Corso Lechería: Where Costa Rica Goes to Farm

Imagine, if you will, a Costa Rica that looks more Switzerland than tropical: rolling green hills, evergreen-dappled mountains, endless blue sky, and just the hint of a chill in the air.

You are here, at a little-explored tourism secret in the Central Valley – at Corso Lechería (formerly, Freddo Fresas), a cultural and farming tour high in the mountains of Heredia, at the base of Poás Volcano (close but not too close, for the record) and just 45 minutes from Finca Rosa Blanca.

Did you know that Costa Rica was once built on agriculture? Beyond the coffee trade and before the country became a haven for tourism, Costa Rica’s economy once relied heavily on fruits and vegetables, milk and cheese. And it’s these roots you’ll explore – not to mention, savor and sample! – on one of our favorite cultural and family-friendly tours.

Corso Lechería Farming Tour

A scenic drive wends through the mountains between Finca Rosa Blanca and Corso Lechería, ascending ever higher into high-altitude agriculture – mostly coffee, tomatoes, cheese, and strawberries. Along the way, roadside stands offer their wares of candied fruits, bulbous strawberries, and handmade cheeses.

These are just what await at Corso Lechería, a working dairy and strawberry farm that promises fun for both the young and young-at-heart.

Choose from the walking or tractor tour – although we know which we’d recommend, if you have young kiddos (or a senior) in tow! – and explore the farm’s gentle hills and plains. Keep an eye open for spectacular views of Poás and Barva Volcanos, if the skies are clear; try your hand at milking a cow (don’t worry; she’s friendly!); and pick your way through strawberry fields bursting with berries.

The farm comprises nearly 550 acres of rich soil, ripe for the picking (literally). You’ll be pleasantly flabbergasted by the size and heft of Heredia hills strawberries; at the height of strawberry season, they fit about two to the palm and yet can still be sweeter than the best you’ve ever had. It’s a marvel of volcanic soil, to be sure.

The milk here – and, thus, the cheese – is fresh and wonderful. Key word: Fresh. You won’t find much in the way of aged cheese – think: no hard cheddars or creamy bries – but you will find farmer’s cheese, herbed cheeses, and Costa Rica’s famous palmito, a giant’s take on string cheese. (It’s about the size of an adult male’s fist).

Sample, savor and taste to your heart’s delight. And then, stop by Corso Lechería’s restaurant, for a taste of Costa Rica’s most traditional foods. And be sure, oh-so-absolutely sure, to order one of their famous strawberry milkshakes! Darn it. Now we’re craving one.

Family Vacation? Culture Vultures? Want a Taste of the Real Costa Rica?

If Corso Lechería sounds like your kind of day trip, then hello, it’s nice to meet you. Because this is our kind of tour, too.

At Finca Rosa Blanca, we delight in Costa Rican culture and outside-the-box kinds of fun. From our Organic coffee farm tours to our favorite activities in the area, we seek out the most authentic, the most memorable, and even the most off-the-beaten-path kind of tours. Because a great vacation is an amalgam – part bucket-list, part serendipity. And always, extraordinary.

Tip: Looking for more inspiration? Check out our family vacation in Costa Rica: a kid-entertaining, family-pleasing, make-some-forever-memories kind of trip. With a stop at Corso Lechería, of course!

For more details, please get in touch.