7 of the Best Water Falls in Costa Rica

/

Off the beaten path: Top 7 Costa Rican Waterfalls

  1. La Fortuna Waterfalls, San Carlos, Costa Rica

La Fortuna, San Carlos, Costa Rica

La Fortuna in San Carlos, Costa Rica is one of the most popular waterfalls in Costa Rica. La Fortuna is a small town in Costa Rica Northwest of the capital, San Jose. Its known as a gateway to Arenal Volcano National Park housing 2 volcanoes. Active Arenal Volcano is still a laced with lava flows. Hot springs sit at the foot of the volcano. This waterfall drops about 70-75 meters and is at the base of the volcano. Take a swim in La Fortuna, where you can also visit the hanging bridges.

2. Rio Celeste Waterfall, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

This neon blue river gets its color from a unique mix of bacteria and volcano minerals. Housed in the Costa Rican wilderness, the Rio Celeste is a stunning tropical gem whose iconic blue hue was turned into a popular nature spot.

Located in the forest of the Tenorio Volcano National Park the long river twists and turns through the wilderness maintaining its bright cerulean color all the way. Along the river where the waterfall is located near multiple hot springs. The closest airport to Rio Celeste is Liberia International Airport. Many of the surrounding guesthouses and hotels have walking paths that lead directly to the Rio Celeste. If visiting through the parks main entrance non resident entrance fee is $12. A 4x4 is highly recommended for getting through the park and Costa Rica as well.

Rio Celeste, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

3. La Paz Waterfall Gardens, Cloud Forest, Costa Rica

La Paz Waterfall Garden, Vara Blanca, Costa Rica

Enjoy the La Paz Waterfall Gardens by staying at the Peace Lodge. While visiting the public section of the waterfall, you are not allowed to swim in the water, Peace Lodge has a swimming pool you can use for swimming. La Paz Waterfall Gardens National Park is located directly next to the Peace Lodge. La Paz Waterfall Gardens is ranked #9 out of 17 top things to do in Costa Rica by U.S. News and World Report. The park entry price for adults is $42 per adult and $26 for kids 3-12.

4. Volio Waterfall, Limon Province, Costa Rica

The Volio Waterfall is located near the town of Bribri, Costa Rica in Limon Province. It is located near the Bribri Indian Reservation. Because this waterfall does reside in an indigenous reservation, we do suggest you hire a local tour guide for your visit. Many tour companies offer visits to the waterfall. The waterfall is located in the Talamancan montane forests and extends 50’ tall. It is about 4-5 hours from San Jose International Airport. As getting to the waterfall, is an adventure in itself. It is hidden within the Bribri rainforest, which makes it even more interesting. We do recommend that you visit the Volio Waterfall only in the dry season, as you do have to cross three different rivers to even get close to the actual spot. A 4x4 vehicle will be beneficial as well to eliminate walking through the shallow waters within the rainforest. There is no doubt, that you will be amazed at by Volio’s stunning beauty!

Volio Waterfall, Bribri, Costa Rica

5. Bajos del Toro Waterfall, Cloud Forest, Costa Rica

What a sight! Bajos del Toro is one of the most spectacular and largest waterfalls in the country - with a 300-foot drop. It is hidden away in a valley between the Poas and Rincon de la Vieja Volcanoes, located in the Bajos del Toro Cloud Forest about 1.5hours from San Jose.

We highly recommend staying at El Silencio Luxury Lodge for the full Bajos del Toro experience. Hike the winding trail down to the base of the waterfall for about an hour with a guide and get up close to the roaring mist of this natural spectacle. For the lodge, a fifteen-minute relatively flat hike that will bring you to about 375 steps leading down to the base of the waterfall. The hike back up can be a bit challenging but the views are worth it!

6. Nauyaca Waterfalls, South Pacific Coast, Costa Rica

The stunning Nauyaca Waterfalls are located in the South Pacific region of Costa Ballena, just 20minutes from Dominical. Though featuring a less impressive drop-off than the towering La Fortuna or Bajos del Toro waterfalls, Nauyaca is unique in its layout - its split into the upper and lower cascades; water pours over the cliff side to fall over 140 feet before this waterfall is the location, remotely tucked into the deep rainforest, the trip might be a bit of work, but the views are worth it!

Visitors have a few options for getting to the falls; horseback riding, hiking, or 4x4. The hikers and horseback riders use the same well maintained trail - keeping an eye out for the abundant wildlife in the area such as monkeys or birds. You have the option to attend the upper falls or lower falls. The lower falls is where all the fun is! Here the cascade falls into a large pool of clear blue water - a perfect, natural swimming hole. Plenty of room for everyone to swim, relax, or explore, with an occasional entertainment of a daring local jumping from one of the cliffs.

7. Llanos de Cortez Waterfall, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Llanos de Cortez Waterfall is located in Bagaces about 30minutes south of Liberia. At about 50 feet wide and 12 feet tall, Llanos de Cortez is wider than it is tall with streams of water cascading over a rock wall. The pool at the base of the falls is clean, clear, and perfect for a refreshing swim on a hot day. There’s also a little white sandy beach which can be nice for a snack or picnic. The trail from the parking lot down the waterfall is a short 10-minute hike but it is steep. The forest leading to the falls is lush and dense with wildlife such as monkeys and birds. There is no entrance fee however donations to the local community school are welcomed. Guided waterfall excursions can be arranged.

Llanos de Cortez Waterfall, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Link your Lyft & Delta SkyMiles Accounts to Earn Flight Miles

/

When the two worlds of travel combine, the options are unlimited! Lyft is working it’s rank up over Uber with this revolutionary partnership. There is good and bad news though; bad news, you have to have a Lyft and Delta SkyMiles account, GOOD NEWS THOUGH, both are super easy to set up.

How to sign up for a Delta SkyMiles account?

If you don’t have an account, visit delta.com/skymiles to sign up for FREE

How to link your Delta SkyMiles and Lyft accounts?

I already have a Lyft account:

  1. Visit delta.com/Lyft to connect your Lyft account to Delta

  2. Enter your SkyMiles Account number and the first and last name on your SkyMiles account. Heads up: both names must match the names associated with your Lyft account

  3. Double-check that your SkyMiles account number is correct, then tap 'Link Now'

  4. Tap 'Continue with Lyft'

  5. Enter the phone number associated with your Lyft account, then tap 'Log in'

  6. Lyft will text you a verification code. Enter the code and tap 'Submit.'

  7. Read the permissions and tap 'Accept' on the 'Connect With Lyft' page

I’m new to Lyft:

  1. Go to Delta.com/Lyft

  2. To receive $10 off your first two rides, create an account by entering the first and last name associated with your SkyMiles account along with your SkyMiles account number

  3. Before you tap 'Link Now,' double-check your SkyMiles account number is correctly entered

  4. Tap 'Continue With Lyft'

  5. Enter your phone number and requested info, then tap 'Sign Up'

  6. Lyft will text you a verification code. Enter the code and tap 'Submit.'

  7. Enter your payment information, then tap 'Submit'

  8. Read the permissions and tap 'Accept' on the 'Connect With Lyft' page. That's it!

See also:

How to Book Cheap Flights? (Part I)

/

How to Book Cheap Flights? (Part I)

We get tons of questions daily about how to find cheap flights. While I would love to tell you we have found some mystery code to unlock cheap flights, that is not the case. Unfortunately, because there is not enough time in the day to help answer everyone’s questions, we wrote this complete guide to tell you all our tips and answers to some of the most common questions. Here is how we find the cheapest flights in the world to almost anywhere in the world:

1. Be Flexible

  1. This is the way most people approach getting a flight: Instead, if getting cheap flights are your priority, flip that approach and try this:

    1. Pick where they want to go 1. See what cheap flights are available via Google Flights, Hopper, Cheapoair

    2. Pick their dates 2. Choose one of those destinations with cheap flights that appeal to you

    3. See what prices are available 3. Book your flight to one of those destinations with the cheap flights

Typically this results in higher prices

Be flexible with where and when to go. If you’ve picked out your destination, picked out your dates, and don’t have flexibility, 95% of what you can do to bring down the cost of airfare is already out of the window. Flexibility is king. Plus, as we will discuss below, once you get to Europe or Asia or wherever, it’s really a quick jump on a budget flight to get to your desired destination.

SIDENOTE: Be sure to search more than one date (Google calendar allows you to look at various dates to see which days are the cheapest to travel). Often times by shifting the dates to even a day later can cut the price in half.

2. Cross the ocean as cheaply as possible

If your goal is to get the cheapest flight, focus on just that. Focus on getting across the ocean as cheaply as possible! Even if it is not from you home airport. This can sometimes save you hundreds. This also can provide an opportunity for you to possibly visit another awesome location.

For example: One of the best deals I have found to date is my flight from George Bush International Airport in Houston, Texas to Phuket, Thailand for a Spring Break trip for $774.

While my friends paid $1500 on average for their flight that had a 3 hour lay over in China, I was able to pay $774 for a flight that had a 12 hour lay over in Beijing, China. During these 12 hours, not only did I get to get out the airport and smell the fresh (but not so fresh, if your familiar with China) air, but I also enjoyed the whole day venturing through China for $800 less than my friends.

Once I got into Phuket, Thailand, I was able to fly to Bangkok, Thailand for a few days for just under $80 roundtrip. Layovers can be a drag but they can also help you to explore new cities if you use the most out of your time.

3. Avoid peak travel months

In North America and Europe, the cheapest time of year to fly is usually:

  • January through mid-May

  • September through early December

The most expensive time to fly is usually:

  • Peak summer: mid-June through mid-august

  • Christmas

  • New Year’s Eve

It will also vary a bit by the specific destination, especially around popular festivals. Fares to Trinidad for Carnival or to California for Coachella aren’t cheap.

4. Know the best time to book cheap flights

We typically recommend booking when you see a great fare 1-3 months in advance for domestic flights and 2-8 months in advance for international flights.

If your booking for peak summer, add a month or two onto these recommendations as everyone is planning summer vacations. If planning in a low season, it generally will get cheaper the closer to your departure date.

6 weeks before your departure date is generally the ideal time to think about booking your flights.

Prices tend to jump in the last month or two before departure, so you don’t want to cut it too close and miss your window!

On the other hand if you book too early and settle for a not-great fare, you’re missing out on potential future sales. However, of course if your looking to travel around major holidays like July 4th or Christmas, the earlier the better.

CHEAT CODE: All American based airlines are required by law to offer you a 24 refund policy. So if you find a flight that you are unsure of GO AHEAD and book it. Better safe than sorry. Sleep on it, if you change your mind, you have 24 hours to request a refund.

<SUBSCRIBE TO BE THE FIRST TO FIND OUT ABOUT PART II>