Río Chirripó Retreat a Perfect Costa Rica Escape

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Three weeks ago I flew to Costa Rica for a four-day Christmas break between escorting a series of tours to Cuba for National Geographic Expeditions.

I wanted a totally relaxing experience. Somewhere my friend Karla Taylor (one of the best naturalist guides in the country, she specializes in Tortuguero), and I, could chill in a fantastic mountain setting without a care in the world.

We chose the Río Chirripó Retreat, long one of my favorite boutique hotels in the South Central region of Costa Rica.

This lovely place, just one kilometer below San Gerardo de Rivas, at the base of Cerro Chirripó, enjoys an exquisite setting in a ravine beset with huge granite boulders.

Run by California expat Frank Faiella and his beautiful Costa Rican wife, Oriana, this is one of the most appealing mountain lodges in Costa Rica—not least thanks to its sensuous Santa Fe-meets-Bali aesthetic. Buddhas are everywhere, staring out serenely from alcoves. Its heart is a huge lounge (with WiFi) in a circular ranchito with soaring palenque roof, Aztec motifs, New Mexican throw rugs, Guatemalan wall hangings, sofa seats with batik cushions arcing around a raised brick fireplace, and open walls with mountain vistas.

The place is also a gourmand’s delight, as Oriana (who was born just down the road in the hamlet of Canaan, but is well-educated, erudite, and fluent in English) makes truly gourmet meals using fresh organic produce and served alfresco and family-style at a huge hardwood table in the open-air dining area swarmed by bougainvillea. Even the breakfasts are to die for. Imagine delicious scrambled eggs; a superb granola with yoghurt and fresh fruits, including whole succulent pineapple quartered and sliced; fresh-squeezed OJ; and what may rank as the best fresh-baked wholewheat bread in the world.

Frank came to Costa Rica in 1983 years ago to go surfing. Thirteen years ago he returned to settle. He bought five hectares of land above the Río Chirripó. It seems to have agreed with him, as he wears a permanent smile to melt gold.

The couple rent out eight small wooden cabins that hang over the river and boast soothing earth-tone color schemes, wooden beds with Guatemalan bedspreads, cross-ventilation, balconies, and walk-in showers with hot water.

Karla and I opted for a more spacious and delightful casita 50 yards downhill, by the river.

Riverstone-lined trails twine downhill through lush landscaped gardens and natural vegetation to a swimming pool, sundeck, and a heated riverside whirlpool tub, and there’s a yoga dojo, where daily yoga classes are offered.

I went with grand plans of hiking up Chirripó. However, the mountain was socked in by clouds, so Karla and I opted to lounge in the divinely comfortable bed, relaxing to the sounds of the river and birdsong.

Stay tuned for my post on visiting Quesos Canaan, a family-run artisanal cheese-making farm.

For further information about travel in Costa Rica, buy Moon Costa Rica

If you're traveling only to San José and the Caribbean, buy Moon Spotlight Costa Rica's Caribbean Coast.

If you're traveling only to the beaches of Nicoya, buy Moon Spotlight Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula.

If you're traveling only to Arenal and/or Monteverde, buy Moon Spotlight Arenal & Monteverde.

Disclosure: I occasionally accept free or discounted travel when it coincides with my editorial goals. However, my opinion is never for sale. The opinions you see in Cuba & Costa Rica Journal are my unbiased reflection of the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Copyright © Christopher P. Baker