose airport!) to forgo a honeymoon in Honduras, we drove south without a destination in mind (‘winging it’ would be too apt). South of Jaco, off a stretch of Route 34 where mountains meet ocean, a pair of macaws streaked the sky. I screamed for my husband to stop. He didn’t believe me. In Costa Rica, he said, most macaws lived in Osa, 150 miles to our south. But then he saw them too: dozens of birds in the trees, making their rounds from jungle to ocean like they owned the air. If I wasn’t yet a birdwatcher, I was quickly converted while the macaws squawked and soared above us. Evening neared but the macaws still hadn’t tired of their life as birds. Sun setting, we returned, begrudgingly, to our car and drove on, stopping for ‘casado’ at a roadside ‘soda’ (a family-run restaurant) before meandering up the hills of Uvita to our ultimate honeymoon: Rancho Pacifico, a boutique eco-hotel nestled in jungle overlooking Playa Ballena. We didn’t see the macaws again, but their presence lingered, reminding us, like the lessons of love, of the importance of spontaneity and perhaps, dumb luck. The irony: they’re the national bird of Honduras.

Asian culture is popular in Costa Rica. This Thai-inspired guest house in Santa Teresa was a gem: the rooms were cheap, the Thai food was delicious, and the bar area attracted friendly locals and travelers. Readers will appreciate the copious amounts of books in the lounge area. Hammocks hang upstairs; and, best of all, the hostel is a 5-second walk from the beach. When I arrived, musicians were strumming guitars in the central tree house. Magical.

Information on this page, including website, location, and opening hours, is subject to have changed since this page was last published. If you would like to report anything that’s inaccurate, let us know at [email protected].

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Corso Lechería Tour

Useful information.

• Address: Poasito, Alajuela, Costa Rica
• More Info: Located northwest of San Jose in Monteverde
• Opening hours: Sun–Sat 8am–4pm
• Phone: +506 4002 1430
• Email: [email protected]

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National Theatre of Costa Rica

Museum of Costa Rican Art

Metropolitan Cathedral of San José

Jade Museum

National Park

Parque Francia in Barrio Escalante

Simón Bolívar National Zoological Park and Botanical Garden

Pre-Columbian Gold Museum

Coffee Tour & Adventure

Morazán Park

The Pedestrian Central Avenue

La Sabana Park

Children's Museum

Bites and Sights Food Tour

Cementerio General de San José

Spirogyra Butterfly Garden

Orosi River Valley

Meet the Sloths at Toucan Rescue Ranch

Arenal Volcano

La Paz Waterfall Gardens

Poás Volcano National Park

The All-in-One Package

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Cancellation policy.

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

• For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
• If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
• Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
• Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
• This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

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• 506 2459-7000
• 506 8941-9494
• [email protected]
• Lun – Dom: 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Corso Lechería

Empresa de producción, distribución y comercialización de productos lácteos y cárnicos.

Food Service

Servicio a domicilio

Puntos de Venta

¿quiénes somos.

Somos Corso Lechería, una empresa que desarrolla, distribuye y comercializa productos lácteos y cárnicos.

Desde nuestros inicios en el 2005 nos hemos enfocado en crear una experiencia que nos permita llevar el sabor real de una comunidad a todos los rincones de nuestro país.

Nuestra planta productora se encuentra ubicada en las faldas del Volcán Poás, específicamente en el hermoso pueblo de Poasito donde desarrollamos productos frescos y de excelente calidad.

Actualmente nos enfocamos en 3 giros de negocio, los cuales buscan satisfacer de la mejor manera a nuestros clientes.

Un camino que nos ha llevado a la mejora continúa desde sus inicios en el 2019. Todo nuestro equipo se ha enfocado en brindar soluciones de productos lácteos y cárnicos a diferentes restaurantes, hoteles, cafeterías, pastelerías y pizzerías del territorio nacional que han confiado en nuestra calidad y compromiso.

Rutas de Entrega

• Pacífico Central, incluyendo Quepos
• Zona Norte (San Carlos)

El 2020 vino cargado de nuevos retos, los cuales enfrentamos con gran entusiasmo y profesionalismo, pues tuvimos la oportunidad de llevar hasta los hogares de nuestros clientes el sabor característico de Corso Lechería. Al día de hoy seguimos trabajando por mejorar y brindar el excelente servicio que nos define.

Contamos con rutas de entrega de lunes a domingo en las zonas de:

A través de nuestro servicio a domicilio podrá disfrutar de:

Quesos frescos

Derivados Lácteos

Panes Artesanales

Somos más que una planta productora, somos un equipo de profesionales comprometidos con impulsar el sabor de una comunidad.

Hemos hecho una selección de nuestros mejores productos para poner a disposición inmediata el disfrute del sabor real de Corso Lechería.

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Corso informa a la opinión pública

Corso informa sobre la presencia de la bacteria Listeria únicamente en nuestro queso semiduro especial para freír lote 166. De cinco unidades inspeccionadas de este lote, únicamente una unidad presentó dicha situación.

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CORSO LECHERÍA TOUR (Alajuela) - Qué SABER antes de ir (2024)

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Costa Rica Travel Blog and Tips by Locals

Travel services for Off-the-beaten-path explorers​​​​​​​ 

Farming Cultural Tour at Corso Lecheria

Last updated on June 13th, 2019

For visitors, it is still safe to visit the zone, but there is a reasonable resistance to people going there, especially foreign tourists. Costa Ricans aren’t that intimidated by volcano eruptions.

We have had days recently when 3 volcanoes decided to make eruptions, but they were mostly steam and ashes, so yeah, no big deal!

We love this part of the country, so right now we want to support the area by joining with the local campaign the government is promoting to visit Poasito and Vara Blanca, the towns that are next to the volcano.

Tourist businesses from the area are concerned about how long the national park will be closed and the impact it will have on the economy and tourism.

More than just a volcano, the area represents a big part of Costa Rican culture.You get to learn about the main economic activities before tourism and other industries came. The Costa Rican economy was built pretty much on agriculture, cattle

The Costa Rican economy was built pretty much on agriculture, cattle farms and coffee. Also, the route through the area has a very scenic drive, with light-green rolling valleys set in between dark-forested mountains.

Corso Lecheria Tour

Rodrigo and I found the Corso Lecheria tour after we visited the Poas Volcano early last year (it wasn’t that active back then) with some friends from the US. We did a quick stop before we headed to La Paz Waterfalls. We just saw the strawberries and the cows and we definitely knew that we would have to come back.

Rural Experience

The initiative started between two local businessmen from the area of Poas. Since strawberries and milk are two of the main products that have sustained the area for decades, they decided to show people the behind-the-scenes process of how Costa Rica produces dairy and strawberries with the rich soil from the volcano.

According to the information provided, the tour takes place on the farm of approximately 220 hectares, which is the perfect setting for all the activity.

This property was acquired in 2004 with the purpose of milk production, with amazing results. It was not until 2012 were the doors were open to tourist.

What does the tour include?

In  order to provide a fun day for the visitors the tour is divided into 2 sections:

The tour includes a rural ride around the farm, a view of the volcanoes Poas and Barva, a visit to the primary and secondary forest, two strawberries fields, a milking stall, and a mini farm.

The truck ride will take you to a viewpoint of the Poas Volcano. From here, you can observe the volcano if it’s clear. You can also see the cattle fields that are characteristic of the area.

Many people from San Jose find this ride interesting because they have never been on a truck or gotten to know the rural farming culture. Some of them mentioned the experience is like finding with their roots.

• Viewpoint to observe Poás Volcano and Barva Volcano

Volcanoes attract millions of visitors every year, for different reasons. Perhaps one reason is that they are an example of the wilder side of nature and are impressive sights, just puffing out steam and smoke.

This makes this tour special as well, because the farm is located next to one of the most visited volcanoes in the country.

• Milking stall

Maybe cows don´t sound like a lot of fun for some. We know that probably isn’t something that will stand out in your wish list of tours, BUT for tourists who want to know about Costa Rican culture or kids and locals who live in the big cities of Costa Rica, it’s valuable to see the process of dairy and beef production. It’s an activity that provides the foundation of our local economy.

Cattle ranching began in Costa Rica in the early colonial period. So the tour tries to keep that as part of our identity. The idea is you can take your own milk straight from the cow, or they put out chocolate for you to try. This is the best part for the kids definitely!

• Natural regeneration of a forest

We were really excited to see the natural regeneration from cattle to a small patch of forest, Now, you can walk inside this trail and never imagine that the spot used to be an old milking stall.

The farm is trying to become a carbon-neutral business to reduce the impact of its carbon footprint on the environment. The trail takes around 300 meters (0.8 miles), so it is small but nice to see species of animals getting benefits from it.

• Strawberry field

All along to Poas Volcano, you will see signs in the road for fresh “volcano strawberries.” At the farm, they took us to a well-planned strawberry plantation. We were amazed how big the strawberries grow in a controlled environment but with natural pollinators and pest control. It was very educational.

The concept of this restaurant is really typical but they offer more than “casados.”

They really focus on “Gallos.” They have the concept to bring the food from the farm to the table so you get to know what you are eating. We love that idea!

They have the concept to bring the food from the farm to the table so you get to know what you are eating. We love that idea!

By the way, we learned a new fact of history in Costa Rica food. We knew about the origin of the word “casados,”but not “Gallos.” Well, you learn something new every day.It seems that one president of the country had the tradition of inviting the people from a town to a meal.

He tried to replicate the famous Canapé (ˈkanəˌpē) but instead of the piece of bread and savory topping, he changed it for “tortillas and picadillo.” Rafael Yglesias was his name, but his nickname was “Gallo,” giving the origin to the name of the food.

We are really grateful for the time the farm administrator took to take us around. You can really see the passion and hard work behind the project. He has been there since the beginning, so that tells you how much he believes in this project.

The Corso Lecheria farm tour really represents our culture through the concept of rural tourism. Still without sacrificing the piece of convenience and service for visitors.

For us as locals, it encouraged us to get deeper in our identity and not forget also this part of our culture. After the tour, we were more inspired to honor the agriculture of our farmers that work their best in the fields to produce what we eat.

The tour is a good example for other initiatives around the country and the area. Even when they have been challenged by the activity of the volcano and the decrease of visitors to the area, they are really focused on representing our roots and economy in a real Costa Rican experience. Here is the information you’ll need to visit the place:

Address: Located in Alajuela on the road to Poas Volcano, 3 kilometers east at the detour to Poasito and Vara Blanca, in front of Villa Calas.

Map:  (Their name used to be Freddo Aventura Rural)

Phone: (506) 2482-1024

Minimum of 4 people – Schedule: 9:00 – 11:00 – 1:30

Price Range (Tour and Lunch):

• Locals: 8000 a 12,000 colones
• Tourist: $30 – $40

Reservations: [email protected]

Waze app: Corso Lecheria Tour

From San Jose: 90 minutes from San José. Take General Cañas freeway (# 1) up to Alajuela. In Alajuela, it is recommended to take the route from the Courts of Justice on to Poas Volcano National Park. Take a detour towards Vara Blanca – Poasito and turn right until you reach the farm.

Facebook: Corso Lecheria Tour

Instagram: Corso Lecheria 

Some pictures:

**** Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored blog. We truly want to support the area. So we’re really happy give a tiny help promoting projects like this one that line up with our vision ****

About Ligia

I´m from the “Pura Vida” country, Costa Rica! My life in a nutshell: Background in Tourism and hotel managment. Married with Rodrigo a wonderful tour guide ;) Lover of cultures, nature and social causes! Full time administrador at Non Profit Children´s Organization in my hometown and part time blogger of Explore Tikizia. Favorite things: Coffee time, travel and Jesus!

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Corso Lecheria Tour

• See all photos

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

CORSO LECHERIA TOUR (Alajuela) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Cabinas Paraíso Jaguarundi +

Tour de una lechería tradicional

Artesanía y artes, Fiestas y tradiciones, Gastronomía local

Únase a nosotros para obtener la experiencia práctica de ordeñar una vaca, ya que se han pasado las técnicas que se han conservado con el tiempo. Después de aprovechar la oportunidad de practicar la antigua tradición, ¡es hora de llevar esa leche recién exprimida a la cocina y ponerla en uso! Después de la explicación de cómo ordeñar a una vaca, habrá una clase de cocina con la leche que se acaba de recolectar. Aprende a hacer un postre tradicional costarricense de arroz con leche, ¡que se disfruta al final de la gira!

Su alojamiento

Cabinas Paraíso Jaguarundi

Area turistica

Don Felix y Doña Alice decidieron instalarse en el centro de la comunidad de Rancho Quemado en la provincia de Puntarenas. Aquí encontrarán una linda propiedad con un jardín caloroso gracias a sus frutas y sus plantas medicinales. Con los viajeros que los visitan, ofrecen un entorno tranquilo y relajante gracias al contacto directo con la naturaleza. Para construir las cabinas, aprovechan del recurso que goza sus bosques. Cada cabina, así como la habitación, está equipada con baños y servicios privados. El paquete de alojamiento incluye pensión completa (3 comidas) para 2 personas

Comodidades y servicios

• Energía 24h
• Transporte público cercano

Su actividad

Experiencia disponible

Información adicional

Política de anulación

Las reservas efectuadas en Vaolo están sujetas a una política de cancelación estándar. En caso de cancelación o no presentación por parte del viajero, se aplicarán las siguientes tarifas.

Sin gastos de anulación. El viajero puede cancelar su reserva gratuitamente hasta 7 días antes de la fecha de llegada.

El viajero deberá abonar el 50% de la primera noche de estancia y el 50% de la primera jornada de actividad.

El viajero deberá abonar el 100% de la primera noche de estancia y el 100% de la primera jornada de actividad.

Cómo llegar

Por avión (1H) : desde el aeropuerto internacional Juan Santamaría, Alajuela, la compañía de vuelo Sansa asegura el trayecto hasta Bahía Drake y Puerto Jiménez. Después, el viajero debe tomar un transporte local o el alojamiento puede organizar el traslado. Por bus (7H) : desde San José, la compañía de buses Transportes Blanco Lobo asegura el trayecto hasta Rincón. Después, el viajero debe tomar un transporte local o el alojamiento puede organizar el traslado. Por carretera desde San José (6H) : Tomar la vía interamericana (numero 2) hasta la estación gasolinera de Chacarita. Girar a mano derecha, y tomar la carretera 245 ruta Puerto Jiménez, hasta Rincón. En el puente de Rincón, tomar la carretera a mano derecha ruta a Bahía Drake, hasta Rancho Quemado. Seguir en este camino de lastre por 18 km hasta encontrar la indicación “Bienvenido a Rancho Quemado” (aproximadamente 45 minutos). Pasando el puente de Rancho Quemado, Cabinas Jaguarundi está ubicado a 1,5 km. Está ubicado cuando se ve un rotullo a su mano izquierda. Por carretera desde Drake: tomar la carretera en dirección de La Palma. Conducir en un camino de lastre y de piedras pasando por las comunidades de Progreso. Entrar en el pueblo de Rancho Quemado que se reconoce por su colorada biblioteca y la fachada verde con la famosa lapa. Seguir un poco más adelante, y estamos a 300 metros. Está ubicado cuando se ve un rotullo a su mano izquierda.

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Lecheria Corso Costa Rica

This post may contain affiliate links.

Ode to one of my favorite Costa Rican farms, Lecheria Corso.

Located on the skirts of the Poas Volcano near the sleepy little town of Grecia, Costa Rica, is a working farm that you can visit for the day. It’s also just around the corner from la Paz Waterfall Gardens and the Peace Lodge Hotel. Here’s all the info.

Lecheria Corso is a great day trip from San Jose or our hometown of San Ramon. It’s also not far from Sarchi, the home of the Costa Rican pained ox carts.

From the San Jose airport, Just take route 712 north until you get to the farm. I highly recommend renting a car in Costa Rica , and then you can just navigate using Waze or Google Maps .

The trip is about one hour. It’s in the Vara Blanca region of Costa Rica.

The Farm Experience

You’ll arrive on the farm and be greeted by views of the lush green pastures. The entrance is lined with blooming flowers, and there is an ample parking lot for cars and tour buses.

You’ll want to wear good shoes here – there are lots of dirt paths and mud in the rainy season.

You’ll arrive at a lovely wooden building that is home to the shop and the restaurant. From here you can take a tour of the farm- tours leave every so often.

You can choose to do the full tour, or just wander the area a bit. There’s a fun playground for kids here, and the ice cream is super fresh.

If you do choose to take a tour, you’ll get onto the back of a Caterpillar tractor.

This first stop is to milk cows. Everyone who wants to can milk a cow, and there’s even a race to see who can fill up the bucket the fastest. Kids love this.

Next, you’ll take a short walk through the rainforest where your guide will point out some of the most important flora and fauna.

The strawberry garden is next- you’ll be taught how to “properly” eat a strawberry and pick a few of your own to try.

Back at the cabin, you’ll be given an array of local cheeses to try before you are led back through the “pulperia” or gift shop.

You can buy fresh local milk, local candies made in the area, and any type of cheese or ice cream your heart desires.

The restaurant on site has phenomenal traditional Costa Rican food , and the prices are good . A lot of locals will come here just to have lunch and then go back to Grecia.

Best Time To Visit

The best time to visit Lecheria Corso is in the morning, as the clouds can tend to roll in in the afternoon and it can get a bit rainy and/or chilly.

The farm is open 7 days a week from 8 am to 6 pm, with the last tour leaving at 4 pm.

Looking for more local Costa Rican destinations especially tailored to families? I’m happy to help you in  planning your trip to Costa Rica – just  book a phone call or video chat  with me today!

Christa Jimenez

Welcome! I’m Christa, a Spanish teacher married to a handsome Costa Rican and mother of two bilingual daughters. We’ve spent over 25 years living in and traveling to Costa Rica with our daughters, and this website is my love letter to all things Costa Rica- and to bilingual parenting too. You can read my full story here . Thanks for stopping by!

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Monteverde Cheese Factory Costa Rica

Monteverde Cheese Factory Monteverde Costa Rica

Most everyone who visits Monteverde learns that the community was founded by Quakers escaping the draft during the Korean War because their peaceful religious beliefs do not allow them to serve. Not everyone realizes that all seven of these families made their living farming dairy cattle, and were reliant on the cheese factory for money, jobs and the majority of the food that sustained the community.

People might also be surprised to learn that the  Monteverde Cheese Factory  in 2008 made 14 million dollars in sales, employs over 350 people and buys milk from 250 farms in the zone. The cheese factory affects every resident and visitor to the area in many ways which go unnoticed. However, the cheese factory was bought out by an international company around 2014.

The cheese factory no longer does tours but you can still visit and look through the glass windows and see how the cheese is being made and go to the factory store where you can buy cheese and wonderful milkshakes and ice-cream!

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A Girls’ Trip to Costa Rica. But With No Phones, Did It Happen?

Travelers are signing up for phone-free tours, to try to escape technology’s tether on daily life. But would it make for a better experience?

By Christine Chung

We were on a quintessential girl’s trip to Costa Rica. Together, we gulped icy drinks by the hotel pool, were battered by waves during a surf lesson, had our tarot cards read aboard a catamaran, and danced our hearts out, powered by espresso martinis, to early 2000s anthems on a rooftop.

But we didn’t capture any of this on our phones. No Instagram stories were posted of the fun being had. No TikToks either. We didn’t text photos to friends and family in far colder climates back home.

And if there wasn’t a picture, well, did it happen? I had wondered if a vacation without my phone would reprogram my iPhone-addled brain, whether it might deepen the connections I made or improve my travel experiences. So, in mid-April, I joined a group of 10 other women in their 20s and 30s for a four-day, phone-free tour of Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Province, on the country’s northwestern coast, a picturesque place of breathtaking beaches, tropical forests and, everywhere around you, the chance of a surreal wildlife sighting.

To document my vacation, I brought only a pen, a notebook and a disposable camera.

‘More present in the moment’

FTLO Travel , which started offering group tours in 2016 for solo travelers 25 to 39 years old, organized our phone-free trip. Most FTLO clients are women, said Tara Cappel, the company’s founder and chief executive, and the majority of them are traveling solo for the first time.

The company has long had a rule prohibiting phones at dinner, she said, and the phone-free trips, which began this year, are an extension of this. “Removing that sort of temptation has always helped facilitate better bonding and conversation,” said Ms. Cappel, 35.

The hope in providing an entirely phone-free experience, she continued, is that travelers could “be present in the experience and the destination and with each other.”

She added that FTLO’s phone-free trips this year, which start at $1,699 and also head to Iceland, Mexico, Cuba and Puerto Rico, are in strong demand . My Costa Rica trip was sold out and overall, the company anticipates about 3,000 travelers across the hundreds of trips they’re offering this year.

The interest in these trips stem in part from a growing trend among travelers to try to escape technology’s tether on daily life. Operators are moving beyond offering meditation retreats and truly remote locations — even cruises and hotels in buzzy vacation hot spots these days market their disconnection experiences. At the Grand Velas Resorts , on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, guests can opt for a detox concierge, who will remove the hotel room’s flat screen television and lock all personal electronics in a safe. With Unplugged , a company specializing in tech-free escapes, you can book a “digital detox cabin” to spend three tech-free days in the English countryside.

Heather Orton, a nurse practitioner and my roommate in Costa Rica, said that going phone-free was the main reason she’d booked the FTLO trip. She’d previously gone on two trips with FTLO, to Crete and to Morocco, experiences where she made lasting friendships.

“At work I have to always have my phone on, be responsive to texts, emails and calls,” said Ms. Orton, 37, of Ohio. “It’s nice to turn that off and get away.” She said she felt she was “more present in the moment” and fully immersed in Costa Rica.

A bit like sleepaway camp

We’d come from all over the United States, including Texas, Alabama, California and Minnesota, and most of us were meeting for the very first time.

It felt like sleepaway camp, or college orientation — it was a social situation structured around group activities that quickly gave rise to new friendships, even if they were brittle ones. Two ebullient trip leaders corralled us to various activities and recited facts about local flora and fauna, all adding to the feeling of a camp for adults, and at times like being chaperoned on a school trip.

They directed us to their favorite restaurants and watering holes, and attempted to draw everyone into conversation and ensure no one felt left out. One afternoon, Mandy, one of the co-leaders and a certified yoga instructor, led a trio of us in a restorative flow at our hotel. Dani, the other trip leader, who was born in Costa Rica, was on crutches because of a recent ankle injury, but he hobbled along energetically on nights out, swaying to dance music on one leg.

Companies targeting younger travelers, like FTLO, G Adventures , Flashpack and others, aren’t touting their ability to get you to a place, but the connection they can deliver.

“The inspiration was really to help people go abroad who had the desire but didn’t necessarily have people to go with,” Ms. Cappel said of creating FTLO.

Sambavi Venkatesen, a 32-year-old therapist who lives in Austin, Texas, told me she had booked the trip after turning to TikTok to research group travel for people of color.

“The opportunity to meet other diverse women is not something that’s easily accessible in your 30s. That was kind of a big appeal,” she said, adding that she felt a real connection to other tour participants by trip's end. “I genuinely want to see people again and hope they visit me.”

Unscheduled time

We were based in Tamarindo, a lively tourist playground set along the Pacific Ocean that spanned just a few blocks, making it easy to navigate without GPS. We were given a printed map of the town, which I barely used. With my phone and laptop locked in the hotel room safe, gone were all the tools I usually rely on while traveling (and check frenetically): map and translation apps, social media and internet, for restaurant and activity searches. But thanks to the tour, this work had already been done.

We spent an afternoon ziplining through canyons and then crossed a rickety suspension bridge to plunge into the icy, refreshing waters by a waterfall. We surfed and drank beer — two activities I do not generally voluntarily sign up for. We lounged on the netted deck of a catamaran, where we watched a deep-red sun sink into the sea. Nearly every night we frequented a different nightclub.

We started the trip knowing nothing about each other’s lives, from our ages to interests. Our first night was characterized by icebreakers (“share a fun fact about yourself”) and the occasional awkward silence. But by the third night, we were screaming the lyrics to Lil Jon’s “Get Low” in the club. And the conversation grew more nuanced, as we shared stories about jobs, relationships, beloved pets and the rhythms of lives back home.

Some of the best moments happened during the time left unscheduled, when I made my own decisions about activities. A highlight of the trip was an excursion my roommate and I booked on our own, through the hotel, to kayak in a mangrove-bordered estuary, where we spotted iguanas, howler monkeys and a crocodile, watchful and still in the murky waters.

A fuzzy food photo

Overall, I didn’t miss my phone. The absence of Slack notifications and countless other digital intrusions was bliss. Conversations unspooled more fluidly than I expected they would without the crutch of a phone for idly filling silence. I slept deeper than I had in months. But my phone’s phantom presence loomed large. I swiveled my head, a Pavlovian response, when I heard the ping of another tourist's phone. My bag felt too light, which made me feel uneasy.

Mainly, I missed a good camera. Others had wisely brought digital cameras along, but I had to ration the pictures on my disposable camera, and only allowed myself to take one food photo. It’s fuzzy.

Not everyone on the trip was fully committed to the screen time ban. One night, as I tried to capture sunset using my disposable, one of my trip mates pulled out her phone and took a picture. I’m sure her photo is better than mine.

Toward the end of the trip, I learned that some other travelers had surreptitiously used their phones throughout (to text and call their moms, mostly).

But we delighted in seeing a drowsy tapir, a large mammal almost mythical because of its rarity, wake from an afternoon nap in Hacienda Guachipelin , a private property by Rincon de la Vieja National Park . There were also dozens of howler monkeys perched atop mangroves swaying in the wind, and one night, a man who was absolutely shredding on the guitar at a beachfront bar. All were incredible moments that I’ve already revisited in my memory.

On the last day of the trip, we switched our phones back on, literally jolting us back to real life with pings and vibrations. We shared Instagram handles to connect online, and I returned, almost without realizing it, to a stream of information, push notifications, digital itineraries, unfettered scrolling and the expectation of a quick reply to a message.

I’ve tried, however, to maintain the feeling of being phone-free in Tamarindo: the delicious lack of immediacy, the way time seemed to expand languidly.

Simply put, I’m using my phone less.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Christine Chung is a Times reporter covering airlines and consumer travel. More about Christine Chung

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

The Alaska Highway:  On an epic road trip, a family plots a course from Alaska to the Lower 48, passing through some of Canada’s most spectacular scenery .

Minorca:  Spend 36 hours on this slow-paced Spanish island , which offers a quieter and wilder retreat than its more touristy neighbors.

Japan:  A new high-speed train stop unlocks Kaga, a destination for hot springs, nourishing food and traditional crafts , as an easy-to-reach getaway from Tokyo.

London:  The Victoria and Albert Museum is a treasure trove of art and design. Here’s one besotted visitor’s plan for taking it all in .

Authentic Costa Rican Drinks

W ith the abundance of fresh fruit in Costa Rica, it’s no wonder there are incredible juices and smoothies on offer all over the country. When you add in some of the best coffee in the world, and an array of cocktails perfect for beach-sipping- well let’s just say there are drinks for days in Costa Rica. This post will tell you the best drinks to order in Costa Rica and provide some of my favorite recipes for you to try at home.

About Costa Rican Drinks

Costa Ricans love to make and drink jugos naturales , or fresh homemade juices. They are abundant everywhere in the country because of the large quantity of fresh Costa Rican fruit . It is rare to go to a Costa Rican home and not be offered fresh juice, coffee, or agua dulce.

Natural juices are very rarely if ever, made with a juicer. Instead, the fruit is blended with water and then strained through a fine mesh colander before mixing with sugar and more water

Since it is safe to drink water in Costa Rica , visitors can rest assured that they can drink juices of every flavor and not worry about getting sick.

This also means that Costa Rican cocktails are to die for since the mixers are all almost always made from scratch.

Related post: 30+ Costa Rican Foods to Try

How To Order Traditional Costa Rican Drinks

When you see a menu in Costa Rica, the drinks section will usually have two types of jugos naturale s, or natural juices. They are batidos en agua and batidos en leche . You’ll choose your fruit and then let the server know if you want the batido en agua (regular juice) or batido en leche (a smoothie made with milk.)

For example, a batido de mango , would be mango juice. A batido de mora en leche is a blackberry shake. Expect to pay between $2-3 for a natural juice, and expect to fall in love with them! Generally, the fruit juices are made to order.

You can also order hot drinks in Costa Rica- and coffee is king. You can expect most restaurants to have hot coffee available- it’s café chorreado and made in the traditional Costa Rican pour-over style right at your table. All kinds of coffee drinks such as espresso and iced coffee are also available in Costa Rica- you’ll just want to go to a coffee shop for those.

Related post: Saving Money In Costa Rican Restaurants

Great Costa Rican Drinks

Here is a list of some of my favorite Costa Rican drinks, and the recipes for most of them.

Passion Fruit Juice

Passion fruit juice is one of my favorite Costa Rican drinks, mostly because here in Denver, it’s hard to get passion fruit. In Costa Rica, you can go to a local market and get a big bag of passion fruit for just cents on the dollar.

Passion fruit juice is a little bit harder to find on the menu at popular Costa Rican restaurants, so if you are staying in a beach rental with a blender- make sure to make some before you leave!

Pineapple Juice

Pineapple juice is one of the most common juices in Costa Rica given the abundance of pineapple year round. If you want it as a smoothie, you can also add rum for a piña colada!

Mango Juice

Mango juice has to be one of the most popular Costa Rican drinks and smoothies with locals. Like the pineapple, there is an abundance of ripe mangos year-round. This one you can find on pretty much any menu, and sometimes even on the street.

Blackberry Juice

Costa Rica is one of the only countries in Central America that has blackberries. You’ll find blackberry juice mostly in the Central Valley because the high altitude means the perfect growing conditions. This is a fun recipe to replicate at home, too.

Tamarind Juice

Known in Costa Rica as jugo de tamarindo , this juice is popular throughout Mexico, Central, and South America. If you see it on the menu and haven’t tried it before then be sure to order it. If you want to try it at home just beware- it’s so much work!

Blackberry Smoothie

While almost any Costa Rican juice can be turned into a smoothie just by adding powdered milk, the blackberry smoothie gets a special mention just because it is my all-time favorite. Fresh blackberries add a tartness you can’t find anywhere else, and the powdered milk (Costa Rica’s own Leche Pinito ) makes for a smooth and creamy texture. If you see this on a menu, I highly recommend you try it!

Traditional Costa Rican Coffee

Traditional Costa Rican coffee is known as café chorreado . Just choose your favorite Costa Rican coffee , place it in the coffee sock, and pour hot water over it. The drip method guarantees the perfect cup of coffee every single time.

Something you’ll also notice is that most Costa Ricans drink coffee at breakfast with their gallo pinto , again mid-morning, and again mid-afternoon. So you’ll have lots of opportunities to drink coffee when you are in Costa Rica!

Coconut Water

Known as agua de pipa in Costa Rica, you’ll find fresh coconut water on almost any street corner and at any market. There is a huge abundance of green coconuts, and locals simply chop the top off with a machete, stick in a straw, and sell them! You can expect to pay about $1 for one.

Agua de Sapo

Agua de sapo- literally translates to “frog water” but luckily it doesn’t have anything to do with frogs. It’s a drink most popular on the Caribbean side of the country. It combines Costa Rican browned cane sugar ( tapa de dulce ) lime, and ginger.

Once you boil all the ingredients together, strain, and cool, it’s one of the most refreshing drinks on the planet. It isn’t easy to come by on a menu, so ask for it if you want to try it, or keep your eyes peeled on the menus.

Agua dulce is simple to make- if you can get the tapa de dulce mentioned above. You’ll simply boil the water with a bit of the browned sugar cane and drink.

Many Costa Ricans don’t give young children coffee, so this is the traditional cold-weather drink for kids during coffee hour.

Costa Rican Egg Nog

Costa Rican egg nog is known as rompope , and it is a favorite drink during Costa Rican Christmas . There are quite a few ways to make it, and every home has its special recipe. Some people add rum, or even make a batch with rum and a batch without for the kids. If you are in Costa Rica for Christmas, I highly recommend you track down some rompope .

Costa Rican Piña Colada

Even though Costa Rica is most definitely not an island, you can get some serious island vibes when relaxing on the beach with a piña colada . As I mentioned before, fresh Costa Rican fruit is everywhere, and you haven’t really lived until you drunk a piña colada out of a fresh pineapple.

All joking aside- the pina colada is one of the most popular Costa Rican cocktails , and you definitely need to try one.

Join me over at my favorite place- Instagram.

The post Authentic Costa Rican Drinks appeared first on Pura Vida Moms .