You know that popular place which you feel familiar with without even having visited yourself? You would have read about it in scores of publications and seen hundreds of photos of it. Yet when you see the place for yourself, you still get dazzled. That was Rio Celeste for us.
Poster child of Costa Rica tourism, Rio Celeste waterfall tumbles into a sky blue colored natural pool. Surrounded by lush rain forest, the sight of the waterfall creates a frame as if someone perfectly adjusted the scales of saturation and vibrance on your photo editing tool. As we walked down the spiralling wooden staircase towards the waterfall, we could not stop gasping at the color composition of the scenery.
Come on in on a virtual tour of Rio Celeste waterfall hike through this post, and also find all the details about planning your visit to Tenorio Volcano National Park, home to this wonderful waterfall and many other gems.
Sky Blue Color of Rio Celeste: Unraveling the Mystery
The different shades of the blue color of water that you see in the photos of this post are all for real! No filter, no editing of colors.
How does Rio Celeste get this stunning blue color?
Contrary to popular belief of many years, the river does not get its color due to chemical reaction of volcanic minerals. The sky blue color of Rio Celeste is a magic of the world of Physics, an optical phenomenon!
Rio Celeste gets its sky blue color when two non-colored waterbodies Rio Buenavista (Buenavista River) and Quebrada Agria (Sour Creek) meet and mix. The change in acidity level at the mixing point causes a mineral of Rio Buenavista to suddenly increase to almost three times its original size. Majority of these mineral particles then remains suspended along the river, triggering the sky blue color of Rio Celeste.
Given below is an extract from a sign board at Tenorio Volcano National Park. It gives the scientific explanation of how suspended mineral particles in the river create the sky blue color of Rio Celeste.
“Suspended mineral particles scatter sunlight similarly as when the raindrops form a rainbow. In the rainbow, water drops act as prisms decomposing white light into the different colors. In Rio Celeste, the specific size of aluminosilicates particles causes that only the bluish tones of what light are dispersed. Therefore, we observe the characteristic color of the river. In other words, in Rio Celeste occurs an optical phenomenon called Mie scattering in the field of Physics.”
– Tenorio Volcano National Park, based on scientific paper published by researchers at University of Costa Rica and National University
Rio Celeste Waterfall Hike
Rio Celeste Waterfall is the star attraction of Tenorio Volcano National Park. It is about a half hour hike from the starting point to reach the waterfall.
The Waterfall Trail
A 1.5 km (0.9 mile) long hiking trail leads you to the Rio Celeste waterfall. In the early part of the hike, you cross a bridge, giving you the feel of a red carpet entry to the nature wonderland of the national park.
The trail, although starts as a paved path, later turns into a combination of paved, gravel and dirt in phases. But despite the dirt trail, the hike to Rio Celeste Waterfall is fairly easy due to the flat tracks. Only the last few hundred meters are a steep climb. But all along, the thick forest will accompany you on the hike, making it an enjoyable walk even on a hot and humid day.
The Stairs to the Waterfall
At the end of the the trail, you will come to an intersection point, from where the way forward will take you to the waterfall. The path on the right takes you to the other attractions of the national park. Visit the waterfall first and then come back to this intersection point to explore the rest.
The workout is not over yet! What lies ahead is a spiraling wooden staircase of few hundred steps, going 150 meters (492 feet) down to the waterfall. From every step along the staircase, you get unbeatable views of the waterfall surrounding by the dense forest. So the descend down these hundreds of steps feels less like a workout and more of a treat to the eyes. Take it easy and make stops to appreciate the nature around you. The vantage views of the Rio Celeste waterfall from the staircase are worth every stop and every skipped breath.
Rio Celeste Waterfall
At the end of the staircase you will arrive at a viewing platform with wooden fencing, very close to the Rio Celeste waterfall. This platform gives you an up and close look of the waterfall dropping from a height of 30 meters (98 feet) into the sky blue tinted natural pool.
After getting a few photos, we decided to put the phones away and sat quietly at one corner. No, there are no benches. We sat on the floor of the viewing platform and let our senses absorb the sights and sounds around us. Listening to the white waterfall gushing from the clifftop and watching it mingle incessantly with the sky blue river, it felt as if we had discovered a slice of paradise.
Swimming is prohibited in the natural pool, so do not jump over the fence. Also, to set expectations right, it can get crowded at this small viewing platform during holiday seasons as Rio Celeste is an insanely popular destination in Costa Rica.
Volcanic Mysteries of Tenorio Volcano National Park
You not only get to see the Rio Celeste waterfall in Tenorio Volcano National Park, but also many other interesting geothermal formations originating due to the Tenorio Volcano.
After coming up the stairs from Rio Celeste waterfall, take left from the intersection point to explore the rest of the attractions of the national park. The walk is on an unpaved dirt road with slopes and steps along the way. This part of the hike is comparatively difficult than the waterfall trail hike.
Mirador
- Distance from starting point: 2000 meters
- Distance from Rio Celeste waterfall intersection: 500 meters
The first stop is Mirador. It is a viewpoint from where you get an open view of the jungle in the valley with the backdrop of the Guanacaste Volcanic Mountain Range. From this lookout, you can see three of the four peaks that make up Tenorio Volcano – Tenorio 1, Tenorio 2 and Montezuma. The other peak that you cannot see from here is Cerro la Carmela.
Laguna Azul
- Distance from starting point: 2150 meters
- Distance from Rio Celeste waterfall intersection: 650 meters
Laguna Azul or Blue Lagoon is about 150 meters (492 feet) from the Mirador. As the name suggests, the lagoon wears a brilliant blue color. The calm blue water mirrors the reflection of the surrounding green jungle. This looks like a perfect spot in the lap of nature, inviting you for a swim.
But, sorry to disappoint, you cannot swim here! Take as many pictures as you want, admire the scenery all you want, but no swimming. There is fencing around the lake and accompanying no swimming boards.
But why cannot one take a dip in this apparently tranquil lake? To find out, let us move to the next stop on the hike.
Borbollones
- Distance from starting point: 2200 meters
- Distance from Rio Celeste waterfall intersection: 700 meters
Just 50 meters (164 feet) down the trail from Laguna Azul viewpoint, you will arrive at Borbollones. Here you can see small pockets of bubbling hot water creating light ripples in the otherwise calm blue lagoon. This geothermal activity is caused due to high temperature gaseous emissions from leaks and fissures inside the lagoon. Standing near the Borbollones for a few seconds, you will realize the volcanic connection, as the area smells strongly of sulfur.
El Teñidero
- Distance from starting point: 2500 meters
- Distance from Rio Celeste waterfall intersection: 1000 meters
I found this part of the trail to be the most exciting. This is where it all begins!
Among all the attractions of Tenorio Volcano National Park, Rio Celeste waterfall sure steals the show. But at Teñidero, you can witness the origin story of this fame. This is where you can see the two non-colored water bodies merging to form the sky blue colored Rio Celeste.
At this point, you can also find the previously mentioned sign board explaining the scientific reason of this blue color.
The hike to this last part of the trail is also interesting. Along the 1 km (0.6 mile) route, you will be crossing two hanging bridges over rivers. You get to see the uncolored part of the river from one bridge and from the other bridge, you see the bright blue river flowing beneath. This part of the river is the bluest among all other sections, as if someone poured a bucket of paint into the river.
Teñidero is the end point of the hike. From here, you will start the return leg of the hike, walking back on the same route as the arrival part.
Do volcanoes fascinate you? There are dozens of volcanoes in Costa Rica, with many of them being currently active. Read our detailed guides for planning your visits to these active volcanoes:
Tenorio Volcano National Park: What to know before visiting Rio Celeste
In this section, you will find all the logistics details to plan your visit to the Rio Celeste Waterfall in the national park.
Park Hours
Tenorio Volcano National Park is open all days of the week, from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. However, the last entry is at 2:00 pm.
Please note, there is a daily limit on the number of people allowed in the national park. So, arrive early, especially during holiday seasons and weekends.
Entrance Fees
- Foreign nationals: 12 USD
- Costa Rica citizens and residents: 800 CRC (~1.3 USD)
Parking
There is an open parking lot just outside the national park entrance. There is another on the other side of the road across the park entrance. You need to pay 2,000 CRC (~3.3 USD) for parking.
Other Important Information
Restrooms: You will find restrooms in the ticket office building. There are no restrooms along the course of the trail.
Restaurants: There are no restaurants inside the national park. But there are couple of them right outside the park, if you want to have a casado or a coffee post the hike.
Drinking water: There is a sink with drinking water tap at the beginning of the trail. Fill you bottle here.
Plastic Use: Starting from February 25, 2021 single use plastic is not allowed inside the park.
Safety: Swimming in the pool near Rio Celeste waterfall or in the Laguna Azul is strictly prohibited. There is fencing around the viewing platforms near the waterfall and the lagoon. Respect the rules and do not jump over the fence for a swim, however tempting the pools may look like.
How to reach Rio Celeste Waterfall
Tenorio Volcano National Park entrance is about 68 km (42 miles) from the touristy town of La Fortuna. So, visiting Rio Celeste makes for a great side trip from La Fortuna.
The best way to reach the park is by driving. Following are the road directions from La Fortuna and the two international airports of Costa Rica. You do not need a 4X4 vehicle to make the trip to Tenorio Volcano National Park.
From La Fortuna
Take Ruta 4 and then from Guatuso, turn left and drive towards Rio Celeste. Look for the Tenorio Volcano National Park signage at the junction where you have to take the left. The drive takes around 1.5 hours. The roads are well paved and in good conditions. But once you get off Ruta 4, you may come across potholes in some stretches.
From San Jose Airport
Take Ruta 1 (from Alajuela side), Ruta 702 and then to connect to Ruta 4, take Ruta 141. The route is same from that of La Fortuna once you are on Ruta 4 (see previous section). The total distance is 171 km (102 miles) and the drive takes around 3.5 hours.
From Liberia Airport
Take Ruta 1 (from Guanacaste side), then Ruta 6 towards Bijagua. After Bijagua, take right and drive towards Rio Celeste. Look for the Tenorio Volcano National Park signage for taking the right. The total distance is 107 km (66 miles) and the drive takes about 2 hours.
Best Time to Visit Rio Celeste
Since the sky blue color of the river is a sunlight induced optical phenomenon, you would want to visit Rio Celeste on a sunny day. Costa Rica has a tropical climate with several micro climates in different zones. Rainy season runs from April until December, with the rest of the months as dry season. But being in the rainforest area, it can rain in this region even during the dry season. At the same time, you can see sunny mornings during the wet season as well.
Our recommendation is to base yourself near Rio Celeste for a night or two, and choose to make the trip on the morning that promises to deliver a sunny day. Or else, if you are making the trip from San Jose or Liberia, just take your chances with weather and visit the waterfall. That is what we did one fine February morning. And as you can see from the photos, we got the perfect weather for seeing the blue color of the river and the pool near the waterfall.
Rio Celeste Hike: What to Wear and What to Carry
Attire: Wear hiking pants/ shorts/ skirt, a light tee and comfortable walking shoes. We wore hiking sandals and did fine with them, but for better foot protection, choose closed toed walking shoes. There is a lot of walking involved in the Rio Celeste hike, including uneven steep slopes and hundreds of stairs.
Weather Shield: Put on hats and sunglasses for protection against the sun. Keep a raincoat handy for chances of rain.
Rain boots? If the trail gets muddy due to rain, you may be better off renting rain boots from near the entrance. Tenorio Volcano National Park trails are known for their notoriously muddy trails, especially after rains. However, on the day of our visit in February 2021, on a sunny day, I could not picture how any part of these perfectly dry trails could get muddy.
Hydration: Carry drinking water to beat the heat and humidity. The humidity is really high, which makes bearing the heat even worse.
Cameras: Last but not the least, remember to take your photography equipment of your choice, and ensure there is enough storage space on your device(s) and/or memory card(s). Can you ever get enough photos of these magical waterfall, river, pool and other geothermal formations?
COVID Protocols at Tenorio Volcano National Park
Like most of the tourist destinations in Costa Rica, including national parks, Tenorio Volcano National Park is also following strict protocols to contain COVID contagion.
- Wash basins have been installed outside the ticket office for washing hands with soap before entering.
- Wearing mask is obligatory inside the office.
- Ticket purchase is through card payment only.
- Social distancing is encouraged.
Do your part too by following the rules and recommendations.
Craving a swim at Rio Celeste? There is a way!
As previously described, you cannot swim anywhere inside the Tenorio Volcano National Park, despite the tempting blue water of Rio Celeste. However, if you cannot give up on the lure of swimming in the blue river, we are happy to share with you an open secret.
On the way to Tenorio National Park, from La Fortuna side, you will come across a river bridge few hundred meters before the park entrance. You can park your vehicle next to the road here and access the river by the side of the bridge. (By the way, it is a very common Tico way of enjoying nature wherever there is a public access to a river. We did that near Cascada El Pavon in Ojochal.)
We did not get into the water ourselves at the Rio Celeste public entrance, but saw other groups of people enjoying the river, either swimming or chilling out on the rocks in the river.
Final Thoughts on Rio Celeste
Do you like chasing waterfalls? Do you enjoy hiking in nature? Then Rio Celeste waterfall and Tenorio Volcano National Park can be a great inclusion in your Costa Rica itinerary, with a dash of green and a splash of blue, all packed in a single day.
Costa Rica is blessed with several incredible waterfalls. Check out our other waterfall guides:
Rio Negro Waterfalls and Hot Springs
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Excellent write up. If you go on writing these tour reticle this way, people cannot help but be crazy to witness the natural beauty. I congratulate you.
Thank you for the kind words 🙂
What a beautiful place! When my daughter gets a bit older I would love to go somewhere like that!
No wonder it’s called celeste – look at this color! I’ve been to Costa Rica many years ago as we were running away from Honduras after Hurricane Mitch. I was amazed by how well the Ticos are treating their natural treasures – in comparison to other Central American countries. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to visit this park – but I’d love to visit Costa Rica again since I’ve missed out on so many wonderful places.
Wow! That waterfall is gorgeous. The hike looks amazing too! Costa Rica has always been a place I have wanted to see!