As you have probably already heard before, the Latin American country Costa Rica is famous around the world for the exceptional coffee beans that they grow. And yet, when you go to Costa Rica on vacation, no matter where you go, the brews that you get are all really terrible! Although is seems ironic, this strange situation actually makes a lot of sense. Since Costa Rica is a developing country, the very best coffee beans grown there are all exported to other countries. The only beans left for local consumption are the reject beans that were not good enough to be sold elsewhere.

Cafe Milagro was created by a couple of gringos came to Costa Rica to visit in between years of college and never left. The “pura vida,” or pure life, of the country was simply too irresitable. Really, the only thing that the one young gringa missed about the States was her daily cup of coffee. So, she used her student loan money to buy her own coffee roaster and went into business for herself!

About the Cafe

Although you can get Costa Rican coffee at many stores and coffee shops in the United States, by the time you purchase these bags of coffee, they are not that fresh. It takes a substantial amount of time for those beans to be roasted, packaged and then shipped across the globe before they actually get to the store shelves. So if you have had Costa Rican coffee in the States and loved it, then Cafe Milagro will be a once in a lifetime treat! This is the real stuff!

Equipped with their own bean roaster, these gringos have learned the fine art of how to perfectly roast the beans. Most modern day coffee roast producing factories use human-free, digital technology. However, the old and cantankerous roasting machine at Cafe Milagro requires the folks at Cafe Milagro to employ their sight, smell, and taste. They watch the beans carefully every time they roast, ensuring that the beans are always perfectled. They now have years of experience making coffee, and produce amazingly rich, dark roasts. They also make a delicious smooth light roast made from the famous arábica beans from the Tres Ríos region of Costa Rica.

Tips for Visiting

Cafe Milagro does not offer any flavor-infused coffees, and you wouldn’t want them anyways! These pure and unadulterated roasts will make you fall in love with coffee all over again! So be sure to stop by and try Cafe Milagro at the beginning of your trip, because once you taste it, you will surely want to go back again and again while you in Costa Rica. Cafe Milagro is easy to find, it is on the main road in Quepos facing the ocean, near the bridge.

So when you are leaving the country, make sure to grab several extra bags so that you can keep enjoying the delicious Cafe Milagro roasts at home. But the good news is that now, even after you go back home, you can still enjoy the roasts of Cafe Milagro. Just recently, Cafe Milagro has begun shipping their roasts to anywhere in the world. If it has been too long since you have been back to the gorgeous Costa Rican coasts, you can at least have a little bit of the flavor of vacation!

The Cafe roasts the beans the day before they ship them so that they will be as fresh as possible when you recieve them. And, they just lowered their shipping prices! You can now get shipping within the United States for only ten dollars! In order for your coffee to always be really fresh, they recommend only buying enough bags at one time to last you a few weeks. Another thing you can do to keep your coffee fresh is buy whole beans and wait to grind them until just before you are about to brew them. This will give your coffee the best flavor.

Original article can be found here: Cafe Milagro in Costa Rica

Whether arriving by land or by sea, visitors to Costa Rica often seek a coffee experience. It’s little wonder, considering the world-wide popularity of coffee and the contribution that this Central American nation makes to our global coffee culture. Even so, visitors here are often pleasantly surprised by the fun and education that they receive when they choose to take the Cafe Britt Coffee Tour. This is one of our favorite day trips from San Jose.

What to Expect

This fascinating tour is beyond the typical; just about 30 minutes from San Jose, guests arrive at the working farm in the middle highlands, of this lush tropical land to enjoy a renewing nature walk through verdant foliage, surrounded by tropical scents and sounds, capped with a lighthearted live stage play about working with coffee, the value of the crop, and life in Costa Rica.

Throughout the tour, visitors learn about the entire cycle; from a small, green bean, to your local coffee bar. A cupping demonstration lends enlightenment into what makes a coffee “gourmet” , and how to properly taste, detect and assess its characteristics.

Coffee means a lot to the people here, and is recognized as a major contributor to democracy of this nation, but more than that, it’s also a major thread through the cultural and economic tapestry of Costa Rica. This is all brought to life in a most enjoyable way throughout the tour, where visitors enjoy the unfolding story of two farm workers and how this precious bean has affected their lives. Like the Costa Rican people in general, these are warm, friendly people that are quick to share their pride-and story-with a dramatic flourish.

While it sounds like a lot of walking, this a leisurely-paced tour over easy terrain, and can easily be undertaken by anyone in good health. Families with children are not only welcome, but parents will appreciate the structure of the entire tour, as it easily entertains even those with short attention spans.

Available Tour Packages

The Classic Coffee Tour includes a leisurely, but educational guided walk through the farm, with discussion of growing, harvesting, sustainability practices, and more, and includes a stop at the aromatic roasting plant. Following the walk, guests enjoy a witty live play, and then lunch at Don Prospero, the lovely on-site buffet restaurant. After lunch, spend some time to wander a little or buy coffee & more in the gift shop. This tour lasts approximately 1 1/2 hours.

The Cappuccino Tour is the same as the classic, but with an espresso presentation and demonstration, with instruction in making that perfect cup of espresso. Add an hour for the demonstration, for a total time of 2 1/2 hours.

The Coffee Lover’s Tour is for those that hunger for even more knowledge and coffee experience. This tour combines the Cappuccino tour with a ride to Tiera Madre, where guests visit the wet mill and enjoy a “cupping”, or coffee tasting. The mill adds an hour to the total time, for a time total of about 3 1/2 hours.

The drama is scheduled daily at 11:00AM, every day, all year long. In high season, from December through April, the show also runs at 3:00PM. All tours, presentations and discussion are conducted simultaneously in English and Spanish. Cafe Britt offers transportation from all of Costa Rica’s hotels, or transportation can be arranged locally. Most cruise lines offer pre-arranged shore excursions that may be purchased onboard.

Helpful Tips

Naturally, given the tropical climate, participants will want to wear cool, light, breathable clothing and certainly good walking shoes. A hat and sunblock are always recommended in tropical climates, too.

Guests should plan to take group transportation, not only for safety, but also for economy and logistics, too. If visiting from a cruise ship, take the excursion offered onboard rather than planning to “go it alone”, as any mishaps could leave passengers stranded. In such circumstances, it is far better to have the cruise line solve the problem.

This tour captures what travel is all about; despite the acting, it introduces visitors to real people and real situations. Sure, it may be a bit campy, but its fun and its real, and if taken for a good time in the volcanic Costa Rican jungle, the Cafe Britt Coffee Tour is well worth the time-and coffee.

Original article can be found here: Cafe Britt Coffee Tour

Are you a “foodie” or spice lover, an advocate of “green” living and ecology? Is creative cooking one of your favorite hobbies? If so, Villa Vanilla Spice Plantation is the place for you.

Villa Vanilla Spice Plantation is a spice farm in beautiful Costa Rica. Their goal is to be totally sustainable. They grow many different spices, and vanilla, cocoa, and ceylon (cinnamon) are the most popular.

What to Expect
Due to high demand from the tourist population and the hotels in the area, they have created a “Spice Plantation Tour“ where knowledgeable guides identify the various fragrant spices, medicinal plants, and plants from which essential oils are made to visitors.

The tour is a slow ambling walk through the scenic plantation and will appeal to all your senses, during which you will be stopping for samples and inhaling the delightful aromas along the path. As advocates of sustainable development they also demonstrate with pride the cultural practices on the farm which is organic and biodynamic.

Hours of Operation
The Spice Plantation Tour takes only half a day and is available in the morning or afternoon at 9a.m. and 1p.m. You will experience the sights, tastes, and aromas of vanilla, cinnamon, pepper and other tropical spices, essential oil plants, and a wide variety of exotic tropical plants.

Contact Information

Henry Karczynski, Manager:
Cel. 506-8839-2721, Farm 506-2779-1155 (011 prefix)

Website: www.rainforestspices.com
Email: info@rainforestspices.com

Directions from San Jose, Costa Rica
From San Jose, take Pan Am Hwy 1 west driving past the airport. From Alajuela continue your journey heading towards Atenas and S. Mateo. From S. Mateo take the road heading South towards Jaco and Quepos. Just before you reach Quepos there will be a split in the road. Turn left towards Playa Dominical. When you reach the first intersection take a left turn (you will see a service station to your right). Drive 6.2 kms to another split in the road. (passing through a small town called Naranjito.) Take a left turn at the next split in the road and drive for another 3.9 kms. Villa Vanilla will be on the left (the town is called Villanueva).

Original article can be found here: Villa Vanilla Spice Plantation

EZ – Times – A laid back restaurant in Puerto Viejo.

If you are looking a place in the town of Puerto Viejo to escape the heat of the day, you might want to wonder into EZ-Times. As the name suggests, the restaurant offers a laid back atmosphere that is the perfect escape for the hustle and bustle of travel. Many tourist and locals come here to unwind, grab a drink, smoke a joint, play some games, and just enjoy the day.

Location
The EZ-Times Restaurant is located just a few steps from the main intersection in Puerto Viejo. Its one of the few places in town where you can dine and have a good view of the beach. The EZ-Times Restaurant is located just across the street from the ocean. This lets have a nice view while you eat and often offers a bit of ocean breeze during the hot afternoons.

Every cab drive in the town knows where the EZ-Times Restaurant is located. If you are staying close to town, you can easily walk.

Food
As with many of the expat owned eating establishments, EZ-Times Restaurant tends to cater to the healthy conscious eater. this probably has something to do with the fact that its owned by a young hippy couple. There are plenty of of vegan friendly meals, but the not so health conscious eater will also find plenty to snack on.

My favorite dishes are the sandwiches they offer. If they have fresh fish the day you visit, I highly recommend the fish sandwich. If the fish isn’t available, I would suggest checking out the portabello mushroom sandwich. Im not usually up for sandwiches that dont have meat, but this one is pretty good.

Original article can be found here: EZ – Times

Cafe Rio Negro – Puerto Viejo

If you are looking for a more relaxed and mellow atmosphere than places like @E’s can provide, you may want peddle on down to Cafe Rio Negro. This Dutch run restaurant and internet cafe is about a 15 minute bike ride from the center of Puerto Viejo. This distance from town is more than most tourist care to walk. Thus, the majority of people you will find in Cafe Rio Negro are local expats from around the world.

Al though I don’t think they try to, Cafe Rio Negro seems to attract an older and more relaxed crowd. So if you don’t feel like rubbing shoulders with college kids on spring break, this might be just the oasis you are looking for. Even on Thursday night, their busy night of the week, you will find mostly 40+ year old locals hanging out and relaxing to the live music that can be found on Thursdays.

The menu here is a nice mix of local dishes as well as Dutch inspired recipes. The best thing on the menu is the sandwiches or anything else that comes with bread. The bread here is homemade and delicious enough to be eaten by its self. Prices here are fairly affordable, even for the backpacker on a budget. A sandwich here will run you about US$3 and a soda will be about US$1.

The internet here is high speed and can be purchased in a variety of ways. They charge by the minute, hour, and month. The reasoning behind these price brackets is simple. The per minute rate is for those who simply need to use the internet to make a quick call via Skype or check for an important email. The hourly rate is for the casual internet surfer, and the monthly rate is for locals or long term travelers.

Original article can be found here: Cafe Rio Negro

Have you been doing some reading up on Costa Rica and heard a lot about sodas? Not sure what they are? I assure you that Costa Ricans don’t have some obsession with syrupy, caffeinated drinks. Quite the opposite in fact. Sodas are simply small restaurants that have limited menu options and have affordable prices.

If you really want to experience the food of Costa Rica, eat at a soda. While sodas usually don’t have a large menu and what menu they do have usually consists of casados and juice, they are an awesome place to get good local food, “comida tipico”. If you are feeling adventurous, you can go find a soda yourself. Simply walk out to the main strip of any town and look at the signs. You are bound to see at least half a dozen signs that read, “Soda…” If you aren’t feeling adventurous, ask your hotel or other travelers what sodas they recommend. Locals like your hotel staff can tell you the best and cheapest places to eat in town.

Why Sodas Rock

Aside from being a cool place to eat local food, sodas are a favorite of backpackers for another reason. They are usually extremely cheap. Sodas will definitely help you stretch your budget and give you the most bang for your buck when it comes to eating out. Just how cheap are they? At most sodas, you can get a drink and a full meal that will fill you up for around US$3 to US$5.

What They Serve

As I mentioned before, sodas usually have a very limited menu. Visit enough of them and you will notice they almost all have the same menu. The typical soda menu consists of a variety of casados, juices, and sodas. A casado is a typical Costa Rican dish that comes with rice and beans, lettuce, plantains, and some sort of meat. This meat can be chicken, beef, or fish.

Original article can be found here: What are Sodas in Costa Rica?

Beach Hut – Restaurant – Puerto Viejo

Half way into the quaint beach town of Puerto Viejo de Limon, you will find a brightly painted, white and blue colored building with a shaded patio area. This picture perfect Caribbean restaurant is properly named, The Beach Hut. If you’re looking for a great cup of coffee, fresh made juices, and a mid day snack; take refuge in The Beach Hut.

The Beach Hut is only open for breakfast and lunch. It is possible to get breakfast at any time during operating hours. So if you had a late night and an even later morning, you don’t have to skip breakfast. If you are looking for a filling breakfast, I would suggest the pancakes with fresh fruit and a cup of coffee.

The coffee here is made fresh and quite regular. Its actually more of an espresso than American coffee, but it is delicious none the less. The Beach Hut is located right on the beach, but there aren’t any views of it. You can enjoy your breakfast on the outside patio, garden area.

Prices here are definitely backpacker friendly and a great value for the price. The staff here are very nice and the owner, as well as much of the staff, are bi-lingual. You also have the choice to pay in dollars or colones.

Original article can be found here: Beach Hut – Restaurant

@ E’s Restaurant – Inside of Rocking J’s

Over the years Rocking J’s has doubled in size and added a load of new stuff to the hostels grounds. One such addition is the bar/restaurant, @ E’s (Pronounced, At E’s). This restaurant is quite a win for the weary traveler. Suffering from a late night out by the camp fire and don’t want to stumble into town for breakfast? No worries, make your way to @ E’s for some five star dining on a two star budget.

The culinary guru behind @ E’s is hostel owner, J’s, younger brother Eric. Eric worked in the states at a number of high clubs and bars. He has brought some of his famous dishes to his new Costa Rican restaurant. The menu here consists of a number of local dishes and other worldly dishes that could easily be found in high end establishments.

While the menu isn’t exactly budget priced, it is still a huge bargain for the dishes. No where else in all of Costa Rica can you get a meal of this quality for such a good price. If high quality food here wasn’t enough to sell you, Eric always has several daily specials and nightly drink specials.

In addition to the already lively nightlife around the hostel, Eric organizes regular open mic nights and live music. So if you’re tired of rice and beans and looking for a chill place to relax and enjoy some good food, make your way to @ E’s

Original article can be found here: @ E’s Restaurant

Types of Food: Mainly American food with a Caribbean twist
Average Cost: $1 – Beer
Recommendations: Ceveiche, Pineapple Pizza
Website:

There’s not a night that goes by that there aren’t tables full of people at Hot Rocks. Even if the clubs are going strong, there are still tables full here. Why? The only honest answer is the movies. Hot Rocks plays four movies every night, starting at 6pm. The movies are played with a digital projector on a large outdoor screen.

The movies are free to watch, and there is no order required, which is nice. The movies are always up-to-date or old classics. We saw Dodgeball, Troy, Pirates of the Caribbean, Van Helsing, and many more new titles. We even saw good old movies such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Cheech and Chong movies.

You can find out what movies are playing that night if you walk up to the café during the day. They are posted outside with the times they are showing. You can’t always count on the times though. The times are based on two-hour increments, but some movies are longer and others shorter. So if you really don’t want to miss a movie, it’s best to show up 30 minutes ahead of time.

My favorite thing to order was the Caribbean pizza. The large is big enough to split between two people and have leftovers, or with three people nicely.
Not being a big club kind of person, I spent many a night here drinking and watching movies. It’s a fun way to spend the night, but as with all movies, it’s not a very sociable activity.

Original article can be found here: Hot Rocks Cafe – Puerto Viejo

The official drinking age in Costa Rica is 18. That said, you’ll be hard pressed to find a bartender who isn’t willing to serve you. Inside San Jose you may find a disco or two that cards at the door. Or you are one those people who looks ten years younger than they really are, you may get carded as well.

Outside of the capital just about anyone can get a drink anywhere. From restaurants to beachside bars, everyone is happy to serve.

It is a good idea to carry around your passport incase a bar should ID you. You should be carrying your passport at all times anyways.

Original article can be found here: Drinking Age in Costa Rica