Costa Rica Travel and Waterfalls

Jul 18
06:45

2012

Matthew Barker

Matthew Barker

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Costa Rica is a small country, but filled with natural wonders like volcanoes, rainforests, and waterfalls. Read about top waterfalls to visit on your Costa Rica travel.

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Costa Rica fits in an amazing and abundant landscape within a small geographic area. Travelers of all types,Costa Rica Travel and Waterfalls Articles whether in pursuit of adventure or leisure can find what they’re looking for, be it secluded beaches, surfing beaches, rainforests resplendent with flora and fauna, active and extinct volcanoes, calm rivers for bird watching, roaring rivers for rafting, and wide fields suitable for horseback riding. As part of this richness, Costa Rica also has waterfalls. Whether or not waterfalls are part of your Costa Rica travel plan, you’re sure to have ample opportunities to see them. In the following, we highlight some of Costa Rica’s best waterfalls. A keyword to know is catarata, Spanish for waterfall.

Close to San Jose, 19 miles (31 km) north of the town of Alajuela, Catarata La Paz boasts spectacular surrounding scenery and a fascinating geologic past.  The La Paz River flows over 5 miles (8 km) of volcanic landscape, drops 120 feet (37 m) off a cliff to form the La Paz waterfall, and then continues through jungle rainforest toward the eastern flank of the Poas Volcano. For travelers in search of a supremely relaxing Costa Rica vacation, above the waterfall there is a hotel and park which is ideal for viewing native fauna. A visit here is a great detour from a San Jose tour.

Continue your Costa Rica travel adventure to Catarata La Fortuna, most spectacular for its height, which measures at over 230 feet (70 meters). Located near the town of La Fortuna de San Carlos in the center of Costa Rica, the waterfall can be visited as part of an Arenal volcano tour. It is located at the base of a second volcano, the inactive Chato, which is 5.5 km from the town of La Fortuna. It is fed by the Tenorio River, taking the course of one of the lava flows from an eruption of Chato many centuries ago. Other things to do in La Fortuna include soaking in hot springs, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, ziplining, canyoneering, and much more.

To the east in the Limon province, the 50-foot (15 meter) Catarata Volio is surrounded by montane tropical rainforests. Getting to the waterfall is part of the adventure, requiring something of a hike through the Bribri Indigenous Reserve. But upon arrival, travelers are greeted with an Eden-like landscape of plants, trees, and a small pool that collects the falling water. As part of your Puerto Viejo travel, a hike to the falls can be combined with a visit to the Bribri community, as well as the Kekoldi Reserve, which focuses on the recovering the population of Green Iguanas.