Eloy Alfaro and Sons Workshop (Taller Eloy Alfaro e Hijos)

Eloy Alfaro and Sons Workshop (Taller Eloy Alfaro e Hijos) Review

Costa Rica's only real oxcart factory left, Eloy Alfaro and Sons Workshop, was founded in 1920, and its carpentry methods have changed little since then, although the "e Hijos" portion of the family (the sons and grandchildren) run the operation these days. The two-story wooden building housing the wood shop is surrounded by trees and flowers—mostly orchids—and all the machinery on the ground floor is powered by a waterwheel at the back of the shop. Carts are painted in the back, and although the factory's main product is a genuine oxcart—which sells for about $2,000—there are also some smaller mementos that can easily be shipped home.