Description
Tucked into the mountains of Vara Blanca, between Poas Volcano and Braulio Carrillo National Park, La Paz Waterfall Gardens gathers in a single place much of what makes Costa Rica special. Just an hour from San Jose, this private nature park blends cloud forest and rainforest trails, five majestic waterfalls and wildlife exhibits that delight families, photographers and nature lovers alike.
The visit is enjoyed at your own pace, with the whole day to explore. We begin at the hummingbird garden, where more than twenty species dart among flowers and feeders inches from visitors, like iridescent jewels suspended in the air. Next comes the great butterfly observatory, one of the largest in the world, where blue morphos and owl butterflies drift beneath a canopy of tropical plants.
The route continues through the aviary of toucans and macaws, the serpentarium, the frog exhibit with red-eyed tree frogs and electric-hued poison dart frogs, the orchid garden, and a sanctuary that is home to jaguars, pumas, ocelots and other rescued wild cats that cannot return to the wild. Spider monkeys and sloths round out the cast.
Then comes the most thrilling part: the waterfall trail, about two miles of paths and stairways descending alongside the La Paz River. Viewing platforms place you face to face with falls such as Templo and Magia Blanca, whose mist cools your face among giant ferns and mosses. At midday we savor a buffet lunch of traditional Costa Rican dishes overlooking the forest before returning to your hotel relaxed and renewed.
