waterfalls· Swimming· Family Friendly· scenic

Cataratas Llanos de Cortez

The most accessible major waterfall in Costa Rica — and the most generous

4.7(3 reviews)

Bagaces

Best Time to Go

“Something different happens before 9am”

About this place

Llanos de Cortez is the waterfall that most visitors to Guanacaste miss, which is not because it is difficult to find but because it is not on the standard circuit. The falls drop fourteen metres across a wide basalt ledge and fan into a flat-bottomed pool large enough for dozens of people to swim at once without crowding. Unlike the highland falls — which are cold, steep to access, and often mist-wrapped — Llanos de Cortez is warm, reachable by a fifteen-minute walk from a road-side car park, and entirely sheltered by the surrounding dry forest. The pool floor is smooth river rock, the depth is consistently two to three metres, and the flow changes noticeably after rain. Families with young children dominate in high season, and the overall atmosphere is closer to a freshwater beach than a trail destination. Weekday mornings in shoulder season it is sometimes nearly empty. If you have half a day and small children, this is the waterfall to visit.

What People Say

4.7· 3

Nadia O.

February 2025

The best waterfall swimming I have done in Costa Rica, and I have done a lot of them. The falls are wide rather than tall and the pool beneath them is large, shallow enough to stand in for most of it, and warm compared to the highland falls. We came with an 8-year-old and a 5-year-old and they spent three hours there. The approach is fifteen minutes on a dirt path. This is what a family waterfall day should look like.

✦ Warm pool — unlike the cold highland falls✦ 15-minute walk — genuinely accessible for all ages

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Miguel Á.

March 2025

I went expecting a mid-tier stop en route and left thinking it was one of the highlights of the trip. The falls are wider than they look in photos — the curtain spans the full width of the canyon and the pool beneath it is generous. Weekday afternoon in shoulder season we had it almost to ourselves. The picnic tables on the flat rock by the pool are excellent. Bring lunch.

✦ Wider in person than in photos✦ Bring lunch — picnic tables on the flat rock are excellent

Sarah K.

January 2025

Good swimming and easy to reach — exactly what it promises to be. Not wild or remote, not the most dramatic waterfall in the country, but utterly reliable. The flow is good even in dry season. Come on a weekday if you want breathing room; weekend high season it fills quickly with families from the nearby towns.

✦ Reliable flow even in dry season✦ Weekday visits much quieter than weekends