My last post, from the wilds of Costa Rica, introduced you to Rosita, the cossetted cow of the Quesos Canaan operation. But my cheese-making adventure with Rosy wasn’t the real highlight of our first excursion into the country’s vertical, heavily vegetated interior. That distinction belongs to our discovery of Monte Azul.
I have a hard time describing exactly what Monte Azul is. Located at the end of a nerve-wracking, two-hour drivefrom Quepos on the coast, Monte Azul is a tiny resort of sorts, an ecolodge in today’s green jargon, an artists’ workshop, “boutique” hotel, retreat. While I don’t like to throw around terms like “paradise” and “Shangri-La,” both Wikipedia and Free Dictionary manage to capture the essence of Monte Azul in those words.
“A place in which existence is positive, harmonious and timeless.”
“An imaginary remote paradise on earth; a distant and secluded hideaway of beauty and peacefulness.”
OK, so they got the “imaginary” wrong. Otherwise, there you have it: Monte Azul.
Opened about two years ago by Carlos Rojas and Randy Langendorfer, Monte Azul’s 125 acres of rainforest preserve are tucked away behind a large metal gate on a deeply rutted dirt road in the Talamanca Mountains. Carlos, an art dealer born in Costa Rica and raised in San Francisco, and Randy, an Indiana-born marketing executive, say they created Monte Azul as a center for art and design, where artists and collectors “could share in the creative process, alongside travelers seeking a unique vacation experience.”
There are just four spacious casitas, or cabins, each completely private and impeccably decorated (the Website says "curated") with handmade furniture 
made by Randy from trees on the property. Walls are hung with original artworks by the artists who participate in the artist-in-residence program - enormous oils, stylish silkscreens, whimsical candleholders and light fixtures, metal sculptures in the gardens. Each casita has a gorgeous modern bathroom (with soaps made at the resort) and kitchenette (stocked with organic coffee grown on-site), a porch and garden enveloped in mature greenery. Our casita (pictured above) had access to the River Trail and a dazzling view of the rushing Chirripo River which starts in a glacier at 12,000 feet in the Chirripo National Park. The complex also includes a building housing the Cafe Blue and its striking bar (above), the art studio, a mini "gym" and vegetable and herb gardens.
Guests are invited to participate in studio workshops (including soap-making lessons), go bird-watching or horseback riding, indulge in a spa treatment, hike the 5 kilometers of footpaths and trails, or simply seclude themselves in their casita or garden.
I wasn’t expecting anything too fabulous in the food department, given that there are only eight guests at Monte Azul at any one time. But I was wowed by the creativity of the kitchen, the impeccable freshness of the food, and the sophisticated presentations. Breakfast, which is included in the room rate, features luscious local fruits and yogurt, gallo pinto (the Costa Rica version of rice and beans), and a changing menu of cheese creations, such as cheese blintzes with mango sauce and cashew butter, all involving cheese made by Langendorfer.
Dinner and lunch are a la carte (and open to the public), with menus changing daily. I loved the clever riff on the traditional tamale that was made with banana leaves, a perfect round of (Randy’s) Camembert and glazed walnuts, and served to us during cocktail hour. (The bar at Café Blue is particularly inviting; the local bartenders take great pleasure in dreaming up new drinks for their guests.)
And I was inspired by the exquisite “taco” production (left) that appeared at lunchtime…..an ethereal handmade corn tortilla, fried crisp, and filled with homemade fresh ricotta cheese pepped up with mint, cilantro and other herbs. A snappy salsa of red radishes, herbs and citrus was the edible “art” on the plate.
The nightly room rate at Monte Azul is $259, not cheap in a country where the average daily wage isn’t much over 40 bucks, but reasonable considering the unique experience, comfortable accommodations, personal attention, and terrific food and drink.
