Rural Tourism in Playa Hermosa

The community of Playa Hermosa is located on the hills of the Pacific coastal rainforest, just a few hundred meters from the well-known beach of Playa Hermosa. In this community of agricultural origins, you will have the opportunity to learn about its genuine inhabitants and the exuberant nature of its ecological reserve, which is part of the Path of the Tapir-Biological Corridor.

In 1982, the first families arrived and their goal was to preserve the community ́s drinking water. Fortunately, the Institute for Agricultural Development granted them guaranteed access to the 63 hillside hectares of primary forest where the water originates.

In 1997, the Ecological Association of Playa Hermosa was founded for the purpose of fostering this area and developing a rural tourism program to share its nature and the traditional Costa Rican way of life with mesmerized tourists.

Nowadays, the community consists of 60 families engaged in various jobs in or near the village. There is an elementary school, a Catholic and a Protestant church, as well as an unpretentious soccer field. It is a typical Costa Rican village.

Whether you decide to be a guest in a host family home or lease an available apartment, you will be able to participate in numerous activities such as hiking around the natural reserve or horseback riding along the beach. You may enjoy learning about rare birds and medicinal plants. Take a traditional cooking lesson, or even produce your own chocolate-drink from the cocoa fruit as the ancestors did.

 

Article written by Andreas Reinschmidt