Love nature, food and art? Monte Azul is perfect for you.

This past weekend I re-charged at Monte Azul Boutique Hotel + Center for Art & Design near Chirripo, the tallest mountain in Costa Rica at 12,228 feet (as a frame of reference, Mt. Rainier in Washington state is 14,441 feet). Fishing and swimming in the really cold and beautiful river, hiking and seeing many species of birds, the community dance on Saturday night, amazing meals in the organic Cafe Blue, a really comfortable and thoughtfully designed casita decorated with world-class art, and goat cheese from the resident herd were all highlights. 

Casita Amarilla was my comfortable home for the weekend

All of the casitas have first-class original art, really comfortable beds and bed linens, a spa-like bath with watery Italian tile and hand-made soap, a kitchenette perfect for brewing a cup of the organic coffee grown on the preserve, plush robes and lots of light.  Each casita is situated for maximum privacy.  I left my windows and doors open for most of my stay for the full effect of being in nature.  No worries about creepy crawlies here!

The staff at Cafe Blue–led by Sherry Lee West–lovingly, artfully and professionally prepared and served some of the best food I’ve had the pleasure of tasting in Costa Rica.  Much of it was grown, raised or made on site.  Randy, the many-talented visionary-host-owner (there are 3) of Monte Azul, made the goat cheese served with fruit and a glass of wine in my casita just after arrival.  Randy also made a pumpkin pie that rivals any made by my grandmothers!  The bar in Cafe Blue is a “must see”; much of it is a beautiful work of art created by Alvaro Gomez.  Cheese-making in the Swiss style with a local family is one of many offered activities.  This is on the list of “to experience” for my next visit!   

The light, trees, orchids and bromeliads all combine for maximum lushness

Carlos Rojas Jara is another of Monte Azul’s visionary owners with many talents.  He’s an artist and host with something interesting to say about many topics.  His Monte Azul creation delights one’s senses of smell, taste and sight.

Cafe Blue at Monte Azul features locally-produced, organic food perfectly prepared and attentively served

The climate at Monte Azul is perfect for me (I’m from the Pacific Northwest of the U.S.); it’s considerably cooler than Jaco, Los Suenos Resort, Manuel Antonio, Dominical, Tamarindo and other popular beaches along the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.  The topography, scenery, flora and fauna are all quite different, too.  A perfect vacation for someone visiting Costa Rica for a week or more would be to stay at one of the beaches mentioned and then at Monte Azul.  It’s about 2 to 2.5 hours from Manuel Antonio, 1 to 1.5 from Dominical and 3 from San Jose. 

Activities in the immediate area of Monte Azul include whitewater rafting, horseback riding, cooking lessons, cheese-making lessons, yoga and massage, hiking, birding, trekking, swimming and fishing in the river (I did both and found the really cold water invigorating; the current is swift and the fish are impossible to catch, but what a way to spend an afternoon!).

For families or small groups, the newly completed Villa Palo Alto is a really special place to spend a week.  The contemporary design fits perfectly into the land; the 1,100 square foot great room opens to a magnificent view of the valley with the rain forests and cloud forests above and beyond.  The home is filled with art from some of the most talented artists active today.  (The owners have art galleries in New York City and San Francisco and Monte Azul has a an artist in residence program.) 

I could go on and on.  The bottom line is that Monte Azul provides all the comfort in a stunningly beautiful setting that anyone who loves art, food, nature and life needs to create memorable experiences they’ll remember for a lifetime.  I hope to make this my home away from home, with a retreat to the mountains every couple of months.  It’s that special and that restorative.