Costa Rica Guide
The Valle Central and the highlands
Valle Orosí
West of the small town of Paraíso, 8km southeast of Cartago, the road drops down a ski-slope hill into the deep bowl of the VALLE OROSÍ. The pretty villages of Orosí and Ujarrás, each with their own lovely church, are accessible by bus via Paraíso; annoyingly, although they lie less than 8km apart, you can't get directly from one to the other, and have to backtrack to Paraíso. Southeast of these lies the wildlife-rich, but little-visited, Parque Nacional Tapantí.
Coming into Paraíso, turn right at the Parque Central and drive straight on as if to leave town for another kilometre until you see the family-run Mirador Sanchiri ( 
574-5454, 
574-8586, 
www.sanchiri.com ; Price: $51-75) with comfortable cabins that sit in a stupendous position high above the valley. The restaurant serves tasty meals made from locally grown produce and the hotel's friendly staff can help with local information and tours. About 3km east of Paraíso on the road to Turrialba, is Finca Cristina ( 574-6426, www.cafecristina.com ), a small-scale organic coffee farm toiled by an American family since 1977. The charismatic owners, Linda and Ernie, offer 90-minute tours ($10 a person, reservations essential) and take great pride in explaining every stage of the coffee-making process – from growing to milling to roasting. The tour culminates in the sweetest cup of coffee you'll taste in Costa Rica.