Community Notes
Truchero Santa Lucia on the Road to Los Gigantes
On the long ride toward Los Gigantes, Santa Lucia Truchero gives us a good place to rest, eat, and meet one more piece of this valley.
On our longer horse ride toward Los Gigantes, one place I’m always glad to pass is Truchero Santa Lucia in San José de Rivas, Perez Zeledon. It sits near the road junction on the way up, and for riders making a full day of the mountain, it’s a welcome pause. The water there is pulled from the river into a series of small trout ponds and then sent back down again, so you hear that steady movement of fresh water.
What I like about Santa Lucia is that it still feels tied to the place around it. If you want, you can cast a line into the pond and catch the trout that will become your meal. Then it comes to the table fresh, grilled or fried, with plantain, salad, and one of those cold fruit drinks that taste especially good after hours in the saddle. It is simple and satisfying.
Places like this matter to the ranch because the way we travel these mountains by horseback is also a way of introducing people to the folks who make this valley what it is. Santa Lucia breaks up the ride, yes, but more than that, it reminds me that a good day on the mountain is rarely made by one place alone. It’s made by the horses, the trail, the river water, and neighbors who know how to feed people well when they come through.
