Turrialba Cheese

Queso Turrialba is a fresh cow's milk cheese, white, mild and lightly salted, pressed into rounds and eaten within days, made on the high pastures of Santa Cruz de Turrialba on the flanks of the volcano where dairying has been the main occupation since the nineteenth century. In 2012 it became the first Costa Rican food to receive a protected denomination of origin, restricted to producers in the district using milk from the zone. Small dairies through the villages sell direct and several receive visitors to show the making. The cheese route, a marked circuit through the dairy villages, links producers with viewpoints over the valley and simple restaurants serving it.

What you actually see

• The dairies - the small producers making and selling the cheese.
• The cheese route - the marked circuit through the dairy villages.
• The high pastures - the grazing land on the volcano flanks.
• The valley views - the outlooks from the route.

When to go

Year round; the dairies work daily. Mornings are when cheese is made and sold fresh. December to April gives the clearest weather on the volcano road. Cloud is common in the afternoon.

Honest expectations

Dairy visits usually need arranging rather than turning up. The cheese is fresh and does not travel or keep. The road up is steep and often in cloud. The villages have limited facilities.

Nearby

Turrialba lies below; the Turrialba volcano rises above.