If you are anything like me and LOVE waterfalls then you have come to the right place. I am not going to lie sometimes I pick countries I want to visit based on how many waterfalls they have. I love them that much.
Costa Rica is one of those places with waterfalls at every turn. I tried to visit as many as I could on my trip but there were SO many I feel like I barely scratched the surface. It is important to note that waterfall in spanish is Catarata. It is not uncommon to see homemade signage for smaller waterfalls saying simply 'Catarata' with an arrow.
Here are what I consider the best waterfalls in Costa Rica.
Rio Celeste Waterfall
- Location: Tenorio National Park – enter in Bijagua
- Price: $12 (Parking $2)
- Trail: Easy to Moderate
- Why visit Rio Celeste Waterfall? The perfect blue water is spectacular to see in person making it one of the most unique waterfalls in the world.
Llanos de Cortez Waterfall
- Location: 25 km from Liberia off of Highway 1
- Price: Donation (Parking $4)
- Trail: Easy
- Why visit Llanos de Cortez Waterfall? Easily accessible and a great swimming hole. No need to worry about Llanos de Cortez Waterfall running dry in the dry season.
La Fortuna Waterfall
- Location: Right outside the city of La Fortuna
- Price: $10
- Trail: Easy but lots of stairs
- Why visit La Fortuna Waterfall? One of the best known waterfalls in Costa Rica and La Fortuna is easily accessable. Best waterfall for family vacations.
For more information on La Fortuna Waterfall including a guide to visiting the waterfall click here.
Viento Fresco Waterfalls
- Location: Located off of Route 145 – perfect stop on the drive from La Fortuna to Monteverde
- Price: $16
- Trail: A series of staircases with very little hiking. Around 500 steps total.
- Why visit Viento Fresco Waterfall? I consider these the best waterfalls out of the ones I saw while I was in Costa Rica. 4 excellent waterfalls on one property make this a great bang for your buck attraction. And the wide variety of waterfalls means if you are traveling in a large group there is something for everyone.
Nauyaca Waterfall
- Location: Near Dominical
- Price: $8
- Trail: Easy but long
- Why visit Nauyaca Waterfall? Beautiful two-tier waterfall surrounded by lush jungle. Beware this is one of the longer hikes. It takes about 1 hour to reach the waterfall. You can take a horseback tour there as well (cost: $70).
Picture source: Two Weeks in Costa Rica
Great Costa Rica blog! Very helpful for planning your Costa Rica trip, check them out!
Catarata del Toro
- Location: 70 km from San Jose - near Poas Volcano
- Price: $10
- Trail: Moderate
- Why visit Catarata del Toro Waterfall? The largest of Costa Ricas Waterfalls with a drop of 90 meters.
Montezuma Waterfall
- Location: Just outside Montezuma
- Price: free (Parking: $2)
- Trail: Moderate to hard
- Why visit Montezuma Waterfall? Not only are these waterfalls free but there are 3 gorgeous falls to explore. Most people stop at the first one but if you are athletic, continue hiking to the other 2 for a more secluded experience.
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