Rio Celeste Adventrue

This past Sunday, me and my friend Nelson packed up and headed to Rio Celeste for the day. Located on the slopes of the Tenorio Volcano, inside the Tenorio Volcano National Park, this "blue" river and surrounding park are paradise. Rio Celeste takes it's name from the unique blue color of the water, which is a result of a chemical change when sulphur and calcium carbonate combine to create the blue color. However, the locals have a saying: "When God finished painting the sky, he cleaned his brushes in Rio Celeste." which if you have ever washed a blue paint brush, makes perfect sence!

Getting there is easy. From San Jose/Central Valley area, just take highway 3 up past Canas, to highway 6 and turn right. Keep going about 30 kilometers until you reach Bijagua. Continue past Bijagua until you reach the signs for Tenorio Volcano and Rio Celeste. Turn right. Follow the bumpy road until you reach the park entrance. The route is very well marked.

At the parkentrance you can buy your tickets, entrance is 800 colones for residents or $10.00 for forginers. The ranger will give you a map and tell you the best route to take. You can also hire a guide who will give you a detail tour of the park, with all the information on flora, fauna, and everything in between.

Once inside you hike 1.5 kilometers to the waterfall. Getting down to it is not for the weak of heart. It is quite a journey, but you are rewarded with a 30 meter cascade of blue water. You can cross the river and continue the trail on the other side, or simple return the way you came and pick up the same trail. It is not recommended to swim in the river, however we have seen video's and photos of people doing just that. As you pick up the trail you continue another kilometer to the mirrador or "outlook" that has a magnificante view out the valley. Continue on and you come to the "Blue Lagoon", which is actually a very wide deep area of the river.

After you have had you photo op at the Blue Lagoon, pick up the trail again, and you will pass the pass the calderon, which is a bubbling area of the river, where a vein is open letting off pressure from the underground viens. Continuing on, you come to the which is the Teinderos, which is vien where Rio Celeste takes it's color. It is amazing to see how two rivers converge, and like a line drawn in the sand, change colors! This is where God's paint brushes are resting. By this time you have been hiking for a bit over an hour and you could use some relaxing time, right? Well if you can muster the energy, keep going another 15 minutes, and you come to the natural hotsprings formed at the rivers edge. Take off your shirt and shoes, and take a dip. The water is very hot in areas, so be careful. There are many hotsprings dotted throughout the park, however this one you can actually enjoy. It was nice to sit on the river side, because with back to the river, you have the ice cold of the river water and your front hot from the spring. A very unique sensation!

Make your way through the forest, back to the entrance of the park where you can freshen up with a shower! I hope you brought a picnic, but if not make your way back to Bijagua where you will find a great variety of dinning options. If you need a place to stay in the area, check out www.sueno-celeste.com The owners went out of their way to be helpful and informative, even though they did not have room at the inn! Pura Vida and good travels.