Low cost and minutes from the San José airport
Deep into the jungle, surrounded only by the sound of falling water and birds chirping is possible only minutes from the San José airport, Los Chorros de Tacares is one of Costa Rica’s natural jewels. Located in the little town of Tacares de Grecia, it is known as the natural water source of all the local villages.
This park is unlike other tourist park. It offers nature, crystal clear water and hikes through trails, making it a heavenly place for visitors looking for a totally different experience.
It is rustic. There are no comforts of a commercial park here. No restaurants, no gift shops. The private park offers nature in its purest form, rivers and the waterfalls.
Los Chorros is known as one of 5 primary waterfalls in Costa Rica. These amazing waterfalls plummet from 60 metres high (180 feet) and invite those brave enough to repel down its face. The park nurtures hiking trails that lead exploration along majestic rivers.
An area with picnic tables and bbq is provided. Or bring your on grill, that is OK too. In our case, in addition to the grill, the Colombian contingency brought the “olla” (the big pot for the Sancocho) and a three piece band for the entertainment.
The park does not get a lot visitors thus there isn’t the overcrowding. Last Sunday there were less than 100 people in the 30+ hectare park.
Another plus is the low cost. Entrance to the park is only ¢2.000 colones (US$6 for foreigners). But this can be negotiated if you come with a large group, as we did last weekend. On my visit we were a group of 15 and got the price down at ¢1.000 per, even though everyone was a foreigner!
There are two parking lots, one at the foot of the river, costing ¢2.000 per car and the upper, the official entrance ¢1.000. Make sure that you leave the park the same way you came in to end up at the right parking lot, or you there is a lot of walking in between.
The park opens at 8am everyday and closes by 4pm, though you can stay longer in the park, though not recommended past sundown as there is no lighting anywhere.
A great place any day, especially to get away from the urban jungle and in only minutes to get there. The most important part is to have a spirit of adventure and a desire for fun!
Getting there
From San José, past the airport to Alajuela take the road to Grecia, hang a right past the soccer field at Tacares in 5 minutes you will find the lower parking lot (at the bend in the road) or travel another minute, hang a right at the sign and down the mountain to the parking lot. From Grecia (points northwest), take the road that least to Alajuela, hang a left before the soccer field and as per above.
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