Costa Rica is known for its exuberant nature and wildlife. Most of these can be found in the quite well-known and touristic national parks. However, there are still a number of lesser-known places that you should not miss. One of these places is 2 hours away from the capital San José. Here you will find a huge waterfall in a spectacular setting and rivers and waterfalls that are bluer than you can imagine. This hidden gem of Costa Rica is located in beautiful Bajos del Toro.
The hidden gem of Costa Rica
Catarata del Toro is an ecological private reserve between La Fortuna and Alajuela. This reserve is the habitat of more than 207 species of birds and has no less than 6 waterfalls. The reserve consists of two parts: Catarata del Toro and the Blue Falls. Together with the Nauyaca falls , Catarata del Toro and the Blue falls are certainly the most beautiful waterfalls in Costa Rica. But where everyone already knows the Nauyaca falls, Catarata del Toro and the Blue falls are still real hidden gems.
The reserve is open from Monday to Saturday between 07:00 and 17:00. There is a large parking lot at the entrance to the reserve. It is therefore easy to reach by car. There are also toilets and a small café at the entrance. In the parking lot we immediately spot a sloth with her baby. And as soon as we stepped into the cafe, the hummingbirds flew around us. You can also buy tickets for both parts at the entrance. You can read which options there are and how much they cost below.
Catarata del Toro
A hidden gem of Costa Rica is Catarata del Toro. This mighty waterfall falls from an enormous height into an old volcanic crater. The surroundings of the waterfall are beautiful and unlike anything you've ever seen. After a few steps from the entrance you will already reach the first viewpoint, where you can admire the huge waterfall from above. As you walk through the amazing rainforest you will come across several viewpoints where you can see the waterfall well.
Eventually you can go all the way down with more than 350 steps. You descend about 90 meters into the crater. At the very bottom you can walk around the crater to admire the entire waterfall and surroundings. You will notice that the sprayed water stings a little in your eyes, because the water is so acidic. You can also see that the water is acidic by where the vegetation does and does not grow in the crater.
A ticket for this waterfall will cost you €14 per person, but you can also combine it with a ticket for the Blue falls. While you're here, you don't want to miss the bluest waterfalls we've ever seen!
Blue falls
The Blue falls did not get their name just like that. As I said these falls are really very blue. The adventure to these waterfalls actually starts right away. You go to the waterfalls with a guide and you will have to hike a bit for it. At the start of our hike we immediately spotted a toucan! The rest of the hike was also great, because of the incredibly beautiful surroundings.
The reserve consists of a cloud forest. With us it rained during the tour and it was immediately clear why this is called that. The clouds hung very low in the rainforest and when we came back from the Blue falls, Catarata del Toro had completely disappeared in the clouds. How many waterfalls you will see and how long you will hike depends on which tour you do. You have two options.
Light version
The light version of the Blue falls tour consists of a hike of 4.5 km. You will visit the hidden gems of Costa Rica. With this tour you will hike along the Las Gemelas waterfall, blue rapids, blue pool, Tepezquintle and La Celestial. With this tour you can choose how many to see and can stop earlier or later depending on what the group wants. As a result, this tour takes between 2 and 4 hours and costs €15 per person. If you do both the light version of the Blue falls and visit Catarata del Toro you can buy a combination ticket for €25. We have done this and we definitely recommend it!
Full version
The full version of the Blue falls tour takes about 5 to 6 hours and costs €50 per person. You must be at least 18 years old for this tour and it is important that you make a reservation in advance. During this tour you will visit all the waterfalls that are in the reserve and you will therefore have to hike a lot longer.
You will have the opportunity to swim on both tours. In addition, there are parts where you walk through the water. So put on your swimsuit and water shoes. When we did this tour it was raining and the water was really cold. So also take dry clothes with you, so that you can change in the toilets after the tour. We had not done this and were quite cold on the way back.
TIP: Put on swimsuits and water shoes, because you will get wet!
What to bring to the hidden gem of Costa Rica?
- Put on swimsuits. You have the opportunity to swim. But even if you choose not to do this, you can get wet.
- Put on water shoes. You will walk parts of the river and for that you want shoes that have enough grip but can get wet.
- Dry clothes so you can change after visiting the Blue falls.
- Waterproof bag
- Water and snacks
- Sunscreen
- Deet
- You can take a walking stick, which you will get at the start of the Blue falls tour.
TIP: Bring dry clothes so you can change afterwards!
How do you get to the hidden gem of Costa Rica?
From Sarchi
We visited the hidden gem of Costa Rica from Sarchi. This is a lesser known town in Alajuela. At our hotel we arranged a tour with Costa Rica Conoce who was with us for the entire day. We highly recommend this! If you want this too you can send them a message on their Instagram account. Because of this we also had direct transport to Bajos del Toro. Bajos del Toro is just a 44-minute drive from Sarchi. So you can also use your own transport, or have an Uber take you there. From the unknown Sarchi we also visited the great Poás volcano. Read here more on this!
From La Fortuna
From La Fortuna it is 1 hour and 45 minutes drive. You can of course also use your own transport or an Uber from here. You can also choose to first take a bus to Ciudad Quesada and then take an uber or taxi here.
From San José
From San José it is also about 1 hour and 45 minutes drive to the hidden gem of Costa Rica. You can choose to go directly with an uber or your own transport. Or you can take the bus to Zarcero and then continue from here by taxi or Uber.
Do you also want to visit the hidden gem of Costa Rica from Sarchi? And are you looking for a good stay in Sarchi? We slept in this cute tiny house!
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