La Leona Waterfall Hike: Private Canyon Swim & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.91 (123 reviews) 94% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/16

Duration8h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Swim upriver to La Leona Waterfall with canyon pools and lunch

You’ll hike upriver through shaded canyons near Rincon de la Vieja, swim through cool pools with your local guide pointing out wildlife, and reach La Leona waterfall after a short swim. Expect rocky trails and river crossings before relaxing by the falls and enjoying a Costa Rican lunch — it’s an adventure that lingers long after you dry off.

Step-by-step itinerary

Hike to La Leona Waterfall and Lunch

Pick up from meeting point
Begin moderate 2-hour hike upriver
Stop at five different pools
Pass through stone canyon and caves
Reach canyon entrance to waterfall
Put belongings in drybag
Swim to La Leona Waterfall
Take photos at stone beach
Splash around in pool
Enjoy Costa Rican style lunch

The Experience

I didn’t expect my shoes to fill with pebbles so quickly — or that the first sound I’d hear would be parrots yelling over each other in the trees above Rio Blanco. Our guide, Daniel, grinned at us like he knew what was coming. The trail started easy enough, shaded and cool, but you could already smell the river’s mineral tang and something almost peppery from the leaves crushed underfoot. Every so often he’d pause, point out a tiny lizard sunbathing on a rock or a flash of blue morpho butterfly. I tried to snap a photo but missed it — too slow, as usual.

The hike to La Leona Waterfall is supposed to be “moderate,” but there were moments scrambling over roots when I wondered if my knees had missed the memo. We stopped by these five pools along the way — each one clearer than the last, cold enough to make your teeth chatter if you dipped your hand in. Daniel told us stories about Rincon de la Vieja volcano (he called it “the old lady’s corner,” which made me laugh), and we ducked into a cave where it smelled like wet stone and moss. There was this weird silence inside except for our breathing and water dripping somewhere deeper in.

The last stretch is where things get interesting. You have to stuff your things into a drybag (I double-checked mine three times) and then just — jump in. The water’s shockingly cold at first but you get used to it fast because you’re swimming upriver through this narrow canyon, sunlight slicing in from above. When we finally reached La Leona waterfall itself, it thundered so loud you couldn’t really talk without yelling. There’s this little stone beach right in front where we all just stood for a minute catching our breath, nobody saying much. I still think about that view — mist on my skin, echoing water everywhere.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup from Tamarindo or Flamingo Beach areas, all park entrance fees and taxes covered up front, bottled water throughout the hike, life jackets for river crossings and swimming near La Leona waterfall, plus a traditional Costa Rican lunch before heading back in an air-conditioned vehicle.

Good to know

Demanding physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Native's Way Costa Rica