La Leona Waterfall Adventure Hike – What You Need to Know
The La Leona waterfall is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Costa Rica, and one of the most adventurous to get to. It sits in a stunning canyon that you access through a mix of hiking, swimming, river crossings, and some climbing. I visited La Leona in January 2025 with a group of friends during a bachelorette trip to Costa Rica. There were a wide range of athletic abilities, from experienced hikers to people who can’t swim, but everyone completed the hike and enjoyed the tour.
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What is the La Leona waterfall?
Many consider La Leona to be the best waterfall in Costa Rica, and while there’s definitely some stiff competition, I’d have to agree. I’ve visited Costa Rica 3 times and seen great waterfalls on every visit, but La Leona’s turquoise waters and unique location in a slot canyon give it an edge. Even better, you get to swim at the base, which isn’t allowed at every waterfall.
You have to hike to get there and only one company operates tours. This means you get a more private experience at the waterfall. In fact, our group was the only ones there for at least 10-15 minutes!
Where is the La Leona waterfall located?
La Leona waterfall is located in the town of Curubande, in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica, about 10 miles north of Liberia. The exact address of the meeting point is La Leona Waterfall Adventure Hike, 15m este de Soda Curubanda, Provincia de Guanacaste, Curubandé, 50105, Costa Rica.
Do you have to join a tour or can you go on your own?
La Leona waterfall is only accessible with a guide. You can choose between a private or group tour, but you cannot access this waterfall on your own. This is for your own safety as there are some technical sections.
Tour options: Private vs Group Tour
We opted to book the La Leona Waterfall Group Tour, as it was the cheapest option and we wanted to keep costs down. It was about $100 cheaper than a private tour. We expected that we’d be in a group with strangers, but we ended up just being in a private group with the 8 of us. I’m sure that wouldn’t have been the case with just 1 or 2 people.
Other activities offered
You can pair your waterfall hike with either white water river tubing or zip lining if you’re up for even more adventure!
Self drive or private transfer
You have the option to either drive yourself to La Leona or you can pay for a tour with transportation included. We chose the latter and our guide drove us round trip between our Airbnb in Tamarindo to La Leona. This drive took about 2-2.5 hours each way due to heavy traffic. Be sure to allow extra time just in case!
If you do self-drive, there is free parking. Regardless of how you get there, you can leave your stuff in the car or use the lockers provided at the entrance.
What to expect when you arrive
Before you get in the truck, you’ll park in the parking lot. There you’ll find bathrooms, lockers, and the welcome area. Everyone in your group will need to sign a waiver and put on their life jacket before you can head off.
How do you get to the La Leona waterfall?
Getting to the La Leona waterfall includes an approximately 3 mile out-and-back hike (1.5 miles each way). The hike isn’t very far, but it still takes 2.5-3 hours because of its moderate difficulty. The total length of the hike also depends on how long you stay and enjoy the waterfall.
Before the hike, you have to jump into the back of a truck for a short but exhilarating drive to the base of the hike. If you like roller coasters, you’re really going to enjoy this!
The hike itself includes a series of river crossings, ladders, and swimming sections. The guides do a great job of instructing you how to handle each section and making sure the less experienced hikers in the group make it safely. The final section before the waterfall involves climbing metal rungs (a sort of mini via ferrata) a few feet above the water to get to the pool at the base of the waterfall.
While the waterfall is the main attraction, the hike is beautiful and interesting the entire way. We even saw howler monkeys and bats!
The water in the river and the waterfall comes from the volcanic mountains nearby and has lots of minerals that give the water a beautiful blue color. These minerals also keep organisms from thriving in the waters, so you won’t find any fish.
How difficult is the hike?
I would rate this hike as solidly moderate difficulty, though you need to take your own hiking experience into account. It’s not very long, but the technical sections are what make it harder. I was definitely the most experienced hiker in the group and didn’t face much struggle, but some of my friends needed a lot of assistance along the way.
I also regularly rock climb and love climbing via ferratas, so the small climbing section was fun and familiar to me. For everyone else, it was the scariest part.
What to pack for the hike
Life jackets are provided and required to be worn on the hike. Dry bags are also provided if you want to bring anything with you.
What to wear
- Water shoes with good traction – Tevas, Chacos, or sneakers are fine, but I loved the Hoka Hopara 2 water shoes, especially for their toe protection and good grip (no flip flops are allowed!)
- Sunglasses – this $16 pair from Amazon are my favorites!
- Hat – optional, but make sure it’s secure so it doesn’t get swept off in the current
- Swimsuit
- Shorts over swimsuit (for women) – optional but I was glad I had shorts on for the hiking portions
- Sunscreen
What to bring on the hike
- Waterproof camera – I brought my GoPro 13 with a floating handle
- Waterproof phone pouch – optional, I left my phone in the car and took just my GoPro
- Water – tap water is safe to drink in Costa Rica! Not everyone in our group brought water, but they regretted it because it was quite hot
Things for before/after the hike
- Towel – I recommend this packable microfiber towel for travel
- Change of clothes
- Snacks for the car
- Tip for the guides – USD is widely accepted in Costa Rica
At the welcome center, they do sell basics like snacks, drinks, and waterproof phone pouches if you forgot something.
Final Thoughts
The La Leona waterfall hike was my favorite activity on my most recent trip to Costa Rica. Everyone in our group had vastly different experience levels when it came to hiking, but all 8 of us made it to the waterfall and back safely and everyone left with a smile on their face. If your trip to Costa Rica brings you to Guanacaste, add this to your itinerary!
Be sure to pin this post for future planning!
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