A visit to Costa Rica’s La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park and Wildlife Refuge

Our quest to find the elusive red-eyed tree frog comes to a happy conclusion at La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park and Wildlife Refuge.

I’d heard good things about the La Paz Waterfall Gardens in central Costa Rica, but they all fell short of what we found on our visit in person. This 70-acre nature park (that’s 28 hectares) includes 40 acres of protected cloud and rainforest, with 2.2 miles of hiking trails and viewing platforms—all built remarkably without cutting one tree or any vine system.

Just one of five waterfalls you'll hike past on your way down to Rio La Paz.

While the rainforest hike along five water falls at the end of your visit is spectacular (with a shuttle ride back up that you will be glad to take!), what your children are likely to remember best are the animals found here.

Hope to see a blue morpho butterfly? You'll find plenty here!

La Paz Waterfall Gardens is home to a fantastic butterfly observatory (mariposarium) with over 20 species of butterflies in all of their life stages, a large aviary with Costa Rica’s most colorful birds including scarlet macaws and tucans, a ranarium filled with fantastical frogs including the red-eyed tree frog, a serpentarium with 30 kinds of snakes including the golden eyelash viper, and a hummingbird garden where you might spot up to 26 species feeding.

A yellow eyelash viper as viewed through some very (this mom hopes) thick glass.

If you think that sounds exciting, just wait till you visit the jungle cats, which include the elusive margay and ocelot, among others found in Costa Rica and Central America. We were so mesmerized by the full-size jaguars that we couldn’t tear ourselves away as they tore into their meals—talk about a dinner show!

A jaguar digs in just a few feet from us. Talk about a dinner show!

Not to be outdone, there are many monkeys to entertain as well, including white-faced capuchins, spider monkeys, and marmosets. Did I mention the orchid garden? The Casita de la Paz with milk cows and ox cart rides for the family?

When you consider how much there is to see in addition to the lovely hike along five waterfalls and the La Paz River at the end of your visit, you can see how you will want to plan a full day’s visit to this worthy attraction.

As you can see, you'll have a lot of ground to cover. Wear comfortable shoes and plan for a full day!

Tips for visitors with a baby or young toddler: Be sure to bring a baby carrier or backpack child carrier to tote your baby or young toddler down the canyon waterfall trail while keeping your hands free for steep stair railings and your camera. If you bring a stroller for visiting the animals and other attractions, you’ll want to check it above before your hike, or walk it out to your car and reenter before pursuing the waterfall trail.

Tips for all visitors: Bring rain-proof jackets and extra layers as it can be cool and moist–as you might expect in a cloud and rainforest! Stave off hunger at multiple on-site restaurants and find souvenirs in the gift shop. I also recommend bringing along the DEET-free mosquito repellent wipes I recommend here.

For more information about the La Paz Waterfall Gardens and the world-famous Peace Lodge located within its grounds, visit www.waterfallgardens.com. To see its location on the map, click here. For more tips on travel to Costa Rica with young children, visit our Destinations page.

In like a lion, out like a lamb – our March of the animals continues all month! Keep watching for more animal experiences here, and click here to see them all.

Safe journeys,