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Added by Jopie, at 30 January 2017
Opening Hours
- Monday 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Tuesday 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Wednesday 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Thursday 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Friday 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Saturday 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Sunday 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM
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22 Reviews
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16 November 2020
Rio Celeste is breathtaking. Trail is not difficult, except for the stairs to the waterfall.
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02 June 2020
A must see place. It was a great hike, and this waterfall was absolutely breathtaking. You can drive just down the road from the park and swim in the river 😉
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11 March 2020
Worth the wait in line! Plan to get there early as the line moves quite slow. $12/person fee. We enjoyed a smoothie from the café while we waited. The waterfall itself is indescribable! The hike is moderate, and I highly recommend hiking out to the end (beyond the waterfall). Truly thankful we were able to enjoy this beautiful and majestic park.
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17 February 2020
It’s a very beautiful place. Rio Celeste hike is the best part. You get to see many beautiful birds and the waterfalls are just amazing. Be sure to carry bug repellent, water, rain coat etc.
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25 September 2019
We took our whole family here and we were very impressed with the amazing views and size of the volcanoes. The park station was great for the kids and it was very informative for us as well. The park rangers were very kind and really focused on our children. They offered them things to take with them on the hike to become junior park rangers, which was really cool. I would say if you are taking kids you are probably not going to be able to do all the hiking you would if you were just going with adults that like to walk. There is a lot of hiking to do and the trails themselves are beautiful. I would highly recommend to anyone staying on the big island to check out volcanoes national park. You will not be disappointed. The travel there is awesome as well, so if you stay a distance from it you will not regret the drive. There is a hotel on site that you can stay in if you don't want to travel, but I would recommend staying off the park at another area you would like to see. We stayed about an hour away, and it was not a bad trip. Do check in before you go to make sure there are no closures that would keep you from seeing some of the major attractions. Wear walking shoes or you will regret it, trust me. Hope you get a chance to visit and I hope you enjoy as much as we did.
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27 February 2018
One of the hardest hikes i ever been on. These pics dont even explain how difficult it was. Very muddy climbing the side of a cliff to make it to this really beautiful waterfall. I fell quite a few times and freaked out as well. Thought about turning around when i fell down then had to cross a river. I didnt see any other hikers in this area. Its actually a crazy drive. My ears were popping and about 30 min or so (into arriving) the roads were all dirt and bumpy. If you get car sick bring some bags.
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18 February 2018
Wonderful park, beautiful nature.
Rather bring rain boots, because of mud. A waterproof jacket, because of rain. A 4x4 because of potholes in the street.
Still absolutely worth a visit!response / report this review -
06 February 2018
Rent the boots, it's 4 dollars. If it rained a day or two days ago it's gone be really muddy. Even though the trails are well maintained, there are some parts were there is mud till you're ankle's. They say it's a heavy trail, but we met an 90 year old lady who did it with her Nordic walking sticks
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11 January 2018
Tenorio trail is well marked. Its very beautiful and the scenery changes. It's interesting and full of exciting stops all the way to the end. Definitely a highlight of our trip. After the hike we enjoyed nice milkshakes at the cafe near the visitor center. Highly recommend.
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31 December 2017
Amazing park. The waterfall is so beautiful. When i came it rained so i could not see the blue clear waterfall. But i was still impressed by the beauty of the park. Required for the park : boot to the knee, umbrella or parka (might rain) and a waterproof camera.
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26 December 2017
Rain boots yes. Guide no. A must see.
Rio Celeste is inside Tenorio Volcano National Park.
I recommend bringing a backpack that will fit your shoes along with a large plastic bag to put your shoes in. Rain boots are for rent outside the park (I think around $4). Get them! There are parts of the trail that are up to your ankles in mud (or more if there has been a lot of rain). Walk in your hiking boots (the ankle kind are best since there are a lot of uneven rocks) then switch into the rain boots when it gets really muddy. This will save your feet from blisters! If you switch back again on the way back, you'll be glad you brought the plastic bag to put your muddy boots in!
We visited the park December 2017, a few months after hurricane Nate and the forest had lost 60% of their trees. It was still incredible, but no monkeys to be seen.The waterfall, hot springs, lookout point and blue lagoon were all incredible though!! Bring a camera (we had a waterproof one). You can’t swim in the water, but there is a place about a 20 minute walk from the park where you can and it’s worth it! Look for the sign (I included it in the pics).
The map at the ranger station is super helpful and in my opinion, is all you need as for as guidance in the park. There are signs that explain the different points of interest.
We stayed near the park for about 3 days and noticed it was super busy after 10am. The park opens at 8am, so as long as you don't mind a little fog on the first part of the hike, I'd recommend going around 9am or so. There and back was about 3 hours total. Bring binoculars!
There's no where to have a picnic or anything in the park, but there's a great little restaurant near the ranger station with coffee, smoothies and all kinds of food. The bathrooms are also at the ranger station.response / report this review -
24 October 2017
Very nice place. But a few things you need to consider before you go. 1. Don’t go when it’s raining. 2. It’s muddy road. Wear comfortable and safe for hiking shoes. Shoes will get very dirty. 3. It’s quiet a bit of walking, 3km each way. Take enough water. If you ready to go, you can go see the water fall first. And then hiking another 1km to see the start of the river. You can see the changes of color.
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04 October 2017
Great park for a hike (5 miles) and the blue river, waterfall and lagoon are fabulous. Wildlife (monkeys, etc) and rain in the "rainforest" weren't prominent during our hike but maybe it was a quiet/dry day?! Overall, a good hike.
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07 September 2017
I very nice park, the rio celeste is absolutely worth it. It takes around 4 hrs to visit and the hike is easy.
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14 August 2017
Booked a full day trip with lunch and a guide from La Fortuna to Rio Celeste. This place is magical. The color of the water is surreal. You get to see how two different streams of water join in to give that blue sky color.
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05 August 2017
Don't go here if it's raining. The rain changes the color of the river and waterfall. It rains from like June until November in Costa Rica which I didn't know before arriving in the country. It's still pretty though. It's a long hike and pretty much demands using boots. There's some areas with mud up to nearly the knees. Make sure to go all the way to the end of the trail where the river begins to turn blue, it's very fascinating.
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30 June 2017
As a tourist you pay a standard $12 entry to get in. It's well worth that, if not more.
There was a bag search when we visited - not sure what they were looking for but the rangers were friendly enough.
The park trails are all in pretty good condition. We visited during a weekend, so it was exceptionally busy. Probably best to avoid weekends, if possible.
At the park you can see the Rio Celeste waterfall, lagoon and hot spring. It's all very beautiful.
Tip: after heavy rain, the water will lose its stunning turquoise blue, so try if possible to time your visit well. We would highly recommend a trip.response / report this review -
11 April 2017
Rio Celeste is gorgeous! The home all the way to the end to see Tenerideros ( where the water mixes to turn blue) is totally worth the 4.5 mile round trip hike
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08 April 2017
Nice trekking. Get all the way to the last view point where 2 rivers merge. The colors are lovely
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21 March 2017
I was super excited to come here , this waterfall brought me to costa rica but i didnt love the hike. Its been built, some parts are paved, stairs were made it wasnt a challenge at all you cant swim in any part at all or get in the water - AT ALL . To get in some blue waters the guides take you back to a different area and although its pretty it just takes away from the experience. The waterfall itself is gorgeous but eh. I wish i had done this without a guide just because its a straight walk.
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22 February 2017
We came here for a day trip. It's about 90 min away from the Arenal area. Be prepared for the bumpy ride uphills. The hike itself is not too difficult but definitely rent boots at the entrance for $4. The trail is quite muddy and may be challenging for people with bad knees. The sparklingly blue water is a must-see though!
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06 February 2017
The water wasn't blue due to the heavy rain while we were there but it was still a great hike! We rented the rain boots and it was the best decision. Really helped when walking through deep mud.
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