Waterfall Paradise, Costa Rica
Ahhhh Waterfall Paradise, the last big activity of our Costa Rican trip was a HUGE hit! In Spanish it is called Cataratas Paraíso de Manantiales located in Rio Quarto, Grecia, Alajuela Province. And there is a key-ill-in restaurant located at the top called Paraíso Manantiales and the trail down to the river is privately owned. WOW!
So folks listen, the hike ain’t for the faint hearted. You need to be able to handle a strenuous hike as you are literally walking down the side of the mountain. Then ya gotta go back up! PHEW! But sooooooooo worth it, the views are off da chain and if you dig waterfalls like I do, you’d be in HEAVEN!
There are 8 waterfalls on the site that flow down from the mountaintop and it’s just breathtaking, not to mention the clarity of the air. Our tour guide Frank made this recommendation as he got a feel for the types of activities we liked to do. Most of what we’d already done were things I had scoped out in the planning but this place went under the radar. We were soooooo glad he recommended this!
BUT. It wasn’t without a slight hiccup in the beginning which you’ll see in the overview vid…
The way was pretty treacherous as you can imagine starting with that never-ending spiral staircase followed by a trail of uneven concrete slabs and steps with roots and mud. And thanks to that hefty fall (on a bunch of tires of all things!) I was pretty soaked for much of the trip as the tires were filled with water soaked leaves!
As mentioned in earlier posts, I was really hopeful that my injured hamstring wouldn’t be a factor ESPECIALLY after the fall but happily, it gave me no issues. I was also treading very very carefully though you might not think so in the beginning as I fell flat on my derrière! Good thing she’s well padded 🤣
And Then The Views, The VIEWS!
It seemed like we’d never get down to the bottom, and on the way there was this hanging bridge that I really wasn’t interested in crossing. Matter of fact, I put up quite a stink in a weak protest as obviously if I wanted to continue I HAD to go that way. And it’s funny since that wasn’t the first hanging bridge I’d ever gone across, but for some reason, this one seemed more ominous.
I was NOT feelin’ havin’ to go over this puppy!
Sly just went on ahead and was having a good ol’ time while I stood on the side whining lol! Howz that saying go? Feel the fear but do it anyway? Yeah that one! Ecotourism can definitely have you coming up on stuff that stokes your fears but being able to accept that you’re scared yet getting’ ya nerves together to move forward is definitely a character-building experience!
All-n-all Waterfall Paradise was just SPECTACULAR
Sly, Frank, and I. The view here is other-worldly, next time I gotta get in the water!
This was truly the payoff of this trip, the Pura Vida sign!
A huge moment indeed!
A Parting Gift
As you can see, we had a kuh-razy good meal! What a way to end a great day by having fish right out of the river and cooked to perfection along with the other goodies on my plate! YUM-MEEEE! The Costa Ricans do a lot of fried foods, but since that’s not the way we normally eat, we went to town!
OOOOOO-WEEEE! This was some good eating! Trucha (trout), Patagon (fried plantain), Yucca y Ensalada (salad) Waterfall Paradise…HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Costa Rica, we LOVE YOU! Pura Vida!!! (Pure Life)
Bio Thermales Hot Springs: Facebook & Airbnb
They are the 8th Best Air B&B in the world
Frank Tours: Facebook
Stay Tuned for The Next Installment: Thank You, Costa Rica
If you missed any of our Costa Rican adventures:
Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Waterfalls, OH MY! & Coffee
The Magic That is Bio Thermales Hot Springs
Independence Day 2022, Costa Rica
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