There are many different waterfalls that you can visit in Costa Rica. I will be mentioning the most popular and easy to visit while you are in Costa Rica.
Go, Go Chasing Waterfalls!
There are hundreds of waterfalls in Costa Rica.
Because of its mountainous geography, it helps to have these amazing and beautiful bodies of water all over the country and some are even undiscovered yet.
Although, you can find some that you can enjoy, and that’s what I’ll be showing you!
Rio Celeste Waterfall
One of the most famous waterfalls in Costa Rica is the Rio Celeste waterfall.
It is not allowed to swim in the river in this park also not under the waterfall, because this is to protect the river from sunscreen, insect repellent, etc, and to avoid possible accidents.
This is important because the blue is formed by special minerals in the bottom of the river.
It’s a beautiful waterfall to take pictures of and you can enjoy a very nice hike through the Tenorio Volcano National Park.
To see the bottom of this gorgeous waterfall, you will have to take about 600 steps down, and then up, which makes it a little bit challenging for some people.
La Fortuna Waterfall – Arenal
Another beautiful waterfall to visit is the one in La Fortuna, close to the Arenal volcano.
You will need to put in the effort and go down and up around 400 stairs.
Going down is easy, but we recommend taking a few breaks to watch the view and take more pictures on your way back up.
The best time to go is early in the morning before it gets too hot and humid. Make sure you bring enough water for the walk.
At the park entrance, you will find bathrooms where you can change back into dry clothes because swimming in the river at the waterfall is very refreshing.
There is also a restaurant and a souvenir shop.
Uvita Waterfall
The Uvita waterfall is very close to Uvita and is a very refreshing break.
On the weekend you will find many locals here as well enjoying this beautiful piece of nature.
At the top is a restaurant at which you pay the entrance fee.
You can also stop here for a nice breakfast, lunch, or just a fresh fruit juice (called Naturales in Costa Rica) or a beer of course.
You will also find a bathroom here in which you can change into dry clothes if you prefer after taking a dive into the nice water.
Even though this is not a large waterfall, you can still enjoy the fresh water and if you feel adventurous, you can climb to the top (Be careful) and jump down to the river.
LLanos de Cortés
This waterfall used to be only known by locals, some of our local friends are going swimming here since they were little.
For 5 years the local government started to build the facilities and now the waterfall is officially open to the public.
You will find brand new showers and bathrooms at the entrance.
There is a big parking and the waterfall is only about 100-meter walk, this makes this spot perfect to visit when you are not able to walk many steps (like in Fortuna or Río Celeste) or traveling with (small) children.
During the opening hours, there is also a lifeguard present.
We visited this waterfall at 8 am, right when the park opened. You are not allowed to swim directly under the waterfall, but the pool is amazing and you can feel the water splashing off the waterfall.
What makes this waterfall even more special is that it’s located in the middle of the dry forest, which we visited in the dry season (February
2021) and it’s like a true oasis of greenery in the middle of a beautiful but dry landscape.
You can also visit this waterfall when on your way to the beach areas in Guanacaste Province, as it’s just a few minutes from the main highway.
La Paz Waterfall
La Paz Waterfall Gardens Park located nearby San Jose has beautiful gardens, an animal sanctuary, and of course the La Paz waterfall.
This park offers the view of several waterfalls inside, also nice trails to enjoy the nature of the area.
If you don’t want to spend the time and money entering the park, it’s also an option to see the waterfall from the road and take a selfie there, as many of the locals do.
The easiest way to see it is on the way to Sarapiquí going from the area of Poás Volcano, about 45 minutes through a very winding road that is worth the adventure.
Rincón de la Vieja Volcano
If you visit the volcanic area of Guanacaste, you will find several waterfalls.
In the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, you can visit Hacienda Guachipelín, a very nice hotel we work with, and on their property there are many waterfalls, being the Oropendola Waterfall the largest.
There are many other small ones, and even in the National Park there is one, a bit small, and it disappears during the dry season.
Other Waterfalls in Costa Rica
Just like I mentioned before, there are hundreds of waterfalls in Costa Rica. Here I mention just a few of the ones you can visit, but there are more even close to the Central Valley, like Bajos del Toro waterfalls, Nauyaca Waterfalls close to Uvita, Montezuma Waterfall in the Nicoya Peninsula, and much more.
Let us know if you want to visit any of these waterfalls and we’ll make sure to include them in your trip!
