Rio Celeste is a sky-blue river inside Tenorio Volcano National Park in northern Costa Rica, best known for its waterfall and the spot where two clear streams meet and turn blue. It’s an easy day trip from La Fortuna or Liberia, but you need a ticket booked online before you arrive.
Here’s the short answer. Rio Celeste sits about 1.5 hours from both La Fortuna and Liberia, at the edge of Tenorio Volcano National Park near the town of Bijagua. Entry costs $12 plus tax for foreign adults and must be bought online through SINAC, the national parks system, for a timed slot. The hike is about 7 km round trip and takes around three hours. Swimming isn’t allowed in the park, and since mid-2025 a landslide has kept the lower stairs to the waterfall closed, though you can still see the falls from partway down.
This guide covers tickets, the trail, the closure, where you can swim, the best time to go and how to get there.
| Rio Celeste | At a glance |
|---|---|
| Location | Tenorio Volcano National Park, near Bijagua, northern Costa Rica |
| Entry | $12 per adult plus tax, $5 for kids 2 to 12; online only, timed slots |
| Hours | Daily, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; last entry around 2 p.m. |
| Hike | About 7 km (4.3 miles) round trip, about 3 hours, 250-plus steps at the waterfall |
| Parking | About ₡3,000 at private lots by the entrance |
| Swimming | Not allowed in the park; there’s a free public spot just outside |
| From La Fortuna / Liberia | About 1.5 hours each by car |
The color
Why Is Rio Celeste Blue?
Rio Celeste starts at a spot called El Teñidero (“the dyer”), where two clear streams, the Río Buenavista and the Quebrada Agria, come together. Minerals carried by the two streams, including aluminum and silicon compounds, react when the water mixes and form tiny particles that scatter sunlight. The result is the milky sky-blue color that gives the river its name; celeste means sky blue in Spanish.
Local legend has a simpler story: God rinsed his paintbrush in the river after painting the sky.
Tickets
Rio Celeste Tickets, Hours and Fees
- Buy online in advance. Tickets are sold only through the SINAC website, and the park doesn’t sell walk-up tickets. You pick a 40-minute entry window between 8 a.m. and about 2 p.m. See our step-by-step guide to buying national park tickets on SINAC.
- Fees: $12 per foreign adult plus tax, and $5 for children ages 2 to 12. Costa Rican citizens and residents pay ₡800.
- Hours: open daily from 8 a.m. Everyone has to be out by 4 p.m.
- Daily limit: the park caps visitor numbers, so slots sell out on busy days, especially from December to April and in July.
- Parking: there’s no parking inside the park. Private lots across from the entrance charge about ₡3,000, paid in cash. Read our guide to parking and guachimanes (informal parking attendants).
- Rules: no pets, no strollers and no single-use plastics, so bring a reusable water bottle.
The trail
The Rio Celeste Waterfall Hike
The park has one main public trail, and it’s an out-and-back route. Expect about 7 km (4.3 miles) round trip and roughly three hours with stops. The path is mostly packed dirt, roots and boardwalk, and it gets muddy after rain. Sturdy shoes matter more than technical gear.
In order, the main stops are:
- The waterfall (about 1.5 km in): a side staircase of roughly 250 steps leads down toward the pool. It’s the steepest part of the hike, and you’ll climb every step back up.
- Mirador (lookout): a viewing platform over the forest canopy.
- Laguna Azul (Blue Lagoon): a calm, bright-blue pool. Entering the water isn’t allowed.
- Los Borbollones: spots where volcanic gas bubbles up through the river. The water here is very hot and smells of sulfur, and the area is fenced off. It’s not a hot spring you can soak in.
- El Teñidero: the end of the trail, where the two clear streams meet and the water turns blue. You return the same way.
A guide isn’t required, but a naturalist guide will point out wildlife you would otherwise walk past. Expect to pay about $55 for a small private group. For more trails, see our guide to the top hikes in Costa Rica.
Swimming
Can You Swim in Rio Celeste?
Not inside the national park. Swimming is banned everywhere along the park trail, including at the waterfall and Laguna Azul.
Outside the park, you can. A free public swimming spot sits by a bridge about 1 km past the park entrance, with parking for about ₡1,000. Some private properties along the river also allow swimming; ask at your lodge. Keep to calm, shallow water, and stay out after heavy rain, when the river rises fast and loses its color.
Heading back to La Fortuna? Our Costa Rica hot springs guide compares the places to soak around Arenal.
Timing
Best Time to Visit Rio Celeste
- Season: the water is blue most of the year, but heavy or prolonged rain can turn it cloudy or brownish for a day or two. The dry season, December to April, gives the most reliable color, though it’s also the busiest time.
- Time of day: take the 8 a.m. slot. Crowds build by mid-morning, and afternoon rain is common in the wet season.
- Rainy season: from May to November, go anyway if the forecast is reasonable, but pack a rain jacket and expect mud. See our guide to traveling in the rainy season.
Getting there
How to Get to Rio Celeste
- From La Fortuna: about 1.5 hours. Take Route 142 to Route 4, head north to Samen, then follow the paved road to the park. Map apps sometimes turn off Route 4 too early, so follow the signs. Many visitors stay in La Fortuna and do Rio Celeste as a day trip.
- From Liberia: about 1.5 hours. Take Route 1 south, turn onto Route 6 toward Upala before Cañas, drive to Bijagua, then allow 25 to 30 minutes to the park entrance. Liberia’s airport is the closest international gateway; see our airport guide.
- From San José: about 3.5 hours by car, so plan to overnight nearby rather than do it as a day trip.
- From Tamarindo: about 2.5 hours each way.
- By bus: buses run from Liberia to Bijagua a few times a day, but no public bus goes to the park entrance. You’d need a taxi from Bijagua.
- By tour: operators in La Fortuna, Bijagua and the Guanacaste beach towns sell day trips with transport and a guide.
The roads to the park are paved all the way, so you don’t need a 4×4. The final stretches are narrow, steep in places and slippery in rain, with a few one-lane bridges. Drive slowly, and enter “Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio” in your map app rather than “Rio Celeste.” Before you rent, read our guide to driving in Costa Rica.
Where to stay
Where to Stay Near Rio Celeste
- Bijagua: a small farm town on the west side of the park, 25 to 30 minutes from the entrance. It’s the base for Celeste Mountain Lodge and other small eco-lodges, and it’s the easier stop if you’re coming from Liberia.
- Katira: a hamlet on the east side, close to the La Fortuna approach. Rio Celeste Hideaway and a few other lodges are here.
- La Fortuna: more hotels, restaurants and tours, at the cost of a 1.5-hour drive each way. See our picks for hotels in Arenal.
Staying a night near the park lets you take the first entry slot before the day-trip crowds arrive.
Before you go
Tips for Visiting Rio Celeste
- Wear shoes with grip. Trail shoes work in the dry season; waterproof boots are better when the trail is muddy.
- Bring cash in colones for parking and roadside stands.
- Pack water and a rain jacket. There are restrooms at the entrance and no facilities on the trail.
- Stay on the trail. Snakes, including pit vipers, live in the forest. Watch where you put your hands.
- Don’t leave valuables in the car. The parking lots are private, not run by the park.
- Add a cultural stop. The Maleku Indigenous territory lies to the east, near Guatuso. See our guide to the Maleku people.
Planning more waterfalls? See our guides to La Fortuna Waterfall and how to photograph a waterfall.
Good to know
Rio Celeste FAQ
Do I need to buy Rio Celeste tickets in advance?
Yes. Tickets are sold only online through SINAC, for timed entry slots, and the park doesn’t sell tickets at the gate.
How much does it cost to visit Rio Celeste?
Park entry is $12 plus tax for foreign adults and $5 for children 2 to 12. Parking near the entrance is about ₡3,000.
How long is the Rio Celeste hike?
About 7 km (4.3 miles) round trip, and most people take around three hours. The waterfall is about 1.5 km in, down a staircase of roughly 250 steps.
Can you swim in Rio Celeste?
Not inside Tenorio Volcano National Park. There’s a free public swimming spot about 1 km past the park entrance, and some private properties nearby charge for river access.
Is the Rio Celeste waterfall open?
The trail is open, but since mid-2025 the lower stairs and the bottom viewing platform have been closed because of landslide damage. You can still see the falls from partway down. Check the park’s official channels before you go.
Do you need a 4×4 to get to Rio Celeste?
No. The roads are paved to the entrance, though they’re narrow, steep and slippery in rain, so drive carefully.
Where is Rio Celeste?
In Tenorio Volcano National Park in northern Costa Rica, between Bijagua and Katira, about 1.5 hours from La Fortuna and from Liberia.
The short version
Book a timed ticket on SINAC before you go; there’s no gate sale.
Plan on about three hours for the 7 km trail, and expect the lower waterfall stairs to be closed.
Swim outside the park, not in it, and take the 8 a.m. slot for the best light and fewest people.