The Belen Waterfall is located about 20 minutes from the town of Samara in Guanacaste Province. It is a bit hidden, but not far off the main road that connects Samara to the inland city of Nicoya.
Belen Waterfall
Duration
4 hours
What to Bring
swimsuit
camera
hat
sunscreen
sunglasses
comfortable shoes
insect repellent
Includes
Costa Rican meal (casado)
round trip transportation
certified guide
swimming
short hike
Minimum people
2
Departs
8 AM or 9 AM
During this activity you will discover beautiful waterfalls around Samara where it will be possible to enjoy a nice swim. You will also learn a lot about the tropical dry forest with our guides and enjoy a typical meal with a nice lookout over the mountains.
The trail is a bit steep but nicely maintained. From the river, the pools and waterfall are a short climb through the forest and over some rocks.
Once you reach the bottom of the trail, you’ll see why the Belen Waterfall is a popular local hangout. The smooth rocks of the riverbed create several different levels of swimming pools. There are also plenty of flat surfaces to spread out a towel and relax.
Have you already try the typical meal of Costa Rica, the casado?
This dish consists in, basically, rice, beans, meat –it could be fish, chicken or meat in any of its presentations-, and green or pasta salad. The casado comes in different presentations. This dish also presented with some variations served as side orders, some of them are fried plantains, French fries, avocado, tortilla with cheese, eggs, corn, or a sort of vegetable stew, called picadillo, which can be prepared using potatoes –or other tubers-, onions, peppers, and other flavors.
The origin of its name has several versions, there are many stories that can explain the name and that are dated back to the second half of the last century. The first version is about a soda –local restaurant- in downtown San Jose where the workers began to urge the lady in charge of the kitchen to serve them more food in their plates; in the same way as she probably used to serve to her husband in her house. One of the other explanations has to do with the increase of the commercial activity in the capital city of that time. Due to this growing expansion, the local restaurants started offering a bigger plate, one with a good size and very complete, just to make feel workers as if they were in their own houses.
We assure you that once you try Costa Rican food you will fall in love with our gastronomic culture. Here you can experience the influence of three main cultures: the indigenous, the African, and the Spanish.
