Agricultural Tours: Visit a Typical Talamancan Farm

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Background
Spend a couple of hours or a couple of days trying fruits you may never have heard of—water apple, Biribá, mamón chino, or whatever is in season—or getting your hands dirty really learning about life in Talamanca.

Tours
A. Chimuri Reserve: Learn about how indigenous folks lived in and with the forest, finding food, medicine, shelter, and a connection with their spirituality.
Duration: 2 hours or 4-6 hours
Difficulty: Short tour Easy, Long Tour difficult to moderate
Cost: $25 per person for 3 hour tour
$35 per person for 4-6 hour tour.
Location: 1.5 km from Puerto Viejo, a 10 minute walk

B. Botanical Gardens:
Visit a respected member of the Indigenous community who can identify more than 1,500 different jungle plants and share with you their traditional uses. Tour his farm and gardens. Includes pick up at your hotel and a few hours visiting with Cándido who knows the names of all the plants in the jungle and can tell you how they are traditionally used. Snack of in-season fruit included.
Duration: about 4-5 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Cost: $35 per person for 4-5 hour tour, $45 per person with transportation included.
Location: 6 km north of Puerto Viejo, 20 minutes from Puerto Viejo

C. Yüe-Eco-Agro Project:
A women’s cooperative whose projects include, organic bananas production, a greenhouse, a medicinal garden, and a biodigestor that uses pig waste to generate gas to cook.

Duration:
3-hour or multi-day packages

Difficulty:
Easy

Cost:
$20 for short tour,
$60 for overnight package.
Location: Near Hone Creek, about 10 km from Puerto Viejo, 25 minutes

D. Community of San Miguel:
Take an afternoon and tour a family farm or spend a few days living and working alongside Costa Ricans.

Duration:
A complete day or multi-day packages

Difficulty:
Easy

Cost:
$35 for day tour
$42 for two day package

Location:
Toward Gandoca, 35 km de Puerto Viejo, about 2 hours

E. Chocolate Tour:
Participate in the production and processing of organic chocolate with a cooperative of women in the mountains of Talamanca. Yum!

Duration:
A whole day trip

Difficulty:
Easy

Cost:
$35 per person

Location:
Shiroles, Upper Talamanca, 35 km from Puerto Viejo, about 1 ½ to 2 hours by bus.

F. Casa Calateas:
Immerse yourself in the peaceful campesino community of Carbon 1. Learn about cacao and livestock farming—also available: waterfall visits, hikes, bird watching, swimming, and snorkeling.

Duration:
Day trip or multi-day

Difficulty:
Farm visit, easy—more strenuous activities available

Cost:
From $85 two day pacakges

Location:
Puerto Vargas, 13 km from Puerto Viejo, 20-25 minutes in bus

Special Hints:
Bring a little extra cash—some families offer traditional handmade, naturally colored crafts