Costa Rica Guide
The Valle Central and the highlands
San Antonio de Escazú
An exemplary agro-ecological community tourism project is underway in the mountain town of San Antonio de Escazú, just southwest of San José. Here a group of local families, with help from the Dutch government, the United Nations Small Grants Program and a couple of Canadian universities, have established CODECE (Association for the Conservation and Development of the Mountains of Escazú). CODECE offers an authentic experience of Costa Rican campesino life, including a visit to a working trapiche, or old-fashioned sugar mill, and a five-acre forest preserve, which includes an organic vegetable garden. Guests spend time with community families and are served típico food and drink. Depending on your interests, the community can arrange for marimba music or for a retired local schoolteacher to narrate local history and legends. CODECE works mostly with groups of at least twelve people, but can sometimes accommodate smaller groups or couples. A day tour starts at around $15, and accommodation can also be arranged with local families for two-day trips ($50). Ring the CODECE office ( 
228-0183, 
www.codece.org ), preferably several days in advance, and speak to the project coordinator about details.