Five Waterfalls in Costa Rica to Add to Your Bucketlist
Costa Rica has it all… gorgeous tropical beaches, jungles teeming with exotic wildlife, adventure around every corner, and, one of our personal favorites, waterfalls!
And let me tell you, Costa Rica has some of the most insanely picturesque waterfalls I’ve ever laid eyes on. Some are a beautiful milky blue, some plunge into extinct volcanic craters, and some you can even slide down!
So, let’s get to it! In this article, we’ll share some of the best waterfalls in Costa Rica to add to your bucketlist. And while this list is by no means exhaustive of all the incredible falls to be found in this country, it’s a good start!
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Fortuna Falls
Despite its popularity and commercialization, we would say Fortuna Falls is still one of the best waterfalls to visit in Costa Rica. It’s so beautiful and in such a picturesque jungle setting that it’s easy to overlook the crowds.
Fortuna Falls is located just ten minutes outside of the popular tourist town of La Fortuna. The entrance fee is a bit pricey, at $18 USD per person, but we thought it was worth it to experience this falls.
There’s a beautiful overlook of Fortuna Falls right beyond the entrance gate, but to get down to the base, you’ll have to walk down a set of about 500 stairs (and of course, walk back up when you’re done!).
At the bottom, you can enjoy the falls and take a dip in its pool. But just an fyi…the water is freezing! The initial plunge pretty much took my breath away for a second, but after a few seconds of vigorously swimming, you’ll get used to it!
The Blue Falls of Bajos del Toro
Ok, this is a good one, because this isn’t just one waterfall, it’s 7!
Bajos del Toro is a small mountain town in the cloud forest of central Costa Rica, located about an hour and a half from the bustling city of San Jose. Located off-the-beaten-path of the typical tourist trail, Bajos del Toro is home to some seriously stunning hidden gems, particularly waterfalls.
The Blue Falls are a series of seven of incredibly blue waterfalls that you can visit in one shot. These falls are some of the most incredibly blue and picturesque falls we’ve ever seen!
And the best part? You might have them all to yourselves, like we did! Because Bajos del Toro is still a bit off the radar, these falls, despite how gorgeous they are, don’t quite get the crowds of other Costa Rica waterfalls on this list (although this might change soon!).
To visit these waterfalls, you need to take a guided tour with Catarata del Toro Adventure. This company offers two tours, the Light and the Full Tours. The Light Tour is an abbreviated and easier version that goes to two of the best falls in the area. The Full Tour brings you to all seven falls, but it’s a real challenge! It involved rugged off-trail hiking through the cloud forest, along very steep, muddy, and slippery terrain. You’ll be crossing rivers, rock hopping along slippery rocks, and using the aid of ropes to get you down and up particularly steep sections of trail.
If you’re looking for a true adventure, then the Blue Falls are the best waterfalls to visit in Costa Rica, hands-down. The Full Tour is an incredibly authentic experience, hiking through the rugged forest of Costa Rica in search of hidden gems with just you and your guide.
Catarata del Toro
Catarata del Toro is Costa Rica’s tallest waterfall at 270 feet. And what’s even cooler is that it plunges into the crater of an extinct volcano! Despite this, it’s still a relatively hidden gem.
Catarata del Toro is also located in Bajos del Toro. In fact, it’s found right behind the offices where you park and check in for the Blue Falls Tour, although it has a separate entry ticket. It costs $14 USD to visit the falls, but you can get a discounted ticket when you do the Blue Falls Light Tour, and it is included with the Blue Falls Full Tour.
Right behind the office, a walking path will take you to a few overlooks of the waterfall. Then, a short walk through the dense cloud forest will bring you to a set of stairs…and there are a lot of them…about 700 of them.
These stairs will take you all the way down to a viewing platform at the base of the falls, so you can see it up close and get a sense of how big this waterfall really is.
Visiting both the Blue Falls and Catarata del Toro is a great way to see up to 8 of Costa Rica’s best waterfalls in just a single day!
Uvita Falls
It may not be the biggest, or tallest, or bluest waterfall in Costa Rica, but that’s ok. Uvita Falls has its own thing going for it… it’s a natural waterslide!
The smooth rocks underneath the falls create a fast fun ride into the pool below. It looks intimidating at first, but trust us, just go for it and we promise you won’t regret it!
Sliding down the falls and swimming and relaxing in the pools below is an awesome way to spend a few hours in Costa Rica.
Uvita Falls is located right in the town of Uvita down an unpaved road that’s a little rough, but still manageable with a regular 2WD car. There’s a small entry fee of 2,000 colones per person (about $4 USD). A short flat trail will lead you to the falls after about 10 minutes of walking.
Nauyaca Falls
Nauayaca Falls is one of the most popular waterfalls in all of Costa Rica, and for good reason! It’s a giant multi-tiered waterfall set in a beautiful jungle location, and it’s quite accessible.
In fact, there are three ways to get to it. You can hike to it, take a horseback ride, or even ride in the back of a truck. Hiking is the cheapest option, costing just the entry fee of $10 per person. From the trailhead, it’s a 2.5 mile walk, mostly along a wide dirt road, through the countryside. Often, it’s possible to spot wildlife, such as exotic birds like toucans, and if you’re lucky and have a great eye, even a sloth. Horseback riding and truck rides cost a bit more, but they get you to the falls faster.
Once at Nauyaca Falls, you can swim in the pool at the bottom falls, sit on the rocks underneath it, and hike up to the top tier and admire the views. It’s a great hot summer day activity and definitely one of the must-see waterfalls of Costa Rica.
Nauayaca Falls is located just east of Dominical along the Pacific Coast, along route 234. You’ll stop at the office to get your entry ticket or start your horseback or truck tour. If you’re hike, the true trailhead is another 2km down a steep dirt 4x4 road. But, if you don’t have a 4x4, you can simply leave your car parked at the office and walk from there.
We hope this guide has given you some ideas for your next Costa Rica adventure! There are so many awesome waterfalls in Costa Rica that it’s really hard to go wrong with any of them. If you’ve been, what was your favorite Costa Rica waterfall?