If you like nature, hiking, and peace, the Turrialba region in Costa Rica is perfect for you. We chose this region because every time we visit Costa Rica, we go to see a different volcano. And Turrialba volcano has been on our list for some time.
Let’s start with Turrialba city. It is a small town in the Cartago Province of Costa Rica. It lies 53 km east of the capital San Jose. Even though it seems relatively close, it took us two hours to drive there because of the traffic and quality of the roads.
We were looking for an eco-friendly hotel, and a friend of ours recommended a Casa Turire. Costa Rica is well-known for its eco-tourism, so it is quite easy to find an eco-lodge or an environmentally sustainable hotel.
The hotel sits on the banks of the Angostura Lake in the heart of the Turrialba Valley.
Casa Turire is a quiet and relaxing hotel, but it also offers, in collaboration with local tour guides, many exciting activities. As we couldn’t try rafting since Chloe-Sofia is too small, we went horseback riding and explored the hiking trails that surround the property.
The hotel has its organic garden and farm, which you can visit. All the produce is used in the Casa Turire kitchen. It is the perfect example of a hotel that aims to be self-sufficient as much as possible and offer its clientele the best. The food was fresh, delicious, and served with attention to detail.
People who work in Casa Turire all come from the region, they are friendly and kind, and we learned a lot about the Turrialba region just by talking to them.
I was pleased to learn that the hotel uses only environmentally-friendly cleaning products and amenities and supports several socially responsible projects, such as local orphanage with supplies or that all dogs that we met on the property are rescued dogs that were cleaned, vaccinated and in some cases went into adoption.
Now, let’s talk a bit about Turrialba volcano. As you may know, Costa Rica is a home for a great number of volcanoes. Turrialba volcano is one of the active ones. It is closed to the public, but you can admire it from a safe distance. The drive up is long and bumpy but worth it.
If you like tropical flowers and plants, visit CATIE Botanical Gardens in Turrialba. CATIE stands for Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center, and its campus is part of the botanical garden.
