In the Nauyaca waterfall nature park you will find one of the largest and certainly most beautiful waterfalls in all of Costa Rica. You don't want to skip this one if you're in Costa Rica It is easy to visit from Uvita or Dominical. So put this one on your bucket list!
How do you get there?
To start with: how do you get there? The waterfall can only be reached by private car or taxi. This is easiest with your own transport. From Dominical you first drive past the ticket office, where you have to buy a ticket for €10 per person. Then you drive on to the parking lot where you have to continue on foot.
If you do not have your own transport, you can take a taxi. In the main street of Dominical you take a taxi to the ticket office. The taxi will then wait for you here. Then he drives on to the parking lot where you will be dropped off.
TIPAsk for the number of the taxi, so that it can pick you up again! There are no taxis waiting at the parking lot!
If you come from Uvita you can easily take the local bus to Dominical. It runs approximately every hour and is very cheap. After this you can take a taxi from Dominical, as described above.
Hike to the Nauyaca waterfall
As I said you have to continue on foot from the parking lot. A hike of about 4 kilometers awaits you here. This hike will take you about an hour. It is a lot of walking uphill so take your time to take it easy. There is also a lot to see along the way. This way you pass huge bamboo and you have the chance to spot all kinds of birds.
If you're really not up for the hike, you can get a truck for €35. You get on at the parking lot and are dropped right in front of the waterfall, after which you only have to walk down. You can also be brought on horseback, but we will never recommend this.
The Nauyaca waterfall
The waterfall itself consists of 2 parts. Together they are about 61 meters high. There is an upper part and a lower part. Above you will find a waterfall of 45 meters high. You cannot swim here, but you can take beautiful pictures. And of course admire the clatter of the huge waterfall.
After this you can continue down where the most beautiful part of the waterfall can be seen. Here the waterfall changes into smaller streams next to each other. At the bottom you can also swim in the natural pool. You can also sit under the huge clattering shower of the waterfall here. The water is quite cool, but very refreshing to recover from the hike.
The park is open every day from 7.30am to 4.30pm. You need at least 3 hours to do the hike back and forth and an hour to swim at the waterfall and take pictures.
TIPThe waterfall is quite crowded, also by local people. So make sure you go on time in the morning or late afternoon!
What to bring?
A number of things are useful to take with you:
- Sunscreen. It is quite hot during the hike, so it is important to apply a good amount of sunscreen!
- Towel, microfibre towels are really great for traveling.
- Swimwear. I would put this on in advance so that you can cool off at the waterfall.
- Deet. You have a good chance of mosquitoes on the way so it is useful to have deet with you.
- Water and snacks. The hike is quite long, so make sure you have enough food and drink with you!
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