Rio Celeste Falls

Costa Rica | Exploring Rio Celeste We stayed at a hotel in La Fortuna and booked a guided hike to Rio Celeste through the hotel reception. It cost around USD $120 per person, including a guide and lunch. We set off at 8:00 am and drove about 1 hour 45 minutes to get there. The road was quite bumpy along the way. Our guide joked that it was a “free massage”. During the drive, we were lucky enough to spot a sleepy sloth resting in a tree. The hike itself is around 2.5 km one way, with quite a lot of stairs and uphill sections. I highly recommend wearing waterproof shoes because parts of the trail can get muddy. There are five main viewpoints along the route, and every single one is beautiful. The waterfall was definitely the most impressive and breathtaking part. Along the way, we also spotted plenty of wildlife, including snakes, lizards and other tropical creatures. A little safety tip: avoid randomly touching tree branches or plants, as some areas are home to venomous snakes. Overall, Rio Celeste is absolutely worth visiting. If you love hiking and nature, this is a place you definitely shouldn’t miss. Driving experience in Costa Rica Monteverde to Rio Celeste I would rate this drive 4 out of 5 in difficulty. The entire route is mostly dirt roads, with frequent uphill and downhill sections and lots of mountain roads. The most frustrating part is that you need to drive on roads like this for around 1.5 to 2 hours, and it is easy to accidentally enter sections marked “solo 4x4” (only four-wheel-drive vehicles allowed). Do not go in unless you have a proper 4WD vehicle. Knowing a little Spanish is definitely helpful. The good thing is that the scenery along the way is absolutely stunning. You will see beautiful countryside views, cows grazing in the fields, and those rusty-looking wind turbines that feel very much like Costa Rica. There are many steep sections, and my husband found the drive extremely challenging. In some areas, he had to rely on engine braking to control the car. We had an SUV, but it was not a four-wheel-drive vehicle. We managed it during the dry season, but I honestly cannot imagine driving this route during the rainy season. We have driven off-road routes in Hawaii before, but this was much longer and more challenging. Rio Celeste to La Fortuna This section is mostly paved roads, so after the previous drive, it felt like paradise. However, it still had its challenges. The roads are extremely narrow and winding through the mountains. Some sections are one-way, while others are two-way. Because the roads are so narrow, cars coming from the opposite direction often drive right in the middle of the road. Since it is paved, many drivers go relatively fast, making it even more nerve-wracking. You always need to be ready to slow down or move aside. Another thing to be aware of is that Costa Rica receives a lot of rain, and landslides can happen suddenly. Halfway through our drive, we saw a section of road that had collapsed completely. On one side was a deep ravine, and it was scary to imagine what could have happened if a car had gone over.