This post shares everything you need to know about visiting Paraiso Manantiales, a collection of 8 stunning waterfalls in the Bajos del Toro region of Costa Rica.
This article may contain affiliate / compensated links, that may earn me a small commission, at no extra cost to you. For full information, please see our disclaimer here. While all efforts have been taken to ensure the information included in this post is correct and current, travel information such as opening hours, business operations and prices change frequently. If you find anything in this post that is incorrect or outdated please let me know in the comments so I can update it for other readers.
About Paraiso Manantiales
Paraiso Manantiales is a set of 8 beautiful waterfalls on privately owned property, located in the Bajos del Toro region of Costa Rica. Just two hours north of San Jose, and around 1.5 hours south of La Fortuna this region is a hidden gem full of waterfalls! But surprisingly, remains well off the tourist radar, meaning you can experience some of Costa Rica’s most impressive cataratas almost all to yourself.
Paraiso Manantiales sits at the northern end of Route 708, which is the main road running through the region where most of the waterfalls are located. In an area that is already a bit of a secret, Paraiso Manantiales could be considered a secret within a secret. It’s even less visited than some of the other waterfalls in Bajos del Toro, but we think it is just as impressive!
A visit here will have you hiking through lush rainforests, swimming in electric blue pools and feeling the force of the falls tumbling down over sheer rock faces. In this post, we’ll share everything you need to know to plan a visit to Paraiso Manantiales.
Bajos del Toro is the perfect detour between San Jose and La Fortuna. Most visitors to Costa Rica have La Fortuna on their itinerary, but we would highly recommend adding a day or two in Bajos del Toro on the way. You won’t find waterfalls as beautiful as these without the crowds anywhere else in the country! Check out our Bajos del Toro travel guide here.
Paraiso Manantiales quick facts
- 📍 Location: Google Maps
- ⏰ Opening hours: 7 days, 8 am – 2 pm (enter by 12 pm)
- 💰 Entrance fee: 5,000 Colones
- 🥾 Hike length: ~ 2.5 km / 1.5 mi
- 🪫 Difficulty: Easy – moderate
- 👙 Swimming: Yes
- 💡 More information: Paraiso Manantiales Facebook
How to get to Paraiso Manantiales
Paraiso Manantiales, and all the waterfalls in Bajos del Toro, are best visited with your own rental car. There is very limited public transport around the region, and even if you were able to reach Bajos del Toro via bus, it would be near impossible to move between the waterfalls.
🚘 Browse for rental cars in San Jose here
Although Paraiso Manantiales is in the north of the region, this was actually the first waterfall we visited in Bajos del Toro from San Jose. It’s much quicker to drive to the region via Route 126, entering Route 708 from the north. Paraiso Manantiales will be one of the first waterfalls you pass.
The route to Paraiso Manantiales (if you follow 126 from San Jose) is easily done in a normal car, with no 4×4 required. The road is winding and climbs through the mountains, but it’s in relatively good condition. Once you’re in Bajos del Toro, Route 708 is a paved road, but it has some enormous potholes in parts. It is definitely passable with any car, you just need to drive slowly. The driveway to reach Paraiso Manantiales from the main road is a bumpy, gravel road, but no need for a 4×4.
👆🏼 Visualise our suggested route on our interactive Bajos del Toro map
Costs and opening hours at Paraiso Manantiales
The entrance fee to visit the falls (at the time of writing) was 5,000 Colones per person (approx. $10 USD). You pay your fee at the on-site restaurant, before starting the trail. We paid in cash, and I can’t remember if it was possible to pay by card, sorry!
The falls are open 7 days a week from 8 am – 2 pm. I would suggest arriving by 12 pm at the latest, as you will want to allow plenty of time to do the hike and see the falls before they close.
Amenities at Paraiso Manantiales
The waterfall is run by a lovely local family who have developed the trails and access on their property. When you arrive, you will find an open grassed area where you can park for free. There is a small restaurant, offering local-style meals and drinks. There are cold showers, toilets, and even a swimming pool with cold, fresh water straight from the river! It’s also possible to camp on-site.
The waterfalls at Paraiso Manantiales
Once you have paid your fee, the owners will explain the route to the falls and you can take a photo of the map. The trail is a circuit trail, around 2.5 km / 1.5 mi. Follow the trail to the mirador on the way there, and return via the other route. It’s not super difficult, but it was steep in parts and coming back up got the heart racing a little!
We clocked 2.8 km on Brayden’s Garmin watch and spent about 90 minutes total with plenty of stops for photos and a swim.
While the restaurant and parking lot are in an open, grassy area, the second you step foot on the trail you enter a lush rainforest, hiding 8 different waterfalls! The trail is easy to follow, but it is very natural and not flat, with plenty of rocks, tree roots and slippery spots to navigate (how nature should be!).
The trail winds through thick rainforest, passing a number of falls, before eventually reaching the mighty Rio Toro. You will descend down to the river and wander along its banks to find the final, and most impressive waterfalls.
In addition to the 8 waterfalls, you will also find a cool spiral staircase, which has made accessing the falls a lot easier. A mirador, with a very lovely handmade ‘Pura Vida’ sign overlooking the river, and a rickety suspension bridge over one of the falls.
You can’t swim in all the waterfalls, but the wait is worth it when you arrive at ‘Catarata La Mica’ the biggest of all the falls. This impressive rock face has a curtain of water thundering down and we were absolutely blown away by the sheer power.
If you’re up for it, you can walk behind the falls, and if you’re a strong swimmer you can jump in and be instantly carried to the outer edges of the pool by the current. If you’d prefer to swim somewhere calmer, the ‘Poza Celestial’ (Celestial Pool) is just next to the biggest fall, with an unbelievable blue tone. It seriously felt like a fairy tale.
What to bring to Paraiso Manantiales
- 🥾 Sturdy walking shoes – full-blown hiking boots aren’t required, but you want to be in either comfortable trainers or water shoes if you have them. The trail was super slippery and steep in parts so you need good traction.
You don’t have to walk through water on this trail, but we opted to wear water shoes for all our waterfall hikes in Costa Rica. I always wear my Teva sandals and Brayden has some trainer-style water shoes. - 👙 Swimmers – you will want to jump in and swim in the incredible pools!
- 🚿 Towel – to dry off from the falls, and for the showers available in the restaurant.
- 🎒 Waterproof bag – for any activity involving water (or possible rain) we use a waterproof bag. We have both an entire backpack that is completely waterproof, and also smaller waterproof sacks that we use for the camera and drone, as an added layer of protection and peace of mind.
- 🧥 Rain jacket – this area of Costa Rica is cool and moist, so you should be ready for rain at any time!
- 🦟 Insect repellent – apply before entering the rainforest so you don’t pollute the air, and consider using a natural spray.
- 💧 Water – bring plenty of water, the trail is steep in parts and it is hot and humid in the rainforest. Be sure to use a reusable bottle and avoid creating any more plastic pollution. The water in this part of Costa Rica is clean and safe to drink, so you can fill up your bottle at the restaurant.
- 🍎 Snacks – there is a restaurant on-site, but we always like having some snacks in our bag on any hike. It’s a nice reward and I always look forward to some lollies, fruits or biscuits! We pack our snacks into reusable containers, so we aren’t bringing any plastic into nature.
Where to stay near Paraiso Manantiales
It’s actually possible to camp on the property if you are travelling by tent/camper/van. We stayed here in our Nomad America 4×4 car with a rooftop tent and paid 5,000 Colones per person. We had access to the toilets and showers in the evening and could sit in the (closed) restaurant in case of rain. You can see info about camping here on the iOverlander listing.
Otherwise, there are a handful of accommodation options around Bajos del Toro for a range of budgets. We recommend:
💦 Check out our Bajos del Toro travel guide for more information on where to stay in the area
Where to after Paraiso Manantiales?
We highly recommend staying for at least one night in Bajos del Toro, so you can visit a few of the other falls in the area. We stayed for two nights, and in addition to Paraiso Manantiales, we visited Catarata del Toro, the Blue Falls of Costa Rica and Catarata Vuelta del Cañon. Our next stop in Costa Rica was La Fortuna.
Final thoughts: Paraiso Manantiales
Paraiso Manantiales is a beautiful hidden gem in Bajos del Toro.
We read someone describe it as ‘not that spectacular’, but we think they are completely wrong! These beautiful falls are unique from others in the area, and the fact that you can probably enjoy them without anyone else around makes them even more special.
Let me know what you think if you visit!
MORE BAJOS DEL TORO POSTS
- Bajos del Toro Travel Guide: Costa Rica’s Waterfall Wonderland
- Catarata del Toro Waterfall Guide, Costa Rica
- How to Visit The Incredible Blue Falls of Costa Rica
- Catarata Vuelta del Cañon: Costa Rica’s Best Waterfall
OUR COSTA RICA TRAVEL GUIDES
The Comments
Sophia
Dear Sally,
Thank you so much for all your blog posts about Costa Rica. I have now read all of them, and they have been incredibly inspiring.
I am currently planning a road trip through Costa Rica, and I would actually love to visit many of the same places you wrote about, in roughly the same order.
I will be traveling with my two children (14 years old and 1 year 9 months), my boyfriend, and my mother, who is 56. I am very active and love adventure and nature experiences.
We were actually planning this trip two years ago, but I had just become pregnant at the time, so we decided to postpone it until I would be able to be more active and fully enjoy the experience.
We are planning to travel for around 35 days. Do you think it is realistic to visit all the destinations you included in your route while traveling with children?
At the moment, I am planning to stay in Bajos del Toro for 3 nights, which would give us 2 full days and 1 half day before continuing to La Fortuna.
I would also love to hear your recommendations about which waterfalls you think are the most realistic and worthwhile for us to visit during those 2.5 days — especially considering that we are traveling with both my mother and my baby.
There are so many beautiful places in the area that I am finding it difficult to choose.
I would really appreciate any advice or recommendations you may have.
Best regards,
Sophia Storm
Sally Rodrick
SophiaHi Sophia,
Thankyou so much for taking the time to read all my articles and I am so, so pleased that they have inspired you and been helpful in your planning! 🙂
It sounds like you have got an absolutely epic trip planned and you are going to see so much more of Costa Rica than most people do. A road trip is by far the best way and you’ll have so much freedom and can definitely cover a lot more ground.
I don’t have children so it’s really difficult for me to give you an accurate idea of what is and isn’t possible. I anticipate that you might want to travel at a slightly slower pace and probably can’t jam pack your days as much, to give everyone enough time to rest and not constantly be on the go. With that being said, I think all those places in 35 days is ambitious but not impossible. I’d say if you possibly chopped down one coastal area (e.g. Nicoya Peninsula, Caribbean Coast or Osa Peninsula) it would be a bit more slow paced.
If you’re happy to keep a flexible travel style and not pre-book everything you could just see how you go and book on the spot, but if you want to pre-plan everything, I’d say you might need to trim down one or two beachy towns. I would probably say either Montezuma area (although we did love it, it’s quite a detour), as the Caribbean Coast was our absolute favourite and the wildlife in the Osa is unmissable. Corcovado is a must.
As for Bajos del Toro, again, I’m so sorry I can’t give you an accurate idea of what is the best option for kids as I don’t know what they are capable of. I’d say Vuelta del Cañon is probably a no go as that is quite a long hike. Catarata del Toro is a steep but short walk, but isn’t very interactive (no swimming etc.). Blue Falls is an adventure and there is quite a lot of slippery hiking, but you don’t have to go to all of them. Even if you just did a shorter walk to say 3 of the 6 falls, that could be a happy medium, and they are beautiful. We didn’t visit but from what I know, Catarata Rio Agrio is a pretty easy and accessible fall that is more suitable with kids.
I hope that helps! No matter exactly where you go or what you do, you are going to love Costa Rica. It’s such a special and beautiful country, the nature is unmatched.
Have a wonderful trip,
Sally x