Casita Típica

Enjoy life as it was a hundred years ago in our Casita de la Paz. This unique historical Costa Rican farmhouse reproduction was built using only the tools available to the average farmer a century ago. Step back in time and taste typical Tico food including fresh milk (right from the cow), take a ride in an ox-driven cart, sample freshly made tortillas and see how the Ticos lived and worked on rural farms. This casita gives a history tour and cultural insight into the lives of rural Costa Ricans. You will find a small coffee garden in front of the house and information about the history of coffee in Costa Rica and if the beans are ripe you might get to pick a few.

This reproduction was built using only the tools available to the average farmer at the turn of the twentieth century including axes, hand saws, hand planers, picks and chisels. However, in rural areas of Central America without road access and electricity many of the houses are similarly built today.

The architectural and structural design is based on a style frequently seen built in Central America over the past century. The roof contains authentic Nicaraguan baked tiles that have been produced for over four hundred years. The origin of this roof style and tile fabrication developed in the Mediterranean area of Europe and was brought to the New World by the Spaniards. The foundation and stairs were formed by hand chiseling and shaping pieces of local volcanic rock.

The type of wood used in the construction is locally named “Cipres” or Cypress but this is not the case as it is actually a type of “Pine” that was brought from the alpine areas of Europe hundreds of years ago and flourished in the high mountain regions of Costa Rica. It is often used in high altitude construction near where it is grown and has proven to be a strong, light, long-lasting wood with few termite or other insect infestation problems.

The wood-burning stove/oven was built by one of the two or three craftsman in Costa Rica able to design them so that the heat is reflected efficiently and the smoke exits the chimney. The trade was passed down to him by his father who learned the art of this construction from previous generations of craftsman in his family.

English Common Name

  • Boa constrictor

  • Annulated boa

  • Rainbow boa

  • Giant parrotsnake

  • Neotropical coachwhip

  • Brown vinesnake

  • Short vinesnake

  • Green vinesnake

  • Northern birdsnake

  • Neotropical Ratsnake

  • Oriole snake

  • Lyresnake

  • Common road guarder

  • King snake

  • Tropical milksnake

  • Salmon bellied racer

  • Costa Rican coralsnake

  • Central American jumping pitviper

  • Picados jumping pitviper

  • Side-striped palm pitviper

  • Eyelash palm pitviper

  • Golden eyelash palm pitviper

  • Fer de lance

  • Godman s montane pitviper

  • Neotropical rattleasnake

  • Central American bushmaster

  • Rainforest hog nosed pitviper
  • Western slender hog nosed pitviper

Scientific Name

Scientific Name

  • Boa constrictor

  • Corralus annulatus

  • Epicrates cenchria

  • Lepthophis ahaetulla

  • Masticophis mentovarius

  • Oxybelis aeneus

  • Oxybelis brevirostris

  • Oxybelis fulgidus

  • Pseustes poecilonotus

  • Senticolis triaspis

  • Spilotes pullatus

  • Trimorphodon biscutatus

  • Conophis lineatus

  • lampropeltis triangulum

  • Lampropeltis triangulum

  • Mastigodryas melanolomus

  • Micrurus mosquitensis

  • Atropoides mexicanus

  • Picados jumping pitviper

  • Bothriechis lateralis

  • Bothriechis schegelii

  • Bothriechis schegelii

  • Bothrops asper

  • Cerrophidium godmani

  • Crotalus simus

  • lachesis stenophrys

  • Porthidium nasutum

  • Porthidium ophryomegas

Spanish Common Name

  • Boa constrictor

  • Boa arborícola anulada

  • Boa arcoiris

  • Lora falsa gigante

  • Sabanera de bosque seco

  • Bejuquilla café

  • Bejuquilla de hosico corto

  • Bejuquilla verde

  • Pajarera

  • Ratonera centroamericana

  • Mica

  • Toboba gata

  • Guarda camino comun

  • Coral falsa

  • Serpiente de leche negra

  • Corredora panza salmon

  • Coral costarricense

  • Mano de piedra centroamericana

  • Mano de piedra costarricense

  • Lora venenosa

  • Bocaraca comun

  • Oropel (bocaraca)

  • Terciopelo

  • Toboba de altura

  • Cascabel neotropical
  • Matabuey

  • Tamaga comun

  • Toboba chinga

English Common Name

  • Boa constrictor

  • Annulated boa

  • Rainbow boa

  • Giant parrotsnake

  • Neotropical
    coachwhip

  • Brown vinesnake

  • Short
    vinesnake

  • Green vinesnake

  • Northern birdsnake

  • Neotropical
    Ratsnake

  • Oriole snake

  • Lyresnake

  • Common road guarder

  • King snake

  • Tropical
    milksnake

  • Salmon bellied
    racer

  • Costa Rican coralsnake

  • Central American jumping pitviper

  • Picados jumping pitviper

  • Side-striped palm pitviper

  • Eyelash palm pitviper

  • Golden eyelash palm pitviper

  • Fer de lance

  • Godman s montane pitviper

  • Neotropical rattleasnake

  • Central American bushmaster

  • Rainforest hog nosed pitviper
  • Western slender hog nosed pitviper

ScientificName

Scientific Name

  • Boa constrictor

  • Corralus annulatus

  • Epicrates cenchria

  • Lepthophis ahaetulla

  • Masticophis
    mentovarius

  • Oxybelis aeneus

  • Oxybelis
    brevirostris

  • Oxybelis fulgidus

  • Pseustes poecilonotus

  • Senticolis
    triaspis

  • Spilotes pullatus

  • Trimorphodon biscutatus

  • Conophis lineatus

  • lampropeltis triangulum

  • Lampropeltis
    triangulum

  • Mastigodryas melanolomus

  • Micrurus mosquitensis

  • Atropoides
    mexicanus

  • Picados jumping
    pitviper

  • Bothriechis
    lateralis

  • Bothriechis schegelii

  • Bothriechis
    schegelii

  • Bothrops asper

  • Cerrophidium
    godmani

  • Crotalus
    simus

  • lachesis
    stenophrys

  • Porthidium
    nasutum

  • Porthidium
    ophryomegas

Spanish Common Name

  • Boa constrictor

  • Boa arborícola anulada

  • Boa arcoiris

  • Lora falsa gigante

  • Sabanera de bosque seco

  • Bejuquilla café

  • Bejuquilla de hosico corto

  • Bejuquilla verde

  • Pajarera

  • Ratonera centroamericana

  • Mica

  • Toboba gata

  • Guarda camino comun

  • Coral falsa

  • Serpiente de leche negra

  • Corredora panza salmon

  • Coral costarricense

  • Mano de piedra centroamericana

  • Mano de piedra costarricense

  • Lora
    venenosa

  • Bocaraca comun

  • Oropel
    (bocaraca)

  • Terciopelo

  • Toboba
    de altura

  • Cascabel

    neotropical

  • Matabuey

  • Tamaga
    comun

  • Toboba
    chinga