Mastalal's ecological farms

If you are interested in ecology and agrotourism then you should visit the innovative farms at Mastalal, in the country's central valley. You'll learn a lot and meet locals living values they are happy to share with you, as well as listening to what you have to say.

An idyllic setting

After having braved kilometres by bus, on foot or by motorbike through the luxuriant vegetation of the centre of the country, there you are: in the district of Puriscal, and the village of Mastatal, which is famous for its ecological farms . In the "centre" of this little town there is just a pleasant library where there are also yoga classes, a sports ground and a tiny grocery store. As well as being charming, the village has incredible surroundings. If you are really interested then you should visit La Cangreja Park, which is not well known but is worth a visit. You can swim in untamed rivers, see lot of wild animals, tropical birds and insects...The roots climbing out of the ground and encircling the trees are like something out of an Indiana Jones movie.

Discovering ecological farms

There are a dozen farms around Mastalal, in Costa Rica's central valley. Most of them use similar methods, like recycling, composting (there are compost toilets with good views!), and permaculture. Simply put, permaculture is a way of life aimed at producing food respectfully, enhancing the soil so that everything is as sustainable as possible while respecting nature and human life. These farms all welcome volunteers and several of them welcome visitors. Some farms have their own specialties. One farm is specialised in chocolate, from harvest to making cakes, another specialises in teaching Spanish. In each ecological farm the head of the family is responsible for operations and for carrying out their projects, being careful to listen to the, often useful, advice of visitors.

 ©Laure Alvarez

More than just values, it's a way of life

If you want to meet locals in a truly natural setting then you should come to this region during your trip to Costa Rica. The Costa Ricans on the farms at Mastalal all have the same values: living close to and respecting nature, living and eating well, enjoying life and acting sustainably. The village is proud of these values and of its region and is a close community whose members communicate a lot and help each other. During your journey round Costa Rica you will notice that the country is doing its best to be cutting-edge for sustainable development, and especially eco-tourism. Mastalal's ecological farms are a very good example of this and proof that it is possible. I think you should spend at least 3 days in one of the village's ecological farms and if you really want to see everything then you'll need at least a week.