Every great journey begins with a guide who brings the rainforest to life, and one of Chachagua Rainforest Hotel’s best is Roberto Alfaro Rojas. Roberto has been sharing Costa Rica’s wonders with visitors for nearly three decades. Born in Naranjo, San Carlos, he moved to the area as a young boy when his father bought a small farm. Roberto was just seven years old, and the rhythms of life on that farm, planting, harvesting, caring for animals, all left a lasting impression. That land, tucked into the northern highlands, sparked his lifelong passion for nature, agriculture, and the cultural roots of rural Costa Rica.
Today, Roberto is a cornerstone of the Chachagua Rainforest experience, guiding families and couples through forest trails, organic farms, and cultural traditions that go far beyond sightseeing.
Whether he’s spotting howler monkeys in the canopy or teaching you how to cook over a traditional wood-burning stove, Roberto’s love for Costa Rica is unmistakable. “I’ve been to other countries,” he says with a smile, “but when you arrive back here, you understand how special this place really is.”
For Roberto, guiding isn’t pointing out trees and animals (though he does that very well); it’s about sharing what it means to live close to the land. He is a nature guide and an agricultural guide. His passion for traditional farming is clear. Roberto is a true “campesino,” or farmer, at heart. His specialties include medicinal plants, organic agriculture, and sustainable farming practices. He knows what grows in every corner of Chachagua and takes pride in showing guests how food is cultivated, prepared, and shared.
Over the years, he’s learned the forest well, but it still surprises him. “Just the other day,” he says, “I saw a diploglossus. Every day is different.” He showed me the blurred picture he quickly took of the diploglossus before it hurried off.
He shares that sense of discovery with every group, whether it's a family seeing the rainforest for the first time or seasoned travelers deepening their connection to the land.
From the hotel reception, the day unfolds at a gentle rhythm. He guides guests through the forest to reach the farm, where a welcome drink awaits. It might be a fresh lemonade or a little cocktail made with sugarcane and Cacique. From that first sip, the experience is about full sensory immersion.
Roberto leads you through gardens and fields that reflect his favorite subjects: medicinal plants like culantro and guanábana, root vegetables like yuca, sugarcane, tropical fruit trees, and the rhythms of organic farming. He teaches not only how things grow but also why they matter to local culture and health.
Guests wash their hands and gather around the outdoor kitchen, where Roberto leads a hands-on cooking class rooted in Costa Rican tradition. Together, you’ll prepare fresh tortillas from scratch, mix up bright pico de gallo, and grate yuca for hearty tortas cooked on the fogón, the local word for the Costa Rican outdoor oven. Green plantains are peeled, crushed, and fried into crisp patacones. The ingredients are simple, but the process, done slowly and with intention, is full of flavor.
Lunch is served at a long communal table, often with new friends and a shared appreciation for the land that provided the meal.
Roberto often leads a cacao and coffee experience in the afternoon, starting at 1:30 p.m. The two-and-a-half-hour tour is held at Finca Don Lelo, and he explains that the region is, home to cacao beans recognized among the 15 best in the world. Roberto walks guests through every step of the process, from fruit to roasted bean, and the stories behind Costa Rica’s most beloved flavors.
Throughout the day, Roberto weaves in wildlife sightings, medicinal plant knowledge, and memories from his years living in the region. He’s hosted visitors from Switzerland, Japan, Israel, Australia, and beyond, but always with the same warmth and intention.
“Chachagua is special,” he says. “More than 1,500 families rely on the spring in this rainforest reserve. When I walk here, I see trees and birds, but I also see the planet’s lungs, a community water source, and a home to so much wildlife.”
If you spot Roberto while you're here, binoculars in hand or gently picking a leaf to explain its healing properties, make sure to say hello. Ask him what’s growing in the garden or when the next cooking class begins. Better yet, make a reservation to join one of his tours.
Learn about the cacao plant and prepare chocolate, harvest medicinal plants in a shaded grove, or share a meal made with your own two hands. Roberto offers an invitation to learn more about Costa Rica’s culture while digging into the roots of the land. Let him help you discover the magic of the Chachagua Rainforest, one step, one story, and one tortilla at a time.