Close to the Guancaste’s beaches, there are plenty of magical places waiting for you to visit. In this article, I’ll show you one that you will never forget. I’ll take you on a virtual trip to El Santuario Waterfall in Upala, Costa Rica.
If you are a hike or nature enthusiast, chances are you have seen nice waterfalls before. Maybe you have seen tall waterfalls like Niagara or Victoria Waterfalls. Perhaps you have been traveling around Costa Rica for a while, and you have witnessed turquoise waterfalls like Río Celeste Waterfall or Bajos del Toro. But have you ever seen a waterfall inside a closed canyon with unique colors?
I have wanted to visit this waterfall for a while, and since I was around Guanacaste’s beaches, I decided it was time to go. I talked to a friend and showed him the place, and he was in from the beginning.
If you are on your Costa Rica vacation and want a change of scene from the Costa Rica beaches. This is a great option for a one-day road trip.
Another option just in case: Poza Los Coyotes
How to get to El Santuario Waterfall?
This place is located in Upala, Alajuela province. Right in the border with Guanacaste province. This is around 4 hours drive from San José and 2 hours 30 minutes from Tamarindo beach (where I was at that moment). This place is a bit more challenging to reach because it is between Guanacaste National Park and Rincon de la Vieja National Park.
Here is the Google Maps location: El Santurio Waterfall location. But in case you want more information about the routes, keep reading!
There are three ways to get to this place:
- Red: Drive through the Panamerican Road from Liberia to La Cruz and deviate on route 917.
- Blue: Keep driving in the direction to La Cruz. Deviate on route four and after that deviate on route 917.
- Yellow: Drive through route 164 (Bagaces) or Route 6 (Cañas) until you get to route four and then route 917.
The red option is the fastest if you are in Tamarindo beach, Conchal beach, or around that zone. Route 917 is a secondary route, so it is preferable to drive with a CUV. This route also has lovely panoramic views (you will pass by an eolic project).
The blue route is the best option if you are near La Cruz beaches or in hotels like Dreams las Mareas All-Inclusive hotel. This route offers excellent views from Orosi Volcano, and the road is fully paved.
The yellow route is the best option if you are starting your Costa Rica vacation and come from San José or come from other touristic places like Monteverde, La Fortuna, or Río Celeste.
Reservations and Facilities
There are two ways to access the waterfall: through the mountain (around 2-4 hours). The other option, which I recommend, is through a private estate (approximately 10 minutes).
The owners of this state are a local family that recently opened access to the general public to visit this impressive waterfall. They own a big land that is right next to Rincón de la Vieja National Park. So it is expected that animals from the national park, such as monkeys, sloths, and even pumas or jaguars, visit the estate.
We contacted the owners a couple of days before going there (contact info at the bottom of the article). I talked to Genive, who is one of the owners. She told me that the best time to do this tour is around 8 am. Since we were a bit far from there, we booked the tour for 10 am. She told us a guide was going to be waiting for us there. They don’t offer tours without a guide due to safety issues (did you read the puma and jaguar part above!?).
When we arrived at the place, there weren’t many facilities, just a house where the owners live. We were received by Nydia and Mine which were our tour guides. They told us that they plan to improve the facilities since the place has been increasing its fame around Costa Ricans. So, expect more to come from this place!
El Santuario Waterfall?
After stretching and changing clothes, we started walking with Nydia and Mine. They were nice girls who responded to all our questions about the estate and the region. After walking for 10 minutes, five around an orange tree field and another 5 going downhill to a river. We arrived at the river and right next to it, the magnificent canyon was waiting for us.
Nydia told us that the name of this place isn’t 100% official since some people named this waterfall “La Catedral.” This is mainly because the view inside of the canyon reminds of a cathedral.
My friend and I went inside the canyon while Nydia and Mine waited for us outside. The river flow was really strong, so the best way to climb into the canyon is through the rocks on the right. But be careful! They are slippery.
Once you get inside the canyon, the views are amazing. For one moment, the sunlight entered and illuminated the entire place making the waterfall and the canyon rocks look even better. If you get deeper into the canyon, you’ll see a small cave inside. If the waterfall’s flow allows it, I recommend swimming inside, but you can always go outside and swim in the river if it’s too strong.
After having a good swim in the river, we headed back to where Nydia and Mine were waiting for us. We went back to their estate and went on our way to the beaches from Guanacaste.
El Santuario Waterfall Recap:
- Location: Upala, Alajuela (Drive there)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Access: Preferable CUV
- Contact: +506 8395-8923
- Cost: 10,000 colones ($16) for residents and 17,000 ($28) for non-residents.
- Parking: Yes
- Good restaurant nearby: Finca Nueva Zelandia
- More info about the place: El Santuario Waterfall FB Page
- Hidden Gem Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
