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.