It is the photo everyone brings back from La Fortuna: seventy metres of water falling through the forest. What the photos do not mention is the five hundred steps down, and that you have to climb them again.
The steps
Concrete, with handrails, in good shape. This is not climbing. But there are five hundred of them, and coming back up takes fifteen to thirty minutes depending on your fitness. If someone in your group has a bad knee or a heart condition, better to know before paying the entry.
There are benches on the way. Nobody is in a hurry.
Can you swim?
Yes, in the pool at the bottom and in the river a little further along. The water is cold — it comes off the mountain — and the current near the falls is strong. The safe area is marked and there are lifeguards.
What to bring
- Closed shoes with grip. The steps get wet from the spray.
- Swimsuit on under your clothes and a towel. There are changing rooms, but the queue eats your time.
- Water. The climb back makes you thirsty.
- A dry bag or pouch for your phone.
What time
Early. The tour buses arrive mid-morning and the pool fills up. The first hours are the only ones where you get the place nearly to yourself.
The waterfall listing has contact details and the location. If you are also doing the volcano the same day, do the volcano first: it clouds over sooner.
And if it rained the days before, it will be running much stronger. See when to visit.