The Tenorio Volcano National Park

Next up, another breathtaking adventure in Costa Rica. This is the Tenorio Volcano National Park located in Bijagua, Costa Rica. The volcanic national park is so biodiverse that even though it’s less than 0.1% of the world’s landmass, it provides more than 7% of the oxygen for the entire planet. It is now one of my favorite places. The pictures, as amazing as they are, can’t possibly do it justice. Seeing it in person is unreal! The Tenorio Volcano National Park was definitely one of the top highlights of our trip.

The park is located in the Guanacaste Volcanic Mountains. This popular tourist attraction houses a tropical rainforest that protects certain species of animals. It also offers incredible panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean. It’s a must-see spot in Costa Rica. 

Tenorio Volcano National Park

Tenorio Volcano National Park is truly one of the most magnificent places I have ever been. The park is such a popular attraction for good reason. There is so much to see! The Rio Celeste Waterfall is approximately 30 meters tall and is known for its vibrant blue color. The blue lagoon at the base of the waterfall is a small pool, but you can’t get in it because of the high concentration of natural chemicals. There are hot springs located in the Rio Celeste that are produced by volcanic activity. Lastly, the Misterios del Tenorio is a trail that is about 3.2 km and offers incredible views of the park. 

Plants & Animals

The plants are astonishing and the trees are massive. The leaves on these trees are as big as a car! There are so many animals too, including sloths, snakes, monkeys, and frogs. The animals and the plants are unusually colorful as well because of the minerals in the volcano. For example, featured below is a picture taken of a frog in the park. Look how amazing its colors are. All the animals looked this vibrant and it was wild to see.

A Tour Through the Rainforest

We decided to take a tour through the rainforest, which I would highly recommend. There were ten other people on the tour with us. We all wore a mask while entering the private park, but once we were inside the park, most of us took our masks off. The climate was very humid so wearing a mask would have been miserable. 

Our tour guide, Joseph, took us throughout the park and to the base of the waterfall. We saw a pit viper as we were walking which was pretty scary. If you didn’t know, pit vipers are one of the most poisonous snakes in the world. They have natural camouflage, so it can be hard to see them. However, Joseph got right next to the snake and started taking pictures. He asked us if we wanted a snake selfie. We were pretty hesitant, but we decided to go for it. You can see the selfie below!

Joseph also found a huge spider, which he said was probably poisonous, but he grabbed it anyway. This guy was truly amazing but also a little crazy. He had no hesitation or fear of anything in the jungle. He reminded me a lot of Steve Irwin, which is the greatest compliment for a nature guide. 

We loved this experience so much we decided to go back out on a night tour. The tour guide took us about a half a mile out into the jungle around 8 pm. We had to use flashlights to find animals in the dark. Seeing these animals in the daylight is one thing, but looking for them with flashlights in the dark is a whole different experience.

We stayed on the daytime and nighttime tours for about five hours each because there was so much to explore. We had an amazing time seeing the mountains, rivers, and animals that we never expected to get to see. Costa Rica is one of the most beautiful places in the world. I loved everything about this experience and would highly recommend taking both a day and night tour.

Should You Go?

The only challenge that I experienced was that the stairs were very difficult to hike throughout the park. The entire National Park is only about a mile, but it’s all uphill. It’s all very intense. Needless to say, I was exhausted. However, I would still recommend the Tenorio Volcano National Park to anyone. When you are there you are surrounded by so much nature that it feels as though you are in another world. It’s truly breathtaking. 

Costa Rica has been amazing, and I’m looking forward to exploring more of this outstanding country. I am truly in awe of the beauty here. I have fallen in love with Costa Rica from the scenic views and friendly people to the unique culture. Stay tuned for my next travel entry. Thanks for following along. Until next time, Mark signing off.