Add La Paz Waterfall & Gardens to Your Costa Rican Trip

With an extra day in San Jose at the end of our family travels in Costa Rica, we took the opportunity to visit La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Reserve, an easy daytrip from the capital. The brochure promised wildlife, botanical gardens and a series of waterfalls — a trifecta of natural wonders set deep in the rain forests of Alajuela Province.

We stepped through the lobby of Peace Lodge to a terrace overlooking a breathtaking scene, even by Costa Rican standards. Below us wound wide paths leading through exquisitely manicured gardens to animal enclosures and into the forest. Its lush green canopy lay below, hiding the waterfalls.

The first stop along the route was a massive open-air aviary, protected by netting so guests can walk through and admire the birds in their natural habitat — and get plenty of photos without obstruction from fencing or glass. Multiple paths at differing heights gave even more vantage points, and there were several spots where we could sit and enjoy the moment.

© Lura Seavey

The next enclosure was home to more birds and a trio of two-toed sloths. Like the aviary, this enclosure housed a variety of animals and allowed visitors to fully enter and hang out close to the sleepy sloths, getting more priceless photos from elevated viewing platforms and ground-level seating.

A tunnel lined with educational displays about native insects led to the butterfly garden — its own huge enclosure — where the mist-filled air was alive with fluttering wings of every color. Fresh fruit lay in themed feeders throughout, providing constant photo-ops at eye level.

As we moved toward the primate and feline enclosures, I was pleased to see these were spacious and very well-maintained. A crew of white-throated Capuchin monkeys hammed it up on rope swings for the tourists, while the black-handed spider monkey played it serious, occasionally striking thoughtful poses as it strutted across branches.

© Lura Seavey

Inside and surrounding all the enclosures were flora of all kinds, helpfully labeled in English with names and facts. These and the hummingbird garden attracted a host of wildlife and provided a constant backdrop of stunning colors.

Before visiting their population of frogs, which included some very tiny (and very poisonous) tree frogs, I briefly squirmed past an impressive collection of snakes. In addition to the tamer constrictors like boas and pythons were many formidable venomous relatives, including several species of pit viper and an annoyed rattlesnake. The big cats were fun to watch as they padded around their sizeable lairs and included the smaller margay and ocelots as well as a much bigger puma and a pair of jaguars.

After lunch in a rustic pavilion, we set off to see the waterfalls — a path that ultimately leads to the park exit where shuttles waited to bring us back to the entrance. There are five main waterfalls at the park, several with multiple viewing areas to get a variety of perspectives and the all-important selfies to memorialize the visit. While it’s unsafe (and prohibited) to swim in the water, the splash zones are plentiful.

Of all the nature parks we have visited in Costa Rica, this one was by far the best-maintained, with every path and set of stairs wide, solid and lined on both sides with sturdy railings.

A note about accessibility: While the main gardens and animal enclosures have ramps and only occasional stairs, the nature of mountain terrain means the route to see the waterfalls is staircase after staircase, up and down. They are all but impassable for wheeled mobility assistance devices, but visitors who just need to take it slowly may still enjoy the sights.