Visiting a volcano, hot spring or waterfall is something that many travelers want to do at least once. For those individuals lucky enough to visit Costa Rica, they may be able to do all three.
Here a list of Waterfalls, Hot Spring and Volcanoes of Costa Rica you should visit.
El Chorro
This waterfall is only about ten minutes from Montezuma. It is best to visit it first thing in the morning as many of the area’s wildlife are running around due to the mid-morning coolness. It has two separate areas to swim and the waters are a unique mix of both green and blue. It does take about four hours to walk there so many visitors end up arriving on horseback as it only takes about an hour to get to it using this method.
La Paz Waterfall Gardens
This ecological attraction is known for its waterfalls. It’s located near San Jose and visitors are generally pleased to find that they have the opportunity to see five different waterfalls. In addition to this there’s also a cloud forest, many different species of monkeys hanging out in the trees as well as a variety of different exhibits.
La Fortuna
La Fortuna is found at Arenal Volcano National Park. The path to the waterfall is very steep, but it is well-marked. There’s a pool at the bottom of the waterfall where individuals can take a dip, but the waters tend to be very cold no matter what time of year it is. The falls can be reached via mountain bike or horseback.
Llano de Cortez
This waterfall is in close proximity of the city of Bagaces. Llano de Cortez is fairly easy to access as it’s only a ten minute hike from the parking area. A thick forest surrounds the falls and after you take a swim in the fall’s pool to cool off there’s also a sandy area to lounge around on. Sometimes there are even vendors onsite selling food type items.
Rincon de La Vieja National Park
There are a variety of waterfalls at Rincon de La Vieja National park. These falls include:
Oropendula Waterfall– This waterfall is only about 4 miles from the entrance and is 82 feet tall.
Las Chorreras Waterfall– This double waterfall is popular among tourist as it’s only about a mile from some of the area’s hotels.
La Cangreja Waterfall– These falls are about a 4 ½ mile hike from the entrance of Rincon de La Vieja National Park and have an interesting blue colored because of the dissolved copper salts present in the water.
La Victoria Waterfall– This 115-foot waterfall can be accessed by a trail that is very steep and difficult to climb.
Hidden Waterfalls– This waterfall is about 6 miles from the entrance of the park and is best accessed by utilizing some sort of transportation.
Volcanoes
Arenal
The Arenal Volcano is rather large and known for its many eruptions throughout history. It’s 5,437 feet high and in a resting phase currently. It’s considered to be the most active volcano in the country. Both the people and the land have been affected by it throughout the years. It’s surround by green hillside and is a beautiful sight to see.
Turrialba
This volcano stands at almost 11,000 feet high. It is located in the Turrialba Volcano National Park. Visitors can hike up the volcano, but most people have to stop a couple of hours in as it’s a difficult climb.
Irazu
At over 11,000 feet high, this volcano is very active. It is close to San Jose and popular among tourists. It is located in Irazú Volcano National Park. At the top of the volcano both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans can be seen. However, it is usually very cloudy at the volcano’s summit and very few people can actually make it up there anyways.
Hotsprings
Thanks to the geothermal activity of the Arenal volcano there are many hot springs located in the area. These include:
Eco Termalas
These hot springs are among the smallest of the ones in the area. Only 100 people can visit them one time. There are a total of four pools that range from about 90 to 109 degrees Fahrenheit.
Titoku
There are eight pools that make up these hot springs as they descend down a hill. The temperatures vary in each one, but tend to be rather pleasant over all.
Tabacan
These hot springs are serene in nature. They are made up of about 3% magma and 97% rainwater.
