Top Tamarindo Day Trips

We celebrated my 55th Birthday and we had a blast! Aaron was a phenomenal host and even arranged to have a cake celebration for me at one of the stops I highly recommend this tour. We started off as strangers that later became friends who partied together!

I booked this tour last minute get out of Tamarindo and experience another adventure. This tour is completely worth it! Luiz was our guide and it was just my boyfriend and I and he showed us different wildlife and flora/flauna, he took us cliff jumping, to a smaller waterfall that locals go to, and he took so many pictures and videos for us. We had a driver that didn’t speak english but we communicated through google translate. He took us to a local lunch spot in Liberia. After eating we were so tired that we just wanted to go back to the hotel and he took us straight back. He was super nice and talked/showed us Costa Rica culture and told us about their Independence Day. Really great day!

My biggest advice before doing this tour—especially for women—is to be very mindful of what you wear. For La Leona, wear very secure swimwear. The current can be incredibly strong. I wore fitted swim pants and a rash guard, and I could still feel the current trying to pull my pants down. My cousin’s pants actually came halfway down, and we heard about other visitors whose bikini pieces came off in the current. I would strongly recommend a secure one-piece swimsuit or one-piece rash guard, preferably with a zipper and sleeves. I was also glad I wore pants because even with them, I ended up with some bruising on my knees. Footwear is just as important. I would recommend either good-quality water/trail shoes or tennis shoes that you don’t mind getting completely soaked and beat up. I wore Salomon Solamphibian trail/water shoes with water socks, and I was very comfortable hiking in them. They protected my feet well from the rocks, branches, and uneven terrain. My family wore more basic water shoes, and they could feel a lot more of the rocks and branches underneath their feet. Even though my Salomons fit securely, the current was so strong that at times I could feel the water trying to pull them off. Thankfully, none of us lost our shoes. As for the tour itself, this was easily the most memorable and adrenaline-filled experience of our Costa Rica trip. We started at Pozo de los Coyotes, which was the calmest part of the day. It was beautiful, peaceful, and relaxing. We floated around in inner tubes and enjoyed the scenery before heading to La Leona. Our tour was essentially private—just my family and our guide, Sebastian—which was really nice because we received a lot of individual attention. The actual hike to La Leona Waterfall wasn’t particularly difficult. There are caves, stairs/ladders, rocks, and uneven terrain, but the hike itself wasn’t what made this experience challenging. The water was the challenging part. Right before reaching La Leona, you have to go through a narrow section where the current can be extremely strong. Apparently, there had been rain in another area that made the current particularly strong the day we went. We saw people from other tours coming through who looked like they had been hit by a bus! Even several very fit, well-built men were having a hard time getting through the current. My cousin wasn’t able to get through that section, and initially I couldn’t either. I eventually made it through by climbing along the wall of the canyon using the rails and footholds that are installed there. Sebastian guided me on where to step and what to grab onto while I made my way across. It was intense, but I made it safely. I would definitely recommend asking your guide how strong the current is that day so you know what you’re getting into. The difficulty can really depend on the water conditions. I don’t know how to swim, but I wore the provided life jacket throughout the water portion. After La Leona, we visited Llanos de Cortés Waterfall, which was also beautiful, and we even got to see an owl. One of my favorite touches came at the end of the tour. Sebastian had recorded parts of our experience throughout the day and put together a video for us. I absolutely loved it. It’s something I will treasure forever and such a great way to remember what ended up being one of the biggest highlights of my trip. Overall, this tour was beautiful, exciting, challenging, and very adrenaline-driven. La Leona was much more intense than I expected because of the current that day, but that’s also what made the experience so memorable. I would absolutely do this tour again. Just come prepared, wear the right clothing and shoes, and know that the water conditions can completely change the level of difficulty.