Hotel Quelitales

Hotel Quelitales, in the mountains above Cachí

Hotel Quelitales is a small mountain hotel in Peñas Blancas de Cachí, Cartago, set in gardens and forest close to Tapantí National Park. It is first of all a birders' hotel: the gardens and trails are home to so many species that you can bird from your balcony. It suits birders, couples and anyone who wants cool mountain air, a good kitchen and a quiet base in the Orosi Valley.

Why we choose it

• Birding from the room. The hotel has recorded more than 300 species on the property, and the rooms are named after the birds you are likely to see.
• A waterfall and trails on site. Hiking trails run through the forest to a waterfall nearby, so you do not need a car to get into nature.
• Bungalows for every party. From Superior bungalows with an outdoor shower to family bungalows with two queens and a sofa bed, there is a fit for couples and families.

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Rooms and views

Each room carries a bird's name. The Superior bungalows, Las Reinitas, Las Mariquitas, Las Tangaras and Las Mariposas, look toward the waterfall or the mountains and have a private outdoor shower. Los Colibríes is a junior suite facing the rainforest.

Las Eufonias, Los Jilgueros, Las Oropéndolas and Los Trogones are bungalows with two queen beds and a sofa bed, also facing the rainforest, and Los Tucanes has a king, a sofa and a single bed among the plants. Las Antpittas are simpler rooms with two queen beds each and a terrace onto the tropical vegetation.

On the property

Meals are at Restaurant Casa José, which mixes Costa Rican cooking with recipes from around the world, with mountain views from the tables. Days start early here, with the birds, and the hiking trails lead through the forest to the waterfall.

The climate is cool, with warm mornings and cloudy afternoons, so the rooms do without air conditioning, and there is Wi-Fi but no television: the window is the screen. Bring a warm jacket, a rain poncho and binoculars.

Around Cachí we can arrange Tapantí National Park, the coffee plantations of the valley, an old sugar mill and the colonial churches of Orosi.

Location and getting there

Peñas Blancas is in the hills above Cachí, in the province of Cartago, close to Tapantí National Park and the Orosi Valley. It works well at the start or end of a trip, or as a birding stop before heading south. See more about the Orosi Valley.

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