Between San Isidro de Pérez Zeledón and Dominical, the Barú River hides one of the gems of southern Costa Rica: two beautiful waterfalls, 20 and 40 meters high, called Nauyaca.
Key points
- The two Nauyaca waterfalls, 20 and 40 meters high, are on the Barú River, between San Isidro de Pérez Zeledón and Dominical.
- They are on a private property: 6 km each way from the entrance, with a local tour or on your own, for no more than $10 to $15.
- On a motorcycle, you can ride up to the parking lot and save 4 km round trip; we recommend walking the rest, as the forest is part of the experience.
- In the rainy season, in the afternoon, watch the falls from a safe distance: flash floods are common.
- Dominical beach, perfect for watching the sunset, is very close.
The south of Costa Rica is a geographical area with many natural gems. The region is still very agricultural and devoted to livestock at this point. Thanks to this, there is an atmosphere of mystery that only little-explored places can offer.
The most important city in the Southern Zone is San Isidro de Pérez Zeledón. Once in this city, you can continue to the south or to the west of the country. Both routes have many destinations, but for the purposes of this article, we are going to take the route to the west. This road will take us to the Pacific coast, more precisely to Dominical, a place well known by the surfing community.
Between Dominical and San Isidro hides one of the gems we mentioned before: the Barú River. On this river, there are two beautiful waterfalls, 20 and 40 meters high, called Nauyaca.
From the entrance to the Nauyaca Falls
The falls are located on a private property where a consortium manages everything related to access. You can go with a local tour or on your own. From the entrance to the waterfall, it is 6 kilometers one way and 6 kilometers back. Entrance prices vary but do not exceed $10 to $15.
If you go on one of our motorcycles, you can get to the parking lot and save 4 kilometers round trip.
The tours have the great advantage of taking you to both waterfalls, if you are not in the mood to walk. However, you would miss much of the charm of the property, full of Costa Rican Pacific dry forest, with hundreds of species of animals, birds, insects and plants.
The first waterfall at Nauyaca, the highest, is the typical waterfall with the water in free fall. Meanwhile, in the second, the water slides down the rock in a more subtle way. There are refreshing natural pools where you can take a dip.
Why go to Nauyaca Falls?
When it comes to waterfalls, not much can be said. Words fall short to describe the beauty of the place: you have to be there. The best part is the hike, since the forest is part of the experience, and getting to the falls is the cherry on the cake.
If you are going as part of one of our motorcycle tours or on one of our rental motorcycles, we recommend making the trek from the parking lot to the falls.
If you go in the rainy season, in the afternoon, we recommend watching the falls from a safe distance, as flash floods are common in this area.
After going to the falls, Dominical, a beautiful beach, is very close. A perfect beach to watch the sunset.
You can get to the Nauyaca Waterfalls, or any other destination in Costa Rica, with our tours or by renting one of our motorcycles.
If you want a motorcycle tour with us that includes Nauyaca as a destination, you can ask for it on one of our tours. Our tours
Or you can rent one of our motorcycles to get there by yourself. Our rental motorcycles
