In the hills above Platanillo, between Dominical and San Isidro, a river drops off a rock face in two stages: an upper curtain of about 45 meters that free-falls into a narrow gorge, and a lower cascade of roughly 20 meters that fans out into a wide, swimmable pool ringed by flat rock ledges. The land has belonged to the same local family for generations, and it's their trail, their horses, and their entrance fee that get you there — there's no public road to the falls, only the route they maintain.
You choose how you arrive: a roughly 4 km hike each way through pasture and forest, a 4x4 shuttle that cuts the walk down to a short final stretch, or on horseback with the family's own horses, guided the whole way. However you get there, the lower pool is the payoff — deep enough to swim across, cold enough to shock, with low ledges made for jumping and sun-warmed boulders made for drying off afterward. Bring cash for the entrance fee and food if you want lunch at the family's soda.
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Cantons of San José · 20
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Good to know
Best season
December to April — dry-season trails are firmer underfoot and the river runs clear; rainy months turn the lower stretches to mud and can cloud the pool.
Difficulty & access
Moderate: about 4 km each way over rolling, sometimes steep terrain. Walk it, ride the family's horses, or take the 4x4 shuttle that shortens the hike to under a kilometer.
Insider tip
Go early — tour vans from Dominical and Manuel Antonio arrive by mid-morning, and the pool is calmest, and coolest, before 9 a.m.