Lonely Planet Costa RicaLonely Planet
Guidebook
Lonely Planet Costa Rica
Lonely Planet · 2025
Latest Lonely Planet Costa Rica, covering Arenal/La Fortuna, Tenorio's Río Celeste and the southern Pacific near Nauyaca.
Costa Rica · Guanacaste
Rio Celeste Falls
Catarata Río Celeste
The startling sky-blue color comes not from dye or minerals dissolved in the water but from the physics of light scattering off suspended aluminosilicate particles where two clear rivers merge, an effect confirmed by chemists only in 2013. Swimming is banned at the falls themselves but permitted downstream in the same brilliantly colored river.
Famous for water colored by optical mineral scattering, not dye Essentials guide
Checked September 2026 by David Bussell
Rio Celeste Falls drops 30 metres (98 ft) on the Río Celeste, inside Tenorio Volcano National Park. It is a plunge-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Bijagua, with LIR the closest airport. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
As a plunge waterfall, water leaves the rock entirely and falls free through the air.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Rio Celeste Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Bijagua are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotographyWildlife & safari
When to go
Dry season (Jan-Apr) gives the clearest, most vividly turquoise water.
Entry: Park entry ~$12 USD
Getting there
- Base town Bijagua
- Airport LIR
- Country Costa Rica
- Region Guanacaste, Mexico & Central America, North America
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Rio Celeste Falls
Costa Rica
Height30 mWidth—
Most similar
Havasu Falls
United States
Height30 mWidth—
Also a plunge waterfall, of similar height and in the United States
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
30 m
30 m
108 m
330 m
979 m
Rio Celeste FallsHavasu FallsVictoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Angel Falls is 33× taller than Rio Celeste Falls. Victoria Falls is 3.6× taller. We don't have a reliable crest width for Rio Celeste Falls yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Videos from Rio Celeste Falls
7:12
10:31
1:52
Chosen from YouTube; videos belong to their creators and play from YouTube's privacy-enhanced player.
Books worth packing
Moon Costa Rica: Best Beaches…Nikki Solano
Guidebook
Moon Costa Rica: Best Beaches, Wildlife-Watching, Outdoor Adventures
Nikki Solano · 2025
Current Moon guide by a Costa Rica-based author, with Arenal, Tenorio and Dominical-area coverage.
Lonely Planet Central AmericaLonely Planet
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Lonely Planet Central America
Lonely Planet · 2025
Region-wide guide with Honduras coverage, including San Pedro Sula and Lago de Yojoa, the base for Pulhapanzak.
On the map
10.7036, -84.9908
Quick answers
Where is Rio Celeste Falls?
Rio Celeste Falls is in Costa Rica (Guanacaste), inside Tenorio Volcano National Park. The nearest base is Bijagua and the closest airport is LIR. Its coordinates are 10.7036, -84.9908.
How tall is Rio Celeste Falls?
Rio Celeste Falls drops 30 metres (98 feet). It is a plunge-type waterfall on the Río Celeste.
When is the best time to visit Rio Celeste Falls?
Peak flow is January to April. Dry season (Jan-Apr) gives the clearest, most vividly turquoise water.
What can you do at Rio Celeste Falls?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking, photography and wildlife & safari. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail.
How do you get to Rio Celeste Falls?
The usual base is Bijagua, and the closest airport is LIR. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there. Park entry ~$12 USD.
Nearby
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