Butterfly Garden in Atenas

Atenas is a small, quaint town located halfway between San José and the Central Pacific beaches. It is not typically known to be “touristy.”

That is not to say that you won’t find a large community of foreigners here, as it has become a popular retirement town for expats due to its tranquility.

It is the quiet nature and convenience of this safe coffee town that draws retirees from all over the globe, but it does not have many “must see” attractions. The fact that Atenas is not bustling with tourism is one of the other reasons it appeals to the average retiree.

However, a new butterfly garden has become a wonderful addition, and is now drawing some tourists to see this exciting display of nature.

The butterfly garden is small in scale, but it is a terrific addition to the town of Atenas. Owner, Eddy Arias, built the butterfly garden as a free exhibit behind his Internet Café Café Tico.

The traditional wood building is the home to his Internet café, which offers 10 high-speed computer stations, WIFI, soft drinks and coffee, and a Costa Rica gift shop. In addition, the building houses the office of the only English-speaking attorney in Atenas, Pablo Arias (Eddy’s brother), as well as a real estate company.

With the help of Pablo and Eddy’s father, Mario, they built a net roof over the 300 m2 back yard, and meticulously landscaped the area to supply the butterflies with a natural habitat for food and exploring. Eddy says they have designed the garden for a variety of butterfly species to thrive.

Eddy offers some advice for those seeking to attract butterflies to your home, “Different species of butterflies have different preferences of nectar, in both colors and tastes. A wide variety of food plants will attract the greatest diversity of visitors. Groups of the same plants will be easier for butterflies to see than planting flowers.”

Flowering plant varieties like Aster, Coreopsis, Lilac, Butterfly Bush, Oxeye Daisies, and Verbena are great for attracting and keeping butterflies happy.

These plants and others have been artfully placed at the CaféTico Butterfly Garden to create a healthy environment for species like Morpho helenor (blue morpho), Caligo memnon, Heliconius hecale, Heliconius charitonius, Heliconius doris, Papilio polixenes, Siproeta stelenes, Danaus plexippus. Varieties and quantities will vary depending on the season!

When asked what the motivation was for building a free butterfly garden, Eddy says, “The idea of CaféTico is to offer tourists and residents a central place to meet friends and chill out, read a book or get on-line in a tranquil and fresh environment surrounded by the gardens.

The gardens have always been a big attraction where tourists spend time taking pictures of the flowers, so we decided to complement the already existing gardens with one of the most sought-after attractions in Costa Rica: the country’s beautiful butterflies!”

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So if you are passing through Atenas, it is well worth your time to stop and relax in the butterfly garden with a cool drink or gourmet coffee, check your e-mail, shop for gifts, or just to use the restroom. The hours of operation are Monday – Friday 8 A.M. to 6 P.M. and Saturday 9 A.M. to 5 P.M.

Considering The Atenas Area For Your Home In Costa Rica?

The AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) ranks Atenas as one of “The Best Places to Retire Abroad.” For more information about homes and land for sale in the area please contact our Recommended Realtors in Atenas by using the simple form below:

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.