La Paz Waterfall Gardens
Five falls in succession on the volcano road, in cloud forest.
Duration
4 hrs – 6 hrs
Difficulty
●●●○○
Best time
At opening
Open
Every day
Entry price
To confirm
The site strings together five waterfalls along the La Paz river, in cloud forest at fifteen hundred metres. A made path of three and a half kilometres, with walkways and stairs, links them from top to bottom.
Around it, aviaries and enclosures hold animals from seizures and rescues: toucans, monkeys, jaguars, and a hummingbird garden where the birds fly freely around visitors. The climb back is steep; a shuttle brings up those who would rather not.
Getting there
On the road between Poás volcano and Sarapiquí, about an hour and a half from San José. Often combined with Poás on the same day.
What the price covers
paid entry to the private park, a high rate to be confirmed
What to bring
- Walking shoes
- Sportswear
Rules on site
The path descends by steps and the climb back is steep: the return shuttle exists — ask at reception. It rains almost every afternoon in the cloud forest, and the walkways turn slippery.
Other places in San José
Poás VolcanoAn active crater a kilometre and a half wide, seen from a lookout fifty minutes' drive away.
- National TheatreAn Italian-style opera house built with coffee money, in the middle of the capital.
- Mercado CentralCovered aisles since 1880, sodas — the local canteens — and the country's best coffee at the counter.
Pre-Columbian Gold MuseumSixteen hundred pieces of gold worked before the Spanish arrived, beneath the Plaza de la Cultura.