Casitas Tenorio B&B in Bijagua
Are you looking for sparkling clean accommodation, that completely merges with its jungle environment? Animal visitors such as monkeys, toucans, sloths, squirrels and a broad variety of colorful birds are guaranteed every day.
Casitas Tenorio B&B [ad] is a sensational bed and breakfast with family connection. It is even listed on TripAdvisor as the best bed and breakfast in Costa Rica.
Location & arrival of Casitas Tenorio B&B
Casitas Tenorio B&B is located in proximity of Tenorio volcano in the small town of Bijagua, province of Alajuela.
It is about 200 kilometers and 2,5 to 3 hours northeast of San Jose. The journey from La Fortuna takes about two hours. From Liberia you can reach Casitas Tenorio B&B in about 1 hour.
The road is paved until the last two kilometers. At the end of your journey a little uphill gravel road. You don't need a 4WD here, but with high wheel clearance helps.
It's best to fill up with fuel beforehand. There is no petrol station in town, you can however buy it buy the galon. The next are about twenty kilometers northeast (in Upala) or forty kilometers northwest (in Cañas).
There are several restaurants and supermarkets in the village. We can especially recommend restaurant La Terrazza with its typical local cuisine.
Equipment & design
The owners of Casitas Tenorio B&B - Pip and Donald - have created a real paradise for human and animal visitors on their small farm. Six casitas - small houses - are spread over the relatively large area, so that each one enjoys enough privacy and is not visible from the outside.
When Pip and Donald bought the old farm, the area was meant for farming cattle. The two let the jungle grow free again and even helped a little. The entire area now blends seamlessly into the surrounding jungle and offers a bridge to the animals.
We saw sloths, monkeys, toucans and many colorful birds during the three days in Casitas Tenorio B&B. Breakfast can take longer with so much to see.
We stayed in the Casita Volcano, in which we really felt comfortable.
You can expect a large queen-size bed with a view of the jungle garden. In our casita, there was even a second large bed, which we didn't need.
Right next to the entrance is a small kitchen niche with a fridge and equipment to make coffee and tea.
The bathroom is equipped with a sink, toilet and shower. The highlight of the shower is the large window to the outside, so you have a view of the jungle while showering, but nobody can see you.
From the bedroom you can access the veranda, where are two comfortable rocking chairs, a small table and a four-seat group. So you can eat on the terrace and enjoy a great view of the surrounding nature.
Everything is very spacious and perfectly clean. Park your car directly in front of your casita. Very convenient.
The meeting point for discussions and a nice chat is the area where lobby, reception and breakfast tables are located. This open area with a view of the dense jungle is also the ideal spot to observe the biodiversity of northern Costa Rica. This is really better than television.
The outstanding feature of Casitas Tenorio B&B is the warmth, with which Pip and Donald and the rest of the staff treat their guests. You really feel like a family friend, who is visiting. We don't know exactly why, but that's just the way it is.
Culinary
The meals offered at Casitas Tenorio B&B are limited to breakfast.
Enjoy different dishes every day. We had fruit, pinto gallo, pancakes and cereals to name just a few. There is also juice, tea and coffee as well as milk and cheese from their own cows.
In the evening, you can either drive into town to visit a restaurant or have something delivered to Casitas Tenorio. You pay an additional delivery fee of $7. The menus are available at the reception.
Activities
Pip and Donald will be happy to advise you on activities, that they either offer themselves or are carried out by known third-party providers.
Take a tour of the farm for free every day at seven in the morning. Unfortunately, we have not been able to do this.
On the property of Casitas Tenorio B&B, there is a separate jungle trail, that brought us our first sloth. The path is easy to walk and really very idyllic and exciting.
In addition to Casitas Tenorio B&B, Donald also operates the newly opened Tapir Valley Nature Reserve. He bought the huge area to expand the Tenorio National Park at his own expense. The area used to be farmland. Donald is now taking care of reforestation. The settlement of endemic plant and animal species is a matter close to his heart. He took us on a tour with him. It was a unique experience. We were literally glued to his lips when he was talking about the endemic wildlife.
In addition to coatis and a multicolored flock of birds, we saw a boa constrictor and a poisonous viper. The Tapir Valley Nature Reserve connects directly to the Tenorio Volcano National Park. Different ecosystems make the whole thing so diverse. Wetlands, meadows, jungles and small streams provide homes for countless endangered animals.
Allow 15 minutes by car from Casitas Tenorio to the Tapir Valley.
Following this link for Tapir Valley's website.
What we really recommend, is the Frog Tour by Tio Miguel at Frog's Paradise.
The tour starts at dusk and you get to see the nocturnal jungle inhabitants. These are not just frogs. You will also encounter many insects and other reptiles such as snakes and lizards. Really a unique experience. The starting point of the tour is about five kilometers from Casitas Tenorio.
Otherwise you should not miss Rio Celeste. The blue river is really a phenomenon. Hike not only to the waterfall, but also to the confluence of the two source rivers, where the origin of the blue color is to be seen. It takes about twenty minutes to get there by car.
Otherwise, there is still the possibility to take part in a tour on a chocolate farm.
As you see, in Casitas Tenorio it never gets boring. The bed and breakfast is a perfect starting point for all highlights of the region.
Conclusion on Casitas Tenorio
Casitas Tenorio is an incredibly warm place, where you will really feel good.
The perfect location and the incredible biodiversity make it a place, you don't want to leave.
We definitely want to come back here.
If you come to the north of Costa Rica, be sure to check out Casitas Tenorio.
