is la paz waterfall worth it

Is La Paz Waterfall Worth it? (2024)

If you’re thinking of heading to La Paz Waterfall Nature Gardens Park in Costa Rica and wondering if its worth it, then you’re in the right place.

La Paz Waterfall Nature Gardens Park is one of the most popular places close to San Jose to experience lush, Costa Rican rainforest, nature and wildlife.

Located about 84 km (52 miles) from La Fortuna, and 48 km (29 miles) from San Jose, La Paz Waterfall Nature Gardens Park includes a hummingbird garden an animal sanctuary, several waterfalls to see, and a walkable path to walk around exploring everything on foot.

We went to La Paz Waterfall Nature Garden on a tour from San Jose, and I’m happy to share about what you get out of a visit here, what else there is to see in the areas, and how to know if its worth your time on a Costa Rica itinerary.

So, let’s jump in -everything you need to know about La Paz Waterfall Nature Gardens Park.

Is La Paz Waterfall Worth it?

In my opinion, yes – La Paz Waterfall was definitely worth it. It is one of the most beautiful places near San Jose to enjoy Costa Rican rainforest and cloud forest scenery, and a very popular day tour from the San Jose area.

In one visit, we saw native Costa Rican wildlife in a very large enclosure (but much closer than you’d see them in a standard rainforest), waterfalls, and many birds and exotic insects.

Here are the different attractions you can see at La Paz Waterfall Gardens that (in my opinion) make it well worth a visit.

  • Five different waterfalls in the park. Costa Rica has many waterfalls, but its rare to see so many of them close together. The ones in La Paz park are called Templo, Magia Blanca, Encantada, Escondida, and La Paz.
  • The largest animal sanctuary in Costa Rica, which has over 100 types of Costa Rican native wildlife animals – hummingbirds, tropical birds, monkeys, sloths, frogs, snakes and butterflies.
  • Part of the park includes cloud forest, which is a rare ecosystem in Costa Rica and in the world.
  • There are 3.5 km (2.2 miles) of hiking trails, which can take 2-3 hours to complete, but are optional
  • The park is very walkable, and relatively easy to get around. It makes for a fun and relaxing day out

So yes, I think a day tour to La Paz Nature Gardens is worth a visit.

There are many tours from San Jose to La Paz Waterfalls; some which include a day at the nature park only – and others which include sights nearby such as the Poás Volcano as well.

Doka Estate Coffee Farm
Poas Volcano
Poás Volcano

We chose to do a tour which included the Poás Volcano and the Doka Estate Coffee Farm (both pictured above) as well as the La Paz Nature Gardens. This is a full day tour of all three which takes around 10 hours, but it was worth it.

The Poas Volcano is one of the few volcanos where you can look right into the crater, which is 1.5 km (0.9 miles) wide. It’s very close to La Paz Nature Gardens, which is why they’re often included together as apart of the same day tour.

I personally enjoyed being able to see the volcano, and the Doka Coffee Farm was fun to visit and had great views of the vegetation and surrounding mountains.

Check Availability for the day tour to La Paz Waterfall Nature Garden + Poas Volcano from San Jose here

Things to Keep in Mind about La Paz Waterfall Nature Garden

  • La Paz Waterfall Nature Garden is a great for people of all ages, including kids and the elderly. The only challenge is the uneven terrain, which might be a challenge for people with mobility issues
  • The park is apart of a large forest, so you will need bug protection. Read my post on bugs in Costa Rica
  • The park is walkable, but there are many stairs. If you’re in Costa Rica with a baby or toddler, then a carrier would be your best bet because there’s so much uneven ground that bringing a stroller would make it very difficult.

Options for Getting to La Paz Waterfall Nature Garden

la paz waterfall

1. Driving yourself

If you’ve rented a car and you’re driving around Costa Rica, then you can easily show up at La Paz and buy your tickets at the gate.

The ticket prices for visitors to Costa Rica to La Paz at the gate are as follows in USD:

Adults (anyone 13 or older): $52
Children (3-12): $36

You can either reserve tickets in advance, or simply show up and buy them. I would advise arriving in the morning, as thats when the animals are most active!

It takes about 1 hour and 25 minutes to drive to La Paz Waterfall Nature Garden from San Jose, and 1 hour and 44 minutes from La Fortuna.

2. Stay at Peace Lodge

There is accommodation right at La Paz Waterfall Nature Garden, its called Peace Lodge. If you stay at Peace Lodge, then you’re right in the park, so you can simply wake up, have breakfast and then walk to everything in the area.

Peace Lodge 5-star hotel with a swimming pool, on-site restaurant and other amenities. It also offers an airport shuttle, so you could come directly here if you land at SJO.

3. Take a tour from San Jose

If you’re not renting a car (or if you’ve already returned your car) then you can get to La Paz from San Jose via private tour.

There are many options from San Jose. Based on personal experience, I recommend grabbing a tour that will bring you to the Doka Coffee Farm and the Poas Volcano as well.

If you’re in Costa Rica with kids, then the the full day (10 hour tour) with all three attractions might be a bit much, so I would opt for just the day trip to La Paz only in that case. Read my post on best tours for kids in Costa Rica for other ideas.

Can you swim at La Paz waterfall Costa Rica?

Unfortunately no, there’s no swimming allowed at La Paz Waterfall. You can get fairly close to it (such as my husband in the photo below), but you aren’t permitted to swim in the water for safety reasons – its much too rocky.

If you’re staying at Peace Lodge, then you can swim in the pool there, but that’s the closest swimming there is to La Paz waterfall.

The difference between La Paz and La Fortuna waterfalls

The Fortuna waterfall is another popular waterfall in Costa Rica, and is often confused with La Paz Waterfall because of how similar they look.

The Fortuna Waterfall is located just outside of La Fortuna (about a 10 minute drive from the town centre) whereas La Paz Waterfall is located in a nature park that is over an hour’s drive from La Fortuna, and much closer to San Jose.

A major difference between the two waterfalls that La Paz is on a reserve that includes other waterfalls, the hummingbird garden, and the animal sanctuary. As such, it feels a bit like a zoo (a lush, wild zoo, but still more of a park.)

Fortuna Waterfall
La Paz Waterfall

Whereas, the Fortuna Waterfall feels a bit more off the beaten track and wilder because its not apart of a park the La Paz Waterfall. It’s also harder to get to (you’ll need to descend and climb 500 steps) plus you can swim in the pool of water in front of Fortuna Waterfall.

Therefore, I’d only go to La Fortuna waterfall if you are up for the extra physical challenge, and if you’d love to swim in a waterfall.

If you have time – I would see both waterfalls, because they’re both worth a visit. But if you’re only in Costa Rica for a short time, then I would probably choose La Paz Waterfall, because you can see a lot in a very short time. (Such as the birds, animals, the coffee farm and the Poás volcano.)

Costa Rica rain forest

La Paz Waterfall: FAQ

Here are some important, and commonly asked questions about visiting La Paz waterfall

Is La Paz Waterfall touristy?

La Paz Waterfall isn’t as busy as some other attractions in Costa Rica, but it can get pretty full during the high season, especially if you’re visiting in March or December. For this reason, I would arrive as early in the morning is possible if coming independently. This also allows you to see the animals when they’re most active.

How much time to spend at La Paz Waterfall Gardens?

The amount of time suggested to spend at La Paz Waterfall Gardens is 2 hours. This will give you enough time to walk around seeing the hummingbirds, animals, La Paz waterfall, and a couple of the other waterfalls. If however, you want to do the hiking, its a 3.5 km (2.2 mile) trail, which takes a minimum of 2-3 hours depending on your fitness and walking speed. So if you want to do the hike through the forest, then I would budget for at least 4-5 hours to spend at La Paz Waterfall Nature Garden.

La Paz Waterfall Nature Garden: Conclusion

By now, you have a good idea of what there is to see at the La Paz Waterfall park besides just the La Paz waterfall. La Paz waterfall is the main draw to the place, and the reason why most people go there – but it’s a bonus to be able to see the wildlife, and other things in the area as well.

If you’re looking for something else nearby, you should also look into Brauillo Carillo National Park, which is a rainforest and cloud forest. It has hanging suspension bridges that allow you to get a bird’s eye view of the jungle.