Places to go for a hike in Costa Rica are widespread. Since Costa Rica is filled with natural beauty, you don’t have to go far to find a place to do a good hike. On this occasion, I was on a Saturday morning looking for trails to hike on Sunday. I heard of a new place to hike near Poás Volcano. A place almost virgin with three impressive waterfalls. The name of this place is Cinchona Waterfalls Trails.
How to get to Cinchona Waterfalls Trails?
I talked to some cousins that were looking as well for a one-day hike for Sunday. I showed them some photos I found of this place and told them it was near Poás Volcano, after that, they were on board!
Cinchona Waterfalls Trails is a private land managed by a local family. The day before going there, I talked to Nelson, the guy who runs the place. He told me the best hour to start the hike was around 8 am, so we left our homes in San José around 6 am.
The most common route to get there is the same route that takes you to Poás Volcano. Just put on your Google Maps or Waze “Soda la Orquídea.” This is a small restaurant only 25 meters away from the parking lot of Cinchona Waterfalls Trails.
Starting the Hike near Poás Volcano
Once we arrived, one of the local family members in charge of the place was in the parking lot. Each of us paid the entrance fee (5,000 colones ($8-$9). And the person in charge told us all the instructions and everything we had to know about the trail.
Hikes around Poás Volcano will end most likely in a waterfall. This zone is full of waterfalls. On one side of Poás Volcano’s surroundings, you get to see all Cinchona area’s waterfalls. And on the other side, you get to see all the waterfalls from Bajos del Toro area.
Related Post: Waterfall Town of Bajos del Toro
This trail was no piece of cake, so I strongly suggest going if you are in good shape. I am saying this because this place opened recently, and the trail isn’t as good as other places I’ve been to before. There are several parts where you have to go down or climb, assisted by ropes. This is not as easy as other hikes, but it also added an “extreme vibe” very cool.
San Fernando Waterfall
San Fernando Waterfall is the most famous of the three waterfalls in this place. It’s also the name of the canyon we were heading down. So this is why some people called this place San Fernando Waterfall. We decided to go to this waterfall first. This is the longest waterfall from the site you leave your car. It’s around a 3Km walk, but most of the walk is downhill since you have to go to the canyon’s bottom.
After having fun going downhill (almost like rappel in some parts), we felt some drops falling from the sky.
Great! Rain just when we were arriving at the bottom of the canyon. We started imagining how would be our way back climbing the hill if we added rain and mud? But as we continue walking, we noticed that it wasn’t rain, it was water coming from the San Fernando Waterfall, we were there!
From the moment you start the trail, you can see the San Fernando waterfall in many parts of the trail, but it always looks far away. Once you see it in front of you, it is awe-inspiring! After everyone finished taking some photos, we wanted to get closer. You can get really close to the waterfall, so close that you could end up wet as if you entered a shower.
I suggest you go ahead and get closer to the waterfall, but be careful of the slippery rocks. As you get closer, you start to feel how powerful nature is compared to us humans. And also, how beautiful it is, and why we have to cherish and protect it. Take a look at what I am saying:
You can’t get into this waterfall because of how high and powerful it is. But follow the course of the river, you will find the feature image of this article. Over there, you can have a swim and fresh up. Go ahead and recharge because now you are going all the way up!
Botos Waterfall
I personally believe this hike near Poás Volcano was more dangerous downhill, a slip or a misstep, and you could get hurt badly. So, since this place isn’t fully equipped and the trail isn’t fully ready, be very careful. Going uphill you are more in control but be cautious of unstable rocks.
After leaving San Fernando Waterfall, we went uphill like one 1 hour (we didn’t go fast, we were enjoying the ride). And we got to a sign pointing right to Botos Waterfall trail. We entered the trail and after 10 minutes downhill again, and we reached Botos Waterfall.
This waterfall wasn’t as imponent as the San Fernando waterfall, but it was still stunning. The fact that it wasn’t so powerful as the other waterfall allowed us to swim there. We swam there for around 2o minutes, took some photos, and head our way back uphill.
Paula Waterfall
On your way back to the parking lot, you will see a sign that says “Paula Waterfall.” Get out from the exit trail just for 5 minutes and look at the last waterfall of this trail, the Paula Waterfall. This is the smallest of all, and you can’t get in, but it’s also nice to take a look and maybe a couple of photos.
Once you get back to the parking lot, there is a small outdoor shower where you can clean up a bit. If you want to change clothes, you can go to the little restaurant next to the parking lot. They charge a small fee for the use of their facilities.
What to do after?
The fact that this is a hike near Poás Volcano gave us a lot of possibilities for things to do after. Depending on the hour you finish the walk, you could even visit Poás Volcano. After all, it’s just 40 minutes away. If you are in the mood for another adventure, only this time a bit less extreme, you could go to La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park, which is less than 1o minutes away. In there, you will find a restaurant, another waterfall trails (no ropes this time) suitable for kids and the elderly, a zoo, and even a hotel.
You can also go to the Fraijanes area (30 minutes away). There are many delicious restaurants there. I recommend Chubascos and Freddo Fresas.
We went to the “Laguna de Hule,” a small lagoon around 40 minutes away. Over there, there are some excellent trails (no waterfalls, unfortunately) and small but delicious restaurants. We enjoyed the sunset looking at the lagoon, and went our way back to San José.
Cinchona Waterfalls Trails Recap:
- Location: Cinchona, Alajuela. (Drive there)
- Difficulty: Requires good physical condition
- Access: Any car
- Contact: Nelson +506 8921 9656
- Cost: 5,000 colones ($8-$9)
- Parking: Yes
- More info about the place: Cinchona Waterfalls Trails
- Hidden Gem Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
