Samara Trails
Samara Trails
5
About
Samara Trails is a trail system within the private 346 acre Werner Sauter Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge is in Dry Tropical forest and contains various species of plants and animals including monkeys, birds, mammals, and amphibians. The hike takes approximately 3-4 hours to complete - private hikes are completed at 7am or 3:00 pm and are led by experienced and bilingual guides.
Playa Samara, Costa Rica
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles276 reviews
Excellent
255
Very good
18
Average
2
Poor
1
Terrible
0

Kate R
12 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Family
A very nice hike through the forest, with a great view of Playa Samara and a beautiful stream on the way down. Our guide was very nice, able to point out some things, and it was fun to see the mango, teak, pineapple and other fruit bearing plants on the way in. You’ll likely see bats and howler monkeys, and make sure to wear sneakers! If you’ve already been on nature tours elsewhere, you may not get anything new from this one. Still, a pretty hike and lovely view.
Written June 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mary Stanley
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021 • Couples
Beautiful morning hike. Our guide, Luis, was extremely knowledgeable and very nice . I highly recommend this tour I if you’re visiting Samara Beach. You learn so much about the habit and creatures living in the dry forest from the professionals.
Written June 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John T
Denver, CO3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2015 • Family
If you are in the area, put this on your list. Alvaro was a fantastic guide though the hills of samara. We hiked for about 2.5 hours with our boys 8 &.11. We saw tons of monkeys, birds, frogs, iguanas, owls and even a coral snake and nearly stepped on a boa constrictor. We learned so much about the land and Alvaro was great with the kids. Don't forget to try the termites, very tasty!! Alvaro does this to teach others about his family's land, great guy and guide.
Written May 30, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Melanie
Regina, Canada29 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2017 • Friends
Thank you to the lovely and knowledgeable Bernie for introducing our group to the dry try tropical forest! Bernie is delightful as he takes you through the trail, and points out flora from vines and plants to huge trees and fauna from termites to howler monkeys! His knowledge and love for the region is infections. He has a dry sense of humour that will keep you on your toes. His innate ability to spot a bird in a tree at 100 yards is rather remarkable. The view from the top of the cliff is worth all the sweat that it takes to get there (its hot this time of year, folks!) Bring your water, and wear proper footwear.
Written April 24, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hattie D
Oakland, CA5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2016 • Friends
We went on the 3 pm guided tour, and it was amazing! We met the guide at the info center in Samara, but they also pick up at any area hotel. Our guide Hanzel was smart and funny. He was super well-informed about the reserve, the ecology of the area, and the history of his nation. He started pointing out unnoticed wild-life from the very beginning of the tour. He spotted many birds, identified and explained the roles and history of trees, and pointed us towards a passing coati.

The hike winds up to the top a big hill where we looked over the reserve, the surrounding plantations, and eventually Playa Samara, timed for sunset. It was a fairly steep hike, and you should be in pretty good shape to make it comfortably.

We were thrilled with how informative this tour was. I was interested in learning about the Dry Forest ecology, since it's so unique, and this trip did the trick.

Thanks Hanzel! This was highlight of Costa Rica travels.
Written April 22, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Todd M
Playa Samara, Costa Rica5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2015 • Family
Costa Rica is a special place because of it's natural beauty and ecosystems. Sadly, many of it's coastal (tropical) forests are being cut down by tree farmers and cattle ranchers. This 2-3 hour hike, guided by Alvaro is not only educational but inspiring. Alvaro carefully presents the history of the land and shows the impact that unsustainable practices have on it. Then, he shows how the forest can be brought back to it's natural state and how, left to it's own, is bountiful with wonderful animals and plants that are all very important components of our world. Great natural beauty on display here and very educational for people of all ages. The hike is moderate, so be ready to do some walking and sweat and be sure to arrive with an open and calm mind. Definitely wear long pants (bugs), bring water and plan on the whole tour taking about 3 hours. It will be a walk through a tropical forest with hills, valleys and a whole lot of interesting critters and plants, that you'll likely never forget!
Written May 7, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Carodesign
5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2015 • Couples
Alvaro was so passionate and knowledgeable, made the whole hike even better. Awesome seeing the monkeys, tasting leaves, learning about nature. Easy enough hike. Whole trail last about 3.5 hours with breaks.
Written March 29, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

FamilyVacation6-14
Palo Alto, CA5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2014 • Family
I was a little concerned that we were only staying in Samara and would not be traveling to different parts of Costa Rica. But we had an "awesome" experience with Alvero and Samara Trails. He is very knowledgeable. We learned so much about the wild life and flora and fauna of the area. We even got a little bit of history.

The kids got tired and hot (8 and 13), but they were able to keep up. Alvaro had breaks planned and even fed us a snack.

Read all the other reviews. I will not repeat everything. But it was fantastic! I was afraid that were were not going to see a lot of wild life staying in Samara. The highlight for the kids were the Howler Monkeys, even a baby.

We would definitely do this again.
Written July 30, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

PeterMinnelli
10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2013
Our tour of the dry tropical forest in Samara was the highlight of our stay in this area of Costa Rica. Alvaro. Our guide was informative and able to explain the myriad of interesting natural features in an interesting manner. His passion for the environment was refreshing. I recommend this tour highly!
Written December 2, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hilaria M
Edmonton27 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2013 • Couples
Let me start this review by saying that I generally avoid guided tours. We decided to take this one based on the reviews on Tripadvisor. It turned out to be a very wise decision and may actually change my mind about guided tours.

What makes this tour worthwhile and unique is the intimate knowledge and passion of the guide- Alvaro. Over three hours he lead us through the lands that his grandfather set aside as part of the natural heritage of Guanacaste. The trail starts in a mango plantation and winds through an old cattle ranch that is rapidly returning to it's former state as a dry tropical forest. On the trip Alvaro provided is with in depth knowledge about the flora and fauna. We had the opportunity to observe and learn about this threatened eco-system while getting up close to Howlers, Mot- Mots and Coatis. The trail is well constructed and not difficult for anyone with a reasonable level of fitness. The final view from the top of the hills and beaches of Samara and Carrillo are the icing on the cake.

This is the kind of grass roots "eco-tour" that we should all support. For anyone who wants to get beyond the (admittedly great) beaches and learn about the land this is well worth the time!
Written May 1, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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