More than 15 years ago, long before the Ocotea Boutique Hotel ever broke ground, a family of Monteverde locals founded a small tour provider named Ocotea Tours & Transfers, and the rest is history.
But the growth of Ocotea Tours & Transfers into the Monteverde leader it is today couldn’t have happened without a strong community of guides, drivers, and other partners, and that community is the foundation of the Ocotea Group to this day.
For this article, we sat down to chat with Ocotea Guide Oscar Fenell, who has been with the company since the very beginning and had some fascinating insight to offer about the past, present, and future of the Ocotea Group.
Getting to Know Oscar
Oscar originally hails from Las Juntas, a small town about an hour from Monteverde, though he’s lived in the Monteverde area for 33 years. Of that time, he’s worked with the Fallas family for 17 years, partnering with them before the company even had the name “Ocotea.”
Oscar was already a certified tour guide and lived near the Fallas family, so he jumped at the chance to collaborate. Together with another guide, Oscar created a simple nature walk tour, and with the help of the Fallas family, began to offer it to travelers.
Over time, Oscar and the Fallas family got more organized, bringing in neighbors and other friends from the community, united under a vision of a professional, high-quality tour provider that would truly capture the essence of Monteverde.
As Oscar explains, it was that vision of the future, an uncompromising standard, and a dedication to the people in the community that brought Ocotea through many challenges over the years into the company it is today.
“The company has grown into something we couldn’t have imagined. A place for responsible tourism, which has respect for everyone — the land, the people, the animals. What makes it special is that the values haven’t changed, we’ve just improved the quality and experience.”
The Day-To-Day Life as Guides Coordinator
Today, Oscar leads a team of 25 guides and sees every day as a chance to support his fellow guides, pass along his experience, and provide incredible memories for everyone who travels with Ocotea Tours & Transfers.
The day starts before dawn when Oscar checks in to see any updates or additions to the expected tours for the day. From there, he organizes his team of guides based on their availability, skills, and specialties, and lays out the schedule for the day.
With over 25 tours and experiences, covering a wide range of topics from birdwatching to orchids to Costa Rican culture, there’s a lot to consider when planning the ideal tour, especially if you factor in that groups come from all around the world with a mix of group sizes, ages, languages, and preferences.
But as Oscar explains, solving the complicated puzzle of helping his guides thrive and ensuring guests have a memorable time is his favorite part of the job.
“Obviously, I love being out on the trails, and I love even more when you see that you have opened a guest’s eyes to the magic of the cloud forest. But when I support my team to do the same, I feel like I’m sharing that magic even more. When you can match a family or group with the guide that’s right for them to have a memorable time, there’s nothing better.”
The Joy of Sharing the Magic
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You can tell from talking to Oscar that he deeply cares about his work, and he spoke at great length about the privilege of sharing the natural world and igniting a feeling of curiosity, awe, and wonder.
“The best part is when you see someone’s eyes light up with fascination. I’m sentimental and romantic about this process of engaging and sharing with them. And it’s more than just finding an animal.
A quetzal is a wonderful surprise, but when you can make someone truly care for the various aspects of the forest, value its beauty, and respect the community that supports it, you feel like you have truly made a difference in the world.”
Always In Pursuit of a Better Experience
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It’s not just Oscar on the Ocotea Tours & Transfers team that cares deeply about delivering a quality experience. In fact, everyone on the Ocotea Tours & Transfers team is certified by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), a comprehensive exam that requires recertification along with yearly requirements for seminars and continuing education.
In addition, the ICT offers continued learning and specifications in new types of tours, new skills, and even new languages, which all of the Ocotea team make use of in one way or another.
As Oscar explains, that’s been a part of the company’s culture since the very beginning.
“We are always encouraging ourselves and each other to learn more, grow more, and improve. That has gotten us to where we are today, and we know that it’s our best chance to support ourselves and our community in the future.
The company has a big future. The people here are satisfied, and they understand the values as well as our goal of providing quality. I give applause to those who envisioned this, and to all those around me who are working to make it a reality.”
A Thank You to Oscar!
In his spare time, you can find Oscar getting active in just about any sport you can think of, or watching a game — particularly supporting his favorites Saprissa and Novak Djokovic. He also loves to read, study to deepen his Catholic faith, serve the community as a member of “Club de Leones Monteverde”, or simply cook and spend time with his wife and family.
We’d like to thank Oscar for taking the time to sit down with us and talk about his experience!
