Catarata La Leona – Curubande

Catarata La Leona – Curubande

Curubandé, Costa Rica

La Leona waterfall is located at Curubandé, near Rincon de la Vieja National Park (Guanacaste in the north-west of Costa Rica). This waterfall is the patron saint of the town. There are advertisements of the excursion to the waterfall everywhere due to the fact that it’s the main tourist attraction of the area (in addition to Rincon de la Vieja National Park).

You will need to access it through one of the two private farms that are next to the waterfall, so you will have to pay pagar (surprise). There is no way to reach it without crossing the private farms. You can go through finca Don Rafa, or through finca Curubanda. In this post, I will give you the information about the second one, where you will have to call in advance in order to let them know you are coming.

You can either leave the car anywhere in the village and walk 800m from the main road (the way is very steep), or leave the car at the end of that path, where the hike starts. The road is not good, I don’t know if you could make it with a Fiat Punto ...

The It’s more or less busy,but it will depend on the time you arrive. They make independent groups, but if you go around 11 or 12 AM, there will probably be many people and they will create mixed and bigger groups. In addition to this, you might find groups from the other farm. However, if you go earlier, you have a higher chance to be alone with the guide and hence will have the whole waterfall for you.

The path to the waterfall is very interesting (not difficult). You might pass by some caves, go under another waterfall, do rapel, jump from overhangs into the river, scrape your hands in a paint made out of colorful clays surrounding the river, and leave your handprint on a rock wall. Let the guide know, ask him and he will tell you the possibilities, but it will also depend on how crowded it is (another reason to start early).

You will have to cross the river several times, you will even have to swim against the current. Don’t worry, it’s not a strong current. The guide carries a waterproof backpack so you can leave your belongings safe inside. It’s a small one, not the Doraemon pocket. In addition to this, you have the option to take a life jacket with you if you wish.

The waterfall is at the end of the path. At the last section you will have to swim while grabbing a rope because the current is strong. Again, it’s not dangerous at all. Right in front of the waterfall there is a stony area where you can stand. I highly recommend you to take a waterproof case for your phone, especially if you want to take pictures.

The whole excursion takes about 2 hours. It will depend on the time you spend at every stop.

The path is along a gorge, so it will be protected from direct sunlight.

It’s difficult to spot exotic animals. Bats in a cave...

The waterfall is quite cool, and the path is surprisingly fun and amazing.