Just outside the town of Jaco, high up in the mountains, lie many untouched natural wonders left to be discovered. While not many humans choose to make there residence in the mountains, there is plenty of wildlife and beautiful natural scenery. In order to access this beautiful area, a water fall tour is the way to go.

Room2Board offers three different types of tours for $75, $90 and $139, with something for any type of adventurer. We were lucky enough to take in the more inexpensive of the three options, “The Explorer” tour, and it did not disappoint. We were picked up at the hostel at 7 am, we drove just outside Jaco, about 30 minutes up steep dirt roads into the mountains with every turn leaving us wondering if we would fall off the edge and down the steep valley walls. As we reached the ridge line we were greeted by cool mountain air and beautiful views of a large rainforest-filled valley to the east, and the town of Jaco and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

After making our way down to the bottom of the valley with expert navigating of the treacherous roads by our guide Will, we made it to the end of the road where a short hike led us to our first waterfall. Our guide politely requested we go for a swim to acclimate ourselves for the adventure which was to come—this water is a bit colder than the warm ocean waters of Jaco, as it is directly fed by rainfall and cooled by the mountain air. After a quick dip in the water and a nice natural shower, we hiked down further to begin climbing. The next hour and a half consisted the of our guide Will pointing out Costa Rican wildlife such as Monkeys, Toucans, and plant species such as the plant containing the natural ingredient used for pain creams like Bengay, IcyHot, and Tigerbalm. Aloong with seeing plenty of beautiful wildlife, we were able to climb through 5 different waterfalls, swimming in the pools creating by the immense amount of water pounding on the rocks for the millions of years, and jumping off the rocks into the pools. Each waterfall had something unique whether it was a cool cave to climb into, a ledge to jump off, or a high pressure shower to “cleanse” yourself in.

While our trip did not have many adrenaline-inducing moments, it was still a great time. If you are looking for a more intense experience, the “Extreme Adventurer” is what I would recommend, as it is more than twice as long and offers much more cliff jumping and natural waterslides.

At the end of the trip we were greeted by freshly cut pineapple and one last dip in the first waterfall we visited.  The drive back up the steep mountain and back to Jaco was equally exhilarating and made to a great end to a worthwhile morning. If your looking for a great adventure for any age and skill level, Costa Rica Waterfall Tours is a great option.  Room2Board can set this up for you when you get here and arrange for a pick up right at the hostel.  Happy Jumping!

Check out the video on the tour: