Edie and I arrived at Rancho Margot early afternoon on Sunday. The route included a 14 kilometer rough road after leaving the highway. There were a number of lodgings and attractions along this road but Ranch Margot was at the very end. Located on the south side of Lake Arenal and about a half hour from the tourist town of La Fortuna, it is isolated but in a tourist rich region. We were greeted by an English-speaking young man who took us up to our Bungalow. The ride was appreciated since the bungalows are all located up a long hill. The bungalow had the most room that we have had so far with three beds and a wrap-around covered porch with hammock. There was a lot of privacy and flowering vegetation surrounding us and I had visions of doing a lot of photography right from the porch.
Rancho Margot was the wild card on our trip since it is not a destination birders use or even know of. It was a substitute for the Arenal Observatory Lodge which was booked up. I was intrigued by their web site which touted the lodge as a leader in sustainability, off-the-grid, totally organic lifestyle. I told Edie this would probably be a very good experience or a very bad one. Unfortunately for us it was very bad due to a weather system which arrived soon after we arrived carrying rain, rain, and more rain for almost the entire time we were there. We got a good lesson in what the name, "tropical rain forest" means. When Dr. Sanjay Gupta featured Rancho Margot on CNN's "The Next List" in September 2012, he did not mention that you could be washed away.
New garden plot with compost next to it
Guests can help milk the dairy cows if they wish
Organic garden plots were located all over the acreage and tended by students and workers.
Pool and hot tub available but did not seem well-used
Teak and bamboo was used a lot in constructions
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| Bar and bananas |
Our Chilean non-English speaking housekeeper was quite clever with the towels.
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| Students who come to learn have sparse living conditions |
Standard daily wear during our stay
800 chickens and a lot of pigs - all organically grown
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| Where the workers live |
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| organic soap making |
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Pottery making
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