The Enchanted – Rio Celeste

In February 2018, while we were still in the process of discovering the beauty of Costa Rica. A friend of ours organized a trip to Rio Celeste. The pictures were amazing, so we decided to go. The organizer shared useful information like pickup points, the old tree and the Tenorio Volcano National Park. The trip included lunch and a Tubing activity.

What is Rio Celeste?

Rio Celeste is inside the Tenorio Volcano National Park in Alajuela, Costa Rica. It is famous for its blue waterfall. Rio Celeste is a combination of 2 rivers, Rio Buenavista and Sour Creek. Rio Buenavista carries a large concentration of aluminosilicate particles. Sour Creek, as the name implies, has is high in acidity due to volcanic activity. When the two rivers mix the water turns to a strong turquoise color.

Our Story:

We chose to be picked up from Heredia, parked our car at a friend’s place. The transport bus was scheduled to arrive at 4 am. We stopped and picked up a few more as the group consisted of 20 people. It was a 3-hour drive to the destination, some of us chose to sleep, some listened to music while others chatted amongst themselves. We had quite a bit of rain along the way, however it cleared up when we neared Tenorio Volcano National Park.

We stopped at Villa Celeste’s Restaurant, located 12 km before reaching the Park, so that everyone could freshen up and have breakfast. Villa Celeste offer cabins and has a large camping ground, just 20 meters from the River Celeste. They also have many activities like Tubing, A tour of nearby village of Katira, etc.

Villa Celeste’s Restaurant, located 12 km before reaching the Tenorio National Park.

Once we wrapped up breakfast it took us about 25 mins to get to the park entrance. The Booking counter was flooded with lot of people. We were all set to go once we got our tickets and our bands.

Entrance sign board at Tenorio National Park.

Before you start down the trails, its important that you put on so hiking boots and possibly get yourself a walking stick. You don’t need a guide as the hiking trail is properly marked with signs.
Tip: Check the weather before you visit Rio Celeste, if its raining then you might not be able to see the Blue color of the river.
One thing Costa Rica will never fail to amaze you is by its lush greenery. The rainy season had not yet set in, but we still found the trail muddy. In Costa Rica, timing is everything. Plan your trip from December to April, these are the drier months in Costa Rica.
Along the hiking trail we found a number of amazing trees, monkeys and even possums.

After trekking for about an hour we reached an intersection that has a sign board with directions to various points of interest. We decided to cover all 5 points listed here.

Point 1 – Catarata (Waterfall):

It is just 150 mts from the intersection.
The hike down to the Catarata (Waterfall) is steep. There are steps that lead all the way down, so it is not too difficult. The walk back up is what kicks the breath out of you.
Don’t get me wrong, the walk is absolutely worth every ounce of energy. At the base there is a well-crafted lookout point form where you can see the waterfall in all its glory.
Let me try to describe it the best I can, the waterfall is a explosion of colors, white waters gush out of through the foliage, into a medium sized catchment where the water returns to its spectacular blue color. The catchment area is mix of black, brown, and green that adds contrast to the blue of the water.

Note: Swimming is prohibited inside the national park.

Point 1 The Beautiful Rio Celeste Waterfall

Point 2 – Mirador (Lookout):

550 mts from the intersection. From here you can get a glimpse of the Blue Lagoon and a view of the volcanoes.

Point 2 – Mirador Lookout point

Point 3 – Laguna Azul (Blue Lagoon):

Just 700 mts from the intersection, you will be able to see the picture perfect blue water.

Point 3 – Laguna Azul (Blue Lagoon)

Point 4 – Borbollones:

750 mts from the intersection, you will reach a small section of Rio Celeste, where the water bubbles up. Almost like it’s a hot spring, but in reality, its volcanic gases escaping from under the water.

Point 4 – Borbollones:

Point 5 – Tenideros (El Teñidor):

A kilometer from the Intersection, after crossing a beautiful hanging bridge, you will arrive at the place where the 2 rivers meet. In English, this place is called “The Dyer”. Seeing the exact transformation of water from clear to blue is amazing.

Hanging Bridge on the way to Tenideros (El Teñidor)

Point 5 – Tenideros (El Teñidor) 2 rivers meet here and see the color transform

When we finished exploring the national park and had made our way out of the park. We took a short 15-20 drive to visit “Arbol de la Paz” (The tree of peace). This tree is around 600 years old and standing extremely tall. It reminded me of Jack and the beanstalk.
Here is a picture of the tree, but it does not do justice to reality. You should not miss seeing this.

600 year old “Abrol de la Paz” (The tree of peace)

We then made out way back to the Villa Celeste restaurant, had a late lunch, and rested for a while. Later, we took a 2 min walk proceeding to the riverfront to start the tubing activity. We just wanted to relax in the blue water, so we did not partake in the tubing. The water was extremely cold, but once in the water we got used to the cold. There isn’t a lot of room to swim around, but just wadding through the water and basking then soft sun that crept through then trees above was very enjoyable.

Tubing Activity Post Lunch.

We spent about a quarter of an hour in the water, then returned to the restaurant for spot of hot tea and snacks. We left Villa Celeste around 6:30 PM and reach Heredia at 12:30 AM. The journey back was a bit longer as we took a wrong turn, when the GPS stopped working, and had to backtrack. At that time of the year it was cold, I can still remember my teeth clattering. We made our way back to the car and headed home, stopping at a McDonald drive thru to pick up something to eat before bed. Once home, we ate, took a steaming hot shower, climbed into bed ready to sleep like there is no tomorrow.

This post has been updated on December 2018.

Important Information:

Time :8 AM to 4 PM, Enter before 2 PM
Total Hike time: 3-4 hours inside the park.
Distance: 4km Hiking.
Entry Fee: Non-residents: $12 (Adults), $5 (Children)
Residents: ₡ 800 (Adults), ₡ 500 (Children)

Location

Waze : https://waze.com/ul/hd1gsdkmbb
Google :

There is a parking lot right at the park entrance that charges $4 to park, or you can park along the road for free.

Things to Bring:

– Hiking sturdy shoes (It is a muddy trail so carry something that you don’t mind getting      muddy) (You can rent this outside the park)
– Extra clothes
– Water shoes (Rocky river)
– Rain coats (They do sell them outside Tenorio National Park)
– Water bottle
– Cap
– Sunscreen
– Mosquito Repellent
– Cedula/Acknowledgment of submission.

Things to Remember:

-You can check the Facebook page Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio where they constantly keep updating the visitors, the timing and weather and all about blueness of the water.
-There is option to rent the rubber boots at the entrance of the park.
-If you visit in the peak of rainy season, the river may not be as blue.
-Please be sure to carry your ID’s.