La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park is a MUST for when you visit Costa Rica! With over 100 different animal species, it’s the biggest animal sanctuary in Costa Rica!
I’ll be sharing everything you need to know from what the gardens entail, how to get there, and other important things to note.
They’re open every day from 8 AM – 5 PM. This was so beautiful; I highly recommend coming for a visit!
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There are 5 different waterfalls you can walk to; each next one somehow more impressive and astounding than the first!
From the top of the park, you are able to hike down to see each of the waterfalls. The hiking paths are paved and there railings the entire way, so it is pretty easy to hike for people of all ages.
Fair warning: there are a LOT of steps and our legs were shaking after walking down to all of the waterfalls.😂 I recommend wearing hiking shoes, since the stairs can be slippery at times, especially if it’s raining.
Luckily, there is a shuttle that takes you back to the top from the end, so you don’t have to walk all the way back up! The last shuttle departs at 5 PM, so make sure you are at the gift shop shuttle stop by then.
Animal Sanctuary
The Park is an animal sanctuary for all sorts of species that cannot live in the wild for various reasons. It’s so amazing to be able to see so many different beautiful animals.
You can see everything from butterflies, macaws, hummingbirds, sloths, frogs, snakes, monkeys, to bigger animals like jaguars and pumas! Some of my favorites are featured below:
You can get pretty close to a lot of the animals. Especially in the Butterfly Observatory and Aviary, you will literally be walking through their habitat with the animals!
Tickets
As of 2023, admission is $50 for adults, and $34 for children under 12! Make sure to check their website for the most current rates.
You do not need to book admission tickets in advance; you can buy them when you are there if you prefer. We took a tour offered by our hotel, and they handled the ticket purchases.
The Park also offers a buffet lunch that is reasonably priced and includes many local different Costa Rican dishes! This is something else you will be able to purchase in person only.
Getting There & Parking
La Paz Waterfall Gardens is the perfect day trip from San José. It’s about an hour away by car, and under 2 hours by bus.
There are also a lot of tours offered, some of which combine attractions if you are looking to hit multiple spots in a day. We took a private tour offered by our hotel, and also stopped by the Arenal Volcano on our tour!
Parking is free and very easy; there is a big lot right outside the front entrance.
Most people spend around 2 hours in the Park checking out all of the animals and the waterfalls. This is about how long we spent here. However, you could easily spend longer, especially if you’re going to the buffet, or even a full day here!
Heading to Costa Rica soon? Make sure to check out my Costa Rica highlight and follow along on Instagram for more!
mariss
