Costa Rica Guide
The Valle Central and the highlands
Orosí
One of the most picturesque small villages in Costa Rica, OROSÍ nestles in a little topographical bowl between thick-forested hills and coffee plantations. It also boasts the Iglesia de San José de Orosí (built in 1735), Costa Rica's oldest church that is still in use, which sits squat against the rounded pates of the hills behind. This simple, low-slung adobe structure, single-towered and roofed with red tiles, has an interior devoid of the hubris and frothy excess of much of Latin American religious decor. The adjacent Religious Art Museum, also called the Museo Franciscano (Tues– Fri 1–5pm, Sat & Sun 9am–5pm; $1) exhibits fascinating objectos de culto such as icons, religious paintings and ecclesiastical furniture, along with a faithful recreation of a monk's tiny room.
If the sun's out, check out the two swimming pools in the village. Both are fed by volcanic hot springs and maintain a constant temperature of 30°C. Balneario Thermales Orosí (daily 7.30am–4pm; $2) is attractively framed by forest-clad hills and is the better maintained of the two. You'll find several lovely walking trails around the village, with waterfalls, swimming spots and natural riverside hot springs en route.For maps, detailed directions and information about the area, stop by the Orosí Tourist Information and Arts Café, 300 metres south of the church. The information centre is affiliated with Montaña Linda, which offers a wide range of reasonably priced tours, community projects as well as Spanish lessons at its popular language school. On a clear morning, when the lush hillsides are drenched in sunlight and the Irazú and Turrialba volcanoes hover on the horizon, Orosí can feel like the most idyllic spot on Earth. Early morning is also an ideal time for a horseback ride through the valley, and guided tours can be organized with Francisco "Pancho" Martinez ($10 an hour, 
830-6058), who can be found just left of Balneario Thermales Orosí. The paved road that runs through town is ideal for cycling and a number of businesses in town rent bikes, including Bici Orosí (10am–6pm; $2 an hour, $10 a day, 533-3383), one block before the gas station; they can also kit you out with a map of the area featuring points of interest. Also based in town, Adventure Bike Tours ( 533-1564, 
www.costarica-moto.com ) offer tailor-made motorbike tours from $75 a day. If you're here during coffee season, you could learn about the local production of black gold on a tour of the FJ Orlich & Hnos coffee factory (Oct-Feb Mon-Sat 7am–4pm, $5; 533-3535), 1.5km from Orosí on the road to Rio Macho; reservations are essential and the tour price includes a bag of coffee. Plant lovers should pop into the Delisas family orchid garden (daily 8.30–10.30am & 1–5pm, $1; 533-3307), in town 300m south and 75m east of the church. The 25-year-old collection, crammed down the side of a house, includes 3500 plants and more than a thousand species of orchids.
Orosí offers surprisingly good accommodation. The Orosí Lodge ( & 
533-3578, www.orosilodge.com ; Price: $31-50), adjacent to the Balneario Thermales Orosí, is a lovely, small hotel with comfortable rooms equipped with coffee maker, minibar and ceiling fan. The café here offers a good breakfast menu and decent coffee and cakes, and has a vintage Costa Rican jukebox. For those on a budget, you can't do better than Montaña Linda ( 533-3640, 533-2153, www.montanalinda.com ) with three pretty dormitory rooms ($6.50 per person/per bed), some private doubles with valley views (Price: $11-20) and camping space ($3 with own tent, $4 with hostel tent). All rooms have shared hot water bathrooms and there's a communal outdoor kitchen. The knowledgeable English-speaking owners also have a language school located around the corner and can arrange tours, homestays and community volunteer programmes. Just a couple of blocks up the road from the hostel, the 
Montaña Linda Guesthouse ( 533-3640; Price: $21-30) has the same chilled-out vibe as its sister accommodation, but offers larger and more comfortable double rooms with private hot water bathrooms and glorious valley views. The communal kitchen and lounge area – complete with book exchange library, long dining table and inviting couches – is a great space to relax, study or chat with other travellers. Hotel Reventazón ( 533-3838, www.hotelreventazon.com ; Price: $31-50), 25m south and 25m east of the Banco Nacional, has small, clean rooms suited to a variety of budgets; all have lovely valley vistas, private hot water bathrooms and if you like your creature comforts, one room even comes with funky wall art, a flat-screen TV, stereo, leather couch and desk (Price: $76-100). There´s an excellent on-site restaurant and ATVs can be hired here too. A little further afield, Tetey Lodge ( 533-1335, www.teteylodge.com ; Price: $31-50), 800m south of the church, is missing the valley views, but has nine new, polished rooms set around a cute courtyard, all with cable TV, Internet connection, fridge, coffee maker, telephone and private hot water bathroom. Breakfast is included. Another 200m up the road and 100m up a steep hill brings you to Hotel Tapanti Media ( 533-9090, www.hoteltapanti.com ; Price: $31-50), fronted by flags flapping in the breeze and offering superb views of the valley. The clean but modest rooms have concrete walls, TV, phone and private hot water bathrooms. If you can score the top floor far corner room with two big bay windows with gobsmacking vistas, you've got it made. Breakfast is included and there's a cozy bar with comfy lounge chairs and fireplace – perfect for those chilly Orosí nights. The on-site Italian restaurant (mains $4–10) is the most upmarket eatery in town and serves wood-fired pizzas, homemade pastas, meat and fish specials, delectable desserts and has a varied wine list.
For cheap typical food, grab a bite to eat at El Nido, a friendly bar and restaurant two blocks north of the soccer field, or at Soda Luz, one block south of the church, where you'll find arguably the best gallo pinto in Costa Rica. For excellent vegetarian fare, Tia´s Garden, two blocks north of the church, dishes up creative and inexpensive soup, falafel, nachos, home-made bagels and stuffed baked potatoes; their Thai and Mexican four-course feasts are unbeatable. Restaurante Coto ( 533-3032) on the main road, serves pricey typical food and has an inviting terrace that faces the football field and church. Pick up a tasty pizza loaded with fresh toppings at Luz de Luna, just south of the Banco Nacional. If you're self-catering, the Supermarket Anita, next to the Banco Nacional, is exceptionally well-stocked; the town also has a couple of good fruit and vegetables stores.