La Choza Del Mundo

La Choza del Mundo is a 10 hectare (25 acre) property in a culturally rich region of rural Costa Rica. The land is triangularly shaped, with rivers bordering the two lone portions of the property and the road between Zapaton and Mastatal bordering the other side. The other side of the road is one of Costa Rica's newest national park, La Cangreja National Park. This region is one of the most bio-diverse regions in Costa Rica, and therefore the world. Surrounded by primary rain forest and the Choza community is the fifth family in Concepcion, Costa Rica. The Choza is at an altitude of 550m giving it an ideal temperature year round and avoiding most of the mosquitos common on the beach. The Choza is 35 kilometers from Parrita on the Pacific Ocean (approximately 1 hour drive) and 60 kilometers from the capital of Costa Rica, San Jose (approximately 2.5 hours drive).

There are appoximately 4km of trails through the Choza property meandering its way from the top of the property by the main road, down to one of two waterfalls and through the rain forest.

Surrounded by primary rainforest, the are two primary life zones: very humid-pre-montane transitional forest and pre-montane pluvial forest. The most common trees found in the area and on the property are the cocobolo, the ron-ron, the purpleheart tree, the pochote, the savannah oak, the botarrama, the cristobal, and the mastate.

The rainy season is from June through October, and from Empirical point you can hear the roaring of the large waterfall. A short 10 minute walk from there and you will find yourself at the base of a 75m cascading waterfall.

Further down the river from the large waterfall, a few more streams combine together to increase the water flow. Toward the furthest part of the property you will find a 3m waterfall that empties into a pool of water for swimming. Certain seasons, the swimming hole is quite deep which lends itself to jumping off the rocks into the pool. This has been a favorite for locals to come and swim on the weekends.

The Choza organic farm is spread across 2-3 hectares and includes many fruit trees including bananas, mangos, avocados, limons, star fruit, passion fruit, cacao, mandarinas, and papaya. Vegetables including yucca, sweet potatoes, beans, tomatoes, peppers, coffee, vanilla, chayote, squash, lettuce, pejibaye, celery, and many other plants. Medicinal plants such as lemon grass, mint, spearmint, Roble sabana, an aloe are also grown on the farm.

The locals know the property as the Mango property. From May-July it rains mangos around the street. 5 fully grown mango trees are around the main house and it becomes quite a chore to rake up the mangos as they fall through the day.

Mastatal is a small pueblo in the San Jose province located two and a half hours by car from San Jose with a population of approximately 150 people. Most people work on agriculture and cattle farms in addition to maintaining their own small farms. According to the oldest people in town, people came to this region 200 years ago. Mastatal was just a forest so people started clearing areas to grow food. There were many Mastate trees so the people decided to call this beautiful piece of land Mastatal.

Concepcion is on the road between Mastatal and Zapaton and is home to an elementary school, a church, and a short football field. There are six families in Concepcion and the Choza is 1.5 kilometers away from the small town.

At the end of the road is the indigenous reserve of Zapaton. Home to approximately 150 families, the town of 800 people is one of the vew indigenous communities in Costa Rica and belong to the Huetar tribe.

There are four organic farms and eco-learning centers around Mastatal, including Rancho Mastatal, Villas Mastatal Siempre Verde, and Iguana Chocolate. They all have active volunteer programs.