We spent an afternoon at Casona Rio Fortuna, a traditional country estate located in the Arenal area for a taste of traditional Costa Rican life. One of the owners, Eli Herrera, and her assistant told us about the history of the house while we sampled a tasty cherry-based “moonshine”. Then we got a tour of the farm and gardens that included a demo of a traditional sugar cane press operated by two young oxen brothers. Next we were in the kitchen (colorful aprons for all) to make our own tortillas that the cook baked on an open hearth. The finale was a traditional Costa Rican meal (including our tortillas) served on the porch with fabulous views of the lush countryside, Arenal Volcano, and a wide variety of birds enjoying a tropical fruit feeding station. This lovely afternoon was topped off with coffee, locally-made liquors, and the awesome musical talents of the family. #UnCruiseAdventures #CostaricanTrails #CostaRicaPanama2019…
This was my 2nd visit to Casona Rio Fortuna. I first had the opportunity to visit about 3 years ago through a work incentive trip and when I went back and asked everyone their favourite experience of Costa Rica, hands down this was it. This January I had the opportunity to visit Costa Rica again, this time with friends and family. I was the only one out of 14 individuals who had been here. We started with a tour via tractor and wagon through their farm and local town. Franklin and George, our guide and driver were terrific, very informative with a good dose of humor. Once back at the farm we saw how they made sugar cane back in the day and got to participate. Then we helped make our own tortillas and salad for lunch - food was amazing and the setting was pretty special with Arenal in the background, the most colourful birds enjoying fruit just behind us. Unbeatable setting. When we were done with lunch Eli and her family played music, sang and we all participated, just an awesome experience. We have done many tours on our various trips to Costa Rica and this continues to rank at the top, with both my first and second groups. Thank you for an unforgettable day.…
We didn't stay here we dined here as part of a TUI Grand Tour of Costa Rica. This place is well off the beaten track you wouldn't stumble across it. Its more of a cultural educational experience than anything. First we got to hear about the history of the house and how this would be an extended family experience. We rolled our own tortillas and watched the cook bake them on a traditional open hearth. We enjoyed a beautiful traditional lunch accompanied by some traditional guitar playing. There were colourful birds feeding nearby. We then got a tour of the farm and gardens. We were shown a traditional sugar cane press in operation with Oxen. The whole experience was wonderful
We enjoyed a wonderful lunch with Eli and her family. First we made our own tortillas, which were then served to us with a delicious traditional Costa Rican meal. We sampled the locally-made liquors and coffee and enjoyed the awesome musical talents of the family. From there we has a tour of the farm to learn about sustainable farming and "pura vida" (pure life) which has such tremendous meaning to the Costa Rican people. Highly recommend this enjoyable and educational cultural experience!
We did not stay here, but we came for the morning tour and ate lunch. The tour is fabulous. The guides very articulate and informative. We learned about the local plants, sugar cane production, listened to local music, enjoyed local food, made our own tortillas, saw cocoa beans, coffee plants and so much more. It was a great cultural tour to learn about the country and customs.
Fantastic experience of old world Costa Rica with Milton and his family and team. Cooking, walking the farm, seeing the local village and a super lunch overlooking the river. Music and a very warm welcome. Would recommend this for someone who wants to see the traditional side as a break from all the adrenaline sports.
Come for the volcano, stay for the farm tour. I loved this place. The owner, Don Antonio, is a true Costa Rican gentleman who has been farming his land for over 30 years. Wearing impeccable rancher's clothes, he showed us around his immaculate farm. We had the MOST DELICIOUS farm-fresh lunch, then got to feed marmosets (tiny adorable monkeys!), see a baby cow, pet pigs, pick star fruit and feed it to the deer, and see oxen hooked up via colorful harness to a traditional sugar cane press, where they turned came into juice. My kids loved this. We sipped the sugary beverage, which tasted particularly good to the adults, after Don Antonio added sugar cane based alcohol. :) We smelled and tasted many plants and herbs and learned their medicinal properties. The farm has a stunning view of the volcano. The warm welcome and opportunity to see authentic Costa Rican campesino life made this one of my favorite stops during a 4-week-long trip with my kids. …
I feel privileged to have spent the afternoon at Casona Rio Fortuna. We were made to feel welcome immediately, participated in making our own authentic lunch and toured the estate. What struck me most was that this a family that is truly happy; honoring their culture and sharing with others. I was touring Costa Rica with a group of teenagers and I am sure that this was the cultural experience of a lifetime for them
I led a group of US students on a science adventure in Costa Rica and we were treated to true Costa Rican culture and hospitality here at La Casona Rio Fortuna. The educational experience our students had was unforgettable. Hats off to Eli and his family for welcoming us and teaching us true Costa Rican culture and way of life. We were able to participate in making our own lunch, played some music, and ate and amazing lunch in the shadow of Arenal Volcano was hands down one of the best experiences we had on this trip and we did A LOT of amazing things. We did not stay here, but enjoyed a few hours of their hospitality.
We experienced Casona Rio thanks to Desafio who brought us here after white water rafting and we were not disappointed. We were greeted with "moonshine" and then treated to a home cooked traditional Costa Rican meal served on banana leaves which was very tasty to say the least. All the ingredients we either grown in and around the premises or were very local! We also enjoyed authentic Costa Rican entertainment were we got involved with various instruments. This was most enjoyable and in a fantastic location too. After our meal we learnt how brown sugar is produced. A very memorable meal, highly recommended!
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