Relaxing Week at Barton Creek Outpost

Paul practices acrobatics while Jill and Zack bathe, and Stu does laundry. If this is roughing it, I’ll take roughing it any day.

After a few weeks of being in the city, working hard, mostly staying in a pretty bad hostel, and many bus trips, we were happy to arrive at the paradise that is Barton Creek Outpost for a week in the rainforest without any plans.

Barton Creek Outpost is owned by a nice American family: husband, wife, and four kids. Volunteers, mostly American, are on sight to do a few hours of work per day in exchange for food, lodging, learning, and a good time.

Our little villa by the creek at Barton Creek Outpost

We camped the entire week right next to the river. It was really nice having the sounds of the river, but it was also very, very damp. It was mostly impossible to properly dry our clothing, so at a certain point we kind of gave it. That didn’t matter much, though, as most of the time in that weather you don’t need to wear much clothing.

The Outpost with dining area, swings and more hammocks.

The Outpost was a wonderful place to relax, with swing benches, hammocks, great food, and great company. There is very little electricity in use, so we had peace to be able to swim, nap, read, meditate, and chat.

our new friends in Rio Frio Cave

By chance we met three separate couples who all came to Barton Creek Outpost in their modified trucks and van, on journeys from North America to South America. Paul and Susie, Zach and Jill, and James and Lauren all have travel blogs, too, which I have linked to under “blog roll” on the right.

We spent 2–3 hours riding on top of boxes on rocky dirt roads of adventure. Sure beats the back of a pick-up with 10 volunteers in the rain.

Together, all eight of us set out on an adventure to Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. What an amazing place.

We visited Big Rock Falls, Rio On Pools, and Rio Frio Cave. All were amazing, but I personally found Rio Frio Cave to be one of the most beautiful and stunning things I have ever seen. I haven’t found any of our pictures or any pictures online that do it justice. It is a cave carved out by the Rio Frio River, with incredibly lush jungle on either side. I wish we could have spent more time there, but we were hangers on so I just went with the flow.

Rio and stalagmites

We decided to join the couples for a night of camping right next to Rio On Pools. It was a very nice night. We feasted and chatted, then had a good night’s sleep under a pavilion.

I’d recommend Barton Creek Outpost to anyone who wants to spend a few laid back days in the jungle!

The full photo albums from this part of our trip can be found here, here, and here.