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Montezuma Waterfalls |
Waterfalls abound in this part of Costa Rica. Because of the natural geography of the peninsula,
most of the rainwater that falls flows towards the Montezuma side, so there are many waterfalls with water in them year
round. Most have swimming holes, and two have ropeswings, and one is ideal for cliff-diving.
Until now, some of these waterfalls are virtually unknown and you are unlikely to find anyone else there.
All rivers in Costa Rica are considered public land if they have water in them all year round. So, you can legally
hike up any stream or river in the area, although it may seem like you're on private land. The public land extends 15m
horizontally from the edge of the river, so you can also hike along the shore. Although you may find barbed wire fences
along the way, you can pass under them.
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On these rivers you may find exotic animals that you won't see in other parts of the area, such as Roseate Spoonbills (these
look like pink flamingos), river otters, blue crayfish, and Jesus Christ Lizards and run on top of the water.
If you want to see animals, then start your trip at first light in the morning. Everyone wants to know about snakes... there
are very few poisonous snakes in the area, and I've never seen on in the river, so you're unlikely to encounter one.
Please be wary of flash floods. If you see super heavy rains falling upriver, it's possible a flash flood will come down,
so be prepared to run up the riverbed if you hear a roaring sound. This is very unlikely, so don't let it stop you from a
great hike. Just be aware.
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Montezuma Falls
Montezuma Falls is perhaps the most famous waterfall in Costa Rica. It isn't a single waterfall, but three separate falls.
To reach the first falls, start at the ocean near Hotel Amor de Mar, and walk up the river for 10-20 minutes. Here you will reach
the highest waterfall, with a huge swimming hole. Usually there are lots of tourists here. |
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You may see people climbing up
the cliff and jumping off. People die here every couple of years, usually by slipping on the rocks while climbing up.
Please don't be another statistic.
If you want to jump from a cliff, continue to pools two and three above. To reach these pools, climb up the steep path to
the right of pool #1. Follow a trail up and to the right. Eventually you'll find a steep trail leading down, with a rope
to help you descend. From here you'll be between pool #2 and #3. You can jump from 40 feet up into pool #2, or keep climbing
up and then you can jump from 8-15 feet into pool #3, which also has a ropeswing.
The land surrounding the pools is private property, and people live in the houses above, so if you want to hike, stay in the
river, but please respect the privacy of the people who live above and don't walk through their yards. |
Delicias Falls
This is a beautiful cascade over 40 meters high not far from Montezuma Falls. It's in the next river valley to the south. To get there,
drive up the hill from Hotel Amor de Mar, and turn left at the Butterfly Gardens. When you reach the bottom of the canyon,
you'll see a small yellow bridge. Park there, and walk upstream about 100m and you'll see the falls.
No one ever goes here, and you'll likely be the only person to visit the falls all day. These falls have a series of
"jacuzzis" - small depressions filled with water, perfect for romantic interludes with no one watching but howling monkeys. |
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Cedros Falls
Los Cedros Falls is a little known, waterfall near Montezuma. To get there, drive towards Cabuya from Montezuma and
pass Playa Las Manchas. The road will split, and when it comes back together, there will be a small bridge on your right.
This is Rio Cedros. Park the car near the bridge and start hiking up the river, past a small waterfall that you can see
from the bridge. After 20-30 minutes, you'll get to a fork in the river. There is a waterfall up both forks, but the
better one is on the left. Another 20 minutes or so will be needed to get to the falls. |
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| Along the way, keep your eyes open
for fossils, indian artifacts such as small shards of red pottery, and animal bones, that are sometimes uncovered by the
river. You will also very likely see animal tracks in the sand. |
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Buena Vista Falls
This is a small double waterfall in Delicias. It's a wonderful, secluded spot where no one ever goes. It seems a shame to send
tourists to it, so we're not going to give directions.
If you want to see these falls badly enough, you can find someone
who knows where they are and will take you or tell you where to go. This one is a treat because there are many huge ancient
trees around and it has such a great swimming hole, so it's worth the quest to find out how to get there. |
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Rio Lajas Falls
This waterfall is legendary in the area, and few people have actually made the epic journey to see it. I'm not going to put
a photo here so you can have the joy of seeing it for the first time with your own eyes. It's a two-hour hike each way,
so plan to spend the day hiking up to it... bring plenty of food and water.
To get there, drive south from Montezuma to the Cabuya Bridge. You'll see it's a fairly large river with a rocky bottom.
You'll probably see egrets in the river. Start hiking up and follow the main river for over an hour until you get to a
fork. Take the right fork and after around two hours total, you'll get to the falls, quite a big one with plenty of water.
If you take the left fork, you'll end up on the Rio Enmedio, and there's another falls up there too, but it may be another
two three hours to reach it. It's not a very big falls and can be dry, so we don't recommend it.
Good luck, this will be one of the best adventures of your trip to Costa Rica. |
The 7 Sacred Pools of Florida
When Ponce de Leon searched for the fountain of youth in Florida, he was in the wrong country, because the place he was looking for is in Costa Rica.
These spectacular falls are a true paradise, and usually no one will be there when you visit. To find them, drive from Cobano towards Tambor, and look
for a wooden corral on the left side of the street, and a house across on the other side. There is a sign that says "cascada" on the left, but at the moment
it's laying on the ground where you won't see it. To get to the falls, first you must pay 400 colones per person at the house on the right, then you go
through a gate, and drive down a very bad road - really only suitable for quads and bicycles, but a 4WD can make it. |
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| Follow the road through two more gates,
then when the road splits after a large tree, take the right fork and head downwards. Park under a shady tree and walk down a path to the falls, which are
100 ft or so down. Here you will find a large pool with many other pools before. The top pool has a great rope swing, which is more dangerous and fun than
the ropeswing at the Montezuma Falls because it's much higher up. Why doesn't anyone go here? Tourists travel thousands of miles to get to Costa Rica, then
they all become lazy and go to the same Montezuma Falls... well don't follow the crowds, go to this one instead and you'll probably have it to yourselves. Enjoy! |
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Cocolito Falls - 'el Chorro'
A two hour hike down the beach from Montezuma, Cocolito Falls is one of the most magical places in Costa Rica. If you take the trip, you won't be disappointed.
The falls are beautiful, often with a rainbow in them. The beach just before it is a perfect cove, with white sand and transparent turquoise water like you see
in those posters on Travel Agency walls but don't seem to exist in real life. It's a very hot walk down the beach, so you should leave as early in the morning
as possible, at which time you're also like to see wild animals on the beach. On the way, look for "cafe cocacola", a small hut owned by an old man who has
two pet pizotes you can watch. For most of the hike, on your left will be a national park, with no roads and the only development is from people who have brought
the materials by boat. |
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Santa Fe Falls
The falls north of Santa Fe are one of the most mysterious waterfalls in the area. Most people who have lived here for years have never seen them and don't
even know they exist, yet they are marked on old maps. Usually, you can't see the falls, but occasionally they will run so huge that you can see them from
the miles away in Delicias! We've heard that the property the falls are on was purchased by a foreigner who now doesn't want tourists roaming through his land,
but you can still legally hike to the falls by walking up the river from below. Good luck, and if you make it there, send us a photo for the website! |
Rio Negro - Near Manzanillo
When you take the road from Manzanillo to Cobano, you will cross the Rio Negro at a small bridge. Park there and walk down river for an hour to an hour and a
half. You will see many large trees and a good variety of orchids.
The falls have several large swimming holes. While walking, watch out for leaf-traps. This
is when dry leaves fill up a rock hole and look like solid ground under water. When you step into what looks like knee-deep water, you plunge over your waist.
If you continue past the falls, you'll end up in a larger river, the Rio Ario, which is passable by canoe, and eventually ends up in the Rio Bongo.
At the rivermouth,
watch out for salt-water crocodiles! But don't worry, they won't make it up to these falls. |
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Rio Ario Falls
These falls are north of the map area, on one of the largest rivers in the area. Few tourists ever go to them and we haven't visited either so we don't have a
photo to share with you. we've heard they're spectacular and worth the trip up to see them. |
Limestone Waterfall Cave
This is one of the most remarkable sights in the Montezuma/Malpais area, and perhaps in all of Costa Rica. This waterfall has been
formed over millions of years from limestone, with the same process that makes underground caves. The entire waterfall
is a set of pools with perfect edges of uniform height, and have the appearance of stalagtites and stalagmites. There is
a small cave in the top of the waterfall filled with bats.
The existence of this amazing site is a well-kept secret and is on private property. If you'd like to see it, you can
schedule a tour with Rainsong Sanctuary and Retreat. Email Mary at Rainsong Retreat |
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Copyright 2009-2010 by Tropisphere S.A. of Costa Rica All Rights Reserved
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