San Gerardo de Dota

General Information:

Location: 89 km southeast of  San Jose; 65 km north of San Isidro del General, on the Cerro de la Muerte (Interamericana Highway)

Weather: Moderate days, cool in the evenings

Temperature:  62-76 °F year-round

Altitude: 2200 meters above sea level

Read our Cerro de la Muerte Travel Blogs (April 2008)

About:

Located in the cool highlands of the Southern Zone, the emerald valley of San Gerardo de Dota is one of Costa Rica’s best kept secrets. It is a place where daytime temperatures hover around 70 F and anglers can cast a line for plump rainbow trout in the frothy waters along the high-elevation Savegre River. Simple wood houses hug the green mountainsides, and life moves at a gentler pace.

At 80 km along Cerro de la Muerte, the road veers off and steeply descends some 500 meters into the spectacular valley of San Gerardo de Dota. Roughly 150 people inhabit this river vale and nearly all are family or friends. Rows of peach and apple trees line the gravel road which snakes through the tiny hamlet. There are no supermarkets, banks or gas stations, only a handful of cabins and lodges.

After the introduction of rainbow trout to the Savegre River in the 60’s, word got out, and fisherman from far and wide began to visit. Undoubtedly, the area’s main attractions are highland birding and trout fishing, both of which have become increasingly popular in the last decade.

Tourism in the valley today can largely be attributed to the Chacon family, owners of the Savegre Hotel de Montana. The lodge is a legend among birders who have been visiting this hidden valley for years. The region hosts over 200 species of birds, including the resplendent quetzal, tanagers, trogons and a dazzling array of hummingbirds.

Visitors can explore scenic trails on foot or by horseback and glimpse the pristine Savegre waterfall which towers some 30 meters in the air. The waterfall trail is part of Los Quetzales National Park, which covers 5000 hectares of cloud forest in the heart of the Talamanca Mountains.