Hike among the spectacular scenery and mystical aquamarine waters of Tenorio Volcano National Park. On a full-day trip from La Fortuna, discover the amazing biodiversity of Costa Rica’s rain forests while accompanied by an expert naturalist guide. See the beautiful Rio Celeste waterfall that cascades into a clear turquoise lagoon, and watch the mysterious color-changing rivers of Los Teñideros. After your hike, re-energize with a tasty lunch at a local restaurant.

Day trip to Tenorio Volcano National Park with a hike to Río Celeste waterfall
Take a moderate-level hike (roughly two hours) through a lush rainforest jungle
Spot and learn about local plant and wildlife from an expert guide
Admire the impressive Río Celeste waterfall, lagoon and changing blue waters of Los Teñideros
Enjoy a sumptuous lunch at a local restaurant after the hike
Lunch, pickup and drop-off from most La Fortuna hotels included

What's Included

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Lunch
Local guide

Gratuities

Meeting And Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

Desafio Adventure Company
Behind the catholic church, Alajuela Province, La Fortuna, 21007, Costa Rica
We are located behind the Central Church in Downtown La Fortuna.

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

07:30 am

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

We have an extra transport charge for hotels outside of our normal pick-up zone.

What To Expect

Spend a delightful day exploring the natural wonders of Tenorio Volcano National Park. Your tour begins with morning pickup at your La Fortuna hotel, and then a drive that takes you through the scenic hillsides of Arenal Volcano National Park. Stock up on snacking provisions at a local store if you like (own expense) before entering the majestic beauty of Tenorio Volcano National Park.

Embark on a moderately challenging roughly 2-hour hike through the lush rainforest of the park. The terrain is steep and rocky at parts, so feel free to hike at a pace that works for you. Your guide will point out highlights of the landscape, including interesting plants and the many types of wildlife that call this area home. Keep an eye out for blue morpho butterflies, tropical birds, tapirs, ocelots, sloths and spider monkeys.

When you arrive at the Rio Celeste waterfall, you’ll immediately see how this cascade got its name, which means ‘sky-blue river.’ Admire the crashing waters that empty into a lagoon, which takes on a brilliant blue hue courtesy of natural mineral deposits in the river. Relax along this picturesque scene as your guide shares local myths about how the river got its eye-catching color.

Continue on your hike to the Los Teñideros, which features the convergence of two rivers in the jungle. Behold the clear waters turning bright blue when they merge as if by magic — a natural spectacle caused by a chemical reaction of volcanic minerals in the water.

At the end of your hike, rest and refuel with delicious regional cuisine at a local restaurant before the return drive to your La Fortuna hotel.

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not recommended for travellers with back problems
A moderate amount of walking is required
It is recommended that you wear comfortable walking shoes
Not wheelchair accessible

Please bring a change of clothes, sunglasses, insect repellent and water
Tour departs from La Fortuna
A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
Most travellers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travellers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveller Photos

Featured review

Christopher_N

Hike to Waterfall was so great. They picked us up on time and our guide Rosa was the best. She was so knowledgeable and took care of us every step of the way. Would highly recommend this excursion and if you get Rosa that is a bonus.

Reviews

5.0

18 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travellers.

Showing 1-6 of 18 reviews

Great tour! 100% recommendations

ypc5znkvpb, Aug 2023

Thanks to Samantha, our tour guide, we had a great tour! We saw a sloth just 10 mins after leave the hotel. She is so knowledgeable and looking out for wildlife for us all the time. We saw a lot animals! The tour itself it’s great as well. The tour only have 2 of us so end up been a private tour! The whole tour is followed by our own pace.

Incredible experience

Liz_B, Aug 2022

This was such an incredible tour! Our tour guide Mau, was amazing - you can tell he really loves what he does and goes above and beyond to make sure everyone is comfortable on the hike. The sights are absolutely stunning, but be ready to climb a lot!

Waterfall and guide Rosa were fantastic

Christopher_N, May 2022

Waterfall hike with your guide Santos

Karen, June 2021

This was my first trip to Costa Rica with my Daughter. Our tour guide was Santos. He was exquisite. He shared the culture of the country and showed us a wonderful experience. The your itself was 4 hours, including the transportation. The company was Desafio. His hospitality and warmth were top-notch. I would give this company 10 stars if possible. After a vigorous 2 hours hike through the jungle, which was Desafio (challenging) for me, but worth it! The waterfall was amazing and we saw interesting things along the way and ended our tour with an authentic lunch, Casado / fresh fish, rice, beans, avocado, salad and fresh-squeezed guava juice. Yum. Con mucho gusto Pura Vida !!

This was an Awesome tour! They...

Megan P, Feb 2016

This was an Awesome tour! They picked us up from our hotel in La Fortuna. There were only 5 people total in our tour. The Hike it self is not a hard hike BUT I highly recommend renting their rain boots for 3 so bring socks Because the mud was up past out ankles and my shoes kept falling off. All the lookout points and waterfall are Beautiful! And the tour includes lunch at a cute restaurant in the rainforest :

Our guide, Ruben, was helpful...

Douglas P, Jan 2016

Our guide, Ruben, was helpful, friendly, and full of interesting information. We had a great time and were truly impressed by the remarkably blue water of the river. Be sure to see the spot where the water suddenly looks blue! It was raining when we were there and upon Ruben's recommendation, we rented rubber boots. Good thing we did because our hiking shoes would have been destroyed!