A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Visit Nauyaca Waterfalls Without a Tour or a Car, Costa Rica

This blog post is your step-by-step guide on how to visit Nauyaca Waterfalls without a tour or a car. You’ll also find detailed information about the hiking trail to the waterfalls, when is the best time to visit, entry fees and things you should pack. So, this post is perfect for anyone looking for information about Nauyaca Waterfalls.

We spent plenty of time trying to find up-to-date and reliable information on how to reach Nauyaca Waterfalls without a rental car or an organised tour. After all the research we did, we still weren’t 100% sure if it would be possible or worth our efforts. However, after successfully getting to Nauyaca Waterfalls on our own, I decided to put all of our knowledge and experience into one blog post to help you plan your adventures if you’re in a similar situation to us.

If you’d like to see what we got up to in Costa Rica, then make sure to check out our Costa Rica Playlist on our YouTube channel.

Introducing Nauyaca Waterfalls (Nauyaca Cataratas)

This stunning two-tiered waterfall is located on the South Pacific Coast, in between Quepos and Uvita and only a short drive to the east of Dominical. The cataratas are situated in a canyon surrounded by lush jungle and have a combined height of over 60 m (200 ft). Nauyaca Waterfalls and the land surrounding it are actually owned by the Jiménez Solís Family. They only had their first official tour back in 1992 after many years of trying to overcome the different obstacles to operating a tour. 

Lower Falls (Catarata 2)

This is the part you’ll normally first see when you arrive at the site. The 20m (65 ft) tall, tiered waterfall has a natural pool in front of it just waiting for you to jump in after your hike. This is where most people will spend the majority of their time, since they can enjoy the pool, have plenty of comfortable rocks to sit on and of course you can really only appreciate both falls from this vantage point.

Upper Falls (Catarata 1)

The upper falls comprises several cascades and has a height of around 45 m (147 ft). Unfortunately, you can’t swim in this area. This waterfall better appreciated from a safe distance. In addition, you can always look down to the lower falls and admire it from a different point of view.

Best Time to Visit Nauyaca Waterfalls

The best time to visit Nauyaca Waterfalls is during the drier months between December and April. This doesn’t mean that it won’t rain at all during your stay. Plus, it’ll still be incredibly humid.

However, during the rainy season the waterfalls will be a lot fuller, murkier, or even inaccessible. I saw photos online comparing the falls in different months and I could hardly recognise them in the rainy months. For reference, we completed the hike in February and the trails were dry and accessible and the waterfalls were just perfect.

The downside of visiting between December and April is that it’s also the most popular time to visit Costa Rica in general, so crowds are highly likely. 

In terms of what time of the day you should visit, I highly recommend getting there as early as you possibly can for multiple reasons. Firstly, the earlier you start your hike, the more chance you’ll have to enjoy the waterfalls before the big tour groups arrive. We managed to get all of our photos and videos taken and had a few minutes of quiet before more people arrived. People were even setting up for a small wedding ceremony there!

Secondly, let’s not forget about the heat and humidity. The later you start your hike, the hotter and more humid it gets, making the hike more difficult. Even when we arrived at the falls at 9 AM, we were more than ready for a cooling dip in the pool. Lastly, if you come by public transport, you have to make the hike back to catch the bus.

Information About Nauyaca Waterfalls Entrances

I believe it’s important to know that there are now two official entrances to the waterfalls:

• Don Lulo’s Entrance

The original entrance to the Nauyaca Waterfalls is located along the main road from Dominical to San Isidro. In case you’re considering renting a car you don’t need a 4×4 since the road is in good condition and well paved all the way to the car park. Note that if you’re arriving with public transport, then this is the easiest entrance you can reach. 

• Nauyaca Waterfalls Nature Park

There’s now a new entrance which provides access from the eastern side of the waterfalls. The road leading to the car park is a 7 km (4.3 mile) unpaved one, so you want to be careful when driving a rental car on it. Unfortunately, if you arrive on your own, it would be quite difficult to get to this entrance.

Nauyaca Waterfalls Entrance Fees and Opening Hours

Don Lulo’s Entrance Fees

• Self-guided hike to the waterfalls is 10USD per person.
• Economic 4×4 truck ride is 32USD per person. Note that they have certain schedules which you can check here.
• Premium 4×4 tour is 80USD per person. This tour starts at 9AM every day.
• Horseback riding tour is 80USD per person. This tour starts at 9AM every day.
• Parking is 4USD if you arrive with your own vehicle.

The office is open Monday to Friday between 7 AM and 2 PM and on Sundays between 8 AM and 2 PM. The Waterfall closes at 3:30 PM.

Nauyaca Waterfalls Nature Park Entrance Fees

There are two ticket options you can choose from. The first one includes a truck ride both ways and the other one includes a walk one way, then a ride back. Entrance fee for the first option is 38USD for adults and 35USD for kids. If you choose the latter option it’s 28USD for adults and 25USD for kids. Click here for more information.

The park is open daily between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM.

How to Get to Nauyaca Waterfalls from Quepos without a Tour

In this section, you can read about how to get to Don Lulo’s Entrance, aka the original entrance of Nauyaca Waterfalls, from Quepos.

Step 1 – Bus From Quepos to Dominical or San Isidro

The day before your trip, I would go to the bus station and ask the current timetable for the buses to both Dominical and San Isidro. At the time of our visit, the buses left Quepos at 6AM, 9:30AM, 11:30AM, 3:PM and 5:30PM. 

Top Tip – People may or may not speak much English at the bus stop, so make sure to prepare to ask for the timetable in Spanish and have Google Translate on your phone.

We decided to go with the 6AM bus that goes through Dominical before heading to Uvita. The journey took about an hour and it cost us 1,800 Colones or 3USD each. 

If you manage to get a bus to San Isidro, make sure to tell the driver that you want to get off at Nauyaca Waterfalls: ‘la entrada de Nauyaca‘. They will most likely give you a shout when you’re nearly there but you can always track the location on the map.

Step 2 – Getting to Don Lulo’s Entrance from Dominical

In case you hopped on a bus to Dominical only, then I suggest taking a taxi to the Don Lulo’s entrance. The 10 to 15 minute taxi ride cost us 20USD, so have enough cash on you. There are buses between Dominical and San Isidro, but we didn’t trust the timetables we saw online, since the ones to Dominical from Quepos didn’t match up when we asked.

Also, make sure to only use official taxis which are red with yellow triangles on them and either have their meter reader on or agree on a price in advance. 

Step 3 – Getting the Bus from Don Lulo’s to Quepos or Manuel Antonio

When you purchase your entry ticket, I would ask the worker there what time the bus goes past the office to Quepos. This bus should come from San Isidro, and it should take you back to Quepos. Our bus back was leaving around 12:20PM, so we left the falls around 10:30AM.

Again, there weren’t many per day, so you’ll need to make sure that you leave enough time for your hike back from the waterfalls. There’s a bus stop shelter across from the office from where you can flag your bus down. The bus back cost us 1,900 Colones each which is just over 3USD.

Top Tip – Be at the bus stop a bit earlier than the supposed arrival time but don’t worry if it doesn’t show up on time either. These buses don’t often arrive on time and if they don’t see a passenger waiting, they won’t stop!

How to Get to Nauyaca Waterfalls from Uvita or Dominical

From Uvita or Dominical to Nauyaca Waterfalls

You might be staying much closer to the waterfalls than Quepos such as in Uvita or Dominical. Unfortunately, just because these places are closer it doesn’t mean that the bus timetables are any more frequent. During our research, we realised that getting from Uvita to Nauyaca Falls would’ve required the same effort as getting there from Quepos.

Again, you have to ask for the exact bus times to San Isidro. There should be one that leaves around 6AM. For the way back, I read that the earliest possible bus leaves after 4PM. I would once again ask the ticket office for the Uvita schedule and get to the bus stop a bit earlier.

If you’re only coming from Dominical, then you can hop onto either of the buses that comes from Quepos or Uvita to San Isidro. Alternatively, you can also get a taxi which could cost you at least 20 USD one way. You would need to ask the driver’s phone number or agree on a potential pick up time for your transport back.

Other Ways to Get to Nauyaca Waterfalls

By Rental Car or Tour

If all the above sounds a bit too complicated, you can always visit the waterfalls with a rental car or with a tour. 

The great thing about having the freedom of your own vehicle is that you can actually pick which entrance you want to visit the falls from. If you arrive with your own vehicle, make sure to stop at Don Lulo’s office first, purchase your ticket, then drive the extra 2 km to the official car park. The car parking fee is around 4USD per vehicle. From there you can hike or go on a horseback ride to the waterfalls.

If you opt for a tour after all, here’s a tour leaving from Quepos and here’s one leaving from Uvita.

Nauyaca Waterfall Hiking Trail

Note – If you start from the office, your total trail length there and back will be 12km. From the office to the car park is about 2 km and from the car park to the waterfall is an additional 4 km. So, make sure to calculate this in before you pick which bus you wish to arrive and leave with!

If you have bad knees, you might want to ask for a ride to the car park since this first section will be very hard on them!

Click here for our detailed AllTrails map, that includes directions, waypoints and more.

1. Don Lulo’s Office to the Car Park

If you’re hiking all the way, then from the office you have to walk along the road for a few minutes towards San Isidro. There’ll be a paved road on your right marked with a big yellow painted tire with a red arrow on it.

This is where you start going downhill. At this point you’ll be about 2 km away from the official car park. The road is windy and also very steep. There are cars driving down this section, so be cautious when walking on the road.

Generally speaking, you’ll get to the car park pretty quickly. It took us less than 20 minutes. After that point, the road will become a dirt track, and much flatter compared to the paved section. From this point, only hikers, horseback riders or those who booked on a 4×4 truck tour can procced any further. 

2. Car Park to Transportation Area (Truck Stop)

From the car park, you’ll cross the bridge across the River Baru and then just follow the 4km long trail. You’ll be walking through the forest and fields and will feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere. 

If you have previous hiking experience, then you won’t find the trail challenging. However, there are some uphill sections, and you also have to account for the heat and humidity. Even if you arrived as early as us, the temperatures will rise very quickly. We started this section of the trail just after 8AM and got to the waterfall entry by 9AM, but we were already ready to cool off in the pool.

Luckily, parts of the trail are shaded but of course you’ll have sections where there won’t be much. 

Note – The trail will be uneven, dusty and rocky so make sure to wear supportive shoes.

As a guide to track your progress, they put km markers along the entire route. We also passed a place that looked like a restaurant, but we didn’t go inside since we’d packed our own food and snacks. However, if you wish or have time you can always check it out.

You’ll know you’ve finished the trail when you get to a point that looks like a bus stop. This is where the 4×4 tour groups get dropped off or picked up from. 

3. Transportation Area (Truck Stop) to Lower Falls

At the entry to the waterfall, they may or may not check your ticket, so make sure to keep them safe. From there, you’ll see a map showing the different facilities and ways to reach the Lower and Upper Falls.

If you’re not already wearing your swimsuit, then you can change in the changing rooms or just use the toilet facilities.

It depends on you, but I would probably visit the Lower Falls first since I’m pretty sure you’ll be more than ready to cool off at this point. Plus, if you’re here to photograph the falls, it’s best to get that done before the tour groups arrive.

Just follow the signs to the Lower Falls which you should reach in about 100m. I bet that first glimpse of Nauyaca Waterfalls will take your breath away. It definitely took ours!

You can walk closer to the pool and cross the big rocks to get that iconic view of both falls. Once you’re ready, you can jump into the pool for a refreshing dip. If you’re a strong swimmer, you can also swim up close to the falls and enjoy a power-shower.

Top Photo Tip – From the other side of the river, you can also get some great photo opportunities, so make sure to cross if possible. This is also where people would arrive from if they opted for the Nauyaca Waterfalls Nature Park entry.

4. Lower Falls to Upper Falls

Once you’re ready, I highly recommend going up to the Upper Falls too. To reach it, just walk back up to where the main path splits and follow the ramp route for about 160m. There will be a ‘Mirador’ or Viewpoint sign before the falls. Don’t skip this, because from this point you can actually look down onto the Lower Falls and the pool below it. Just be careful and don’t go too close to the edge!

A little further from the ‘Mirador’ is where you can get a closer look at the impressive Upper Falls. 

You might see some people climbing closer to the falls via the huge rocks. We saw quite a few attempts in flip-flops which I would avoid doing if I were you. These rocks are very slippery, and it doesn’t take much to twist an ankle. Admire the falls from a safe distance.

Once you’re ready, you can just follow the ramp back to the entrance of the waterfalls.

5. Nauyaca Waterfalls to Don Lulo’s Office and Bus Stop

Since it’s a point-to-point hike, you’ll have to go back the same way you came. Although the trail itself will be the exact same one, there are a few things to be aware of on your way back:

• It’ll be a bit later, so the temperatures and humidity will be much higher. This could make the same hiking trail a bit more difficult. So, make sure to leave plenty of time to catch your bus and have enough water on you.
• If you come in the rainy season, the trail might have become muddier quickly. Once again, this could slow you down, so just be aware of that before you set off.
• Lastly, let’s not forget about that incredibly steep 2 km’s of paved road at the end of your hike. Yes, if you thought going down was a knee-killer, I bet you won’t like the climb back up any better. It probably took us longer to climb up that section than walking the rest of the trail. Be ready to get incredibly sweaty and wishing you could jump back into that cool pool in front of the falls. Plus, if your burning calves and lungs combined with sweat wasn’t enough, you’ll also feel some jealousy when cars keep driving past you. Just keep going, one foot in front of the other, as you have a bus to catch!

What to Pack to Visit Nauyaca Waterfall

Here’s a list of things you should consider taking with you when you visit Nauyaca Waterfall:

Items for protection:

• Reef safe sun-cream
• Bug repellent
• Sunglasses
• Hat

Clothing items:

• Quick-dry towel
• Swimsuit
• Water shoes
• Comfortable trainers for walking
• Rain jacket (if you visit in the rainy season)

Tech items:

• Phone / Camera
• Waterproof Phone Case
• GoPro with waterproof case
• Dry bag for your tech items

Other Items:

• Enough cash for the day
• Snacks / packed lunch
• Plenty of water in a reusable Water bottle

Please Note! – Whatever you bring with you, make sure you either take it home with you or dispose of it responsibly. I suggest bringing a garbage bag with you where you can collect all your waste. Enjoy your time in nature but Leave No Trace!

Final Thoughts on Visiting Nauyaca Waterfall Without a Tour

We were seriously considering skipping Nauyaca Waterfalls because at first it seemed too complicated to get there on our own. However, I’m forever grateful that we decided to give it a try because visiting Nauyaca waterfalls without a tour was the best decision for us personally.

Whilst the bus timetable restrained us slightly, we still felt like we were in control of our day. Although it probably would’ve been much easier to reach the waterfalls with our own car. Therefore, if you can, I highly recommend renting one, especially if you wish to avoid that crazy 4km round hike to and from the official car park.

All in all, we had such a great time hiking to the waterfalls and being able to spend some valuable time there without large tour groups. Plus, it was also a much cheaper experience altogether than it would’ve been by joining an organised tour.  

Have you ever been to Nauyaca Waterfall before? If so, how much of the area did you manage to explore? Let me know in the comments below.