Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio

What a beautiful park.
This is the best bang for your buck when it comes to the park admission fee.

The trail is well maintained and fairly easy to walk. There are some steep sections on the way that may be hard depending on the shape you are in. The way back is downhill.

We didn't see any wildlife, unfortunately, and regret not hiring a guide.

This is a must-see.

You are not allowed to go in the beautiful water, but at about 1 km down the road, you will cross a small bridge.
That's the spot where you can go for a dip.

During rain or just after a rainfall, it would be a muddy trail, and likely, the water would be too polluted to render its natural beauty.

Don't miss this trail.

PS: we rented a scooter and rode from La Fortuna. Thankfully, we had clear skies, and everything was dry. I'm an experienced rider, so it wasn't too bad on the scooter.
However, it was very uncomfortable for my wife in the back.
The experience was priceless, though.

Lovely experience. A true wonder. We did the whole hike and everything was perfect. We hiked it without a guide and glad we did it that way. We spent as much time as we wanted in each spot. Wear hiking shoes, poles were very helpful. Have a pan go for drizzle or rain. Go early am. Make reservations in advance. Number of people on the trail is very well controlled. 10 out of 10 experience!

we went in December and Just missed the rain as it started right after we hiked out! Perfect timing. I heard if it rains before you go, the water may be brown, but luckily for us it was very blue. The hike to the fall was beautiful. The funny thing is (and now I am learning its like this everywhere where instagram has made famous) is that there was a line to get down the stairs to the fall because everyone was getting their picture taken. But overall it was a nice day. Just remember to book you pass to enter BEFORE you get there online! It was a hassle to do once we got there because we did not do it ahead of time.

The reviews for this amazing waterfall were so confusing. The booking process as well. But the trail and waterfalls were absolutely amazing. We saw an eyelash viper along the trail. Probably the most beautiful waterfall I’ve seen. Doable with a 4 and 8 year old if you just want to see the falls. I’ve been around a lot of CR and believe me you don’t have want to miss this if you have the chance! Pura Vida!

Rio Celeste is a must see… If there hasn’t been much rain. Too much rain dulls the beautiful blue colors of this river. The paths are well maintained but you should be in good physical condition to manage the steep paths. I highly suggest bringing a walking stick or two. A guide is not necessary, but you will see more wildlife if you hire one.

Such an amazing area with Rio Celeste. We saw lots of birds, snacks, the Costa Rican raccoon, monkeys, and the cool waterfall. The hike is moderately challenging with a steep incline on the way in. There are about 200 steps down to the platform for the waterfalls. You can't swim there. There mosquitoes. So, where bug spray and long pants and shirt.

A breathtaking hike with a unique waterfall!
We saw lots of wildlife there and took beautiful pictures. In the rainy season it’s not crowded at all. Unfortunately I got stung by a bee there, but the staff was very helpful and kind and offered to treat it.

Keep in mind that you need an online-reservation before you can enter, which you can do right in front of the park but I would recommend to do it before that, especially if you travel during high season.

This is an incredibly beautiful park to visit and I loved all of the sites! We came first thing on a Sunday and found the park to be extremely busy. It made it a bit more challenging to really take in the setting, but I still loved it. In particular, the staircase down to the main waterfall was extremely crowded and filled with people not moving because they were waiting (and getting a little impatient) for the “perfect moment” to catch a people-less moment for their Instagram selfie…💁🏻‍♂ It just wasn’t going to happen for everyone. Definitely still recommend going here, but for a quieter park, consider Rincón de la Vieja. Also, it’s not clear on the map, but that the parking lots are on private land so you have to pay. Don’t be cheap and try to meander around the area looking for another place to park. There isn’t anywhere.

Beautiful water colour that you won't see anywhere else. Relatively easy hike. Just beware that there are no Ubers running from town and no reception in the vicinity, so make sure to pre-plan your travel if you don't like hitchhiking.

Possibly prefer this park to Arenal! Waters of the river and waterfall are gorgeous. Great picture ops.

My personal favorite national park in Costa Rica. The blue water is stunning. The trail is gorgeous. It continues beyond the waterfall and you can see how the blue is created. Worth the driving!

Nice little hike, lots of stairs to the waterfall. Had a rough night losing my lunch which made it challenging and wasn't able to finish the entire hike. Bummer but I got an excuse to come back. Very slippery in areas recommend wearing boots.

The main attraction of this national park is the famous waterfall. At times it's a beautiful bright blue color. During periods of heavy rainfall, the water turns muddy and is no longer blue. That's the condition it was in when I visited, but the sheer power and size of the waterfall was impressive to observe, even if the color wasn't perfect.

As many of the other reviews state, the hike to the waterfall is relatively short, but the terrain is challenging. Expect many rocks, lots of mud, and slippery terrain.

This is a national park, and the fact that you're in a rainforest needs to be respected. We went with a guide, and they explained very clearly that there are vipers and other venomous snakes present, poisonous frogs, and wild monkeys that can attack in packs of 10+ if you have food they want. You really do need to be careful, as we encountered a baby viper and a pack of monkeys during the hike, just like the guides predicted. This is not a bad thing. In fact, it speaks to how well the habitat is maintained.

I heard some guides and locals talking about how this waterfall is in the top 3 most visited sites in Costa Rica, and the sheer number of tourists visiting it is now overwhelming. 5 years ago, it was a much quieter park. Something to note if you visited a whole ago and expect it to be similar now - it is far more crowded.

Rio Celeste is very nice. Everyone in our family enjoyed the beautiful colours. There was lots of parking. Make sure you book tickets online before you go because there’s no cell or wifi service there.

Well paved hiking trail to the waterfall. Need park reservation to enter the trail. Get ticket in advance thru the portal.

I loved this place. Picturesque and lovely. I couldn't get enough from the walk through the jungle.

Visited a few days ago and it was an amazing experience. The whole round trip hike took my husband and I about 2.5hrs. It was well worth it for the views we got. There’s plenty of parking and there’s also a restaurant and local people selling fruits and coconut juice. I will say, the bathrooms were a little jank, but nothing too bad. There are many stairs to get to the waterfall, but there are lots of spots you can stop at along the way to take a breather. One of the locals there told us that the water doesn’t look as blue when it rains, so def try to go on day there’s no rain on the forecast. Although it was hot, you can’t feel it very much on the hike since you’re covered by all the foliage. I recommend going to the end of the hike so you can see the bubbling spots and the end where the two different colored rivers meet. You can’t go in the water like you’re able to at Arenal waterfall, however there is a pot outside of the park at you’re allowed to go into the beautiful blue water, search Tenorio free pool.

Great hike! However, during raining season the rivers is not blue. You must be in great shape. Stairs are a challenge. Thanksgiving week, 2023.

Beautiful! We had so much fun seeing all the wildlife

Amazing hike. Be sure to go to the end. In a remote location. For travelers seeking to visit rio Celeste this is the best way to search for the entrance. We also visited the swimming hole which is easily accessed on the road in.