Station 1: HISTORIC BUILDING.

What is now the Cntaros store, library and caretaker-family home was originally a rustic house built in 1962 with Amarillon, a native hardwood, by Italian pioneers. Its builder and first resident, Miguel Jimenez and his wife Cecilia Burgos, worked on coffee production for the owner of the property, Vito Sansonetti. A former commander in the Italian Navy, Sansonetti encouraged 110 Italian men and families to settle in and around San Vito between 1950 and 1955. Two of the Jimenez familys nine children were born here. In 1994 the building was remodeled by raising the roof and adding the library space and porch, but the original wood floor, walls and character of the home were retained.
As you enter the gravel walkway, please pay special attention to the sign on your right regarding safety and rules of admission.

records. Each plant is either male or female, but the only way to ascertain the sex is to wait for the first cone to develop. As with many primitive plants, pollen is transferred from male to female cones by beetles or by wind. Most of the 300 or so cycad species around the world are protected by CITES* to prevent exportation. *Convention & Interntl Treaty for Endangered Species.

Heron. Fish (Wolf cichlid and Banded tetra), turtles, frogs, and a healthy invertebrate fauna are present. The Laguna Julia sign is homage to Giulio Sansonetti, brother of Vito Sansonetti, and reputedly the first European to see the lake in August, 1952. (See a photo of the moment in the Cntaros store). The lake and wetland are protected from development by Costa Rican law. Station 9: METATE. This large sedimentary rock has a handpolished surface and was certainly an ancient metate, a stone surface used for grinding grain like corn, hammering and crushing food and tubers such as yucca, and for scraping tubers. Archaeological studies in the region by faculty at the University of Costa Rica have determined that some of these stones were reused as tomb markers and as offerings to the deceased. Station 10: PRE-COLUMBIAN PETROGLYPH. Discovered in early 2009 half-buried in the area nearby, this petroglypha stone carved in high and low-reliefwas clearly important to the indigenous people who worked on it. Usually the geometric forms on locally found petroglyphs are interpreted to be map symbols, but even archeologists are not certain what the symbols represented to the carvers. Note the unusually elaborate border design, a rare feature for this region. The exact age of the carving has not been determined, but the best estimate is AD 400. There is abundant mythology that lakes are sacred places for the indigenous people. Stone spheres, rock barrels or petroglyphs found aroundor with views oflakes are not there by accident: they were placed to reinforce the symbolism of life-giving water. Station 11: MELASTOMES. If one plant family could be selected as the most important for both resident and migratory birds, it might be the Melastomataceae. Easily recognized due to the extramarginal veins (3-5) in the opposite leaves of most genera, these herbs, shrubs, vines and trees of Central and South America (and other tropical regions around the world) produce generous quantities of nutritious fruit for birds as well as mammals. If you are lost and hungry in the New World tropics, look for Melastome berries! Typical
melastome leaf

Zamia fairchildiana

Station 2: WE ARE PART OF A NETWORK. Finca Cntaros is one of more than 230 nature reserves that are affiliated with the Network of Private Nature Reserves of Costa Rica. These reserves protect and provide sustainable management to more than 140,000 hectares around the country, from primary and secondary forests to wetlands and alpine habitats. This non-profit organization supports its members by sharing information about ecological research; provides contacts for legal assistance, environmental consulting and botanical surveys; opportunities for conferences related to ecotourism and habitat conservation, and even news about the latest green building materials and cleaning products. Here at Finca Cntaros we support archaeological and eco-tourism studies by the University of Costa Rica, and scientific studies by geographers from the University of Tennessee as well as various biologists. Station 3: MARANTA MEANDER. Several species of the genus Calathea are represented herepart of the group known as prayer plants. Note the pulvinus, a thickening in the stem that acts as a valve regulating humidity to leaves. Though the habit (appearance) of these plants and their leaves varies, the flower structures are remarkably similar, all using a trigger mechanism to attach pollen to the backs of bees visiting in the early morning hours. Station 4: ZAMIA ZONE. An unusual plant in the family of Zamiaceae, order Cycadales, Zamia fairchildiana is endemic to the south Pacific slope of Costa Rica. Cycads are primitive gymnosperms dating back over 300 million years in fossil

Station 5: CARDULOVICA PALMATA in the Cyclanthaceae familythe Panama Hat Plantis also pollinated by beetles. It is the long stem (petiole) from which fibers are collected for weaving hats in Ecuador and Panama. Station 6: RANCHO GRANDE (seating 24), bathrooms, and shower (available for campers). The base of the long table was the original feed trough for cattle that dominated the finca from 1975-94; the remnant of a water cistern is now visible in the corner as a large planter. The trees you see on both sides of the road and behind the rancho were planted in 1994-95. (The rancho can be rented for parties and meetings). Station 7: EUCALYPTUS DEGLUPTA (Rainbow Gum), from New Guinea, Sulawesi and the Philippines. This is one of three huge Eucalyptus trees planted on the property by Miguel Jimenez around 1965. If you look closely, you may see hummingbirds, warblers, and other birds visiting flowers. Nearby are old pines planted at about the same time. Pines are not native to Costa Rica; they occur naturally in North America and as far south as Honduras. Station 8: LAGUNA ZONCHO (Vulture Lake) AND RANCHO. Enter the rancho (seats 8 people) and look up to see bilingual signage discussing the age, size, depth and history of the pond. This unusual natural wetland protects diverse wildlife, including residents such as Common Moorhens, Purple Gallinules, Graynecked Wood-Rails, White-throated Crake, and migrants such as the Masked Duck (late January to May), and occasional fishers such as Osprey, Cormorant, Great Egret, and Great Blue

Station 12: ARISTOLOCHIA GRANDIFOLIA (Dutchmans Pipe). This unusual native vine has maroon flowers that, when fully open (for one day only), emit an odor of rotting flesh which attracts flies. Although the bizarre flowers with tails resemble carnivorous pitcher plants, they only trap flies on the first day to insure they get covered with pollen; on the second day, the entryway expands and internal hairs start to wilt and decompose, allowing the flies to leave to visit other ripe flowers. These are the largest flowers in Costa Rica and in all of Central America. Station 13: MIRADOR / LOOKOUT POINT. You are facing downtown San Vito, and the northwest view beyond is of the Talamanca mountain chain. Facing more southwest toward the nearer hills to your left, one sees the forest of the Las Cruces Biological Station, part of the Organization for Tropical Studies reserve and botanical garden.
From here you can either return to the parking area or continue exploring up the hill, across from the entrance to the Mirador.

amazonia), Cedro maria (Calophyllum brasiliense), Laurel (Cordia alliodora) and Roble (Quercus sp.) (oak). We are planting native bromeliads, ferns, palms, zamias, and aroids in the understory, so we expect this forest to be substantially more restored in just a few years. Station 16: HIGHEST VISTA ON FINCA CNTAROS. Walk up the Armadillo Trail steps for views of Laguna Zoncho and the Fila Cruces hills to the southwest. Note the small coffee plantation on the top of the hill that we hope will help produce our first cup of home-grown coffee in 2011. Station 17: RANCHO RUSTICO. A palm-thatched rancho and picnic area in woods next to the lake is similar to those used by the Guaymi (Ngbe Bugl) and Boruca people. This is a good spot from which to quietly observe aquatic birds.
Walk back to the farm entrance following arrows via the oldest secondary forest on the property. If you have time, you can return to the Laguna rancho and follow the lakeside trail that emerges on the internal road near the Rancho Grande.

Thanks for your visit!

Self-Guided Tour of Finca Cntaros

Station 14: PRE-COLUMBIAN CEMETERY. This flat area has many carefully selected stones, both visible and below the soil surface, that archeologists have identified as grave markers. Like many such graveyards, it is on a hill with grand views, not only to the lake below (now obscured by forest), but also to higher mountains. It is believed that indigenous people revered these symbols of strength, age and endurance, and people buried here would be closer to their deities in the afterlife. Station 15: FOREST OF NATIVE SPECIES. These woods are a work in progress. Mayo blanco (Vochysia guatemalensis) trees are the tallest in this forest, planted in 1995, and though not high-quality wood, their shade suppresses growth of weeds and pasture grasses, and their roots improve soil quality. The predominant native hardwoods here are Amarilln (Terminalia

elcome to Finca Cntaros, private nature reserve, recreation area and gardens. As you tour, bear in mind that prior to purchase by the current owners in June 1994, the original forests of the property had been cleared during the 1960s for coffee plantations, then later converted to cattle pasture--uses that had degraded most of the land. Since then, the property of seven hectares (13 acres) has been reforested and restored with thousands of native trees, palms, fruits, and understory plants. Enjoy the tranquility of this tropical refuge for people, plants, and all manner of flying, swimming, walking and crawling creatures.

14Dec2011

Pre-Columbian Petroglyph at Finca Cntaros. Drawing by Andrea Mata based on a rubbing by Maureen Snchez. Courtesy of the School of Archeology, University of Costa Rica.

Telefax (506) 2773.760 (Store) 2773.5530 (Owners) Linda Vista de San Vito, Coto Brus, Puntarenas Costa Rica