Search filters
logo
26/09/2017

LAGUNA CONGO - Alajuela

iconHigh
icon5km - 10km
iconSUV
iconFree
icon Not Accessible
banner
logo
Que Buen LugarPublished in Que Buen Lugar · Oct 26, 2017
0
0

Hidden in Alajuela in the middle of the forest next to the famous Laguna de Hule is a green, dreamy lagoon, perfect for swimming and making an epic picnic with some good company. The Congo Lagoon is a must-see.

How to get there? To visit the Congo Lagoon you have to go towards the Poás Volcano. You will pass by Vara Blanca, Cinchona and Cariblanco (61 km from San José), then in the direction of Los Angeles. There is 6.5 km of dirt road, sometimes dirt or sometimes rocky. If the road is dry you won't need a double traction vehicle. The car can be left in the Parque del Mirador Bosque Alegre, from there you walk 500 m to a guayabal, turn left and follow the road and then after passing the river continue until you find the road on the right.

Waze: LAGUNA CONGO Total distance:8 Km Difficulty: Moderate, stone path.

What to bring? Tennis shoes, waterproof jacket, swimsuit, towel, sunscreen, insect repellent, and picnic snacks.

Vehicle: Automobile Parking: Yes Pets: Yes Camping: Yes Cost: Free

banner

We had gone to Laguna de Hule more than two years back, it’s an awesome place, and when we were there we heard that if you walk a bit more there are a couple of other lagoons. That day we were not prepared at all, we even left the snacks in the car by accident and had to head back when we were starving. The good thing is that there was a good reason to return. So Tavo started to find out where to get to that Congo lagoon and we left.

We left the car in the parking lot of El Mirador restaurant, we unloaded our stuff, Drako could not resist his excitement as always. We used the restaurant facilities to pee before leaving and as since the day was super nice with clear skies we take advantage of the drone to take some good pictures of Laguna Hule.

After this strategic stop we continued walking, the road is very technical, at the beginning it is mostly stone, then it gets muddier, then you have to go to the sides to avoid sinking into the mud. The neat thing about this ride is that at first, you have the lagoon view in the background, then you can go into the forest where you hear birds and halfway we saw some congos; We passed a river and continued for about 300 meters and there is a crossroad where if you continue it goes to Laguna de Hule but if you turn to the right you go to the Congo one for about 3 km along a really cool path, wooded and with a lot of mud in certain parts and at the end you see the grand lagoon of a super intense green color. This lagoon is really epic, it is quite large surrounded by thousands of trees, a very quiet place and like we said, it has a really pretty color.

As soon as we arrived, the hunger kicked in, so we made a picnic, the classic tuna but this time we elaborated, besides mayonnaise, tomato and lemon we had some Social Club crackers. To finish off we had a palmito cheese that we bought on the way so we made delicious snacks worthy of a 5-star restaurant, it probably wasn’t a big deal but it tasted like heaven thanks to the walk!

Once we recovered, Tavo wanted to get into the water, but since there was not a soul in sight, he was scared he’d touch a gator or the Loch Ness monster or something like that, so he wanted Karlita to get in first so he could be attacked first. In the end they both got in like always, the water is delicious between cold and warm, they stayed a long time until we felt like it was going to rain so we left.

We had lunch right there in the Bosque Alegre Restaurant with a nice view and ready to head back home after this great day with dreamy weather.

DATE OF WALK: OCTOBER 2017

Login or register to comment