
Arenal Volcano and Hot Springs from San Jose
Enjoy a full day of sightseeing to visit Sarchi, a small arts town, see the iconic Arenal Volcano & relax in the hot springs.
- 14 Hours
- Included
- Leisure, Nature
Have an extraordinary day exploring a nature park with Costa Rican rain and cloud forests, and hike the scenic trails to see five incredible waterfalls while learning about fascinating local wildlife.
La Paz Waterfall Gardens Park is located in Alajuela at the foothills of the Poas Volcano, near Vara Blanca, isolated from the city to provide a real tropical rainforest experience.
La Paz offers a variety of attractions all in one place.
On their privately owned property with 28 hectares of protected forest, you can hike over 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) of well maintained trails to viewpoints of five beautiful waterfalls, including the stunning La Paz waterfall with its 120 foot (36 meters) drop into a beautiful pool of crystal clear water.
In addition to these impressive waterfalls, you'll have the opportunity to visit the animal sanctuary, home to animals rescued by the MINAE (Costa Rica's Ministry of Environment and Energy) that were previously held illegally as pets and are now cared for in this safe refuge.
The friendly and knowledgeable staff at La Paz are happy to share information about the animals and environmental conservation.
You can also visit the butterfly garden to see tropical butterflies and learn about their life cycle and the traditional house, to learn about the old Costa Rican way of living.
Your visit can be also accompanied by a delicious buffet lunch with traditional Costa Rican dishes, fresh fruit juice, coffee and more options.
We offer a 7% discount for the La Paz Waterfall Gardens tickets for adults and children.
If you can't see the booking form below, please try refreshing the page or contact us for assistance.
The road to La Paz Waterfall Gardens is paved. However, it is very curvy and hilly, so we recommend driving slow, especially if it's raining.
As the park is located on a steep hill, do not ride your brakes going down the curves and hills as you may burn them out.
No, feeding the animals is not allowed to protect its welfare.
The park is suitable for all ages and the trails around the animal exhibits are accessible.
However, the trails to the waterfalls viewpoints are on metal platforms with steps which get steeper as the trail progresses. You need to be able to walk at least 3 kilometers (2 miles) and walk steps to do the whole waterfall hike.
At the end of the trail, you can catch the free shuttle back up to the entrance that runs every few minutes so you don't have to hike back uphill.
The waterfall trail is not stroller friendly.
In this case, for the easiest option, we recommend to book a tour with roundtrip transportation, park fee, lunch and guide included.
We offer the guided La Paz Waterfall Gardens with transportation in the link, with a discount.
There is no direct public bus to La Paz Waterfall Gardens that goes back and forth multiple times during the day from the city.
Lunch is optional.
You can choose to add it now to get our discount. If you're not sure if you want lunch or not, you may purchase just the entrance ticket now and add lunch when you arrive at the park.
We cannot offer the discount if you purchase the lunch directly from the front desk.
The lunch restaurant is buffet style with a mix of traditional Costa Rican and other cuisines.
The buffet has white rice, salads, beans, bread, cheese pizza, meat (barbecue pork and roasted chicken), fried plantains, refried beans, potato hash, pico de gallo, garlic bread, hot dogs, arroz con leche cake, tortillas, pasta in red sauce, veggie stir fry, fries, fruit juice, coffee and tea.
We recommend around 2 to 3 hours for the animals and the waterfalls.
If you'd like to make the most of your visit, we recommend seeing the animals first, then lunch and rest a bit and finally the waterfall trail.
The park is open from 8 AM to 5 PM and you may enter the park at any time, but we recommend to enter before 2 PM so you can take your time to enjoy all the facilities, exhibits and trails without being rushed.
It is recommended to bring your waterproof rain jacket, umbrella and waterproof backpack as this area tends to rain more.
If you forgot your rainjacket, there are ponchos for sale at their souvenir store.
No. Swimming is not allowed in any of the waterfalls.
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