We went to the Sarapiquí area of ​​Alajuela (yes… there is a place called Sarapiquí in Alajuela) to visit the Congo Waterfall in the ranch called Mi Cafecito. It is a combo where you can do a little bit of everything, three waterfalls, viewpoint, coffee tour and eat delicious food.

How to get there?

Head towards Vara Blanca, turning at the La Paz Waterfall, from there it takes about 45 more minutes to reach the entrance of Mi Cafecito Coffee tour.

Waze: https://waze.com/ul/hd1u4s3csy

Distance: 4km total

Difficulty: Moderate

Accessibility: Not accessible

What to bring:  Swimsuit, towel, change of clothes, bug repellent, bottle of water, snacks and an excellent attitude.

Vehicle: Automobile

Parking: Yes

Pets: Yes

Camping: No

Contact: 2476-0215

Cost: ¢ 3000 waterfall ¢ 10000 with breakfast

We left San José at dawn to arrive early and avoid the afternoon rain. They welcomed us with all the corresponding hygiene measures in order to have a delicious pinto for breakfast made in the wood-fired kitchen with freshly brewed coffee.

After eating we started walking along a cement path for a journey to the upper part of the farm where we came across a viewpoint of the river canyon, awesome. After taking some pics, where even a howler monkey showed up, we headed towards the waterfall.

The road to the waterfall became a beautiful path in the jungle, here we reached another viewpoint where you can appreciate the immensity of the Congo Falls with all its falls.

Then we began to go down, to reach the bottom of the first of three waterfalls, at this spot Tavo and Glori were dying in temptation to get into the water but they kept walking until we reached the highest one, which they say has almost 100 m drop.

Once at the bottom we did a picnic to gain strength for the climb. Also we stayed for a while resting and enjoying the scenic beauty that the Congo Falls offers.

We went back to the upper part to have lunch, which gave us strength again to continue the last part of the walk which was a coffee tour.

The coffee tour began with an explanation of the history of the profit and the importance of the Fair Trade business model which pays just enough for the hard work of the coffee pickers.

Afterwards we went through all the technical stages that have to happen, and finished up in the part where they roast it, it's definitely interesting understanding the coffee process in the Mi Cafecito tour.

Finally, we ended up heading back to San José, but obviously… we stopped to buy palmito cheese, sugarcane candy and strawberries on the way there.

• DATE OF HIKE: June 2020