Rio Celeste – Tenorio Volcano National Park is a real must-see when you travel to Costa Rica. Discover the “teñideros” where the normal river water combines with the bright blue water, the amazing bright blue waterfall, and of course, the wildlife that lives here.
About Rio Celeste – Tenorio Volcano National Park
The Río Celeste Waterfall in the Volcan Tenorio National Park has a trail that is about 7 km long.
To take the entire hike and visit the waterfall you would need around 2.5-3 hours, depending on how fast you walk.
The trail has a few highlights, the waterfall (you will need to take about 100 steps down and back up), a lookout point, a spot where you can see two rivers meet, and a beautiful lagoon.
It is not allowed to swim in the river in the park nor below the waterfall, this is as a safety precaution for the visitors, and in order to protect the river from sunscreen, bug spray, etc.
This is important because the blue gets created by special minerals in the soil or the river.
When to visit the park?
The biggest chance to see the river really bright blue is during the dry season November-May.
The park opens at 8 am and closes at 4 pm, however, you won’t be able to enter the park after 2 pm.
We advise going early in the morning to avoid any crowds. We visited around 9 am and only saw around 20-30 people during our visit.
Tips when visiting
The park has a parking place that will cost about $2, the entrance fee, at the moment of writing this blog, is $12.
You are not allowed to bring alcohol or cigarettes or electronic smoking devices into the park, so best to leave this in your car or at the reception.
If you don’t have a rental car we can of course organize the transportation or guided tour from your hotel as part of your trip.
Always make sure to wear hiking boots and bug spray, that will make the visit a lot more fun.
On hot days bring enough water and sun lotion.
On rainy days it’s advised to rent the boots offered at the entrance, as the trail gets very muddy on rainy days.
Where to stay?
You could visit this park as a day trip from the Arenal area, however, we recommend you stay at one of the hotels nearby.
In November we stayed 2 nights at Rio Celeste Hideaway, a small resort-style, and ecologically-conscious hotel, we really enjoyed the luxury of this hotel.
The pool, bar, hot tubs, massage, beautiful wooden rooms with balcony and outdoor shower.
We also really enjoyed the food at the restaurant and the excellent service.
Río Celeste Hideaway is a great hotel to add to your itinerary if you are looking for luxury, a place to really relax.
We wished we could stay longer and for sure will go back there. This hotel is located at just a 5 min drive from the Tenorio Volcano National Park entrance.
However, if you prefer a more family-style, lower-priced hotel, then Catarata Rio Celeste Hotel is a very nice option.
It has just 8 bungalows and a few standard rooms. This hotel is also very suited for families and has a nice pool and gardens to enjoy some of the local birds as well.
Right next door, the daughter of the hotel owners has a nice restaurant in which they serve fresh typical Costa Rican food, they also serve homemade bread.
This hotel is located just a 10 min drive from the Tenorio Volcano National Park entrance.
We stayed in this hotel now in June 2020 and loved the warm welcome from the family.
Funny anecdote, that day we woke up with a flat tire, something we don’t wish to anybody, but, the owners were very helpful and gave us a hand to change it.
Even offered to call somebody to repair it, but since it was a rented car, we stop by the rent a car office in Liberia and switched it for a new tire, since we were continuing our trip to the north pacific coast.
It’s important to book early, ideally at least 3 months in advance, to make sure we can book these small family-run type hotels for you since they are small and book quickly.
More information
Rio Celeste is really a must-see area, a great experience for anybody who loves to explore, adventure, nature, and relax. For more information don’t hesitate to contact us.
