You have to see it to believe it. Click the link to “see” Costa Rica’s SWEETEST Secret!

It is hard to put into words the beauty of Costa Rica. You have to be here to really appreciate what you see. The images captured on our camera just don’t do it justice! The lush green, the vibrant colors of the trees and flowers, the thick jungle canopy, the blue skies and the sounds of the birds singing, is pure magic. 

This country is alive!!

First Stop – Pacayitas, Turrialba, Costa Rica

The first stop on our family’s Costa Rica journey has taken us to Pacayitas. This is a gorgeous little town tucked away in the mountains above Turrialba, Central Costa Rica. We have spent the last few days meeting amazing people in this small town. The kids have made some great friends and they have been so welcoming. The food at Rita’s home is outstanding. The kids are learning to live, play and cook like the locals, right down to making homemade tortillas.

Picking Coffee and Learning How It’s Made

We are “helping” the locals pick coffee beans and learning the fascinating way coffee is made. Tia Rosario is teaching us all about her family tradition. It is such a huge part of the culture here.  Families will spend hours together harvesting coffee.  We sit back with our fresh fruit juices and watch them enjoy the “fruits” of their labor.

Harvesting Sugar Cane with Locals

We hiked into an amazing sugar cane processing hut in the Costa Rica hills to see the entire process of cane to sugar. This family is one of only two in the area, who still harvest and process their sugar in this artisan way.  The men are chopping sugarcane with machetes, they don’t trust us with those, yet.

The “trapiche” takes three to four hours from cane to dry sugar but they take advantage of every stage in the process. Cane juice, syrup, “punto” (a carmel-like candy), sobado, and tapa.  We ate our weight in sugar, trying each stage of the process.

Exactly the Costa Rica Experience We Wanted for Our Children

Between the waterfalls, the food and the new friends, the kids haven’t missed their electronics or complained once about the lack of hot water for showers. They actually enjoy the refreshing splash before heading to bed. This is exactly the experience we were hoping to have with them. Real and authentic. Fabian, with Finca Via Lig, has been so wonderful. His English is great. This town has opened their arms and hearts to us and welcomed us in.   

We are so happy here.