MOUNTAIN HIKING
The trails carved through our orchards and forests are quite beautiful. Most of them, such as our cacao orchard, are overgrown, giving them a primeval feel. This doesn't make for good cacao production, but does create a unique setting and the fruit that we're unable to use is great for the troop of White-Faced Monkeys that lives in the area.
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"The hikes through our primary forest are primeval, indeed. The first time I stepped into a primary forest in the Costa Rican jungle, a curious and familiar feeling washed over me that I still find difficult to describe. It was a feeling of being at home, but not in the Rockwellian portrait-of-an-American-family sense. In a deeper, more ancient sense, the sensation was elating, joyful, invigorating and frightful. I haven't quite gotten over that feeling, and I often spend hours hiking in the rain, by myself, admiring the dark mystery of the rain forest."
-Mak
WATERFALLS & POOLS
Cascada Elysiana Waterfall is simply stunning. She's temperamental, at times rushing and powerful, at times lazy and misty, depending on the rainfall filling the aqueducts that feed her. Whatever her mood, the setting is wonderful, seemingly artist-designed.
The jungle here is dense, and there are always new wonders to be discovered. Over a year after we began exploring this place, our gardener Allen stumbled upon a second 60ft. waterfall. He'd been working this finca for 10 years and his father 15 years before him! How much longer might it have remained hidden...
NATURE WATCHING
There are SO many plants and animals and critters to discover. Curious, enormous, baffling, terrifying, beautiful, we're continually encountering new and wonderous ways that life finds to express itself.
Eventually we'll create an exhaustive list of all the species that we've spotted at the fince. In the meantime, some of the animal highlights include White-Faced monkeys, peccaries, toucans and coatis.
YOGA/MEDITATION
We've designed Cascada Elysiana to be as tranquil and relaxing as possible. We don't allow automobiles (other than service vehicles) in the interior of the finca. All guest vehicles are parked at the entrance and the hike to the campground is about 6-8 minutes, enough to block almost all sounds from the road. Deeper into the finca, near the waterfall, you will never see a light nor hear a sound that isn't nature-made.
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In addition, we keep the the number of guests allowed to the finca at a maximum of 30 in order to maintain the level of tranquility we desire and to ensure that there will always be a spot where you could spend the the entire day without encountering another human, if you so choose...
LOUNGE/OUTDOOR SCREENINGS
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Lounge around or curl up with a book and something cool to drink in our balcony.
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After hours we host movie and documentary screenings or we'll clear the floor for a dance party. Occasionally Stephen will bust out his glittery gold microphone and treat us to (or torture us with) a karaoke song.