Catarata Llanos de Cortes is one of the must see waterfalls in Costa Rica and one of the best waterfalls to see if you’re staying in any of the destinations in the Guanacaste province.
Catarata Llanos de Cortes waterfall (also known as Llanos de Cortez waterfall) is only a 5 minute walk from the parking lot to the waterfall and a great cheap activity in Guanacaste.
Important Things to Know About Llanos de Cortes Waterfall
- Open everyday from 8 AM to 4 PM
- 4×4 not required
- No pets allowed
- Free parking with a bathroom
- Short trail down to waterfall
- No market/restaurant, bring your own food and drinks
- Pay entrance fee upon arrival. Cash only in USD or CRC.
In the rainy season, please check the Catarata Llanos de Cortes Facebook page for updates. They will post if the waterfall closes due to weather.
Sometimes, when it has been raining heavily, they will close the waterfall for safety reasons. Other times, it is open but swimming may not be allowed.
Worse months for weather are usually September, October and November.
Location and Directions
The Cortes waterfall is in Bagaces, Guanacaste.
Catarata Llanos de Cortes is 36 kilometers (22 miles) from Guanacaste Airport and about a 35 minute drive.
Sometimes, the Llanos de Cortes waterfall is spelled with a z as in “Llanos de Cortez waterfall” and it’s the same waterfall.
How to Get to Catarata Llanos de Cortes
The best way is to drive to Llanos de Cortes Waterfall.
You can use Google Maps or Waze as your GPS. In Waze and Google Maps, enter “Catarata Llanos de Cortes” as your destination.
You will see a lot of signs at the turn.
Continue on this road for about a kilometer or so and then you will see another entrance to the right with a sign that says “Waterfall.” You’ll then see a security station which you need to go through to continue to the waterfall.
Continue on this road after paying the fee about another kilometer or so to the parking lot.
There is no pubic bus directly to the waterfall.
Road Condition, 4×4 required for Llanos de Cortez Waterfall?
The road to the Cortez waterfall is in good condition. It is not fully paved but there weren’t many big holes and it’s fairly flat, not many hills or anything.
You do not need a 4×4, you can drive to the Llanos de Cortez waterfall in a sedan in the dry season. There aren’t any steep hills or mountains roads to get to this waterfall.
If you visit during October or during a tropical storm in rainy season, the road may be muddy.
Catarata Llanos de Cortes hours
The Cortes waterfall is open 8AM – 4 PM everyday.
Catarata Llanos de Cortes entrance fee
4000 CRC for foreign adult
2000 CRC for foreign children ages 7-12
2000 CRC for seniors 65+ (must have passport if foreign)
2000 CRC for students with valid student ID
Parking and Facilities
The Llanos de Cortez waterfall has a large parking and they do have bathrooms (not a porter potty). No showers or changing rooms.
The parking lot is not under surveillance nor is there a proper guard so make sure not to leave any valuables visible in the car.
Also roll up your windows and lock your doors.
When we visited, there was a man sitting outside the bathrooms, kind of watching the parking lot.
What to bring
Swimsuit, change of clothes, towel, sandals or flip flops, snacks, water/drinks, sunglasses and sunscreen if you plan to stay for a couple hours.
They don’t sell food or drinks at the waterfall all the time. We have been there once during the holidays when some locals brought their own stand to sell shaved ice, snacks and cold coconut water but this is not always.
So make sure to bring your own refreshments.
The Trail to the Llanos de Cortez Waterfall
The total time to walk from the parking lot to the Llanos de Cortes waterfall is around 5 minutes.
From the parking lot, you will see a sign that says Catarata Waterfall 100 m with an arrow pointing left. Walk on this trail and you’ll get to the entrance of the main trail.
They have now made a very nice concrete path down to the waterfall.
It’s a very short walk, just about 3-5 minutes and they have a rope for a handrail and concrete steps all the way down.
The steps are not super steep so for anyone in good physical health, it is no problem. For anyone who may have ankle or knee problems, go slow and use the handrail.
Thankfully, there aren’t a ton of steps, maybe around 30 or so. It took me about 3 minutes to walk down to the waterfall from the parking lot.
When you get to the bottom of the trail, turn right to go to the waterfall.
The Stunning Cortes Waterfall
The Llanos de Cortes waterfall is no doubt, impressive. Especially if you go in the rainy season and it is very full from all the rains.
It is truly like an oasis in the desert as the water is super refreshing. It feels oh so good in the heat!
Important: They do not allow people to climb up the rocks under the waterfall.
During the rainiest months like October and November, the wall on the right side of the waterfall activates a second smaller waterfall!
It has a pool you can swim in too. It is seasonal so it won’t be there during the drier months like February, March and April.
If conditions are good, you can also walk up to the left side of Cortes waterfall to climb up to the top.
Be very careful as it may be slippery or muddy, it’s not a proper trail at all, just climbing up through the forest.
You’ll be able to see the river that supplies the waterfall and even walk all the way back to the parking lot from there.
We did this in March, the driest month in Guanacaste so it wasn’t muddy and all the foliage was dead/dry. I do not recommend it during the rainy season (May through November).
If it has been raining a lot, they may not allow you to swim in the waterfall due to unsafe conditions. PLEASE adhere to the regulations, they are for safety purposes.
Other Things to Know About Visiting the Llanos de Cortez Waterfall
- No bonfires or grills allowed.
- No smoking, no camping.
- Keep your ticket, they can ask for it anytime.
- You can stop by if you’re driving from Guanacaste (like Tamarindo/Playas del Coco/Conchal) to La Fortuna or vice versa. You can also stay for as long as you want, as it’s a nice day trip.
- To get the most of your day trip, you can visit the waterfall in the early morning for about an hour or just a photostop on your way to Rio Celeste. Or do Cortes Waterfall + zipline at Rincon de la Vieja or Diamante Eco Adventure Park.
What Else to Know About the Cortes Waterfall
This waterfall is now a popular spot for tours and it’s not as “hidden” as it used to be when we first visited.
Tour companies start stopping there 930, 10 AM or so. Or, go around 1-2 PM on a weekday.
Holidays are crazy busy, particularly Costa Rican holidays: Chrismas, New Years, Holy Week, Mother’s Day (August 15) and Independence Day (September 15).
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Other beautiful waterfalls are the Nauyaca waterfalls near Dominical in the South Pacific, Rio Celeste waterfall in northern Costa Rica, Catarata Rio Agrio, Blue Falls and Catarata del Toro in Bajos del Toro. Or check out our post on 12 amazing waterfalls in Costa Rica!
Sandy says
Super helpful guide. Thank you. We just got to Coco Beach so we are now definitely planning on going thanks to your blog. Quick question. Do you know if Pets are allowed? Thanks
Sammi says
Yes but on leashes only
Jill says
I recently went to the waterfall Oct. 2022 and they do not allow pets anymore. We drove an hour and had to turn back. We are going again tomorrow but without the dog! 🙂
Sammi says
Aw bummer, thanks for the update
Joel Haldeman says
Hi – we went today and found your guide very helpful. FYI: the price is now 4000 colones per adult and 2000 per child and this was not presented as an optional donation.
Ilana says
Hi. We are going to be in Costa Rica the last week of March. We are thinking of stopping at the waterfall on our way from Tamarindo to Arenal. We will have all our stuff in the car. Will this be safe?
Thanks
Sammi says
It’s not a secure parking lot in the sense they have cameras and all that, the parking lot is fairly spacious and they did have one man who was sitting in front of the bathrooms the whole time… my recommendation is to try to hide as much as your things as possible and roll up your windows and lock your doors. If the man is still there when you go, maybe try to see if he can specifically keep an eye on your car and give him a tip.
Juli Jones says
Our flight lands in Liberia at 12p. Would we be able to rent a car, stop at Llanos de Cortes then Rio Celeste then to La Fortuna that same day? Do you recommend a guide at Rio Celeste or do on our own? Thank you!
Sammi says
I don’t think so because you have to enter Tenorio Volcano National Park before 2 PM and after going through all the customs, immigration, and whatever the new regulations will be for COVID-19, you won’t get there in time since it’s at least a 1.5 hour drive to Rio Celeste from Liberia.
Tineke Klumper says
Hi!
I can’t seem to find the Las Pilas waterfall the E Bike company takes us too… Any idea?
Sammi says
I recommend to ask them!
Denise says
We are traveling with our small service dog. Do you know she be allowed at the waterfall?
Thanks
Sammi says
I think, since the waterfall isn’t a national park or reserve and we have been at the waterfall once where someone brought their dog.
Maria says
How did this go? I’m also traveling with a service dog. Thanks
Sammi says
Dogs aren’t allowed at this waterfall but they should permit certified service dogs – bring your dogs certification and paperwork, and dogs must be on a leash.
Cynthia says
Hi Sammi, Would you recommend doing a tour for this waterfall or just going on your own?
Sammi says
If you have a car, you can drive there and visit on your own. It’s just a 5 minute walk to the waterfall from the parking lot. If you don’t have a car, I’d recommend to visit it on a tour and most companies will combine it with something like hanging bridges, another hike, etc.
Michael Lopez says
This was such wonderful info! We are about to leave to the waterfalls right now. Great read. @joinourvidaloca
Juanita says
We just went to visit this waterfall on December 25th, 2018. The road is now open. You can park at the parking lot near the stairs down to the waterfall and it is $7USD per person. As recommended you want to combine this trip with something else like visiting this waterfall on your way to Rio Celeste. We spent maybe a 1/2 hour there. It was busy.
Make sure to read the @mytanfeet directions. They are accurate and your GPS may take you to the town.
Sammi says
Thank you for the update and feedback Juanita!
Annette t Simmonds says
Hi. We are planning to take a day trip from playa Flamingo to llanos de Cortes, then to playa Coco and be back by 4pm. (car rental rtn time)
Would this be possible? What is the time line needed and directions. Thanks for your help. Pura Vida
Sammi says
Hi Annette, yes you can definitely do that in one day. Most people stay about a half day from Cortes, then Cortes to Coco is about a 1 hour drive. So you can arrive in the morning at the waterfall, spend a few hours, go to Coco, spend a couple hours and then return the car. If you have Waze or GPS, you can type in the name of the waterfall and towns to get directions.