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All Costa Rica Restaurante La Oruga
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

Restaurante La Oruga

Dine inside a giant caterpillar at this community-run eatery.

Altamira, Costa Rica

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Kathryn McDanel
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The exterior of La Oruga.   tisbutajourney / Atlas Obscura User
Sweet treats lie inside.   tisbutajourney / Atlas Obscura User
A faux-mushroom near the ice cream parlor.   tisbutajourney / Atlas Obscura User
The entrance to La Oruga.   tisbutajourney / Atlas Obscura User
In the belly of the beast.   tisbutajourney / Atlas Obscura User
A cozy nook.   tisbutajourney / Atlas Obscura User
The mock mushroom.   tisbutajourney / Atlas Obscura User
Exterior windows.   tisbutajourney / Atlas Obscura User
The sides of La Oruga.   tisbutajourney / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Cocooned in the biosphere surrounding La Amistad National Park, the community of Altamira de Biolley created La Oruga to metamorphize their rural town into a stopping place for visitors. The psychedelic caterpillar is a fully functional restaurant and craft shop emerging from the rainforest like an Alice in Wonderland mirage. 

From Wednesday through Monday, the restaurant serves traditional and reasonably priced Costa Rican cuisine alongside a medley of café-style beverages and cocktails. If dining inside a giant caterpillar isn’t your cup of tea, the property also boasts a whimsical ice cream parlor disguised as a mushroom. 

The imaginative restaurant came into existence thanks to the women-founded initiative Artesanas del Bosque, which designs socially and environmentally conscious enterprises in order to generate jobs for their rural community members. Artesanas del Bosque has created farm tours, crafts, and lodging in the small town, making Altamira de Biolley a popular tourist destination amongst ticos.

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Ice Cream Shops Food Restaurants

Know Before You Go

Before visiting, make sure to check La Oruga’s active Facebook page and make a reservation, as hundreds of people visit the caterpillar daily.

Community Contributors

Added By

tisbutajourney

Edited By

bro1ckluedtke

  • bro1ckluedtke

Published

October 27, 2022

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Restaurante La Oruga
Altamira
Costa Rica
9.007422, -83.012195
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