The plains of Guanacaste in Costa Rica were chosen by a family of philanthropists, Mrs. Roxie and her son Mario to develop a zoological project which simulates an African savannah, by creating a space for a great variety of exotic animals in extinction danger. This park was only possible after 5 years of hard scientific investigation.

The plains of Guanacaste in Costa Rica were chosen by a family of philanthropists, Mrs. Roxie and her son Mario to develop a zoological project which simulates an African savannah, by creating a space for a great variety of exotic animals in extinction danger. This park was only possible after 5 years of hard scientific investigation.The plains of Guanacaste in Costa Rica were chosen by a family of philanthropists, Mrs. Roxie and her son Mario to develop a zoological project which simulates an African savannah, by creating a space for a great variety of exotic animals in extinction danger. This park was only possible after 5 years of hard scientific investigation.

The project is being developed in the Sotela Hacienda, which is located near the Liberia International Airport. It has 100 hectares with a dry tropical climate which provide good conditions for the habitat that is required. At this moment there is already a variety of animals of other latitudes like Africa living in this property. Here you will see hippopotami, zebras, giraffes, ostriches, deer, rhinos and antelopes in addition to species of the local fauna. Only herbivore species will be introduced to this reserve in order to keep the perfect harmony, since carnivores might cause fear among the rest of the fauna.

Visitors will make a three hour tour in a safari car while expert guides will put them in contact with this fascinating species. A nice walk on hanging bridges will also allow the visitors to watch these animals in their new habitat. In a short term, the project will also have a butterfly farm, tennis courts, an aviary, and in addition they are planning to build a hotel and a restaurant.

“Africa Mía” has all permissions from the Costa Rican authorities and represents an investment of 10 million dollars, which makes of this park one of the most important developments in the province of Guanacaste region. This project will also increase the social and economic benefits in this region.

As you might know right now Costa Rica is in the middle of the rainy season which is an important event. Being a tropical country we basically just have two seasons: Winter and summer or Rainy and Dry season.
Summer is from mid November to April and Winter from May to November. Basically the dry Season is not always dry and the rainy season is not necessarily wet.  A lot of people have the misconception that it rains all day long during the entire rainy period. That is far from truth. Even in the rainy season the sun shines but mostly only in the morning.  So you pretty much have half a day of sun and the other half of rain.
Another good thing is that the temperature doesn’t vary a lot between seasons it changes are mostly determined by altitude. Rainy season also means “Green Season” for the tourist industry. The entire industry lowers the prices in order to attract visitors. And best of all there are no crowds. The entire country side has changed from the toasted brown tones to utilizing the entire color pallet of greens presenting beautiful photo opportunities. Lakes and rivers swell up making it the perfect time for kayaking and white water rafting.
Remember it is still raining so why don’t you drop by and visit rainy Costa Rica. You won’t regret it, just bring your umbrella and enjoy.

Who has not dreamed of going to the Chirripó National Park to see Costa Rica in all its splendor from the highest point in the country?

The Chirripó is the highest peak of the Talamanca Mountain Range with an altitude of 3820 meters (12530 ft) and also is one of the highest mountains in the southern part of Central America. Small valleys of glacial origin that were carved by the action and the movement of the ice 25,000 to 30,000 years ago dominate the sights. It was declared National Park on the 19th of August of 1975, and covers a total of 43700 hectares.

How to get there?If you have a vehicle take the Pan-American Highway south to San Isidro del General. Once there you must drive through Rivas, Chimorol until arriving at San Gerardo de Rivas. This it is the last town before the entrance to the Chirripó National Park. You also can travel to San Gerardo de Rivas by bus. In San Gerardo you find the Park Ranger’s office where you will have to register and present the copy of your reservation. Due to space limitations at the Refuge, reservations will have to be made at least 3 months in advance. For reservations you can call (506) 771-3155.

Most of the people stay in one of the small hotels or cabins that San Gerardo offers as departure point to this great adventure. There also you also can hire the services of “porteadores” (bag carriers) in case that you do not want to carry your equipment to the top. There is no restaurant service. Gas kitchens can be rented at the Refuge. There is a properly equipped dining room with the necessary kitchen utensils. There are solar power panels that are used to light the Refuge for only 2 hours at night. In case you were wondering about warm water the answer is very simple: there is no hot water.
The ascent to the Chirripó Refuge is very tedious and takes around 8 to 12 hours. It is 16 kilometers with an altitude difference of 2400. Take as much water with you as possible. While on route you will pass through places with very colorful and appropriate names such as “The Thermometer, “The Hill without Water”, “Mount without Faith” and “The Hill of the Repent” wich is a test by itself.

Once at the refuge quarters are assigned and if you are cold you can rent blankets and sleeping bags. It is recommended to take a shower just after arriving as it will make you feel like new. Some of the places to visit there being are. The Chirripó Hill, Ventisqueros, Ditkevi Lagoon, Valley of Moraines, Terbi Hill and the Crestones.

It is impossible to describe what you are going to see and feel there. It is an incredible, unique and enchanted place that you will have to discover by yourself.

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