If you’re trying to figure out how to visit Nauyaca waterfalls without getting overwhelmed by conflicting info, you’ve arrived at the right place.
I’ll walk you through exactly how it works. From where they’re located to which entrance makes the most sense for your trip, so you can plan your visit easily and enjoy one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Costa Rica.
Nauyaca Waterfalls are one of Costa Rica’s most impressive waterfall systems. They’re powerful, wide, and tucked deep into the jungle. They sit on the southern Pacific coast, between Manuel Antonio and Uvita, which makes them a popular stop on a road trip through this area.
One thing that catches most people off guard is that there are two different entrances and picking the right one ahead of time matters more than you’d expect.
I’d heard so many people say this was their favorite waterfall in Costa Rica. I went in with high expectations. And I have to agree! It’s not just one of my favorite waterfalls in the country. It’s honestly one of my favorite waterfalls I’ve ever visited.
In this guide, I’ll break down everything you need to know about visiting Nauyaca Waterfalls. I’ll cover how to get there, how the two entrances compare, when to go, what to bring, and how to plan a visit that actually feels worth the effort.
In a hurry? Plan your trip to Nauyaca Waterfalls now!
📍Location: Southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica, between Uvita and Manuel Antonio. Easy stop on a coastal road trip.
🎟️ Entrance options
→ Don Lulo’s Nauyaca Waterfalls (10 USD hike both ways or 32 USD trolley up and down or 80 USD horseback riding with lunch)
→ Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park (28 USD walk down + trolley up, 38 USD trolley up and down)
🚗 How to get there: Driving is the easiest option. Public buses work only for Don Lulo’s entrance.
🍃 Best tours to visit Nauyaca waterfalls
→ A full-day tour from Manuel Antonio
→ A tour from Uvita with a stop in Dominicalito
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💊 Best travel insurance for Costa Rica: I recommend Heymondo for its excellent balance between affordability and quality.
🛜 Best way to stay connected in Costa Rica: If your phone supports eSIM, Airalo (MARIAN4315 = 3€ off) is the easiest option. Otherwise, buy a local SIM from Kolbi, Liberty or Claro.
About Nauyaca waterfalls
Nauyaca Waterfalls are set in the jungle, surrounded by thick vegetation, wide riverbeds, and constant jungle sounds.
While it’s a managed and well-known site, the setting still feels open and natural. You’re not just stopping at a viewpoint. You’re spending time in a landscape that invites you to slow down and stay a while.
The waterfalls are split into two main sections, the upper falls and the lower falls. Together, they drop over 60 m/ 200 feet in total. The lower falls are wider and more dramatic, with a large natural pool at the base. The upper falls are taller and more vertical, with a calmer pool that feels more tucked away.
Each one offers a different experience. The lower falls feel powerful and open, especially after rain. The upper falls feel quieter and more peaceful.
Swimming is possible at both, but conditions vary. The lower pool is better for floating and cooling off and it might be easier to get into the water. The upper pool is usually less crowded, though.
Whether you come just to admire the falls or to swim, which I fully recommend, the visit always feels worth including in your Costa Rica itinerary.
How to visit Nauyaca waterfalls
Spending a bit of time planning how to visit Nauyaca waterfalls is worth it. There are two different companies, and they operate two separate access points to the same waterfalls. That’s where most of the confusion comes from.
There are a few ways to visit, and none of them are complicated once you know how it works. You can go with or without a car. You can visit on your own or join a tour. The experience changes slightly depending on what you choose, but the waterfalls are the same.
Plus, the Nauyaca waterfalls entrance fee depends on which access point you choose and whether you hike or use transport to reach the falls.
Visiting by car is easy, no matter which access you choose. Both entrances are reached via normal roads, and I had no issues driving there.
One of the access points, the Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park, includes a short gravel stretch at the end. This is in the last 15 minutes, but it’s in good condition and manageable with a regular car. The other entrance is more direct and stays on paved roads almost the entire way.
This makes the waterfalls very easy to visit as a day trip. You can come from Uvita, Manuel Antonio, or even stop here while driving between the two. That’s exactly what I did, and it worked perfectly.
It’s also possible to visit with a tour. This can be a good option if you don’t want to worry about logistics or if you’re staying in places like Manuel Antonio or Uvita without a car.
Tours usually include transportation, entry fees, and time at the waterfalls, which makes the day very straightforward.
If a tour sounds like the better fit, there are a few popular options available:
The two entrances to Nauyaca waterfalls
Nauyaca Waterfalls can be accessed through two completely separate entrances, each run by a different company. They operate independently and, yes, they’re rivals.
Even though there are two entrances, what you actually see at the end is the same. You’re still visiting the same upper and lower falls. What changes is how you get there, how long you can stay, and possibly how much effort is involved.
The two options are:
I personally visited the Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park and really enjoyed the experience. That said, both entrances make sense depending on your travel style, budget, and how much time you want to spend at the waterfalls.
Which entrance should you choose?
| Which entry to choose | If you… |
|---|---|
| Don Lulo’s | … are traveling without a car and using the bus |
| Don Lulo’s | … are sticking to a tighter budget |
| Don Lulo’s | … want to hike less |
| Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park | … want to spend more than 2h at the waterfalls |
» Don Lulo’s Nauyaca waterfalls entrance
This entrance is accessed directly from the main road. The bus stops right outside, which makes it the easiest option if you don’t have a car.
- Location and access
- Google Maps location
- Easy access from the main road
- Public buses stop here
- Access schedule
- Monday to Saturday from 7.00 am to 2.00 pm
- Sunday from 8.00 am to 2.00 pm
- Latest time to leave the waterfalls is 3.30 pm
- Parking: 5 USD/4€ (only if you decide to hike both ways)
There are 3 possible ways to reach the waterfalls:
- Hiking both ways, 10 USD (~8.5€)
- From the office, it’s an 11 km / 7 mi round trip
- If you have a car, you can drive to the parking area and hike 7 km / 4 mi round trip instead
- No reservation needed
- This option is the best if you want to hike to Nauyaca waterfalls
- Trolley up and down, 32 USD (~27€)
- Limits your time at the waterfalls to 2 hours
- Reservation required with a fixed time slot
- Pick up truck runs on set schedules
- The ride takes about 30 minutes
- From drop off, it’s a short 200-meter walk with stairs and a boardwalk
- Parking included
- Horseback riding both ways, 80 USD (~68€)
- Reservation required
- Only one tour per day, from 9.00 am to 1.30 pm, Monday to Saturday
- Lunch included
- Parking included
» Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park entrance
This entrance works best if you have a rental car. It’s not accessible by public transport and sits about 15 minutes from the main road where the bus stops.
- Location and access
- Google Maps location
- Road conditions aren’t perfect, but it’s doable without a 4×4
- Facilities on arrival
- Free parking
- Ticket office
- Small restaurant (they weren’t serving meals when we visited)
- Bathrooms and showers
- Opening hours
- Open daily from 7.30 am to 4.30 pm
- Last entry at 2.30 pm
- Last trolley back at 4.00 pm
From the entrance to the waterfalls, the distance is about 3 km /2 mi. Even if you book transport, you’ll still need to walk around 750 meters /0.5 mi from the ranger station to reach the falls. That part can’t be avoided.
There are 2 possible ways to reach the waterfalls:
- Walk down and trolley up, 28 USD (~24€)
- About 2.7 km /1.7 mi downhill walk from the ticket office to the ranger station
- From the ranger station, expect another 10 to 15-minute walk to the waterfalls
- On the way back, you can call the trolley via WhatsApp using the park Wi Fi
- Trolley up and down, 38 USD (~32€)
- Trolley ride from the office to the ranger station takes under 10 minutes
- From there, it’s a 10 to 15-minute walk through small plantations
- I actually enjoyed this part. It felt like a mini botanical garden with pepper, cacao, and other plants
- Includes stairs near the waterfalls, which you’ll climb again on the way back
Realistic itinerary at Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park
This is a realistic way to visit Nauyaca Waterfalls through the nature park entrance, without rushing and without overcomplicating things. It’s exactly how my visit played out.
→ Park your car next to the ticket office
→ Take the trolley from the ticket office to the ranch area
→ From the ranch, walk down through the botanical garden toward the waterfall zone (10-15 min)
→ You’ll see several trail options, but start on Trail 1
→ Shortly after, take a short detour to Trail 7, Sendero El Mirador. From here, you’ll get great views of the upper falls
→ Swimming is possible at the upper falls and it’s usually quieter here. Even so, I recommend continuing further down and swimming and the lower falls instead
→ Continue back on Trail 1, then follow Trail 2 toward the lower falls and La Gran Poza
→ Time for a swim. Even if the base of the main waterfall feels too strong, there are calmer natural pools nearby. That’s where we swam. The water was cold, but after walking in the heat, it felt amazing.
→ Once you’re done, head back to the ranger station. From there, you can message the trolley via WhatsApp using the park’s Wi Fi, and they’ll come pick you up.
There are more trails in the park, but these cover the highlights. Some of the others were closed when we visited, so focusing on this loop makes sense.
From parking to leaving the park, we spent around 3 hours total, and it felt like the perfect amount of time.
Other differences between Don Lulo’s and Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park
At the lower falls, the experience is very similar no matter which entrance you use. People from both sides share the same space, and you’ll often see visitors on both riverbanks. When the water flow isn’t too strong, it’s even possible to cross from one side to the other through the water.
That said, it’s important to be mindful of where you exit. Each side has clear signs showing that only visitors who bought a ticket for that entrance are allowed to use the facilities on that side. This matters even more if you’re planning to use the trolley back, since you need to return to the correct entrance.
The biggest difference shows up at the upper falls. Don Lulo’s entrance offers a more frontal viewpoint and arguably a slightly better lookout over the upper cascade. The angle feels more direct, which some people really like.
However, I visited through the Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park entrance and honestly didn’t feel like I missed out at all. The views were still great, the swimming spots were enjoyable, and the overall experience felt complete.
In the end, both entrances let you enjoy the same waterfalls. The differences come down to perspective, timing, and how you prefer to move around the park.
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How to get to Nauyaca waterfalls
Nauyaca fits easily into a southern Pacific Costa Rica itinerary. It works well if you’re staying in Dominical or Uvita, and it’s also an easy stop if you’re moving between Manuel Antonio and Uvita.
Driving is the easiest way to get to Nauyaca waterfalls. You have full control over timing, you can choose either entrance, and you’re not tied to bus schedules. That said, visiting without a car is still possible.
If you can’t drive, the best option is to take the bus to Don Lulo’s entrance. You’ll need a bus heading to San Isidro. These buses run from Quepos near Manuel Antonio, as well as from Uvita and Dominical. They’re operated by Grupo Blanco. Schedules can change, so I recommend confirming routes and times once you’re in Costa Rica rather than relying on old info online.
Driving to Nauyaca waterfalls
Driving yourself is straightforward and doesn’t require a special vehicle.
Road conditions are generally good. However, to reach the Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park, expect at least 15 minutes on an unpaved road at the end. It’s not perfect, but it’s manageable. A 4×4 isn’t needed. We drove a high-clearance car without 4×4 and had no issues.
Both options have parking available near the ticket office area. At Don Lulu’s, if you decide to hike both ways, you’ll need to pay an extra 5 USD / 4.2€ for parking.
Distances to the two entrances
| Starting point | Don Lulu’s Entrance | Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park |
|---|---|---|
| Uvita | ~25 minutes | ~50 minutes |
| Dominical | ~15 minutes | ~40 minutes |
| Manuel Antonio | ~55 minutes | ~1 hour 20 minutes |
Best time to visit Nauyaca waterfalls
The best time of day to visit is as early as possible. Both entrances open between 7.00 am and 7.30 am, except Don Lulo’s on Sundays, which opens at 8.00 am. Arriving early gives you a quieter experience and more time at the falls before groups start arriving.
That said, crowds aren’t always overwhelming. I visited at the start of high season, on a weekday, and didn’t arrive particularly early. I still got there in the morning. The waterfalls were busy but manageable, and it never felt chaotic.
When it comes to seasons, the dry season from November to April is generally the best time to go. Trails are easier, swimming is more comfortable, and access is more reliable.
During the rainy season, water levels can rise quickly, and the waterfalls may close if the flow becomes too strong. The water also tends to look browner after heavy rain, which takes away from the experience.
Water flow changes a lot throughout the year. In the dry season, the pools are calmer and safer for swimming. In the rainy months, the waterfalls are more powerful, but swimming can be limited or not allowed.
I visited in early December and had a perfect day. Good weather, clear water, and safe swimming conditions.
Temperatures in this part of Costa Rica stay warm year-round. Expect daytime temperatures around 28°C (82°F) to 32°C (90°F). Even early in the morning, it’s warm, especially once you start walking, so plan accordingly.
What to bring to Nauyaca waterfalls
Packing the right things makes a big difference, especially if you plan to stay a while or swim.
For footwear, sneakers are ideal. The trails are well marked, but some sections can be slippery. If you have water shoes, bring them. They’re useful around the pools and make getting in and out of the water much easier.
Bring swimwear, and I recommend packing a change of clothes if you plan to swim. A towel is also a good idea. The water is refreshing, and once you get in, you’ll want to dry off before heading back.
Don’t forget water and snacks. If you’re planning to stay more than two hours, consider bringing lunch. There are places to sit and relax, and having food with you lets you enjoy the visit at a slower pace.
Bug spray and sun protection are also essential. Even though parts of the trail are shaded, you’ll still be exposed to the sun, especially near the waterfalls.
Where to stay near Nauyaca waterfalls
If you want to stay close to the waterfalls, the best bases are Dominical and Uvita.
Choosing between Dominical and Uvita mostly comes down to the kind of stay you’re after.
Dominical is smaller and more laid back, and it’s closer to the waterfalls, which makes early starts and short drives easy. Here are some accommodation options in Dominical:
Uvita is a bit larger, with more restaurants, supermarkets, and overall services. It’s still a simple drive to the falls and works well if you want more choice when it comes to food and accommodation. Here are some of my favorite accommodations in Uvita:
Personally, I stayed at Golden Pineapple Villas and really loved it. The villas are spacious, the private pool with views over Marino Ballena National Park is impressive, and the overall atmosphere felt calm and relaxed.
FAQs about Nauyaca Waterfalls
» Is Nauyaca waterfalls worth visiting?
Yes, it’s worth visiting, especially if you enjoy waterfalls you can actually spend time at.
Nauyaca isn’t just a quick photo stop. It’s a place where you can walk, swim, and relax for a few hours.
The scale of the falls is impressive, and the setting feels open and natural without being difficult to access.
I’d heard many people say it was their favorite waterfall in Costa Rica, and after visiting, I understand why.
» Can you swim at Nauyaca waterfalls?
Yes, swimming is allowed at Nauyaca waterfalls, and it’s one of the highlights of the visit.
The lower falls have several calmer natural pools where swimming feels safe, even if the main waterfall looks strong.
The upper falls also have swimming spots and tend to be quieter. Water levels can change depending on the season, so swimming may be restricted after heavy rain.
» Do you need a guide to visit Nauyaca waterfalls?
No, you don’t need a guide to visit Nauyaca waterfalls.
Both entrances are well organized, with clear trails and staff explaining how things work when you arrive.
Visiting independently is straightforward, whether you hike or use the trolley options. A guide can still make sense if you don’t have a car or prefer transport included, but it’s not required to enjoy the waterfalls or find your way around.
» Is Nauyaca waterfalls suitable for kids?
Nauyaca can be suitable for kids, but the entrance you choose matters.
Don Lulo’s entrance is often easier for families because you have to walk less to the waterfalls.
However, even though the trails are wide and well-maintained, be aware that there are stairs and uneven surfaces near the waterfalls.
Swimming areas are calmer at the lower falls, which is better for kids, though supervision is essential.
» How long do you need at Nauyaca waterfalls?
Most people spend between 2 and 4 hours at Nauyaca waterfalls.
If you use Don Lulo’s trolley option, time at the falls is limited to around two hours.
At the Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park, you can stay longer and explore at a slower pace.
I spent about three hours total, including walking, swimming, and resting, and it felt like the right amount of time without rushing.
» Can you visit Nauyaca waterfalls without a car?
Yes, you can visit Nauyaca without a car, but access is more limited.
The easiest option without a car is Don Lulo’s entrance, which is accessible by bus. You’ll need a bus heading to San Isidro, available from Quepos, Dominical, or Uvita.
The Nature Park entrance isn’t accessible by public transport, so it works best if you’re driving.
Final thoughts
If you’re planning how to visit Nauyaca waterfalls, the good news is that it’s a rewarding experience either way. The waterfalls are impressive, swimming is a real highlight, and the visit feels more like time spent in nature than a quick stop.
It lived up to the hype for me, and I’d happily go back.
Which entrance should you choose
» Choose the Nauyaca waterfall nature park if:
- You want more flexibility with arrival and departure times
- You don’t want a strict time limit at the waterfalls
- You care about amenities like showers, changing rooms, and shaded areas
- You enjoy walking forest trails and spending more time on site
- You prefer showing up without worrying about sold out transport slots
» Choose Don Lulo’s entrance if:
- You like the idea of a horseback riding experience
- You’re traveling on a tight budget
- You want to walk less or use transport that drops you very close to the falls
- You have limited mobility
- You’re using public transportation
My personal recommendation is the Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park. I thought the experience was well organized, relaxed, and good value for money.
Unless you’re very focused on saving money, I’d also suggest taking the trolley both ways. There are more scenic hikes elsewhere in Costa Rica where transport isn’t an option, so saving your energy here makes sense.
Still have questions? Feel free to drop a comment below!
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