Rio Celeste and Tenorio Volcano National Park
Laatst bewerkt op 29 mei 2024
The Tenorio Volcano national park has a very big asset: the Rio Celeste, a surreal blue river, one that seems straight out of a fairy tale. Even though this national park seems a bit remote, it is highly recommended to plan this destination on your itinerary.
To Rio Celeste
From Bijagua or Guanacaste (La Cruz, The Gold Coast,…)
- From Liberia, take Ruta 1 south.
- 6 km before you get to Cañas, take the exit under the highway towards Upala (Ruta 6).
- From Bijagua follow the signs for Tenorio National Park and turn right
From La Fortuna
- Follow Ruta 4 from La Fortuna til you reach the Rio Frio Bridge in Guatuso 40 km further on.
- Follow the signs to the left to Rio Celeste Hideaway.
A visit to the Rio Celeste is perfect after a stay in Tortuguero, Sarapiqui or Tirimbina, Bajos del Toro, Boca Tapada, La Fortuna or Monteverde. Beach lovers come from The Gold Coast or the far north in La Cruz and El Jobo.
Scenic route via Nuevo Arenal
The scenic route from La Fortuna passes Lake Arenal and the remote village of Arenal Nuevo. Maps.me claims it is only a 45-minute drive on the 45 km stretch to Rio Celeste.
Nothing is further from the truth…
Calculating travel time at an average of 60 km/h does not apply in Costa Rica once you leave the main roads. If it’s a gravel road, count twice or even times three as far as travel time is concerned. Bumping along, we are on our way to Guatuso.
Up in the hills expats are living with a view of a vast panorama of green hills.
In a small Tico village, locals walk with an umbrella to protect themselves against the tropical sun. And for good reason. Its 32°C. At noon, the sun has its full power so close to the equator. We bounce along at 20km/h on a rained out road full of potholes.
Coloured Tico houses brighten the wretched state of the road. That road has footpaths which in Costa Rica – once you go outside the big cities – is an oddity. Usually the road is reserved exclusively for vehicles and you really risk your life as a pedestrian or cyclist.
Guatuso is a practical little town with local folklore. It has stores, a doctor, a veterinarian and a number of supermarkets. Loud music blares from the supermercado. It is not only the animals in Costa Rica that produce a substantial amount of decibels. The Tico’s eagerly compete with the wildlife and love to turn up the volume. Soon the commercial activity of Guatuso merges into the smooth paved road Ruta 4 towards Upala. Here you pass pineapple fields over bridges and rivers past small villages.
Lodging in Rio Celeste or Bijagua
While there are not that many lodging options near Tenorio National Park, the village of Bijagua a little further down the road is definitely also a good base with plenty of choice in every budget.
Bijagua is the ideal base to visit the Tenorio National Park. You can spend a few days here getting a taste of authentic Costa Rica without feeling bored. The rural village is tucked away in the Guanacaste Mountain Range between two dormant volcanoes in a fertile green valley.
The Miravalles Volcano and the Tenorio Volcano are a beautiful backdrop for numerous activities. In addition to birdwatching and hiking, you can also go mountain biking, horseback riding and river tubing on the Rio Celeste.
Bijagua is located approximately 2 hours drive from both the popular beaches of the Gold Coast of Guanacaste and from La Fortuna.
Staying on a cacao farm
We are on our way to Finca Amistad Cacao Lodge. At 20 km from our destination, the GPS sends us into a dirt road. That’s not so strange. Maps.me likes to direct you to back roads. But the dirt road turns into a sand track and then into grass.
This does not feel right.
We return to the main road and decide to ignore maps.me for a while. Until we see a sign to Finca la Amistad. Phew! Back on the right track.
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After 7 km – including 3 km of bumpy dirt road – we turn into the tall imposing wooden gate of the cocoa farm. The work crew is just packing up for the day. We park and follow the arrow to the ‘recepcion’.
Our Tica host offers us a fresh chocolate drink on the rustic outdoor patio before escorting us to our bungalow.
She pushes open the creaky door and shows us a rather spartan little “room”. I frown and look at her: “Es un error?” We booked a bungalow with a terrace and with definitely more space than this little shag. She suddenly realizes the mistake, apologizes, gets another key in the main building and takes us to the back into the garden.
Casa Maravillosa has a large shared balcony with 2 sitting areas with a large table and a refrigerator. Our room is more rustic than in the photos on booking.com, but definitely nice. We throw off the luggage and go for walk on the property over bridges along a chocolate-coloured creek.
Walking trail on a cacao farm
The estate of Finca Amistad is full of cacao trees with ripe cacao pods. Luckily there is a whole process involved in getting to the final chocolate product. The produce would not have been safe with me around.
In the dense foliage along the river, a large blue and orange butterfly flutters by too fast to get on the picture. What a beauty and so big! A bit later, a smaller size of this butterfly species settles on a leaf where a spider has been hiding underneath.
La cena or dinner time. By 6:30 we make our way down to the main building decoraded with tropical flowers. Meanwhile, a freshly made pizza crackles in a country-style outdoor oven. It is truly enjoyable to see the nature by candlelight with a concert of thousands of crickets around you.
Pura Vida…
Breakfast at a chocolate farm
We start the day with artisanal chocolate products. A large mug of freshly made chocolate is steaming in front of me as I eagerly bite into the freshly baked bread with homemade chocolate marmalade. I’m in heaven…
In Costa Rica, you are not easily spoiled with fresh bread and chocolate.
If you stay at the finca you can participate for free in a chocolate tour of the farm. The tour is in Spanish but very visual so everyone can pick up enough of it.
Visit Tenorio National Park
In planning the trip, I had stumbled upon an abundance of photos of the Rio Celeste on the Internet. “Those pictures are edited” was the first thing that came to mind.
“Is the blue really be that blue?” We set out in a slightly overcast sky with spells of sunshine. Ideal weather conditions to see the colour. After 4 km we arrive at the entrance to the Parque Nacional Volcan Tenorio. You can leave your car safe(r) before the entrance for 2000 colones.
Never leave luggage (visible) in the vehicle!
We pay 12 USD per person and set off with high expectations eager to see the magical blue river.
Walk to Rio Celeste waterfall
The first stretchis a concrete path with bushes along both sides. This quickly turns into a rougher path with lush vegetation and sky-high trees full of lianas. A little ahead, hikers stand silently peering down.
Something is out there!
On a tree stump an eyelash pit viper lies nicely showing off for the picture. It’s a peaceful image. You would almost forget how dangerous the venom of this viper is. A little further on we see a harmless vine snake hanging in the bushes for as long as 2 meters. 140 species of snakes call Costa Rica their home. Knowing which ones are poisonous is not a luxury when you go into the jungle. Fortunately, a snake never attacks without a good reason. Just admire them from a distance.
The trail continues steeply upward along large steps which are not made for the smaller human. While climbing up in big steps I feel my heart rate increase. Not just because of the sight that lay ahead of us. My condition is just not at its best in the winter and is put to the test a hell of a lot when walking uphill. After 1.5 km you will reach the waterfall.
The Catarata Celeste plunges 90 meters lower into a pool of the finest turquoise water surrounded by a deep green lush jungle with a clear blue sky above.
Talk about picture perfect… And yes: the water is that blue!
Going from the Rio Celeste waterfall to meeting of the waters
Walk back up the steps and follow the trail to the Mirador. From a wooden platform you will see the four volcanic peaks and two craters in the distance.
Laguna Azul. After a rain, the place is very muddy and slippery. We are lucky, the hiking trail to the fairy blue lake is in good shape today.
And blue it is for sure!
The surreal turquoise colour of the water makes an idyllic scene in the lush green jungle I realize that at this rate the battery of my camera will be empty in no time 🙂
Borbollones. Slightly less idyllic is the smell of rotting eggs that greets us on the next part of the trail. Bubbles in the hot water release a fierce smell of sulfur. Let’s walk on to the next natural phenomenon.
Teñideros. Where the Rio Buena Vista and Rio Quebrada Agria flow into the Rio Celeste, you can see the colour of the water change dramatically from light brown to the magical blue. The river holds this unique colour over a length of 14 km.
How does the river get this unique colour?
“ The gods painted the sky blue and used the river to wash their paintbrushes”
According to the University of Costa Rica, the colour has nothing to do with magic or a chemical reaction. It’s an optical phenomenon caused by minerals on the rocks at the rivers bottom that reflect the sunlight and give the water a blue tone.
Whatever the explanation, it is mesmerizing to see.
What to see and do at Tenorio National Park?
Because of its location away from the standard routes, the park is not as crowded as other national parks. The Tenorio Volcano has been sleeping for thousands of years. According to the indigenous people, the rivers and lakes that flow from it are the “home of the gods” and sacred places that are protected.
Protected or not, unfortunately, the park suffers from illegal logging and hunting. However, there is a shortage of staff to do sufficient checks. Volunteers try to maintain the trails and wooden bridges as well as possible with limited resources. Revenue from visitors to this park helps to protect this unique place.
Tenorio National Park is ideal for birdwatching and spotting wildlife such as monkeys, sloths, reptiles, … Even the rare tapir is sometimes spotted.
It is forbidden to swim in Tenorio National Park after tourists drowned in the strong current. Tapirs do swim here
Other activities: tubing and horseback riding along the river is also possible….
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Walking experience
You don’t need to be super fit to see the waterfall. The rest of the trail is also quite easy to do – in dry conditions – at your own pace. You will hike a total of almost 7 km in about 3 to 4 hours.
If the trail is muddy and you don’t have appropriate footwear with you, you can rent rain boots at the entrance. Flip flops are a definite no-go 🙂
You will be walking in a humid and tropical environment in the rainforest. There is always a chance of rain. Go hiking with light clothing that dries quickly and put on good walking shoes.
When to visit?
In the dry season from mid-December to April, you have the best chance to witness the phenomenon with your own eyes. After heavy rainfall, the reflection of the blue colour in the water is not ( properly) visible.
Want to be really sure? Keep an eye on the FB page of Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio. They alert visitors when the colour is not visible.
Access from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The last visitors must leave the park by 5 pm.
During the high season the number of visitors is limited to 400 at a time. So you might have to wait a while in some places for your picture perfect shot in these breathtaking surroundings.
Finding beauty & peace under the trees? That’s easy in Tenorio Volcano National Park. It is the ideal place to recharge in a fairytale setting.
No private transport? Visit Tenorio National Park from La Fortuna as a day trip.
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Onwards from Rio Celeste
- Go to the wetlands of Caño Negro, to spot birds, monkeys, lizards and caimans.
- Explore the pristine beaches at El Jobo and la Cruz.
- Go for an off the grid adventure in Dos Rios In the backyard of the Rincon de la Vieja.
- Visit it Rincón de la Vieja National Park from Curubandé.
- Drive via Bijagua and Tilaran to the Cloud forest of Monteverde.
- Continue your journey to La Fortuna, Boca Tapada, Sarapiqui and Tirimbina to Tortuguero.
We are heading to the wetlands of the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, a paradise for animal lovers.
Latest version: May 11th, 2023
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