Rio Celeste Full-Day Hike: Blue Waterfall & Tenorio Volcano
Description
On this tour you will go to the Tenorio Volcano National Park. In this park you will witness the rare phenomena of the blue river. The hike itself is medium tough and takes about 4 hours. It takes you to the stunningly beautiful waterfall, a high lookout point and the place where you can see the river change color. After the hike you will enjoy lunch and have some free time to take a quick dip in the river before heading back to La Fortuna.
Tour Options
Itinerary
You'll then engage in a 4-hour hike that is a bit tough for some but the end result is definitely worth it. After your 4-hour hike you'll get to the Rio Celeste (Blue River). The blue color you'll see is the result of a chemical reaction between two merging rivers containing different volcanic minerals. It's a very rare phenomenon which creates a fairy-tale-like beauty. You'll get to see a waterfall, a lookout point that's great for taking pictures and you'll also get to see the place where the river changes colors.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Please contact us for have an exact pick up time in your hotel If you have a Airbnb we need a reference point for the pick up (Restaurant o supermarket close to the place) If your hotel or Airbnb is not in the pick up area you need come to our office in la Fortuna bus terminal at the time of the tour
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Vegetarian option is available
- 4-hour medium-tough hike is involved
Reviews(530)
We had the best time today on our tour with Santiago. There was a little mix up in the beginning with bus assignments, but the company made it right immediately and Santiago ended up giving our family our own tour. The views of the waterfall were lovely and Santiago made it a point to include all of our kids in the fun animal sightseeing on the way (both on the side of the road and in the park). We split up for the more challenging half of the hike. The littles and their older sister (ages 4, 6, and 14) enjoyed fresh fruit and a little shopping with dad across the street while Santiago brought my older son (age 11) and I on the more challenging loop after the waterfall. Lunch was fantastic with fresh juices followed by a very tasty Casado (or hamburger/chicken fingers for the kids). I would absolutely recommend this tour to anyone visiting the La Fortuna area!
This hike was overall a nice scenery and wildlife experience. We took a trail through a national park in the middle of the woods, and we passed much wildlife like snakes and spiders. We also got to see the huge waterfall and some cool sulfur deposits, and our tour guide was friendly and knew a lot about the animals. Most of all it was some much needed exercise! The only thing was that the hike is tiring and gets repetitive, and it rained the whole time, so we couldn’t really see the blue lagoon at the end. Of course you can’t really control this, but be aware that it’s for the physically fit and strong minded.
A beautiful and exciting way to spend the day! We loved our day with Santiago, Ani and Roberto. They were amazing wildlife spotters and educators, extremely clear communicators, and excellent planners. What a special day!!! We saw so many creatures that we would never have spotted on our own, and we learned so much. Mahalo nui loa to our amazing guides and driver. Pura vida!!!
Santiago was an amazing guide! Every informative, went the extra mile. Our group was about 8 people which was nice, as my other tours felt a bit crowded. Unfortunately the water was not blue when we went due to the heavy rain the day before. but Santiago did his best to make the experience worth it, and it was! We saw many different snakes, spiders, and a family of sloths close enough to see without binoculars! The lunch was very tasty.
The tour guides - Santiago and Ani were knowledgeable, funny, and kind. The flexed the tour based on the weather. They told stories. We tried termites. We stopped for howler monkeys and sloths. We had a wonderful time!
Santiago is knowledgeable and spotted so many cool animals for us. He was absolutely the best guide we had on our entire CR trip.
It was raining the day we went but we still had a wonderful hike! We saw two pit vipers and numerous birds. The water is very blue and the waterfall is amazing. We went in the off season so it wasn't too crowded, but heard it can get very crowded in the high season. You can't swim in the waterfall anymore.
Can’t say enough about Santiago’s expertise and patience. Our family of 5 (daughters 13, 11, 6) had a great hike, learned a ton, saw so much wildlife, and had a delicious Casado lunch. 1000/10 experience all around. I would listen to Santiago share his knowledge every day! The only thing that I would share is that the portions of the drive without Santiago in the car were a bit terrifying. We are used to Costa Rica roads and driving (having been here the past 4 weeks), but it was next level nerve-wracking. My daughter got sick and even my hearty husband (who is fearless) was surprised at the speed and recklessness, especially on the speed bumps (topes). Maybe it was just an off day for us and the driver?! However, he did drive much safer when Santiago was aboard the van. Overall, I wouldn’t negatively judge this tour off of one experience and I’d wholeheartedly do this tour again, even with an interesting driving situation.
We enjoyed our Rio Celeste Full-Day Hike of the Blue Waterfall & Tenorio Volcano despite having to hike tough trails in the rain. Our guide, Annie, was amazing and kept everyone on track, but also helped those of us who needed assistance getting up and down some of the steeper areas. The lunch at a nearby restaurant was delicious, and we enjoyed a quick swim in the river as well.
Absolutely magical. This was the day I was most looking forward to on the trip and it did not disappoint. There was a mixup with picking me up at my hotel but the tour company worked to resolve the issue quickly and Marcos saved the day to drive me to meet up with the tour group right before they entered the national park. The hike was challenging but incredible. We were lucky to go on a day with little rain so the blue water was really visible- it felt like I was witnessing magic. Our guide, Anna, was really funny, knowledgeable and passionate about nature. I really liked the group of people I was touring with that day- it was cool to hear their stories. The lunch was really delicious and it was nice to sit back and relax on the ride back to La Fortuna- especially after a rather physical hike. It was an absolutely incredible day, I was all smiles when I got back to my hotel.
