Nauyaca Falls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Costa Rica. The lower falls would be a must see in its own right, but then you have a second waterfall above, and the two together really do have the wow factor.
The falls flow into a deep emerald swimming hole, one of the best pools for swimming we visited in the whole country.
You have several options for reaching the Nauyaca Waterfall, normally we’re all about the hike, but after a particularly hot and humid couple of days in nearby Manuel Antonio, we opted for the easy option and took a 4WD most of the way.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Nauyaca Waterfall via the easy route at Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park.
The different routes to Nauyaca Waterfall
There are two different entrances for Nauyaca Waterfall, each entrance is on private land and you’ll need to pay an entry fee. No guide is required at either entrance.
We opted to visit from the Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park side, which we’ll go into details on below. But in short, if you use this entrance, you can choose either to take a 4WD transfer from the ticket office to within 750m of the waterfall, or you can opt to walk one way (2.7km) and get the shuttle back. There is no option for walking both ways from this entrance.
We didn’t access the waterfall from the other side, the Don Lulo's entrance (marked at “Nauyaca Waterfalls” on Google maps - the location is here) but we did read up on it. You can walk both ways from this start point, which is your cheapest option for visiting the falls (USD $10). If you have a 4WD then you get to within 4km of the falls (8km return), if not you’ll need to walk for 12km return.
You can also pay an additional fee to take horses or a 4WD, which knocks out all but the last 100m of the walk. The downside to the 4WD from this entrance is that you only get two hours at the falls.
We weren’t sure how long we would want to spend there, so we didn’t want a time limit. If you take the transfer from the Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park side, they have wifi at the pick up point, so you just Whatsapp them when you want a lift back.
Our experience using the Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park entrance
The Nauyaca Waterfall walk to the shuttle drop off area
We arrived at the ticket office fully intending to walk the 2.7km to the falls and just take the shuttle back. As we mentioned above, normally we’re all about the walk and would usually have opted to do the cheaper longer hike using the other entrance.
However, this part of Costa Rica is really hot, and after just having walked over 9km in Manuel Antonio National Park, we knew just how sticky it would be. Therefore when we were recommended to take the shuttle both ways as much of the walk is along the road, we went for it.
What we can tell you is that if you do want to hike one way, you’ll spend some time walking on a gravel road and some time in the forest. It’s mainly downhill, but there are a couple of sneaky undulations.
The scenery is actually gorgeous, this is a country road with views, not your average ugly paved road. However, the section along the road is very exposed, so we’d recommend starting early, or it’s going to be really toasty.
At some point you do cut into forest, which would be nice and shady, and of course better than walking on the road.
After a couple of kilometres you’ll come to the area where the shuttle drops people off and then everyone follows the same walking track for the last 750m.
The rainforest walk beyond the shuttle drop off
The Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park side has a few trails if you fancy doing more than simply beeline to the upper or lower falls. There’s a riverside trail (which also has picnic benches) and rainforest walk to make a loop from the bottom falls to the upper falls. You can see the trail map below.
From the shelter/drop off point, everybody will walk the last 750m to the falls on a well maintained track. The walk is downhill all the way and after an initial few minutes on a gravel road, you’ll enter the rainforest.
The rest of the hike is really shady and you’re surrounded by stunning rainforest.
After 250m you pass through a little gate and from here the path is mainly steps. At the 400m mark you reach a junction between the upper and lower falls.
The lower falls is where you can swim and we recommend visiting here first, as this is the spot that gets busy. The stairs heading downhill last for another 300m before a final 50m flat stretch to the falls. You’ll arrive at a rocky area, where there are plenty of boulders to relax on beside the water.
Nauyaca Waterfall: the bottom of the falls
The walking track will bring you to the bottom of the falls 750m after you left the shuttle drop off area. There are lots of large boulders in front of the falls which you’ll have to climb over to get to the pool. It’s easy enough and only takes a minute.
The bottom falls are divided by a river and this separates the areas owned by the two different companies.
The bottom of the falls are magnificent, and from the Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park you can see the upper falls and the lower falls together. From the other side of the falls you can see the lower falls with a partial view of the upper falls.
Obviously you can swim across the pool, or wade through the water that separates the two areas, but if you’re not planning to swim and want to stay dry, then I would highly recommend visiting the falls from the Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park - otherwise you will miss the best views.
The view from the “Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park” side
The view from the “Nauyaca Waterfalls” side
It’s worth noting that there are signs up on the Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park side saying that you can’t use this area if you didn’t enter through their private trail, so though you can wade across the water, or swim across the pool, you’re not actually supposed to.
It’s worth noting that in the dry season the water that separates the two areas was knee deep, in the height of the rainy season, it might be too deep and ferocious to cross.
I was blown away by the view from the side of the falls we were on, the bottom falls are magnificent, but the upper falls add an extra bit of magic to the scene. It felt like something out of the Jungle Book, with the incredible cascades, the emerald pool, high cliff walls and dense rainforest, we even had toucans fly overhead.
I came to Nauyaca Falls with high expectations and it didn’t disappoint.
Swimming at Nauyaca Waterfall
I have lost count of how many waterfalls I swam at in Costa Rica, but there are dozens. Nauyaca was definitely one of my favourites. The pool is absolutely huge, and in the dry season there was virtually no current - a stark contrast pools to many I swam in.
Getting into the pool requires negotiating a few rocks in the water and then it becomes very deep. The pool was unobstructed for the most part, but just make sure you pass all the rocks inside the water and get a few metres out from the edge, otherwise you might bump into a boulder. Once over this section it was the most relaxing swim as you could do proper lengths up and down the pool.
Cold water haters will be delighted to hear that the water is relatively warm by waterfall standards. The water temperature was only beaten by Llanos de Cortes for warmth and will likely feel refreshing rather than cold as most of the falls do.
In dry season when the flow of the falls is not too powerful, you can go right up to the cascades and even into a little cave opening on the left side of the pool. It was an absolutely incredible experience.
The Riverside and Rainforest walk
Once you’ve enjoyed the bottom falls, you can choose to walk the quickest way to the upper falls (retracing your steps back to the junction), or take the more scenic route. The riverside walk and rainforest loop from the bottom falls adds on around 400m vs returning the way you came.
We opted to do this and first started on the riverside trail before connecting with the rainforest track, which finished just below the junction with the upper and lower falls. The rainforest track is more rustic, with huge leaves covering the path. It feels like a proper jungle hike, there are no stairs, and it has a more wild vibe.
In the dry season it wasn’t slippery, but I can imagine it might be in the rainy season. There was also an option part way up the rainforest track to take the mountain goat trail - but we decided not to risk that incase it was super steep and slippery, but this does offer a slightly shorter option.
If you don’t fancy doing the longer river and jungle loop, then you can simply walk back up the well maintained staircases to the junction.
The upper falls - the cave falls
From the junction you can head straight back up and out of the Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park, or visit the upper falls. From the junction it’s only a 150m easy walk, and they were way more impressive than I was expecting.
In the dry season you don’t have huge volumes of water coming over the cliff side, but what I hadn’t realised was that this side of the upper falls had a cool overhang.
There are three bench seats inside the overhang and it’s a great place to sit and relax whilst watching the falls. I had a peek over at the upper falls on the other side (accessed via the other entrance) and there wasn’t a cave, so I personally think the upper falls are more photogenic from the Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park side.
There was also a small pool beside the giant boulders at the bottom of the upper falls, which if I’d have realised before I got changed, I would probably have gone for a dip in.
The facilities at the Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park
One of my favourite things about the Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park experience was that by the shuttle drop off points they had hammocks as well as picnic tables.
There are gorgeous views from here and it was so nice to swing in the hammock and watch the birds and butterflies for a while before getting the shuttle back up the hill.
They also have a giant jenga set and a pile of walking sticks if you want some extra stability (this is probably more for the rainy season, as the path wasn’t slippery at all in the dry season).
There are also flush toilets with toilet paper, a changing room and an outdoor (not private) shower if you want to rinse off.
You can fill your water bottle here and at the sinks just down the gravel road, before entering the rainforest.
There is wifi available so that when you’re ready to leave, you can simply give the office a call, or send them a Whatsapp.
At the ticket office there is also a small cafe and seating area, as well as one more hammock. There are toilets here too.
When you finish your trip you are given a free cup of cold hibiscus juice - my personal fave, and there is also free tea and coffee. You can purchase a small selection of other drinks as well.
How the shuttle transfers work
Our experience was that the shuttles left on demand and it took around 10 minutes. They are in an open truck type vehicle and the way down is a bit steep. I actually couldn’t believe that they could make it down in the rainy season, but they can! Big groups go in a tractor trailer instead.
I loved that we could contact them when we wanted to return, as a few weeks earlier we’d visited Poza Celestes in Bajos del Toro and had to give a pick up time in advance (as we didn’t have phone signal). We ended up asking for way too little time because we hadn’t known what to expect, and ended up having to go again!
The best time to visit Nauyaca Waterfall
In my opinion the dry season is the best time to visit, because although the flow of the falls is depleted, you can swim in the pool. I asked the shuttle driver about the rainy season and he said that the majority of the time during rainy season you can’t swim as the current is too wild and it would be dangerous. I’ve also seen pictures where the falls have turned brown after really heavy rain.
If you simply want to view the falls, then I imagine it’s pretty dramatic in the rainy season, but the water colour will not be so green and clear.
In relation to time of day, I would recommend going at opening time, this is because Nauyaca Falls is one of Costa Rica’s most popular waterfalls - so it gets very crowded. We had it to ourselves until 9am (on a Sunday when it opens slightly later) and then the flood gates opened. That first hour we had to ourselves was magic and if you can make it for opening, it will be worth it.
The other thing to know if you’re keen on photography is that after the sun has risen above the forest, the water gets a lot of glare. This happened at around 8.30am (in March). However just before this at around 8.10am, we got some glorious light rays, which were amazing to see.
Nauyaca Waterfall opening hours and entry fees
The fees and opening hours depend on which entrance you use, and both sides open later on Sundays. Broadly speaking access is from 7-7.30am depending on the entrance, and 8am on Sundays. But do check according to which entrance you are using.
In terms of fees, your cheapest option is to hike both ways from the Don Lulo's entrance, which is just USD $10. You can take a 4WD shuttle from this entrance for USD $32 (but your time is capped at two hours). Horse riding to the falls and premium shuttles, which include a guide are both USD $80.
From the entrance we used, the Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park, a one way shuttle (where you walk one way) is USD $28 (for adult foreigners) and a return shuttle is USD $38 (your time is unlimited). Children age 3-12 get a USD $3 discount. Residents pay less.
Getting to Nauyaca Waterfall
If using the Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park entrance, be aware that you need to go along route 243 to Tumbas and take the dirt road from there. The alternative is an horrific 4WD road, which Google Maps has a tendency to try to take you down! So we recommend entering Tumbas into Google Maps or Waze, and then changing it to Nauyaca Waterfalls Nature Park from there.
From route 243, you’ll come to a turn off from which you have a 7km gravel road to drive. In the dry season this can be done in a small car (which is all we had), but an SUV or similar would be more comfortable. To take a small car along this road I think you want to have a bit of experience on gravel roads, or be a bit gung ho.
We didn’t use the other entrance (Don Lulo's), but I believe it’s suitable for any cars up until the last 2km, from which you’d need a 4WD (or walk).
Where to stay near Nauyaca Waterfall
You have a few different options for where to stay, with some people choosing to day trip from Manuel Antonio, which is between 55 minutes and 1.5 hours depending on which entrance you use. It’s closer to both Uvita and Dominical. We chose to visit from Dominical, which is 15 minutes to Don Lulos, or 45 minutes to Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park.
Bamboo River House and Hotel
We stayed at the Bamboo River House and Hotel which was quite basic, but we liked it. The bed is huge and the shower was pretty good. There’s also a kitchen and porch with hammocks you can string up. They also had kayaks which you could use on the river.
The windows were all screened, so we slept with them all open, which was nice. It was relatively quiet as it’s out of town by the river. We did get some dogs barking which was very common in Costa Rica, but mainly we could hear nature sounds. You will hear any cars that drive along the road, but we were lucky that at night nobody did!
You can check out the reviews and prices on:
Madre Terra, Uvita
We also stayed at Madre Terra in Uvita. This is another good option with small, but clean rooms in a quiet setting. The AC was great, but as the windows and door were fully screened, we slept with them open instead. The shower had good pressure and the location was very close to town. We did hear a bit of noise from the surrounding area until around 10pm, after which it was completely silent. In the morning you’ll hear the Howler monkeys, which never gets old.
You can check out the reviews and prices on:
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