Chalet Orosi B&B, Orosi & Tapanti NP

Orosi and the Orosi Valley area are great places to visit with much to see! The above feature photo is of the town of Orosi seen from “Mirador Orosi.” But I will definitely stay somewhere else if I go there again. 🙂 The Orosi Lodge sounds like it would have been a better place to stay. Read on to see why I was not happy with the B&B I stayed in, but in trying to find an internet link for this review, I don’t believe the single cat lady is still operating as it is no longer included on any list of lodging in Orosi. So just read this to learn about Orosi, which I loved! And I’m linking to TripAdvisor’s “Things to Do in Orosi” and then you can read below about what I did solo there without a car, getting to Orosi on public buses.

On the edge of town are the ruins of the first church built in CR by the Spaniards, “Las Ruinas de Ujarras.”

Would I Stay There Again?

Not at that B&B, which I don’t think exists any more. Read why under the “Dislikes.” But I would enjoy returning to Orosi in different lodging!

Likes

A good and interesting area with lots to see and good birding spots, but I just did not like the B&B.
But she did get me a good birding guide who took me to three places birding which was good! So I give her credit for him! 🙂
I used the same taxista who brought me to the B&B from the bus stop downtown on one of the days to go sight-seeing to the ruins of the oldest church in CR, the two beautiful Miradors and he added a couple of other places of interest. A nice day! Well worth the taxi cost! And he had lived there all his life, so really knew Orosi!

Dislikes

No breakfast provided, just “continental.” She had a strange assortment of fruits and one bread with no way to toast it and a couple of eggs but no way to cook and no bacon. I guess I was to eat fruit and bread for breakfast and maybe boil an egg? I went out and bought some cereal & milk.
She had cats which kept the birds away from a garden that would otherwise have had birds. And the cats would come into my room which I didn’t like.
No good restaurant close to the B&B and I did not have a car but the long walks were good for me! 🙂

Slideshow of 1/3 the BIRDS photographed at Tapanti NP & El Copal

Groove-billed Ani
Slaty Spinetail
Collared Trogon
Black Guan
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-billed Pigeon
Lineated Woodpecker
Rufous-tailed Jacamar
Squirrel Cuckoo
Tawny-capped Euphonia
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Southern Rough-winged Swallow
Tropical Mockingbird
Eastern Meadowlark

Nature & Other Activities

Tapanti National Park is wonderful! I only did bird-watching there, but there are many hikes and horseback riding available and more.
El Copal private reserve for birding. It was not open but we saw 21 species on just the roads around it!
Mirador de Orosi and Mirador de Ujarras have beautiful vistas of two different valleys.
Las Ruinas de Ujarras, the oldest colonial church in Costa Rica, like a small historical or archaeological park.
Lake Cachi, formed by the ICE hydroelectric dam, has nearby mountains with beautiful vistas of Reventazón River that are almost “other worldly.”
And generally driving around on two different days gave much beautiful scenery in and around the Orosi Valley!

The main church in the center of Orosi town is “the oldest still operating church in Costa Rica.”

Room & Food

A comfortable room but I had to keep everything closed to keep cats out.
I had to walk a good distance for good food, but there are some good restaurants in Orosi, just not close to this B&B!

Getting There

To Drive from Atenas it is about 80 km or a 2 hour drive, depending on which route you take.
I went by public bus via San Jose & Cartago (3 buses) which took about 3.5 hours which was an easy and pleasant trip. Check out different schedules on https://thebusschedule.com/cr/
No airport in Orosi. 🙂

Slideshow of OTHER NATURE & LANDSCAPES Orosi Valley . . .