CATARATA EL ENCANTO - ESPARZA
Can you imagine a waterfall that is close by, accessible, large, splashy, safe and with a charming name? Well, we present to you this treasure that Baron de Esparza's premises have kept in a very nice place.
How to get there? The place is between San Mateo and Esparza, we went from the 27th highway and to Orotina to continue towards Esparza with the Waze.
What to bring? Trail tennis shoes, fresh clothes, swimsuit, towel, sunscreen, insect repellent and food to share.
Distance: 700m Difficulty: Easy, the last descent is tough but it's not much and it's worth it. Vehicle: Automobile Parking: Yes Pets: Yes Camping: No Cost: ¢ 500 per person Contacto: https://www.facebook.com/Cataratas-el-Baron-de-Esparza
They close when the flow decreases, and open again until it gets high again with the rainfall. Months closed April - September. On Facebook they keep you informed of the exact days they are closed. (BE CAREFUL)
We left with everything including doggies at 7 am from San José by route 27, we turned in Orotina and waited for the rest of the people in the park of San Mateo. There we made our last purchases for the picnic and we followed our course.
The street is in great condition up til the last 600 meters of road that you have to turn to Labrador de San Mateo, it turns into an ordinary ballast road ... After about 10 minutes in the ballast, you reach the Quinta El Encanto, there is a house there where there is parking and they charge the entrance. The street reaches where the path begins but it’s for high clearance cars only, we decided to get out and walk the rest.
The path is all steps, some slippery parts because of the dust but there is a railing to hold on to for your life. Half way there is a spot where the waterfall can be seen in the distance, the waterfall is a giant stone wall, about 40 meters high that starts to give you a sense of breeze.
We finished climbing down and walked 100 meters on the stones towards the waterfall ... then all we had to do was find a good spot to put our stuff, sit down, and get ready to jump into the water. The waterfall is very large and falls on a large stone wall and the pool for bathing is very delicious and quite large. They say that around April the fall of water can decrease but that pool always remains nice and full. Downstream there are more pretty pools and also more places under the shade of the trees, so do not hesitate to discover corners.
There is a stone you can jump off from to add excitement to the ride. It is always good to check that the well is deep before jumping because it can vary with the weather.
The place gets crowded fast, so if you want a good spot ... go early, or on Saturdays, it would be even better, I think carekeeper told us that up to 500 people arrive. We got there at noon and bathed, we took some classic tuna sandwiches and completed the picnic with chocofruits dessert ... Then we got ready and went back to the car.
The place is incredibly unexpected, it is the perfect oasis among those arid paddocks and nothing compares with it’s security and closeness to the city.
*** BONUS! In the parking lot ask for the CEVICHE DE MANGO, to make it even better we added Lizano sauce, I can just picture my mouth watering! (it’s amazinnggg)