Sarapiqui: A weekend stay at a farmhouse

One fine Saturday, we started our morning slow, aiming to spend a relaxing weekend at home. As we poured some milk into our bowls of cereals, the husband said, “Let’s go somewhere for some birding”. What more ‘relaxing’ way of spending the weekend than driving 2-3 hours and then walking in forests for hours? Thus the wife gleefully agreed to the man’s proposition. Sarapiqui had been on our mind for some time for bird watching. So, it seemed to be a good fit for this sudden plan.

Sarapiqui is a large canton in Heredia province of Costa Rica. The main town is Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, commonly referred to as just Sarapiqui. This Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui is not to be confused with Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, a beach town on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.

We scrolled through some Sarapiqui accommodation options on Booking and Airbnb, and finally booked an Airbnb property, listed as Hostel Casa Sarapiqui. We chose this property because it seemed to have been praised in the reviews for good birding opportunities.

Hostel Casa Sarapiqui: The activities

Hostel Casa Sarapiqui is a perfect place to spend a couple of quiet days and just laze around. But in case that is not your cup of tea, you need not get dismayed. There are plenty of activities that will keep you engaged there while you make connections with the nature.

Bird watching

So, bird watching is the prime reason why we chose this stay in the first place, right? The farmlands of Casa Sarapiqui conveniently share borders with the famous La Selva Biological Station. Hence, in Casa Sarapiqui, for the fraction of the price of a stay at the station, you get the chance of spotting almost as many variety of birds. And the fun part was that we did not even have to make much efforts to get the sights of the beautiful birds.

Our bird watching expedition at Casa Sarapiqui began with just by standing at the entrance of the house. We gazed at the Oropendolas having a busy afternoon at their nests hanging from the tree across the pond. Have you ever seen the nest of an Oropendola? It looks the same as the nest of a Baya Weaver (more commonly known among Bengalis as Babui Pakhi-r Basha).

We saw some birds from the balcony of the house, some while walking next to the plantain plantations and some more during our boat ride on the Puerto Viejo river. Among others, we saw many Passerini’s tanagers, vultures, motmots, doves, macaws, parakeets, toucans, egrets, herons, ibis and Great Cuarrasow Crax. We also saw a long-billed hermit making its last flight back home at the end of the day.

Although we did not hire any guide for our birding endeavors, Mario, our Airbnb host, had mentioned that he had a local friend who is an excellent birding guide. So, if you prefer a guided bird-watching tour, just request Mario to arrange for the same.

Boat ride on Rio Puerto Viejo

Mario recommended this (paid) activity of a boat ride on the Puerto Viejo river, lined by jungles on either side of its course. At one juncture, the Puerto Viejo river also meets the Sarapiqui river, where we could see the difference in water colors due to the confluence. As we sailed, our eyes got busy watching the plethora of animals and birds along the banks, as well as up in the trees. Yet, the morning felt peaceful, with our boat silently making its strides in the water, with just the sounds of the jungle around. We saw iguanas, basilisks, black river turtles, caimans and several birds, as stated earlier.

It was a private tour, with Mario, his girlfriend and their dog accompanying us on the ride. But the boat was much larger and could fit more than a dozen people. So, this boat would suffice even if you were a larger group.

Swimming in Rio Puerto Viejo

As we disembarked from the boat, Mario said that they had to get back to the house, but Indranil and I could spend some more time there, if we wished. We could relax on the shore or swim in the river, whatever we fancied. We looked around. The green trees had laid their shadows on the green-brown river. There was nobody around. Just a quiet afternoon for company. It reminded us of our experience at The Hermitage Guesthouse in Nersa from a few years back. And after Mario and team left, we would be the only two souls in the interiors of the great outdoors. And later, we would need to figure out the return path to the house, by following some pink ribbons on tree barks!

With such an alluring arrangement, how could we not wish to stay back! Hence we did. We swam in the river and absorbed the essence of the atmosphere around. And this time, it was the turn of the birds and the animals to watch us. For example, this sloth was just chilling under the sun on the tree next to where we were swimming.

Walking in the bamboo forest

The property of Casa Sarapiqui does not just have plantain plantations. A large portion of their property is covered in bamboo forests. The trail from the river bank to the house passes through the deep bamboo forests. And that is why we had to follow those pink ribbons to estimate direction. On the moist trails of the forest, we got to see many cool frogs, including the tiny Poison Dart Blue-Jeans frog.

Fun fact, Bengali literary works and motion pictures on children’s horror stories always designated bamboo forests as residences of supernatural beings. So, walks in bamboo forests always give us a spooky feeling. Still we walked on that bamboo forest trail multiple times during our stay at Casa Sarapiqui. One of those was just before nightfall. As we walked, we seriously discussed what boons should we ask for in the event of a chance encounter with the king of the ghosts! (Reference: Bengali movie Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne by Satyajit Ray). But jokes apart, I think bamboo forest trails almost always look like desktop wallpapers!

Hostel Casa Sarapiqui: The stay

Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post.

We had booked the Airbnb property, Hostel Casa Sarapiqui, purely on the basis of potential birding opportunities. But we were actually appeased with the stay much beyond birding. So let us share with you our overall experience of our stay at this farmhouse.

Meeting the hosts

Ours was a last minute booking, but the booking confirmation was instant and the communication from the host was also prompt. Mario, the host messaged us all the details and requested us to meet him in Sarapiqui town. We were told that the property does not have any proper tagging on Google Maps. This was the start of our excitement build-up.

Mario and his girlfriend arrived on time at our predesignated meeting spot. After a brief exchange of introductions, we got into our respective cars and headed towards Casa Sarapiqui. It was decided that our car would follow theirs. But we would need to make a quick stop at the supermarket to pick up some snacks and beverages. Because supposedly the house is in the middle of nowhere and going out for dinner would mean driving up to the town. Our excitement build-up swiftly reached the second level.

Location of the house

Turned out the house was actually about 5 km before the main town of Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui. So we went back a bit, got off the highway and drove a few minutes on a dirt road to reach our destination, Hostel Casa Sarapiqui.

The setting of the house

We parked our car, looked around and immediately got enthralled by the lovely setting of the house. It was a wooden cottage overlooking a pond and a series of plantain plantations. The front lawn had a natural feeder area for the birds and a seating area for the humans. Green was the predominant color around, till as far as the eyes could reach.

Casa Sarapiqui – The house

The house itself is big but nothing fancy. But it has an amazing rustic charm. Everything is made of wood. The main entrance opens to a large living room. On one side, there is a well stocked bar and a hammock. Holding a glass of a good scotch and swaying in the hammock – what else would you need? How about some books? Just walk up to the other side of the room and grab a read from the book corner next to the couch. We had not even seen our rooms but we were already in love with this place!

We walked up the wooden staircase, decorated with plants and other knickknacks. And the first thing we find upon landing is another reading nook! Oh, I could live in such a house, I whispered to myself.

On the right is a large balcony with different seating arrangements. On the left, there is a hallway with entrances to different rooms on either side. At the end of the hallway is one bathroom, to be shared by the guests of all the rooms. There were no other guests during our stay and hence we didn’t quite have to share the bathroom. Towards the end of the hallway is another cute balcony, equipped with a hammock.

Our room was large and had a typical countryside feel. It was well furnished with a queen bed, a small bed, a sofa, good (open) storage space and some room decor items. The ventilation in the room was good with large windows that are covered with insect meshes and curtains.

Sleep quality

Who mentions sleep quality on a blog post? Okay, I understand. But please give me the chance to build my case here.

By the time we returned to the house after our late-afternoon walk in the woods, the evening had already dawned. We sat at the balcony for a while, our eyes seeing only dark outlines of the trees around and our ears listening to the sounds of the insects only. While munching on our store bought snacks for dinner, we browsed through the pages of a book. Under the twinkling lights of the balcony, we were learning about the long lost history of Costa Rica. At around 7 pm, we closed the book and decided to retire to our room and do some writing and journaling.

But, as we entered the room and switched on the dim light, the neatly laid bed invited our tired bodies. Hence we obliged and hit the sack! Yes right, at 7 pm! With the dim light now switched off, our room blended into the darkness of the surrounding jungle. There was no cellular network for the mobile device to make a sound. There was no WiFi for our phones to push some notifications on to us. The constant humming of the insects was intercepted only by the sounds of the old ceiling fan. With the atmosphere tickling us to turn off our senses, we snuggled into the comfort of the comforter and absorbed the mood of the night. We felt an oasis of calm. I asked myself, is this how meditation feels like? Our brains were gradually slipping into oblivion.

We slept 12 hours straight!

Value for money

Sure Casa Sarapiqui is not packed with all the creature comforts that you would get at a star-rated hotel. But the stay here is filled with warmth, care and tranquility that will provide you with a kind of peace that you will not forget for a long time to come. Priced at just ~$20/night, this lovely accommodation is an absolute value for money.

Hospitality

A rustic farmhouse stay in the middle of nowhere is good enough reason for Indranil and me to get delighted. But what truly made a difference at Casa Sarapiqui was the kind of hospitality we received from the hosts, Mario and his girlfriend. Their dog Bianca was also an adorable company who seemed to like us a lot.

Since our arrival, Mario made sure that we had everything we needed and emphasized that we need not hesitate to inform him in case something was missing. Given that there aren’t any eatery options nearby, we had asked him what should we do about breakfast the next morning. He replied, “What do you eat for breakfast? Do you eat gallo pinto? What about eggs? Do you eat fruits? Do you take coffee in the morning?” We answered in the affirmative to all of those questions. He said, “Okay, I will make you breakfast tomorrow morning.” And he did.

We also enjoyed really interesting conversations with Mario. He explained to us how he got started with Hostel Casa Sarapiqui and also unraveled the transition he is trying to make for his family from an agriculture-dependent livelihood to a tourism-driven one.

And at the time of checkout, he saw us off and said, “You are my friends now. You are always welcome at this house, this is your house as well.”

Hostel Casa Sarapiqui: Booking process

We had booked Hostel Casa Sarapiqui on Airbnb. But Mario also accepts direct booking on his phone:

Phone: +506 8728 3706
WhatsApp: +506 8728 3706

How to reach Sarapiqui?

As most places in Costa Rica, driving is the most convenient option for going to Sarapiqui. It is about 1.5-2 hours drive from Heredia. Once you cross the city limits, you will get on the famous Ruta 32 that passes through the Braulio Caraillo National Park. Due to frequent heavy rains, poor visibility and landslides, this road is considered to be one of the most difficult roads of Costa Rica. But the drive is actually beautiful. Just remember to be a little extra cautious. After reaching the town of Guapiles, you will need to get off the Ruta 32, take a left and drive for about 30 minutes to reach Sarapiqui town.

Why Sarapiqui?

With its impressive flora and fauna, Sarapiqui has plenty to keep the nature lover enticed. And like San Gerardo de Dota, this town is also only a sweet 2 hours’ drive away from the capital city San Jose. Still Sarapiqui does not quite feature on the popular tourist circuit of Costa Rica. Hence the tourism infrastructure also may not appear as organized as some of the other more mainstream destinations of Costa Rica. And that is exactly what makes Sarapiqui so special. Sarapiqui is the display of Costa Rica’s nature at its rawest best.

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