Orosí Things to Do

The church in Orosí, situated at a nice, green square is the oldest church in Costa Rica that is still in use, and one of the oldest ones in the whole of Central America. It was built when the Spaniards arrived in the area and first established their settlements here, in this part of the country.

The church in Orosí was built in 1743. The front facade is pretty simple and has a basic, roman appearance. The church is still in use and can be visited. There also is a small museum next to it that shows the history of the church.

Take a dip in the Orosi River. It moves pretty rapidly, but this little boy didn't drift off by Mother Nature's force, so I wasn't too intimidated.

This river runs through the town. To find the best swimming spots, follow the river southeast for 30 minutes or so.

This obstinate little goat did not want me to hike up this mountain road. It kept trying to head butt me. Luckily the silly thing was chained up and couldn't chase after me as I circumvented it.

Later I found out that I was actually treading on a farmer's land, so I guess this was his makeshift "watchdog" - it even had a big bell attached to its neck.

It was a gorgeous sight to hike up a steep mountain into the coffee fields. To think of what delicious byproduct would soon be made of these beans...it left me salivating.

This hike got ridiculously steep at some point that I had to pull myself up by tree limbs in order to ascend. I was like a monkey grasping onto branches. It soon started to rain and I tried to scuttle down immediately, but seeing how hard it was to get up to this point, you can only imagine the drama of getting back down. I've told the rest of this traumatic story here if you care to read about it.

Anyway, after recuperating from the awful pain I met this farmer. Apparently it was his land I was stumbling around on. Luckily he wasn't mad, but indeed very friendly. We began to chit chat in Spanish, and immediately became friends. He helped me bandage myself up, we went to go mock his pet goat, and he showed me around his farm and the rest of his 1000000 animals. Later we snuck into some rich foreigner's house that he was supposed to be "housesitting" and took a swim in the pool to clean myself off. He even introduced me to his wife and children. What a man.

Orosi is truly known for its hot springs and thermal baths. You'd be silly to miss out on the opportunity to dip into some all natural springs for free. Even I, amidst the sweltering summer heat and humidity, could use a little soak. Just jump into the river nearby to prevent from boiling your brains.

If you don't want to hike outside town to find the natural hot springs, there are very cheap thermal baths in town. Balneario Termal Orosi and Balneario de Aguas Termales los Patios to be exact. It doesn't cost more than a couple dollars to go marinate your bones.

Okay I have to admit, I wrote the title of this tip about 9 months ago, and now I have absolutely no clue what I was making reference to. I can only laugh because now I look like a fool who talks about eating horse butts.

I love handmade Costa Rican hammocks. Some are more comfortable than others, but each varies in color, style, width, and quality. Take the opportunity to buy one and bring it home if you can. Many people agree that it is an acquired comfort to lie in one, but once you've taken a liking to them, you may never want to sleep in a bed again.

Every morning I would wake up, eat my breakfast, and relax on a hammock. During the afternoon I would read and take a little siesta on a hammock while waiting for the rain to clear up.

You'll see them everywhere; hung between trees, in restaurants and bars, on your hotel room porch. Really, take advantage of them.

Call me lazy, but they're great.