Activities
Activities around EL ESCONDITE DE LA MONTAÑA
ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE IN THE SKIRTS OF THE MOST POPULAR NATIONAL PARK IN COSTA RICA
Poas Volcano National Park
Poás volcano is a powerful symbol of the geothermal forces that formed Costa Rica. When the mist and clouds part you’ll see the sulfuric, bubbling, green rain fed lake at the bottom, surrounded by smoke and steam rising from fumaroles. Water from the lake is constantly seeping through cracks in the hot rock, evaporating and building pockets of steam.
When the pressure in these pockets exceeds the weight of the water above, the steam breaks through in geysers that rocket up to 820 feet (250 meters) high. Don’t worry about getting a shower though, the crater is 1,050 feet (320 meters) deep. At almost a mile (1.6 km) across it’s also the largest active crater in the world. New safety features have been added to protect visitors in case of particularly heavy activity.
A modern wheelchair accessible visitors center and small museum explains and interprets the geothermal and ecological attractions in the park. A cafe (currently CLOSED) serves coffee and hot drinks—as much to wrap your hands around to warm them as anything else—sandwiches, and snacks.
Hiking and Walking Trails
Trails that lead through cloud forest stunted and twisted, not only by volcanic emissions but the rigors of the cold windy high altitude habitat. Lake Botos fills an extinct crater at the end of one trail, and is home to many cloud forest birds including hummingbirds, tanagers, flycatchers, toucanets, Costa Rica’s national bird the clay-colored robin, and the area’s most famous avian resident, the resplendent quetzal.
Doka State Coffee Tour
Located along the fertile slopes of the Póas Valley, Doka Estate has been growing and roasting award-winning coffee for more than 100 years. The farm uses the same century-old water mill imported from England to power their processing plant – a rustic building recently designated a historical and architectural heritage site by the Costa Rican government. From the seed to the cup, you’ll learn everything you need to know about how coffee is grown and made.
The tour’s highlight is the coffee tasting. Doka Estate produces eight coffee blends – Peaberry Estate, French Roast, European Roast, Espresso Roast, House Blend, Breakfast Blend, Decaf, and Organic – ranging from smooth to bold. The tour is approximately 1.5 hours. You may want to spend a little more time at Doka and wander through the butterfly garden or just walk through the property and enjoy the natural beauty and comfortable climate of the Poas area.
Doka estate is 9 km from El Escondite de la Montaña. Allow 20 minutes for the drive on paved road toward Poas Volcano.
La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park
La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park is the #1 Most Visited, Privately-Owned, Ecological Attraction in Costa Rica featuring the Most Famous Waterfalls in Costa Rica, The Largest Animal Sanctuary in Costa Rica with over 100 species of animals, and 3.5 kilometers of Cloud and Rainforest Hiking Trails. Located just 30 minutes from El Escondite de la Montaña 20 minutes from the Poas Volcano National Park. You will need a minimum of 2 hours to see the park quickly, but you could spend the whole day here enjoying the waterfalls, jaguars, pumas, sloths, monkeys, hummingbirds, snakes, frogs and a lot more!
Hacienda Alsacia Starbucks Coffee Farm
Here in Costa Rica, at the foot of a spectacular volcano, something magical is taking place — something much bigger than coffee.
Hacienda Alsacia Satarbucks Coffee Farm is the first and only coffee farm. They came here to work the soil, learn from the land and channel the passion into positive change.
Now we invite you to rediscover coffee through the human experience. Once you visit, you too have ownership in its future.