This jungle-clad cataract plunges into a pool of amazingly blue water
At first glance, the impossibly blue waters of the Rio Celeste seem artificial, as if vats of indigo dye were added to the flow. In fact, it is dissolved minerals from volcanic hot springs and boiling mud pots that leach into the water to create this river’s trademark hues.
Flowing from the slopes of the Tenorio Volcano National Park, the Río Celeste snakes and splashes its way down from the highlands and over a waterfall hidden deep in the jungle. Though somewhat remote, this cascade can be reached by an hour’s hike through a verdant rainforest that is home to white-faced monkeys and several hundred species of birds.
Those who do make the trek often reward themselves with a cooling dip in the pool at the base of the falls, perhaps followed by a relaxing soak in one of the natural hot springs found nearby. Tenorio Volcano is a short drive from the La Fortuna resort area, and is considered one of the crown jewels of Costa Rica’s National Park system.
