La Paz Waterfall Gardens

The La Paz river drops through a steep gorge on the flank of Poás, and a private operation has built walkways and steel stairs down past five waterfalls, the largest of them around forty metres, with viewing platforms cut into the rock beside the falling water. Around the trail head are enclosures holding animals that mostly came from rescue and confiscation: toucans, macaws, sloths, monkeys, wild cats and a hummingbird garden where dozens of birds feed in the open. The site was badly damaged by the 2009 earthquake, which destroyed the road and killed people nearby, and it was rebuilt afterwards.

The main sights

• The five waterfalls - walkways and platforms down the gorge.
• The hummingbird garden - dozens of birds feeding in the open.
• The rescue enclosures - toucans, sloths, monkeys and wild cats.
• The gorge itself - steep forested walls on the flank of Poás.

When to go

December to April is drier, though this slope is misty most days and the falls run all year. Arrive at opening to get down the trail before the tour groups. The walk down is one-way with a shuttle back up.

What to expect

It is expensive, among the priciest attractions in the country, and it is a private park rather than a national one. The animals are captive, and while most arrived through rescue or confiscation and cannot be released, visitors uncomfortable with wildlife in enclosures should know that in advance. The trail is a long descent on wet steel steps. Coach groups fill it by mid-morning.

Nearby

Poás volcano is half an hour up the road; San José is ninety minutes south.

Key facts