Definitely a must-do experience. No guide necessary. It’s a long steep climb back up from the waterfall, but not a problem if you are in good shape. Highly recommend hiking to the end of the trail (past the waterfall) and seeing where the blue starts (two rivers come together and the water turns blue where they meet.)

Rio Celeste was a really enjoyable hike with some rewarding experiences at the end. The waterfall itself was not blue at the time we went, maybe this changes from season to season but we were disappointed. We kept going on to the lagoon and enjoyed it much more. Much fewer people and if you can catch it in the rain, the cloud forest looks beautiful. Each time you go on one of these legs, there is an uphill, than a steep downhill. We kept going for a mile or so from the waterfall and we came across the blue lagoon that was actually blue! Really beautiful but a long way down and back up. Certainly recommend it if your up for a four or more mile walk.

This was a great hike through the rainforest. There’s only one path in and the same path out so I would suggest skipping the waterfalls first, going to the end of the trail with our sites to see, and stopping at the waterfall on you’re way back since the side trail to and from the waterfalls is a very steep and long stone staircase. The water is an amazing turquoise blue due to its mineral content. Simply stunning. Don’t expect to see any wildlife on this hike - although we did spot a small snake by the trail thanks to our tour guide’s keen eyes. Definitely recommend stopping here if you like a good hike. It only drizzled when I was there so no need for a rain jacket (but I was told it can get pretty rainy at times). Shorts, T-shirt, sneakers, and bug spray and you should be fine.

No guide necessary. It was aprox $13 usd, the payment have to be in cards NO CASH. The view of the waterfall is amazing but I would suggest to do the whole trail, is going to be a "little" challenging but is going to be worth it. I did the whole trail with sandals and had no issues but boots or tennis shoes are recommended

No wait to enter the park. Did it as part of a tour. It you want to walk or hike faster you’ll need to go on your own. Easy to get to but a good ride from Arenal. The water fall was beautiful. You don’t swim at this particular location. The hike back up was moderately difficult.

If you are in the area or close by, you definitely want to check out this hike. Tickets need to be purchased online in advance fyi! Cost is around 14 US dollars. The hike is pretty straightforward. the beginning is paved but slippery if it's been raining and the leaves get wet so? be careful. Afterward it turns into gravel and rocks which are very slippery when it's been raining so be careful. about halfway through the hike, there is a detour that takes you down several steps so you can get an amazing view of a blue waterfall 😍😍😍. Even with all the rain and mud, the waterfall was still a pretty light blue which will make for some pretty good social media photos. continuing on the hike, it can pretty treacherous so watch where you placing your feet so you don't slip or roll ankle. at the turnaround point you will learn about how the river gets. it's pretty blue color. the way back is slightly more difficult since you're going downhill and you want to make sure you don't roll your ankles or slip. Went during the rainy season in the beginning of October and it poured down raining on the way back. Make sure you take a poncho with you and wear shoes that you don't mind getting wet!

Cool spot. Price was a bit cheaper even ($12) than some of the single waterfalls we've seen (some at $15-18). The trail to the falls ONLY will take an hour round trip if you're fit but seemed to be taking most people maybe 2 hours. This part is about 3 km round trip. The entire trail to the end which includes the blue lagoon, the tenideros (where the regular and blue river meet) and the are where you can see the source water bubbling is about 5 km round trip including the hike down to the falls, the length estimates on the trail didn't seem super accurate... If you go when it rains or right after, the water won't be blue. Still a beautiful area !!!! Good for kids, lots of ups and downs on the trail though with rocky parts and parts with roots. So watch your footing. Only the beginning part to the falls area is paved. You can no longer swim here but there's a free swimming area nearby you can find also on Google maps. Restaurants, clean bathrooms, spot to fill water, tourist shops all at the entrance.

Important to know: you can’t bring any disposable plastic bottles or wrappers into the park. No granola bars or bags of nuts either. The hike isn’t very long so this shouldn’t be an issue, but we weren’t prepared for this. On to the review: this place is obviously very special and beautiful, but it’s also much too busy to my taste (we are a couple with our own car, we don’t like crowds when trying to enjoy our surroundings). We arrived early and we were still queuing behind groups that came out of the mini vans. 5 stars because the blue water is unreal, 1 star deduction because of the crowd.

It is beautiful to be sure. Sadly it was raining very heavily when I went and we all got soaked through to the skin. The walk in to the falls is about 1.5 km, which isn’t far, but then there are a lot of stairs down to the falls. I ended up stopping about half way down to take some pictures then heading back. I wish the weather would have been better, but I guess I should have expected bad weather in the middle of June! The restaurant there was a great spot for a hot chocolate to help warm up a little.

The waterfall and hike to the waterfall are amazing. The jungle is super quiet. We came here at 12:30pm and had to wait until 1:15 for the ticket office to open after lunch. There was little traffic at that time in the park. There is about 500 steps down to the falls and back up so be prepared for your legs to be quite tired. We didn’t attempt the rest of the hike of about another 1.5kms uphill as our legs were super tired from the steps. Park is open until 4pm and if you want to do the whole hike you need about 2.5 to 3 hours so plan accordingly. There is food and drinks across the street and the chicken empanada at the restaurant right in front of the park was delicious.

Absolutely beautiful! The park was easy to find, parking was plenty and affordable. It's definitely worth the descent and climb back up (although I was out of breath & had to take several breaks 😅). There are public restrooms available for use when you pay your admission fee. Park closing was advertised as 2pm, I believe that is for last entry. We arrived at 12:30 and were back at our car at 3pm. Bring sunscreen, insect repellent and water, a small towel for wiping off sweat is good too.

The blue river is pretty neat and the waterfall is beautiful! It’s not a difficult hike but it is somewhat rough terrain in some parts of the trail. Lot’s of steps. Definitely take a poncho (it rains hard), waterproof closed toed shoes, and water (a snack would be nice). No need to pay for a tour guide, easy marked trail in the jungle.

Really nice waterfall. Keep going to see the little hot springs and where the two rivers meet to make the blue water. Cost is a little high for a single trail but we are finding that is the case everywhere in Costa Rica.

Beautiful hike in the forest. Blue river and waterfall are fantastic but please do the whole hike, it's totally worth it. Prepare yourselves for the smell of the borbollones! We saw monkeys, snakes, koati and birds, it was great.

Worth the entrance fee, with a 5km hike (2.5km out and back) taking you to see the beautiful waterfall, bubbling pools and view point of the volcanoes. If you're very lucky you'll be able to spot some wildlife, but with the national park being so large, they tend to steer clear of the tourist trail. Trail is in a good condition, but there are a lot of steps to get up and down from the waterfall. These can be busy with people bunching up to take photos etc.

Rio Celeste y Los Teñideros is a must-see destination for nature lovers. The turquoise blue waters of the river and the surrounding lush jungle make for a breathtaking sight. The hike to the viewpoint is relatively easy and offers stunning views of the waterfall. The Teñideros, or "dyeing pots," are also a unique feature that adds to the experience. Highly recommend visiting early in the morning to avoid crowds and to see the sun shining on the water for an even more spectacular view.

A beautiful hike, you can do it! Just take breaks when you want too! You will love it. Fyi. Before you get to the waterfall, there will be stairs to go down. There are rails to hold on too. 300+ steps down, but you can get good photos of the waterfall about 150 down. It will rain the entire time, so a waterproof phone case and rain jacket. Not an umbrella because you are constantly passing people, it's too inconvenient.

Nice hiking, moderate difficulty. Pretty easy to the waterfall, harder the rest of the hike, but worth it. Wonderful nature that is well worth the trip (from La Fortuna) Buy tickets before was a good advise.

This place was amazing. I highly recommend Anthony for tours. He knows that jungle well l, and is very knowledgeable. Its a medium hike, not hard , but not easy imo. But well worth it .Anthony's what's app is +506 5003 7781.

Nice trail, quite busy, but well groomed. Lots of stairs down to the waterfall, so be prepared. What goes down, must come up. A couple guides pointed out a few snakes along the way, well hidden, beautiful! Afterward, there is a guy with a fruit stand, with cold Pipas!

Great hike, there's a decent amount of stairs down to the waterfall, but I thought it was totally manageable. Absolutely gorgeous water and waterfall, well worth the trip. Going the other direction to the Mirador and to the end was very enjoyable as well. Pretty muddy, so bring suitable shoes. Decent amount of stairs this way as well, but nothing too killer. These pictures are after days of on off raining.

This was a good about 3.5 mile hike roundtrip. It gets packed as the day goes on, so getting there early helps. No need to book a tour unless you want someone to talk you through the plants and other things that you're seeing and take pictures for you. Otherwise this is a do it yourself excursion that will cost you much less than a tour.