San Vito is a splendid relaxed town in the mountains near the Panama border.
The drive is spectacular on the Interamerican Highway as it hugs the Terraba River inland. Then you cross it and head up the mountain, driving along the ridge for about 50 km with breathtaking views of mountains and valleys on both sides.
It boasts one of the most complete tropical gardens on the planet—Las Cruces Biological Station and the real attraction, the park within, the Wilson Botanical Gardens. Overseen by the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS), the very well kept park has many inhabitants including 330 documented species of birds and a wide variety of mammals including sloths, monkeys, deer and anteaters.
The Wilson Botanical Gardens (Jardín Botánico Wilson) are home to around 1,000 species of tropical plants from Costa Rica and beyond. The grounds feature endangered species from Costa Rica, as well as from other parts of the globe, many of which appear quite strange and unusual—definitely worth a stop! Interested visitors can stroll through the well marked, well-maintained 6 miles (10 km) of trails in this 25 acre (10 ha) assortment of gardens. Throughout the grounds, strategic overlooks allow passers-by to take-in this amazing assortment of biology which includes lily beds, heliconia groves, ferns, gingers, bromeliads, marantas and a mammoth collection of palms. - photos from the garden below.
Spent about an hour walking the path (probably takes 2 - 3 hours in total) when the skies opened. Fortunately we were not far from shelter and headed there until it subsided. We all decided we were hungry, so lets pause on the plants and have lunch.
Founded in the 1800's by Italian farmers, the community reportedly has the largest Italian population in Latin America. In the town many people are obviously of Italian heritage - so no surprise you can find good Italian food!
Pizzeria Liliana is wonderful - mama is in the kitchen putting pizza and pasta in the oven. A yummy way to pass the middle of the day! Samira spotted the dozens of Prosciutto hanging in the kitchen - I asked (in Spanish) if they were for sale - "yes - C28000 /kg for a whole one and they are not imported - I make them right here" (again all in Spanish - sorry I am being proud of myself) - Samira went and picked the one she wanted, he took it down and explained he needed 15 minutes to clean it - came back with it all wrapped and ready to go - Costa Rican Proscuitto made by Guido! Yes that was really his name - he gave us his card.
We walked about the town to digest - very civilized place - obviously a centre for agriculture and ranching as the boots and hats were everywhere, but also relatively affluent - little coffee shops and bistros, and all the amenities you could want.
A great way to spend the day!!
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