Bajos del Toro: A Well-Kept Secret that is Getting Out

From time to time I will be posting about areas of Costa Rica that are up and coming. Bajos del Toro is definitely one of those. The location is in the shadows of the Poas Volcano. To get there you take a right turn in front of the famous oxcart factory in Sarchi. At this point you pretty much leave civilization. You will drive through a protected zone of the the Rio Toro. The road is very narrow at times and the shoulder drops to oblivion. But the views are fantastic. You will climb the mountains to about 6,000 feet and then start descending to the little village of Toro Amarillo. Word is that the folks that brought us the Punta Islita resort in Guanacaste are building a five star hotel right there in this tiny little farming village. If they do anything as nice as Punta Islita, this place will be booming. This little valley is also called Valle de Truchas because there are many places where you can fish for trout from the Rio Toro and have someone cook them for you right there on the spot. One of these places is Nene's. Nene also has cabins where you can stay very cheaply and a nice little restaurant where they will cook you all the trout you can catch and/or eat. I am very excited about this area from a real estate standpoint. If the five star hotel goes in you are going to see prices in the area skyrocket. Right now you can buy land for anywhere from $5 to $10 per square meter, but once the hotel is in, land will likely go for as much as $20. It is also only about a 20 to 30 minuite drive from Sarchi, a bustling medium sized town (which by the way is the furniture capitol of Costa Rica) and only about 1.5 hours from San Jose. We are probably 2 years out from seeing this jump in prices, so now is a good time to get in. It is a charming and peaceful area full of beauty and ecological diversity.

Now to the most amazing attraction of the area. Costa Rica is known for its amazing rivers and waterfalls. But the most spectacular in my opinion is right here in the Bajos del Toro. It is known as Cataratas del Toro. My friends, Donais and Will have the only way you can gain entrance to the falls. They own about 100 hectares around the area of the falls. They have done some amazing work to make the falls accessible by building a walkway all the way down to the base. Once you descend down you will see something truly amazing. The water from the Rio Toro has a high acid content because it flows directly from the Poas Volcano. In this are called the cloud forest you will see many of the giant plants that we call Sombrillas, or umbrella plants. At the base of the falls you will notice that the Sombrillas look as if they have been torched. I mean charred as if by a flame. How can that be in an area that stays completely wet 365 days of the year? It is because of the spray from the waterfall contacting with the plants and the acid content burns them in this way. I have never seen anything like this anywhere else. Also, Donais and Will run a rappel tour right down the rock face beside the thundering waterfall. It is a 400 foot adrenaline pumping experience. They also have a gorgeous little restaurant where you can get the best arroz con pollo in the country, as well as other great dishes. They have three cozy little cabins in case you decide to stay for a while. Trails around their property will lead you through the cloud forest where you can see a great variety of birds and Donais has even reported seeing Pumas on her property. The place is truly amazing.

Very few know about this great location. Tourist buses don't go through here, although in my opinion it is the most beautiful and fastest route to La Fortuna and the Arenal Volcano. Also, once you hit the highway if you go the other way you will end up in Varra Blanca, which is also a great place full of beauty. Also close by is the Sarapiqui River, one of the best for rafting in the country. It only takes about one hour to get from Cataratas del Toro to Arenal and the roads are quite good. Although, once you hit the highway you will quickly notice that it is a major truck route, which can make for some hairy night time driving. I am quite sure that the word will get out about this place. Will and Donais are certainly trying to make sure of that. Please take a look at their web site, Cataratas del Toro. We are now taking all of our customers in route to the Arenal Volcano through this wonderful place and to date everyone has been extremely thankful for it.

For more information about how to get there or even to set up a tour to the area please visit our Travel Website or give us a call toll free at 1-866-424-6439. We also do Real Estate Exploration Tours and would be glad to show you opportunities in this or other areas.

Pura Vida!