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A hot walk up a farm track through pasture and forest to Costa Rica's most famous double waterfall, where the Barú river drops in two great tiers into a deep green pool made for swimming.
The Nauyaca falls are on private family land in the hills behind Dominical. For years the only way in was on horseback; today you can also walk, ride in a truck or come from the far side.
The trailhead is Don Lulo's gate at Platanillo on the Dominical–San Isidro road. A six-kilometre farm track runs through pasture and patches of forest, with toucans and morpho butterflies, to the two tiers of the Barú river: expect about an hour and a half each way. Below the lower fall is a big, deep pool for swimming, with a rope and rocks to jump from.
Walking costs about US$10; the truck ride US$32–38. Horses leave at nine with breakfast at the family farm. Leave Manuel Antonio by six to beat the heat, and note that the pools close after heavy rain and are often off limits in September and October. The Nature Park entrance on the far side offers a shuttle and a walk of under two kilometres for those who want the falls without the march.
Mostly downhill on the way in, which means uphill in the heat on the way back.
Drive south on the Costanera to Dominical, then inland up the San Isidro road to Platanillo.
Pay at the office, fill your bottles and set off down the farm track.
Follow the wide track over streams and through forest patches, watching for toucans and blue morphos.
View the upper fall from the lookout, then descend to the lower fall and its big swimming pool.
Swim, picnic and walk back up the track before the afternoon heat peaks, or catch the truck.
Don Lulo's at Platanillo is the classic route; the Nature Park entrance on the other side has a shuttle and short walk.
Horse tours leave at nine with breakfast; trucks run through the day. Book horses a day ahead.
Drive or take a bus from Quepos to Dominical, then a taxi up to Platanillo.
Manuel Antonio practical notes →Wikimedia Commons photographs are used under their licences; Pexels photographs under the Pexels licence.
