La Paz Waterfall Gardens
Explore the five beautiful waterfalls, numerous flora, fauna, butterflies, sloths, and animals.
Family Time
- Explore five waterfalls, one more awe-inspiring than the next.
- Get a chance to experience both the rainforest and the cloud forest.
- Learn and see rescued animals up close in an exhibit.
- Hummingbird and butterfly gardens that you can enter.
What to Expect from La Paz Waterfall Gardens
People come to La Paz because of the vast waterfall, and a garden of waterfalls sounds incredible. However, they leave even more impressed because of all the extras. There is one exhibit after another of wildlife anyone would love to see and photograph.
Intensity
Moderate
La Paz Waterfall Gardens Is Featured in These Trips
Here are some of the combo trips we recommend you to check out if you want to experience La Paz Waterfall Gardens:
Waterfalls
The five waterfalls are the main attraction at La Paz Waterfall Gardens. One waterfall is 121-feet high. Cloud forests and rainforests surround the waterfalls. The La Paz Waterfall is the most famous in the whole country, but all five on-site waterfalls are scenic.
Wildlife
This area has a mix of ecosystems that allows for even more incredible biodiversity than in other parts of Costa Rica. You will see the lush vegetation of the rainforest and the colorful flowers and outstanding mosses of the cloud forest, and animals from both.
Museum Quality Gardens and Exhibits
There’s an orchid exhibit on-site and a butterfly garden (with 4,000 butterflies swarming around you). There’s a butterfly laboratory too. The butterfly conservatory was voted the best globally by the International Association of Butterfly producers.
There’s also a hummingbird garden with 26 species! These tiny marvels of nature have become used to human presence and will likely hover quite close to you. Don’t touch them, as they are fragile, but feel free to take tons of pictures. It’s a self-guided tour so that you can hang out with hummingbirds for as long as possible.
There are so many specialty exhibits. One is the Ranarium, a free-range frog exhibit where the frogs hop through the landscaped enclosure at will. Another is the Serpentarium, with 30 snakes, some deadly and beautiful (and behind glass).
You can see monkeys swinging through the trees in one area. People donated the monkeys. They are now rehabilitated and in natural habitats with other monkeys. There are also three rehabilitated sloths to see.
You’ll also want to check out the aviary with colorful and interesting birds that have been rescued or donated. Birdwatchers love the chance to see them without binoculars.
Finally, don’t forget to stop by the jungle cats exhibit, with a 200-pound jaguar just behind the glass. There are 35 felines under the care of La Paz currently.
Relaxation and Culture
Have you ever wanted to just slow down for a bit to how things used to be? Although there’s much to see and do at La Paz, you may take some time to teach your kids to fish on trout lake (and catch your dinner) or make a stop at the “Casita,” a farmhouse reproduction that shows what life was like a hundred years ago. Try fresh milk, ride in an ox-driven cart, sample some handmade tortillas, or look at some old tools.
FAQ about La Paz Waterfall Gardens
- Who can participate in this activity? It’s a fun place to explore for people of all ages. Nature lovers will appreciate the chance to get up close and personal with the butterflies and hummingbirds and see the animals in the sanctuary.
- Can you swim in the waterfalls? Unfortunately no, it is dangerous and prohibited to swim under the waterfalls. Still, you will be impressed and likely get great photos too.
- Why go to La Paz Waterfall Gardens? It’s been highly rated, year after year, as a great place to view the rainforest, waterfalls, and one of the largest animal sanctuaries in the country.