Orosi is one of the most picturesque villages in Latin America

Photo: Mary Neimeyer

Set in a verdant valley near the city of Cartago, the quaint village of Orosi is like stepping back in time to the Costa Rica of yesteryear.

Here, toothless old farmers sell their produce door to door in wheelbarrows, young children play outside well after dark and strangers greet each other in the street with broad smiles and a warm  ¨adios¨ or ¨buenos dias¨. 

Surrounded by coffee plantations and forested hills, Orosi is one of the most picturesque villages in Latin America. A raging river runs through its centre and even the two active volcanoes (Turrialba and Irazu) looming on the horizon look decidedly nonthreatening. The population is only 6,000, but there´s plenty of accommodation, restaurants and activities to keep travellers hanging around for at least three days.

The village itself is dominated by the Iglesia de San Jose de Orosi; built in 1735, this striking abode structure is the oldest functioning church in Costa Rica. Within a couple of kilometres of the village you can relax in natural riverside hot springs, cool off in refreshing waterfall pools or catch your dinner from a trout pond. Alternatively, you can take a tour of a local coffee plantation, hire a bike or horse to explore the countryside or hike to a thundering waterfall or a hilltop church.  

Orosi is home to one of Costa Rica´s best and least expensive Spanish language schools - Montana Linda. The school lures a steady stream of Gringos to Orosi, many of whom are seduced by the area and never end up returning home.