After some rejuvenating soaks in the thermal mineral waters of Tabacon, we continued on our road trip journey toward Rio Celeste, about 90 minutes away. The Rio Celeste waterfall is located within the Tenorio Volcano National Park and is a popular hiking destination. Parking cost 2000 colones (about $4 USD). The hike itself took a little less than 2.5hrs. Rio Celeste hike takes you down 253 steps to a viewpoint of the waterfall. Keep in mind that after going down the stairs, you have to climb back up!

After the Mirador (translated to “viewpoint”), you are treated to a very cool view of the super blue lagoon, a boiling hot part of the thermal stream, and finally a view of where the river turns from clear to vibrant blue. This drastic color change is due to a change in the pH where two separate water sources meet and mix. This pH alteration causes a change in the solubility of certain minerals in the water that reflect light differently.

After a road trip snack of homemade cheese and tortilla courtesy of our AirBnB host, we continued on our journey to the area of Tamarindo, on the far eastern coast of the Guanacaste province. While until a few decades ago Tamarindo was a small fishing town, it has become a popular tourist hub thanks to its beautiful beaches and party vibes.

Playa Grande

At Playa Grande a bit north of Tamarindo, I wanted to book a nighttime leatherback turtle tour. In the past, groups of visitors could join a guided nighttime viewing of leatherback turtles nesting on the beach. However, I was dismayed to find a sign that said there had been no tours offered for the past four years due to the low population of leatherback turtles.

Nonetheless, Playa Grande was beautiful. We enjoyed walking on the super soft, grey beige sand. The waves were gentle, lapping over little snails in the sand that would scurry around and dig in to anchor themselves before the next wave arrived. Little crabs did the same thing, burrowing into the sand and folding their pincer claws over their faces as the waves washed over them.

Tamarindo

Finally, we arrived at the town of Tamarindo and Playa Tamarindo. The vibe was Miami, especially on a Friday night. The town was quite crowded, with lots of tourists. Picture lots of beach front bars, pumping loud music. Tamarindo is known for sunsets and sunset cruises, lots of boats on the water and surfers waiting for waves. We swam in the ocean at sunset here, jumping waves while gazing into the fiery orange sky.