Rio Celeste Full-Day Hike from La Fortuna: Waterfall, Lookout and the Colour Change

The Rio Celeste runs inside Tenorio Volcano National Park, and reaching the parts worth seeing means walking. The hike takes about 4 hours and is rated medium: hard going for some people, manageable for most. Three things sit on the route. The waterfall, where the blue water drops into the pool below it. A lookout high enough to take in the park around you. And the junction where the river changes colour, which is the part most people have not thought about before they arrive: two rivers meet, each carrying different volcanic minerals, and the reaction between them turns the water blue from that point on. Above the junction the river looks like any other. Lunch comes after the hike, with free time for a quick dip in the river before the drive back to La Fortuna.