Dota: Much more than coffee

The first area where we'll be working is where one of the best coffees
in Costa Rica (and in the world) grows. This is the land of the
quetzals, the cloud forest and the warmest and friendliest people you
could ever know. One of the most amazing features of this region is the
wide variety of biodiversity due to the unique feature of having
forest ranges from 250 m – 3500 m.a.s.l. (meters above sea level), in
a relatively small area. The different altitudinal points generate
different climate types: Tropical Rain Forest, Cloud Forest, Paramo
Forest (over 3000 m). This allows the presence of a wide variety of
plants and animals, some of which are endemic to this region. Among
this species the Quetzal is one of the most beautiful and
representative. It is also one of the most beautiful birds in the world.

Things you'll be doing

Here you can stay inside the Fundación Nubotropica. A foundation
created by the community to promote the conservation and sustainable
development of the region. You can stay in a lodge surrounded by
the cloud forest and you can practice some hiking and great bird
watching.

Besides the Fundación Nubotrópica you can visit the small towns around the region or you can take different tours inside the local farms. Tours include bird watching, waterfalls, hiking, caves, tropical forests, beaches and more. You can stay in small lodges available in the area, or if you prefer a deeper contact with the local culture, you can stay with a host family. The transportation between the lodges, families and/or tours will be provided by local drivers.

How this project makes a difference

The Fundación Nubotropica promotes the conservation and sustainable
development of the community by giving environmental education to the local people and by supporting activities and research.

With your only presence you’ll support the foundation and its initiatives as the main income come by tourist visits. If you want to go further and involve you can help in different ways such us helping in creating and maintaining the trials inside the foundation’s reserve. You can also help in the maintenance of the facilities, or joining their many initiatives.

In either option: Fundación Nubotrópica, lodges, host families or local tours, you will be in contact with the local people and you will help the community by providing a significant income that will support the local economies.

The main objective is that the community realizes that preserving the environment is a powerful way to grow and that the most important treasure that they have is their environment and their culture.