TRAIL: RIO CELESTE – TENORIO VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK, costa rica

When you think of Costa Rica, the images that come to mind are of lush green rainforests, tropical temperatures, and blue waters. Take a hike to the Rio Celeste in the Tenorio Volcano National Park and you get all three.

​It was on a recent trip to Costa Rica this March – before we fled home amid Covid-19 fears – that we headed north from our temporary home base of Playa del Coco to see if the water in Rio Celeste was as aqua blue as the postcard-perfect pictures we’d seen.

The drive from the dessert coastal area up to the rain forest took us about 1.5 hours. As we turned north off Highway 1, we saw the rain clouds hugging the mountain where we were headed.

---

Having come from the very dry and hot area of Playa del Coco, it was a shocking sight to see the mountains cloaked in rain clouds but what a welcome relief it was too. As we drove higher up into the mountains, you could feel the change in elevation – my ears popped several times. We opened the car windows and stuck our hands out to feel the cool cloudy mist – it felt really refreshing!

When we pulled into the parking lot, it felt like we had parked in a cloud. Everything was dewy and the ground was kind of squishy. Having completely forgotten to bring any kind of rain gear with us (in all honesty it was all back in Canada) we grabbed our water bottles, sun hats and bought our tickets. Once we showed our tickets to the guard at the trail entrance we were good to go.

​It was around here where we met Oscar. Oscar introduced himself as a former guide in the park who was just visiting the park after a long absence. He invited us to join him on the walk. My parents liked that we would have a guide. We suspect that other “guides” do the same – linger around the entrance and hope to meet people who wouldn’t mind tagging along.
​
We liked Oscar immediately and accepted his invite after making a quick plan to tip him when the “tour” was over. It was a good decision!
Right away he started pointing out things that we never would have seen. Like this HUGE spider in the hollow of a log. Its legs looked to be at least one inch long. And furry. Very furry long legs. Relieved to see it seemed quite happy in its log home and not phased by all the tourists. Phew. And this apparently very poisonous snake whose venom can kill you in only a few hours (or something like that as I stopped listening when Oscar said “it can kill you.”) The snake was very patiently waiting for a meal, which thankfully wasn’t us. Phew. Again.

---

This trail is alive! It’s so green, and lush, and humid. As the trails moves along further into the old growth forest, the cement path changes to dirt mud and rocks and crosses a few very small streams, which can become larger depending on the rainfall.

It’s only about 1200 meters (give or take) from the entrance to the waterfall – some of that distance is trail and the other part stairs, lots of stairs. See tip below about arriving early because it’s at this point where a gate keeper tracks the people going  down and coming up the staircase. This is a good thing except you might have a wait a bit. As we were fairly early we only waited for a few minutes.
​
It’s not long after you step onto the staircase that you get your first glimpse of the water peeking out from the tree leaves below. Don’t adjust your screens – that’s the real colour of the water and that’s why the waterfall is so popular. And this was on a cloudy day! On sunny days the water is even more brilliant so we’ve been told.

We took our time going down to the falls and back up as it’s a narrow staircase and the steps were wet – it’s a rainforest after all. Everyone wants to take pictures – how can you not because it’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen before! We took a moment about halfway down to snap this photo (Yay to my parents for tackling these stair!):

The staircase was busy but it never felt rushed. Waterfalls have an incredibly calming effect on people. Even when you’re in a line like this:

This is as close as you can get to the waterfalls. It’s lovely.

You have to go back up the stairs to get back to the trail. This is where my sister and I split from our parents. They walked back to the entrance and relaxed at the cafe. We kept going on the trail, which becomes a little more difficult for those who might not be used to hiking trails or who might not have the proper footwear or weak ankles. The three of us – my sister & I and our new friend/guide Oscar – headed onwards to the mirador.

The Mirado is a lookout point but as we learned, you can’t expect to see much. Oscar said in all the times he visited the park he only saw the view a few times because it usually looks like this – blanketing clouds:

It’s from high up on those mountains that the water comes from. Next stop on the trail was the Blue Lagoon. It looks like this and faintly smells like sulfur, which comes from a hot spring close by:

The sky blue river is sky blue because of two rivers that converge – one containing sulfur and the other aluminum and other metals. The river is brilliant blue because of the chemical interaction. It’s also a dead river – nothing can live in it.
​
The legend is that when God finished painting the sky blue (s)he dipped the brush in the river.

A little further up the trail we crossed two bridges. The first bridge is rather sturdy and it crosses one of the rivers. It looks like this:

The second bridge is rather perfect for a postcard. Perhaps not quite as sturdy but it’s 100% more picturesque. This one crosses the Sky Blue River. Hardly a ripple on the still water, with the sounds of song birds flittering about and the lushness of the green forest – it really doesn’t get any more beautiful or Instagram worthy than this:

From this bridge we were only meters away from the end of the trail. The end is also the beginning of the river – it’s where the two rivers meet. The white line is sulfur deposits. And it looks like this:

The walk back was a good hike – we didn’t stop as frequently and I enjoyed the exercise. I can’t tell you how long the whole thing took as I completely lost track of time – I’m guessing around 2-3 hours (we stopped to take a lot of photos and you know, look at snakes and spiders). But all I knew is that I was hungry for lunch.
​
Oscar told us of a local place just down the road from the parking lot. Sounded perfect to me. It was called Dona Casta. It’s a roadside eatery serving very local, very traditional Costa Rican dishes. Don’t be intimidated by it’s shabby-rustic appearance. Order a glass of freshly squeezed juice and one of the main Casados and be entertained by the song birds pecking away at a bunch of bananas hung in a tree just a few feet from your table. Support a local business and treat yourself to a gem of authentic Costa Rican hospitality. Be sure to accept the dessert – you’ll thank me.

I truly loved this little hike. I’d do it again!

Five tips for Rio Celeste:
​
​Get There Early
The Rio Celeste trail is a very popular one. I highly recommend getting there by 10am or earlier for two reasons: One, you get a prime parking space. Two, you’ll beat the rush of big tour groups and shouldn’t have to wait in line to get in. The park limits the number of people they allow on the trail so the sooner you get there, the more enjoyable your experience will be.

Bring water & snacks & bug spray
There is a small cafe and other little shops at the entrance (in case you want a rain poncho) but nothing once you step onto the trail. Bring your own water and snacks if you’re one to get peckish. I did put on bug spray but not quite enough. Lather up – it’s a big forest full of little bugs that you can’t see. Also – take all your garbage with you – there are no garbage cans.

Gear
We wore regular running shoes, shorts and t-shirts. We saw a few people in rain gear but it was too hot for it. Maybe have it with you but we didn’t need it. The trail does get a bit muddy so don’t wear your fancy trainers.

When you need to 'go'
After a long drive up the mountain you’ll probably need a toilet and thankfully there is one beside the ticket counter. On that note – I’d also highly recommend carrying hand sanitizer with you.

Trail Map
If you don’t get a guide, like Oscar, take a quick snap of the map at the entrance of the park as they don’t provide printed copies. There’s only one trail and you can’t get lost but sometimes it’s good to have a reference.