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Tenorio Volcano National Park

Tenorio Volcano National Park: Our most recommended tours and activities

From La Fortuna: Rio Celeste Full-Day Tour

1. From La Fortuna: Rio Celeste Full-Day Tour

Start your full-day tour with a scenic drive from La Fortuna to the Tenorio Volcano National Park. Head out on a 4-hour hike that will take some effort but is definitely worth it. At the end of the hike you’ll have reached the Rio Celeste. The river’s blue color is the result of a chemical reaction between 2 merging rivers having different volcanic minerals. This rare phenomenon creates a fairy tale-like beauty. Visit a waterfall and a lookout point for great views and see the place where the river changes color. Your guide will point out local wildlife on this adventure as well. After your hike, enjoy a delicious lunch before the drive back to La Fortuna.

La Fortuna: Rio Celeste Full Day Tour

2. La Fortuna: Rio Celeste Full Day Tour

Discover one of the hidden mysteries of Costa Rica tucked next to the Tenorio´s Volcano. We will take a 4 hours hike through the beautiful rainforest. Along the way, we will visit the Los Teñideros, a magical place where two streams with different minerals and chemical composition meet and change the water to a heavenly turquoise blue color. At the last stop we will enjoy the magnificent Rio Celeste Waterfall. After the national park we will stop for a picture with our giant ARBOL DE LA PAZ. Once on the way we will have a delicious costarican lunch, after we will hike trought the farm to check cacao, pineaple, corn, banana and many more plantations to finish enjoing a pristine pool in the Rio Celeste to swim. After this relaxing time we are ready to come back to La Fortuna.

Río Celeste National Park Hike

3. Río Celeste National Park Hike

Once we arrive to the Río Celeste National Park, you may use the facilities to get ready and look at the information booth provided by the Río Celeste National Park. We will then begin a hike through the dense, lush, tropical rainforest that surrounds the Río Celeste National Park. The hike is approximately 3-miles long and considered intermediate. You and your naturalist guide go at your own pace and you'll learn interesting things about the rainforest along the way. We then arrive to "Los Teñíderos" where two rivers come together to form the celestial, turquoise blue water color that gives the waterfall its name "Celeste." We'll return, walking back through the Rio Celeste National Park to the "Ollas" -- or mud baths -- and take a moment to relax in the natural hot springs. For the grand finale, we then walk-on further to see the spectacular Río Celeste waterfall - the perfect place to take photos. We finish off with a delicious lunch at a local restaurant and then head back to La Fortuna. Please note: the Río Celeste waterfall may lose its blue color during rainstorms. Our policy is to advise clients the day of the tour if it is raining in the area and offer the tour for the following day, should clients want to postpone or change to a different tour. No refunds for inclement weather.

La Fortuna: Rio Celeste Hike

4. La Fortuna: Rio Celeste Hike

After being collected from your accommodation in La Fortuna, you will make your way to Rio Celeste. Rio Celeste is located in one of the most beautiful areas of Costa Rica, and on a clear day, it is possible to receive spectacular views. Upon arrival to the park you will set off on a 7-kilometer hike, which passes by the River Celeste Waterfall, the Tenorio Lookout, the Blue Lagoon (a great place for taking pictures), and Borbollones (little geisers), before you finally arrive to Teñideros.  In this area, mother nature magically mixes the water of two crystal clear streams, changing the water's color to a beautiful bright, light blue (hence the name Rio Celeste, or "Light-Blue River"). After visiting the most beautiful places of this park there is a tough hike back to the park entrance, where you will have a delicious, well-deserved lunch waiting for you.

Small-Group Blue River & Tenorio Volcano National Park Hike

5. Small-Group Blue River & Tenorio Volcano National Park Hike

Discover one of the most amazing sights in Costa Rica on a full-day tour of the Tenorio Volcano National Park, part of the Arenal Tilaran Conservation Area, including a 3.5-hour hike to the crystalline waters of Los Teñideros in the Celeste River. Marvel at the magnificent turquoise waters and surrounding nature of the Rio Celeste. Located on the flanks of the Tenorio Volcano, the river is unique in Costa Rica and astounds visitors with its natural beauty. A circuit trail of 4.2 miles (7 kilometers) will take you through the forest, passing scenic spots such as Los Teñideros, where the river acquires a different color due to the chemical reactions. Visit the mud-filled fumaroles of Las Ollas (“Cooking Pots”), legendary for their healing properties. Continue to a startling turquoise waterfall of the Rio Celeste, before heading back along the banks of the river, enjoying the bubbling water and the nature surrounding you along the way. Finish your tour of one of the most interesting places in Costa Rica with a delicious lunch.

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What people are saying about Tenorio Volcano National Park

Overall rating

4.6 / 5

based on 108 reviews

Had a wonderful time exploring Rio Celeste on this tour! The hike was a good workout (3.5+ mi with a lot of stairs down/up to the waterfall), which I really enjoyed. Mario was an awesome, energetic guide who made the experience fun. Rio Celeste is a must-see in Costa Rica - would highly recommend this tour esp if you’re a solo traveler!

Our guide, Christian, was excellent! He was extremely knowledgeable and could spot hidden wildlife easily. He was funny and made our hike bearable, as it heavily rained midway through our tour. He showed us the best spots for photographs, and served as our photographer! We also ate a delicious local lunch! I highly recommend this tour.

I definitely recommend this trip. Santiago was super nice, knowledgeable and made sure everyone had a great time. Rio Celeste was very beautiful. Swimming in the river was great and even the food was very tasty. All in all a perfect tour.

It was a really nice tour! The water was not so blue because of the rain and clouds but it was still very enjoyable. Our guide showed us two snakes, a frog, caterpillar, monkeys and many plants that smelled and tasted amazing!

La caminata por el bosque es increíble. Y las tirolesas wooooow si eres fan de la adrenalina y aventura obvio debes hacerlas