Home : Travel : Costa Rica : Hacienda Baru : One Article
Hacienda Barú is off the beaten tourist track, at least for the
moment. It is an 800-acre ranch with six guest cabins, each of which
can sleep about six people (in either two or three bedrooms). Four of
the cabins are newer and I liked them better (we stayed in one of the
original two cabins one night and a newer one the next).
The owners, Jack and Diane Ewing, are the best features of the
hacienda. Jack tells stories slowly, like a man used to the Old West
where people had time and respect enough to listen to each other.
He'll take you up into the treetops, onto a platform or just up into
the damn tree if you are adventurous enough.
Diane is one of the best horsewomen in Costa
Rica with a big remuda of fine animals, well-cared for and
well-trained. I thought that if I stayed there long enough, she was
going to teach me how to ride and make a man out of me.
There are a lot of reasons to visit Barú. We met people who'd come there to surf, people who'd come on hard-core birdwatching tours, people who'd come to relax with their families in the cabins (all of which have kitchens).
Prices are about $50/night for two people in a cabin (including breakfast). Plan to spend at least another $15-30/day pp on horseback riding, guided hikes, and other activities.
Electricity has come to Barú, but telephones have not. You'll
have to book through the Ewings' tour company in San Isidro: Selva
Mar. Telephone is (506) 771-1903. Their US maildrop is Selva Mar
S.A./AAA Express Mail, 1641 NW 79th Avenue, Miami, FL 33126, ATTN: Hda
Barú.
There is a nice orchid garden right next to the hacienda.
Manigordo ("Ocelot" in Spanish) is a Northern Italian restaurant on
the grounds of the hacienda run by Roberto, a 24-year-old Milanese.
He used to be the chef in an Italian cafe on South Beach in Miami
Beach. Now he struggles with the local ingredients and often comes up
with winners. Save room for dessert; we had a complicated cake
well-presented in Creme Anglaise.
You could spend $10-15 pp for a multi-course dinner.