Garden Hacienda:  Activities

Garden Hacienda is located in the Agujas River watershed about ten minutes drive from Puerto Jimenez on the Osa Peninsula.  Guests staying at Garden Hacienda are best served with a rental car to provide the freedom to travel to different parts of the peninsula both to explore as well as to take guided or self-guiding tours, go to the beach, visit the park, and enjoy dining and dancing out, among other things.

At the home itself, the main activity is lounging and strolling around the orchards and landscaped grounds.  We have hundreds of fruit trees, and we guarantee that during your stay, no matter what it is, at least one of our fruits (and most likely several) will be in season.  So, at Garden Hacienda it's always BYOB:  blend your own breakfast.  You may feel free to pick your own fruit to your heart's content as well as herbs and spices from the considerable herb garden that is planted beside the main house.  At Garden Hacienda we have:  mandarin lime, orange, pineapple, mango, soursop, water apple, guava, banana, avocado, and a number of tropical exotics that I don't know how to say in English.  In addition, the gardens are filled with a stunning array of ornamentals, featuring haliconias prominently.  

The Agujas River passes within one half mile of the property.  This river was the site of gold extraction in the headwaters throughout all the eighties and most of the nineties and even today has a number of hand miners that work the headwaters to eke out a living.  The Agujas River is a beautiful tropical clear water shallow stream that offers zillions of pools for swimming.  You can drive up nearly the entire length of the river for a picnic and swimming and try your own hand at mining.  For the adventurous you can wander back up in the evenings to catch river shrimp (they are actually fresh water prawns), which is one of the region's signature gastronomic delicacies.

There is a wide range of activities that are possible with a car.  A full list of guided activities is given at www.tourosa.com.  A few activities are summarized in the blurbs below.
1)  Beach and Swimming.  The Playa Platanares beach, just ten miles from Puerto Jimenez, is the nicest swimming beach on the entire peninsula and is a must-do activity for anyone needing some beach time.  There is a great little restaurant and bar there and plenty of shade as well as sun and waves that are great for body surfing and miles of sand beaches for beachcoming.
2)  Surfing.  Matapalo is a world-class surfing destination.  There are three breaks along a coastline of about two miles in length.  There are three different breaks there, Pan Dulce a great beginner break, Matapalo an advanced break, and Backwash Bay somewhere in between.

3)  Hiking.  Guided hiking tours are in place daily to the forest areas of Matapalo at the tip of the peninsula and also in the Tigre watershed, one river over from the Agujas River.  MORE

4)  Wildlife viewing.  Monkeys can be heard from the forest above Garden Hacienda and can be viewed in the forests that can be accessed from the Agujas River road beside Garden Hacienda.  A wide variety of birds make the alluvial plain between the mountains and the coastline their home and the scarlet macaw is prolific along the coastline.  Coatimundi, jaguarondi, anteaters, agouti, tayra, and sloths are among the mammals that can be observed with a little bit of effort in the region.  There are an equally abundant number of species of birds, reptiles, insects, and botanical species.  For best results, hire a guide to show you, but enterprising wildlife viewers will find plenty of activity along the river and in the forest, particularly around dusk and dawn. 
6)  Extreme Sports.  Everyday Adventures sponsors daily tree climbing and waterfall rappelling for those that need a bit of an adrenaline kick.  MORE
7)  Surf Lessons.  Pollo Surf School guarantees you'll stand on your first lesson and has worked with students from three years of age to eighty-three years of age.  A must for anybody that was always curious about surfing but never had the chance to get on a board.  MORE

1)  Fishing.  The waters of Cape Matapalo is the hottest sailfish fishery in the world.  Mahi Mahi and yellowfin tuna are prolific in the blue water with wahoo and marlin also common takes.  Inshore species include roosterfish, snapper, jacks, mackerel, grouper, sharks, pompano, snook, and others.  INSHORE  /  OFFSHORE
2)  Kayaking.  Both mangrove and dolphin sunset dolphin watching kayak tours are sponsored out of Puerto Jimenez.  MORE
3)  Horseback riding.  Horseback tours are available at a number of different locations on the peninsula.   MORE
4)  Birding.  Osa Peninsula birding is world class.  The best tour is out of Dos Brazos, one hour away.  MORE
5)  Gulf Motorboat Tours.  Depart from Puerto Jimenez and see the Gulf and snorkel.  Optional on this tour is a visit the Animal Wildlife Sanctuary.  MORE

6)  Gold Mining tours.  Go pan native gold for yourself, guaranteed to see colors.  MORE
7)  Canopy tour.  There is a canopy and zipline operation just thirty minutes away.  MORE

8)  Corcovado National Park.  The park is only 30 minutes away by car and another 40 by foot.  Corcovado National Park is Costa Rica's largest national park and the crown jewel of its world renowned national park system.  MORE
9)  Snorkeling and Diving.  Both activities can be undertaken out of Drake, which is a 1.5 hour drive from Garden Hacienda.  Both are full day tours and depend on boat transport to and from the National Marine Park, Isla del Caņo.  Tours depart at 7:00 a.m. daily, so you will need to be on the road by 5:00 a.m. to get there in time, and this tour is by advance reservation only.  Snorkel and Diving.
10)  Fine Dining and Night Life.  With town a short fifteen minutes away, you have a wide array of eateries and nightlife within quick reach.  Start off at Juanita's Mexican Bar and Grille for great Tex-Mex and international favorites, Il Giardino for Italian,  Delfin Blanco for Chinese, Marisqueria Corcovado for seafood, and Pizza Mail for great homemade Italian pies.  Brush up on your salsa and merengue Saturday nights at the Disco. 

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