Lakes & Mountains Of The Central Highlands
Two things which are a regular aspect of our travel but haven’t yet featured in Costa Rica, each come into play on our journey from Cartago to Atenas: a train journey, and a hire car.
The rail service here is extremely limited, with just two short lines heading out of San Jose in different directions, one of which is, handily, to Cartago. Once the transport of fruit started to switch from rail to road, the railways steadily fell into disrepair and each time an earthquake wreaked havoc, another section was abandoned. Some modest investment has recently enabled purchase of old stock from Spain and new stock from China (not Derby, sadly) and there is talk of old routes being resurrected.
Cartago Station 
Cartago Station
And now, for the first time in over five weeks in Costa Rica, we have the freedom afforded by a hire car, though in all our experience of hiring and driving in different countries, we’ve never been given anything like this before…
Our large hire car
Our new base of Atenas has a claim to a world best, stating very boldly anywhere you care to look, that National Geographic named this one small town as having the best climate of any place anywhere in the world. Well, as far as the Nat Geographic part of the claim is concerned, they apparently never made any such such statement, but somebody somewhere came up with it so we’re expecting something pleasant.
And as we drive our hired beast the relatively short distance from the depot to Atenas, there is certainly perceptible change, and we see examples of parched grasses in a country where everything else has been the lush green of the tropics. This sudden change is apparently due to a phenomenon known as a “rain shadow” where an area which receives sunlight from directly overhead is also protected from moist air by a mountain range: precisely what we have here.
Costa Rica’s roads have more than their fair share of potholes, and, away from the main highways, some ridiculously steep hairpins and narrow lanes with deep rain gulleys on either side. In this big pick up truck, it’s fun but it gets just a bit scary in places.
One such drive brings us to Sarchi, a small town which like Atenas owes its existence to its position on the old “oxcart route”. Unlike other trade routes such as the Silk Route, this one is named after the vehicles which carried the commodity, rather than the commodity itself – which was, of course, coffee, on its way from the mountain “fincas” to the Pacific port at Puntarenas.
The oxcarts themselves are beautifully painted wooden items – originally a suitable size to be drawn by two oxen, but now available to the tourist in every size from fridge magnet to full replicas. In the centre of Sarchi is what is apparently the world’s largest version, in pride of place on the central square.
Atenas, our base, is a really pleasant little town, like all other Costa Rican towns arranged in a grid of streets around a communal green space. After a succession of airbnb apartments and houses, we are in a hotel here, but one in an incredible position, way up on a mountainside above the town with superb panoramic views. Its position is fantastic and slightly unreal, hanging off the edge of the mountain so that there is nothing beneath the balconies. The drive up to the hotel is though just another assault on the senses!
Unlike the other volcanoes we’ve visited on this trip, Poas is very recently active, its latest eruption having been in 2019. Poas still emits dangerous levels of toxic gases and showers of ash, so all visits to its rim are limited to 20 minutes and involve the donning of hard hats. Within the crater lies a spectacular turquoise lake, and ash fields of graded shades of grey, way below the viewpoint in the massive crater.
Our views of all this are almost dreamlike, the lake emerging from and disappearing behind cloud cover like rock stars in dry ice – teasing glimpses of something magical for just a moment. A photo opportunity, if you’re quick enough.
The ash covered slopes beneath Poas are fertile ground, particularly for coffee plantations and strawberry fields. The strawberries are beautifully sweet and juicy; coffee shrubs stripe the steep hillsides like Chianti vineyards. It is in part actually Starbucks country, the largest of the fincas, Hacienda Alsacia, having been acquired by them in 2013 and now producing not just large quantities of coffee but also educating other farmers in how to increase yield and improve their living standards. At least that’s what Starbucks told us.
Finished for the day 
Coffee harvest 
Helping with the harvest
Atenas brings to a close our run of short stays as we head next to the northern Pacific coast for a slightly longer stay.
25 Comments
Brian Tucker
Very good and interesting, quite a country
Enjoy the rest of your trip
Brian
Phil & Michaela
Thank you Brian
Gilda Baxter
I like your new set of wheels. Absolutely gorgeous place, although I think I would feel a little nervous being so near the volcano. Fantastic photos ❤️
Phil & Michaela
Thank you Gilda – volcanoes and earthquakes are part of life here….we hope you’re still loving being in Brazil. We hope to read about your experiences soon.
Jyothi
What a great trip!! The lake looks awesome!! Beautiful captures!
Phil & Michaela
Thank you, yes it was a magical moment
Monkey's Tale
What a view from you hotel!
Phil & Michaela
Driving to it was just plain ridiculous!
Monkey's Tale
😊😀🤣
Heyjude
You are quite the intrepid explorers! After the recent Tonga volcano eruption I don’t think I would be going so close to a volcano, especially an active one!
Phil & Michaela
You just have to do these things! Well, ….. we do…!
Heyjude
🤣🤣
WanderingCanadians
Talk about a room with a view. Love your pictures of the turquoise lake on Poas. Sounds like an incredible experience.
Phil & Michaela
It was great, thank you! The drive up to the hotel was just ridiculous…so steep, we needed our beast of a vehicle.
wetanddustyroads
Love your rented “car” (it’s called a ‘bakkie’ here in SA and just the vehicle to have when driving challenging roads)! How colourful is that ox wagon and absolutely amazing views of the turquoise lake at the volcano.
Toonsarah
What wonderful views from your hotel! And the shots of Poas look amazing 🙂 I smiled to see the ox cart put on display like that – such a contrast to our visit to North Korea where we were forbidden to photograph any because they’re embarrassed that they still use them 😆
Phil & Michaela
How interesting. They’re no longer in use here but it’s clearly part of the heritage, and they are most definitely proud of that!
grandmisadventures
Riding in style! Very interesting read on the volcano and the coffee plantation 🙂
Phil & Michaela
Thank you
Annie E Berger
Loved the colorfully painted largest oxcart in the world, having to wear helmets, and the huge truck you had to rent on inhospitable roads!
thehungrytravellers.blog
The roads have been enormous fun so far, but there’s been times when we’re very pleased to have 4WD power!
rkrontheroad
The oxcart is wonderful – can you imagine a town full of them hauling their coffee around?!
Phil & Michaela
Well, they weren’t all as big as that one! But the sight of hundreds of them being hauled along the trail to the coast (and back) must have been a spectacle, for sure.
Alison
Your travels are just amazing. Such a different part of the world. You must do a lot of research to find out about these places.
Phil & Michaela
This is such an incredibly interesting place, Ali, especially for such a small country. Thank you for your comment – actually we don’t do a massive amount of research but it’s always good to understand a bit of history, isn’t it. I know you like to do that too, from your own posts!