The Orosi Valley Tour includes a trip through the beautiful Orosi Valley itself with stops at the Orosi Mirador, Cachi Lake and Dam, the historic Church of Orosi, La Casa del Soñador gift shop, the Ujarras Ruins and La Casona de Cafetal restaurant.

The Orosi Valley is a lush, coffee, vegetable and flower-producing region containing historic ruins, a religious museum, an 87-year-old sugar mill, coffee mill, rivers, lake, a national rainforest park, waterfalls, hot springs, and many other precious gems.

Your tour begins from the Orosi Mirador where you'll get a chance to glimpse it all from the top. The Mirador is an immense public park and your eyes will not believe the amazing view.

From there we'll continue on down the hill into Orosi where we'll stop at the historic church of San Jose de Orosi in the center of town. The church is the country's oldest house of worship and many churchgoers still show up on horseback. The church was built in 1743 and renovated several years ago with United Nations funding.

An optional part of the tour is visiting the former Franciscan monastery house attached to the church, which is now a Museum of Religious Art exhibiting Central American religious artifacts. Please note, the museum is only open from 1-5 p.m., is closed Mondays and the entrance fee is not included as part of this tour.

We'll next stop by the Cachi Lake and Dam, important for electric power production here in Costa Rica, on our way to La Casona de Cafetal Restaurant, which is located right on the lake. The restaurant property itself is beautifully landscaped and has a gorgeous view of the lake. We'll stop for some wonderful Costa Rican coffee while we relax and take in some of the beauty of the area before moving on.

Next on our stop is the dreamy La Casa del Soñador gift house exhibiting the woodcarvings of late Costa Rican sculptor Macedonio Quesada. Sons Hermes and Miguel have continued their father's work since his death in 1995.

As we begin our return up the hill departing the Valley, we'll stop by one of Costa Rica's most ancient and certainly interesting remnants of her past, the Ujarras Ruins. Constructed in the 1560's, the Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Limpia Concepcion now sits in ruins due to recurring floods and earthquakes that have hit the area. Built near the Rio Reventazón, this church was once home to a miraculous painting of the Virgin. According to local lore, a painting of the Virgin was found in a box by some native Huetar Indian fishermen who brought it to Ujarras, after which it would not move. A church was then built on this site by the locals to commemorate the Virgin. In 1666, it is believed that the Virgin also helped the residents of the area to defeat British pirates who had invaded the Caribbean Coast. The Ruins are now a public park and national monument.

What to bring: camera, comfortable shoes

Includes: Transportation, Guide, Snack, Beverage

Price: $40 per person