Explore Tenorio National Park

As mentioned in our first article summarizing our month in Costa Rica, we were lucky enough to discover this country in July 2023. We began our visit with the Bajos del Toro region and its magnificent Poas Volcano, which I consider to be one of the highlights of our stay.

The second stop on our tour was the La Fortuna region, at the foot of the famous El Arenal volcano. Unfortunately, the kids weren’t on top form at that point and we weren’t on top form either. However, we continued on to the northwest of the country to the Tenorio National Park. This park is famous for its wilderness, lush nature and famous turquoise waterfalls and rivers, especially the Rio Celeste.

A really nice anecdote is that just before arriving in the area we came across two sloths in the trees. They were relatively close and we were able to enjoy the moment in peace. We regretted having paid to see sloths from afar in this famous reserve in La Fortuna.

In this article, I hope to inspire you to take a trip there by showing you some photos of the area.

We set off early in the morning from the town of La Fortuna. It took us about 2 hours to reach the Airbnb, which is not far from Tenorio National Park. As I said, Téo is really sick. We even took advantage of the trip to make an appointment with a distant doctor to give him some antibiotics. While Louis and I went off to explore Tenorio Park, Mélanie decided to stay with him for a day to rest.

After getting our two rooms back (yes, we’re not sharing this time, haha), we drove 15 minutes to the park entrance. Let’s face it: There are a lot of people arriving at the car park, which isn’t exactly reassuring. But at the same time, we already knew that this was a very touristy area. The funny thing is that there’s absolutely nothing around this place, which is mainly known for its turquoise waters.

The first thing that struck us when we arrived was the heat and humidity. We could really feel it. If you ignore the tourists around us, it’s still a really nice place. It’s all very damp, soaked from the humidity and probably from the occasional shower. It’s a shame, though, to have to deal with large groups of tourists, about fifteen or twenty people, shouting past us. It tends to spoil the moment a little, and I have to admit that it would have been wonderful to be able to explore the place on our own with Louis. But at the same time, you can’t really privatize a national park, can you? Haha.

We slowly made our way through the tropical jungle. We could hear lots of sounds, insects and howler monkeys in the distance. After about fifteen minutes we stopped at a spot where a group of tourists were gathered around a guide. We knew there would be something interesting to see. The guide points out a turquoise-green snake slithering through the bushes in front of us. Louis is like a madman, and I have to say it’s the first time I’ve seen such an eye-catching snake up close. We let the large group of tourists pass us and finally leave, taking a moment to watch the snake make its way to the end of the forest.

After a 1.5 km walk (according to the sign) we reach the famous “Catarata”, the local waterfall. It’s a fork in the road where everyone stops. The bravest, like us, continue on, plunging once again into the dense jungle. The heat is stifling and there’s not a breath of air in this vegetation. Although we’re used to living in the tropics, I’ve rarely seen such a humid place.

From here the path climbs quite steeply through the vegetation, which is as dense as ever, and I have to say that Louis is getting a bit tired. I’m sure I am too? We decided to continue towards the famous viewpoint, signposted 500 meters further on, and above all towards the famous Laguna Azul, the blue lagoon, the most famous spot in the park.

Louis begins to grumble. To be honest, he needs something to keep him going. We arrive at the famous viewpoint, which unfortunately doesn’t offer a breathtaking view as the weather is not good.

From the Mirador – fortunately, if I may say so – the path goes down a steep slope and plunges down to the bottom of the valley. I’m enjoying this, but just thinking about having to climb all that again is making my legs ache. There are a lot of steps that aren’t really regular and that break your legs. It reminds me of some walks I did when I was young, deep in Norway!

At the bottom of the steps, the path continues and we soon reach the famous Laguna Azul. It’s a bit crowded, of course, as it’s the focal point of this walk, but it’s a really nice place to explore. There’s a small platform on the edge of this famous lagoon with its turquoise Polynesian lagoon colors. It’s a bit of a shame that the sky is gray, as I think the turquoise would look even better in the sunshine.

Louis and I continued on to the famous ‘Barbollones’ site. This is a place where boiling water comes out directly into the river. You can see the water boiling like in a saucepan, which is pretty cool. Apparently it comes out at about 95 degrees, so of course you shouldn’t swim there, haha. For the record, this is where the two rivers meet to form the Río Celeste. Just before that are the Quebrada Agria and the Rio Buena Vista.

We didn’t go any further, although the trail continues to Los Tenideros Rio Celeste. Looking back, I think this was a mistake, as the trail continues deeper into the valley, including a small wooden bridge over the stream with its beautiful turquoise water. The area seems to be beautiful. Here you can see the turquoise water passing by. It would have made a great photograph. Anyway, it’s not the end of the world.

We drive back quietly with Louis, taking our time as we are all tired. I have to say, with Téo sick and no sleep, I’m a bit out of it too.

On the way back, we stopped at the famous waterfall we’d left behind. There’s a set of steps that allow you to reach the edge of the waterfall, although the view from the top is even better. The waterfall allows you to see the turquoise water cascading down from almost thirty meters and ending up in a beautiful turquoise pool. Unfortunately, I have to admit that it’s a bit like Disneyland, with everyone having fun taking selfies. We didn’t stay long. We went to meet Téo and Mélanie who were waiting for us.

All in all, it was a beautiful and very interesting walk. The scenery was beautiful and the nature was lush. We were lucky enough to see the monkeys up close on the way back. If you’re in the area, it’s definitely worth a visit.

As usual, here’s everything you need to know about visiting Tenorio National Park.

Of course, it all depends on where you’re flying in from. As I often recommend, you can compare the price of flights to Costa Rica on the website Skyscanner, which allows you to compare prices from different cities in the country. From France, the cheapest flights are obviously from Paris to San Jose.

Once you’re there, you won’t have much choice but to hire a car. We used DiscoverCars website, which again allows you to compare a large number of rental companies and find the right car for you. For your information, we managed to hire a 4×4 for a month for just under €2,000.

Once you’re there, it all depends on your itinerary, but if you’re obviously coming from the capital and then from La Fortuna, you’re about 2 hours drive from the latter. Here’s the itinerary. Allow at least 4 hours from San José.

When we visited in July 2023, the park was open from 8am to 2pm. So be careful as it closes early. The entrance fee is 10 US dollars per person. On site, you can park in a very large paid car park (2,000 colones).

It’s worth noting that you can eat in the small snack bars and restaurants next to the car park, and you can also buy fruit or other things to take away from the small street vendors. It’s quite convenient.

You should also be aware that, according to the information I found, the national park limits entry to a thousand visitors per day and 500 people at a time on site.

To get the most out of the turquoise waters, I’d obviously recommend visiting on a sunny day, which unfortunately wasn’t the case for us. Nevertheless, we enjoyed it and found the color of the water quite beautiful. Experts in the area often recommend visiting between February and April.

There are plenty of places to stay near the park to suit all tastes and budgets. Here are some quick recommendations if you’re looking for accommodation in the area.

You can easily check out the accommodation available around Tenorio National Park by following this link.

Low Budget (< €50)

• Cabinas Cascada Rio Celeste: Situated in Bijagua, this hostel is ideally located 800 meters from the entrance to the Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio. You’ll find spacious rooms with balconies and stunning views of the mountains.
• Posada Rural Río Celeste: This establishment offers rooms for two to five people, each with a patio and beautiful tropical surroundings. You will be surrounded by nature, peace, and quiet — the perfect place to unwind.
• Cabinas Río Celeste La Amistad: Again, this place has an excellent reputation and is right next to the park. The cabins are comfortable, the staff are very friendly and the food is top quality. A great place to stay.

Medium budget (€50-100)

• Rincon Verde: Here you’ll find comfortable cabins in the heart of nature. The food is apparently delicious and the swimming pool is a plus if you fancy a dip. Recommended for nature lovers.

Larger budget (> €100)

• Hideaway Rio Celeste Hotel: If you’re looking for a luxury experience in the heart of the rainforest, I think this is the best place to stay. It offers luxurious bungalows and a superb swimming pool, all in an exceptional setting deep in the forest.
• Finca Amistad Cacao Lodge: This is a very interesting and authentic experience, with ecological wooden bungalows in a beautiful setting. You’ll also have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of activities on site.

At the end of this article, I wanted to add some information about the park that I thought you might find interesting.

• As we have seen, the park is a real natural jewel, offering the chance to observe lush nature, a network of excursions and the characteristic flora and fauna of the local biodiversity,
• The turquoise waters of the Rio Celeste are the result of a natural volcanic process linked to the geological composition of the region. In 2013, researchers from the University of Costa Rica found that this phenomenon is due to a unique mixture of volcanic minerals, including silicon, oxygen and aluminum. These minerals are found in the water sources of the Rio Celeste, the Quebrada Agria and the Rio Buena Vista, both of which originate from the Tenorio volcano. When these two rivers meet at Teñidero, a special spot in the park (which we did not visit), the minerals mix together, triggering a chemical reaction that creates a special reflection in the glare of the sun, giving the water of the Rio Celeste its turquoise hue!
• The area is characterized by lush vegetation, mainly pre-mountain rainforest and cloud forest. Note that the altitude varies between 600 and 800 meters when walking in the park. The vegetation includes palms, heliconias, giant ferns (like those found in New Zealand), orchids and numerous bromeliads, which are also found here in Guadeloupe.
• In terms of wildlife, the park offers visitors interesting opportunities to observe animals. Although the park is quite restrictive to minimize human impact, I found that there were quite a few people around when we visited. According to my research, there are a fair number of fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. Apparently you can see many species of birds, tapirs, jaguars and even pumas. The park’s emblematic animals include the margay, agouti, ocelot and white-faced capuchin. There’s a great variety of snakes and, frankly, I would have liked to see more, but to be honest, with all the tourist noise, I imagine they don’t come out as easily as you might hope.

That’s it, I’ve come to the end of my article on discovering Tenorio National Park. I hope it has whetted your appetite.

If you’d like to explore other places on our Costa Rica trip, don’t hesitate to read about our walk in Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, not far from the town of La Fortuna, at the foot of El Arenal volcano.

See you soon for more articles from Costa Rica.