If you love mountain landscapes, hiking and undiscovered natural attractions, then Bajos del Toro has to be on your Costa Rica itinerary.
This tiny town is home to a plethora of breathtaking waterfalls, rivers, blue pools and hikes and is a fantastic destination for the off the beaten path traveler.
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Location
Bajos del Toro is 65 kilometers (40 miles) from San Jose, about a 2 hour drive.
From Guanacaste Airport, it is about 207 kilometers (128 miles) to Bajos del Toro, about a 4 hour drive.
How to Get To Bajos del Toro
Renting a car is the best way to get to Bajos del Toro since this tiny town doesn’t have public transportation or taxis and everything is very spread out.
Get our Costa Rica car rental discount here!
Is a 4×4 required?
Although the road to Bajos del Toro from San Jose via Zarcero is paved, a high clearance car or 4wd is the best option due to steep, curvy and mountainous road.
We highly recommend a 4×4 in the rainy season and/or if you plan to be exploring other off the beaten path destinations in Costa Rica.
Bus
Unfortunately there is no direct public bus to Bajos del Toro. You will need to bus to Zarcero and then from Zarcero, take a taxi to Bajos del Toro.
This taxi ride takes about 40 minutes and costs about 15,000 colones (around $26 USD) one way.
From the bus station in Zarcero, you should be able to find official taxis (red). If there are only unofficial taxis available, make sure to negotiate the price beforehand.
There may be some Ubers around in Zarcero, but do not rely solely on Uber. There are no Ubers in Bajos del Toro.
Shuttle
The only option for shuttles to Bajos del Toro is via a private shuttle. There are no shared shuttles available.
From San Jose, it costs around $250 USD one way for a private shuttle, depending on your group size.
Need a private shuttle? Contact us and we’ll be happy to assist.
Bajos del Toro Town
This town is a teeny tiny town, though it has grown slightly in the past couple years.
The location makes it one of the best escapes in the country as it is tucked in between two national parks: Poas Volcano National Park and Juan Casto Blanco National Park.
Bajos del Toro is mostly a farming town. You’ll see just a couple of really small convenience stores), only one proper hotel, no residential neighborhoods or business centers.
Bajos del Toro has been and is still is for many years a farming area and all the local families own great tracts of land. You will see cows, chicken farms and crop fields everywhere.
Since many of the families own land with a natural attraction such as a river, swimming holes or waterfall, the locals are slowly opening up to tourism.
They mostly receive Costa Ricans from San Jose who are looking to escape the city and explore nature.
There isn’t really any tourism infrastructure set up and locals don’t speak much English, though they are very welcoming to tourists.
This is the main reason why it’s an excellent “off the beaten path” destination for tourists looking to experience a more natural, authentic Costa Rican town.
Bajos del Toro offers what is called “rural tourism” in Costa Rica.
Things to Know About Visiting Bajos del Toro
- Pay with Costa Rican colones, not USD.
- For phone service, Kolbi is the only one that works in Bajos del Toro. I had Liberty and had no service once we left Zarcero. A prepaid Kolbi sim card will be super helpful.
- No bank or gas station. Must go to Zarcero for those services.
- If staying for a couple nights at a rental or local house, stock up on supplies in Zarcero. There are only small convenience stores in Bajos del Toro.
- Signage is good for attractions. There are big signs for the waterfalls like Catarata Del Toro, Tesoro Escondido, Blue Falls, etc.
- The waterfalls get busy during Christmas, New Years and Easter Week. It is also busy during the weekends of Costa Rican holidays, such as September 15, December 1, August 15, July 25, May 1 and April 11.
Weather
Due to the elevation and location, Bajos del Toro experiences typical tropical seasons but it does tend to rain a bit more.
Dry season is from December through April, rainy season is from May though November, generally.
The best months to visit are February and March, which are usually the driest.
We visited once at the end of June and it was really rainy. It poured at night, was super cloudy and rained in the mornings through the early afternoons. We would get a couple hours of dry sky in the afternoon, but that was about it.
Make sure to pack properly for Bajos del Toro. You can check our complete Costa Rica packing list and our Costa Rica rainy season packing list.
Where to Stay in Bajos del Toro
Being such a small rural town, it is not surprising that accommodations are few and far between.
There is one amazing luxury eco-lodge called El Silencio Resort and Spa that offers 4 and 5 star accommodations. It is not for those on a budget or looking for something that luxurious, but it is definitely worth a spluge.
There is one other lodge in Bajos del Toro that offers simple, clean and cozy accommodation, Blue Morpho Lodge.
Catarata del Toro Adventures has a few simple rooms at their center, you must reserve them beforehand.
Bajos del Toro Rooms has just that – rooms. They’re actually nice, clean and offer a partial kitchen with microwave, dishwasher and coffee maker.
You can look on Airbnb to find more options.
Things to do
The best thing to do in Bajos del Toro is to hike. This area has some of the best spectacular waterfall hikes in Costa Rica!
Thanks to the surrounding volcanoes, Bajos del Toro is home to blue colored waterfalls and rivers!
Catarata del Toro
The most famous waterfall in Bajos del Toro is Catarata del Toro.
This spectacular waterfall will take your breath away as it drops 270 feet into an extinct volcano crater surrounded by lush forest.
You can walk all the way down to the bottom to feel the sheer power of the waterfall or see it from above.
It requires walking down some steep steps and the waterfall center also has short trails and a hummingbird garden.
Blue Falls
The Blue Falls of Costa Rica are two other incredible waterfalls that are also part of the Catarata del Toro Adventures.
These require more walking but it’s worth every step! These two waterfalls have a sky blue color and you can swim in one of the them.
We went on a cloudy day but on a sunny day, the color of this water is even more sky blue!
Catarata Rio Agrio – Dino Land
This Catarata Rio Agrio hike is excellent for families or those who don’t want to walk very long. The walk is around 30 minutes walk one way and you feel like you’re walking through Jurassic Park!
This family owned park even put statues of dinosaurs around, hence the name Dino Land.
Catarata Rio Agrio is the best short waterfall hike in Bajos del Toro.
The family who owns this property also has Blue Pools which you can visit on the same day as Rio Agrio waterfall.
Other Waterfalls
These are just three of the many amazing waterfall hikes in Bajos del Toro.
Other great waterfalls are Catarata Tesoro Escondido, Cascada Poza Azul and Catarata Caida del Cielo (Finca Las Nubes).
Sample Itineraries
Here are some sample itinerary ideas to include Bajos del Toro.
10 Days in Costa Rica itinerary: This itinerary is for waterfall and hiking lovers. Fast paced, requires a rental car. Goes to Bijagua, Bajos del Toro and Manuel Antonio.
For an easy luxury vacation with no budget restraint. Ideal for honeymooners as it has a couple of adult only options. Land in San Jose – Peace Lodge in Vara Blanca- El Silencio Lodge – Nayara Springs/Tabacon/Amor Arenal in La Fortuna.
Visiting Bajos del Toro on the Way to La Fortuna from San Jose
It is possible to visit Bajos del Toro on your way to La Fortuna.
If you are driving from San Jose to La Fortuna, stop to see Catarata del Toro. They have a large, partially gated parking lot. No reservations required.
SJO Airport to Catarata del Toro is a 1.5 hour drive. You can spend 1.5 hours at Catarata del Toro, then it is a 1.5 hour drive to La Fortuna.
You can also book a private transfer service to include this stop. Contact us to help you book the private transfer with the stop at Catarata del Toro.
Costa Rica Vacation Checklist
- First time to Costa Rica? Read our First Time in Costa Rica guide.
- Read our How to Get Around Costa Rica guide to find the best transportation method for you.
- Get our detailed Costa Rica Packing List and check our Mytanfeet Amazon storefront for our personal recommendations.
- Check our Costa Rica destinations map and Costa Rica restaurant map
- Do not forget to purchase Travel Insurance for your trip to Costa Rica!
- Stay connected by buying a prepaid SIM Card in Costa Rica. Get 10% off your Airalo eSIM package with our promo code “mytanfeet”
- Save money with Mytanfeet Deals and get our Costa Rica Car Rental Discount.
Grant Shanks says
Trying to figure out how to split our 8 Full (non-travel) Days in Costa Rica. 2 in Bajos, and 6 on the Caribbean coast, or 3 in Bajos, and 5 on the coast. We’re traveling at the end of May. Is 3 full days in Bajos too much?
Sammi says
Depending on what you want to do in Bajos …if you only want to see the main waterfall like Catarata del Toro Waterfall two days is enough. If you want to do another one, I’d do 3, just in case you get rained out as you’re traveling at the end of May which is the first month of the rainy season and that area tends to rain a good amount.
Christina says
If I stop by Catarata del Toro on my way from San Jose to La Fortuna, I’m worried about leaving our luggage in the car. What do you recommend?
Sammi says
They don’t have a gated parking lot but they do have a wall, you could check with them to see if you could bring your luggage inside, lots of people do this stop but take your valuables with you. Don’t leave anything of value in your car (ipad, wallet, phone, computer, passports, cameras), etc. and put your luggage in your trunk or under a trunk cover so it’s not visible.
Vanessa says
Are any of the hikes dog-friendly? With going in the wet season, will it be too tricky (muddy, etc) for a pet to navigate?
Sammi says
I know that Blue Falls and Catarata del Toro do not allow pets but I believe Dino Land (Catarata Rio Agrio) is. It may be very muddy in rainy season so depending on the size of your dog, you may have to carry them if they’re very small.
Traci Falbo says
I have a similar question as April Hawman (May 24, 2020), but didn’t see the answer. We are arriving in early November and plan to stay in San Jose for the night. We thought about doing Del Toro and Blue Falls on the way to La Fortuna. Is the parking lot secure? Also, when we leave La Fortuna is the parking secure at Rio Celeste to do that waterfall hike en route to somewhere else?
Thanks! Traci Falbo
Sammi says
You can, the Del Toro has their own parking lot. Rio Celeste has several parking lots owned by locals, if you stop there with your luggage, make sure to take your valuables with you and don’t leave anything visible so put things under the seat/in the trunk, if you have an SUV, get a luggage cover