The La Paz Waterfall Gardens features a multi-level waterfall that cascades down a steep embankment with green plants in the foreground.
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The La Paz Waterfall Gardens in central Costa Rica is a magical place to explore, with many options of things to do for different interests. On the advice of our friends Kenny & Wendy, we stopped at La Paz on our drive from La Fortuna to San Jose. You could also make a day trip from either city, about 90 minutes away.

Map showing that the La Paz Waterfall Gardens is located between San Jose and La Fortuna

A popular attraction, the La Paz Waterfall Gardens is a beautiful area of lush vegetation overlooking the La Paz River Valley and nearby Poás Volcano. And it’s so big, we never felt crowded with other people.

We did however, make a few mistakes during our visit. Keep reading to learn how avoid making the same ones and make it a great day for your visit. The Table of Contents lets you jump to specific things that interest you, or you can browse the entire post to get a great overview of La Paz Waterfall Gardens!

What is There to Do at La Paz Waterfall Gardens?

La Paz offers so many different types of activities for all kinds of interests. Here are 9 of the best options:

La Paz Waterfall Gardens Park Map, showing buildings and trails and waterfalls.

#1 – See the Waterfalls

The main attraction at La Paz is of course, the waterfalls. Five different ones cascade down the mountain-side which can you can view along 3.5 kilometers of paved trails along the La Paz River. At the end of the trail by the final and largest falls, you can catch a shuttle bus back to the park entrance.

A couple poses near rocks by a large waterfall.
Photo Credit: Kenny F
White cascading water fall to a pool below, surrounded by lush green vegetation
Photo credit: Kenny F
A multi-level waterfall cascades down a steep embankment with green plants in the foreground.
Click to watch video

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#2 – Get up Close to Birds & Butterflies

The Aviary is the perfect place to get up close and personal with colorful and exotic birds. Some are in cages to keep them safe, but many are free to roam inside of the Aviary, ready to pose for photos with you.

A black toucan perches on a wooden tree branch, showing us his bright yellow throat and his green, orange and purple bill.
Bill poses with the Keel-billed toucan, perched on the tree branch above him.
The Crested Caracara hides behind a large green leaf, but you can still see his white next with a black crown and orange / white bill
A close up shot of a Big black toucan sits on a branch with his yellow throat, bright green coloring around his eye, his bill with yellow on top and burgundy on the bottom.
Two colorful green parrots talk to each other through a wire fence
Beautiful peacock bird with his back to us, showing us all his colorful feathers.
Indian Peafowl – Photo Credit: Kenny F

Then the Butterfly Observatory provides opportunities to view over 20 species of butterflies, including the Blue Morph. Get your camera ready because they don’t sit still very long! Maybe you can get one to land on your hand? Bill tried his darndest to do that, but without much success.

And the Hummingbird Garden allows you to capture 26 different species of the bird world’s smallest creatures, right at feeders.

Morph Butterfly shows his beautiful bright blue wings in the Butterfly Observatory at the La Paz Waterfall Gardens
The Morph butterfly showing a peek of his blue top wings, but also the patterned brown pattern on the underside of the wings
Morph butterfly with its wings closed, displaying a beautiful brown and buff pattern.
A green and brown butterfly whose species I do not know.

#3 – Visit the Jungle Cats

The Jungle Cat Sanctuary is a “can’t miss” part of the park. Here you can see normally wild Central American felines such as the Ocelot, Jaguar, Margay and the Puma. Get up close (through the glass) as they prowl through their large enclosures. Such beautiful creatures!!

A smaller female Margay, also known as a Tree Ocelot, sits on a wooden platform, looking to his left.
Ocelot
A spotted ocelot passes in front of the window that keeps him safe in his enclosure.
Ocelot
A Spotted Cat called a Margay stretches with his mouth wide open and sharp teeth clearly visible. He lives in a large enclosure at La Paz Waterfall Gardens
Margay – Photo Credit: Kenny F

#4 – Learn about Monkeys, Frogs and Snakes

In the Monkey House, watch the Spider and White-faced Monkeys scamper and swing. All throughout the exhibits are informative education signs so you can learn about what you are seeing. The Serpentarium showcases 30 Costa Rican snakes, including the most beautiful and the most deadly ones. And finally at the Frog Ranarium, you can witness several types of frogs darting and climbing everywhere around you.

#5 – Hike the Trails

Besides the main waterfall trail that everyone does, the park offers several other hiking trails. We hiked the yellow trail down to the La Paz River. These trails were not paved or as well defined as the main trails. But it was a beautiful hike through the jungle.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens Park Map, showing buildings and trails and waterfalls.
A Green pathway leads through the jungle as the sun dapples the landscape
A staircase climbs through the jungle with a moss-covered handrail.
A bubbling stream flows through the jungle at La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park.

#6 – Fish Trout Lake

Enjoy a relaxing afternoon of fishing in the multi-level Trout Lake on the property. Fly fishing rods and spin casting rods are available. The lake is restocked monthly with rainbow trout and the kitchen will prepare your fish after you capture them.

On the large lakeside deck, you can chill with other guests, trade fishing tales and have a drink at the Big Trout Bar.

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#7 – Step Back in Time

Large white and brown spotted ox is hooked up to a wagon with two adults waiting to go for a ride. These are our friends Kenny & Wendy.
Photo credit Kenny F

Visit the Casita de La Paz to experience life as it was over a century ago. Milk the cow for a taste of freshness, ride in an ox-drawn cart, eat fresh tortillas and see how Ticos lived and worked so many years ago.

Kenny & Wendy enjoyed the Ox ride.

#8 – Eat at One of 6 Restaurants

The La Paz Waterfall Gardens offers six different restaurants for you to dine at. The Colibries offers a buffet of typical Costa Rican cuisine, plus pizzas and a few other items, right in the middle of the park. Look out at the rainforest while you dine and listen to the roar of the waterfalls.

The Big Trout Bar and Restaurant is waiting to cook up the rainbow trout you caught in the Lake. And the Las Tucas Bar offers pre-dinner cocktails or for watching the big game.

The La Paz Waterfall Gardens Reception Building with orange and red coloring
Reception Center

The Vista Poas Restaurant and the Tortillas Restaurant are both located inside the Reception Welcome Center if you need to fuel up before you begin exploring the gardens and park.

La Terraza is the perfect way to relax at the end of your tour with a cup of coffee and a fresh-baked pastry before you take the shuttle bus back to Reception.

Hours and menus vary for each establishment.

#9 – Spend the Night at the Peace Lodge

If your budget allows it, you can stay right on the property at the gorgeous Peace Lodge. This 5-star boutique hotel property is an amazing place to stay because Poás Volcano and La Paz River Valley views are available from every room.

Staying there gives you unlimited admission to the park, including before it opens to the public in the morning and after it closes in the afternoon. These are the times when the animals are the most active and there are a variety of tours available.

Click to Check Availability & Pricing

La Paz Waterfall Gardens FAQs

How Do I Get to La Paz Waterfall Gardens?

If you have a car, you can drive yourself to the park. It’s right on Route 126 and the whole area is scenic and gorgeous. (But see my helpful note below about the parking situation). Or, let someone else do the driving so you can take in all the views with a guided day trip from San Jose – a delicious lunch is included with this tour.

Click to Check Availability & Pricing

Can I Buy Tickets On Line?

Yes, you can buy your one-day pass tickets online ahead of time.

What are the Hours at La Paz Waterfall Gardens?

The park is currently open from 8 AM to 5 PM for day visitors. Always check the park website to see if it has changed.

Were Any of the Animals Taken from their Natural Habitat?

No, this is an ethical park where the animals were rescued and brought to the park to live in an environment as close to their natural habitat as possible. Particularly in the Jungle Cat exhibit, we were impressed with the spacious amount of area each one has to roam about.

Educational Sign showing that the animals at La Paz Waterfall Park were not removed from their natural environment, but rather were rescued by the Costa Rican Wildlife Ministry and brought to the park.

Learn from Our Mistakes!

Mistake #1: Not allowing enough time

We stopped on our transition day between La Fortuna and San Jose. But we took our time along the drive, stopping for photos and for a long lunch at Soda La Campesina. By the time we got to La Paz, it was already after 1:00. Since we wanted to get to San Jose before rush hour, we only had a couple of hours to explore. Much better would be to have 4-5 hours available so you can take your time to enjoy the gardens and waterfalls. And given the somewhat high cost to visit, it would make sense to allow for a whole day there.

Mistake #2: Not knowing where the Parking Lot is

We came from the north, driving south on Route 126. By the time we saw the blue sign for La Paz Waterfall, we were way past the driveway to the Parking Lot which is shown in the foreground with the red pavers. It was really, really tight to turn around on the busy road!!

Picture of road with a blue sign circled in red, and a red paver driveway with a red arrow pointing down it.

If you’re coming from the north (La Fortuna / Arenal or Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui), prepare to make a hairpin right turn at the Reception Building so you can go up the ramp to the parking area. If you’re coming from the south (San Jose), then you will veer left at the Reception and head up the ramp.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens map, with red arrow showing the tight hairpin turn needed to reach the parking lot if coming from the north.
Red-paver driveway leading up to the parking Lot
Driveway to Parking area above Reception

Mistake #3: Spending too long in the first few buildings

We spent a really long time in the Bird Aviary, the Butterfly Observatory and the Hummingbird Gardens, happily taking photos. Then we ran out of time to visit some of the other areas. If we had gotten to the park earlier, then we would have had enough time (see Mistake #1).

Is the La Paz Waterfall Gardens Worth Visiting?

In my opinion, definitely – it is well worth a visit of several hours to explore the exhibits, the views and the waterfalls of the La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Don’t forget your camera!

Bill would say that the price was too high for the value that we got from our visit, but again, we were rushed without enough time to explore the park thoroughly (due to Mistake #1).

More Info on Costa Rica

Here are some more posts about Costa Rica, including some that I’m still working on. If you’d like to receive emails when I’ve posted new content to the site, please complete the short form above.

Monteverde / Santa Elena Rainforest Area

Manuel Antonio / Quepos Area

La Fortuna / Arenal Volcano Area

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