La Leona Waterfall

La Leona Waterfall is a one of a kinds adventure hike that includes, river crossings, ladders, possible animal spotting’s, optional rock jumps, and more. Learn all about Costa Rica from the amazing tour guides and finally swim through a canyon to discover La Leona Waterfall. Unlike any other waterfalls, this waterfall is fully enclosed in a cave and only with the assistance of a local guide can you access it.

How to Book a Tour to La Leona Waterfall

We have both self-drive tours and tours with transportation available. Select the button for the corresponding tour of your choice.

Self-drive: For a self drive tour, you will drive yourself to the start of the tour (our office). You do not need a 4 wheel drive vehicle for this option all of the roads are paved and easy to drive on.

Tour with Transportation Included: With transportation included, our driver will pick you up at your location, take you to the tour start, wait for you, and bring you back to your accommodation. We can also make a stop along the way for souvenirs or food during the ride.

Self Drive Tour

Tour with Transportation Included

How to Get Here

La Leona Waterfall is located in Curubandé, just a short 20 minute drive from the town of Liberia, on the way to the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park. 

The best way to get there is by driving so you can use your Google Maps as your GPS entering “Rincon de la Vieja Tours and Transportation” as your destination.

To get there, you’ll take Highway 1 north from Liberia and turn right off this highway to the town of Curubandé or towards Rincon de la Vieja National Park.

We also provide private transportation services, available from various locations around. Simply click the link below to request a quote for a tour with transportation included. 

Group Tour vs Private Tour to La Leona Waterfall

Group Tour

A group tour means that you will be going on the tour with other people that you are not traveling with. For group tours there can be up to 20 people per tour group, everyone with different nationalities and cultures, please be respectful and friendly with the group.

When booking this option the tour will be scheduled at a specific time and will start right on time you will also have 1-3 tour guides assigned to the entire group depending on the size to assist everyone along the way.

Private Tour

When booking a private tour this means that you will be in a group with just the people you are traveling with and have a tour guide or guides (depending on the number of people in your group) assigned to assist you along the way and provide individualized assistance and attention. We cannot guarantee that there will be no one else in the river or at the waterfall when doing a private tour because rivers and waterfalls cannot be private in Costa Rica. A private tour allows you to go at any pace and have the tour suited to your needs.

This is the recommended option if you want to spend extra time learning about Costa Rica, or need extra assistance on the trail.

Age Considerations for La Leona Waterfall

The minimum age for the group tour is 6 years old and the minimum age for the private tour is 4 years old.

Safety Measures for Kids

We have a variety of safety measures in place to ensure the safety of small children while river tubing.

• Highly trained staff
• Extra tour guides on tours with small children
• Age appropriate equipment

You can read more about what we do to ensure children are always safe when river tubing at the link below.

La Leona Waterfall Tour Overview

Arriving at our Office – Parking and Facilities

After arriving at our office you can park in our private and very safe parking lot.

You can use any of the facilities to get ready for your tour and store any valuables in the lockers if you wish just stop by reception and come grab a lock.

• Bathrooms
• Small Lockers
• Changing Rooms
• Showers
• Shoe Washing Stations
• Free and safe parking lot

Checking In

You will then head over to reception to check in. All that you need to check in is the first and last name used on the reservation and the email confirmation you received.

You will then sign the waiver before being introduced to your tour guide. Your tour guide will give you the necessary equipment for your first tour and give you a quick briefing on what to expect for the day.

Items available for sale at reception,

• Costa Rica and American snacks
• Candy and treats
• Drinks (water, electrolyte drinks, soda, tea, energy drinks, beer, etc.)
• Water Shoes
• Waterproof Backpacks
• Hats

Getting to the Start of the Trail

If you book a self drive tour or a tour with transportation you will be driven from our office to the start of the trail in our 4 wheel drive vehicle this drive takes about 5-10 minutes and will take you straight to the start of the trail.

During the Tour

On the tour you will be hiking 1.5 miles each way or 4km round trip. You will cross through rivers, climb up and over rocks and ladders, swim, jump off rocks, and more! In the final section of the hike you will swim into a canyon where La Leona Waterfall is hidden.

After the Tour

After returning to our office you can use all of the facilities to change and shower before departing and heading to your next location.

Planning Your Visit to La Leona Waterfall

Seasonal Considerations

There is no best time for White Water River Tubing, it is open all year long and is a great experience all year long. Different seasons can offer different experiences for river tubing. While many sources suggest that Costa Rica’s dry season runs from December to April and the rainy season from May to November, this is a common misunderstanding, particularly for the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano area.

Dry Season

In the Rincon de la Vieja region, the actual dry season extends from late November to late August. During this period, expect sunny skies and pleasant weather. During the dry seasons the water levels tend to be lower so the current is not as strong making the swimming sections of the tour easier. There is also very little chance of rain happening during your tour during the dry season. It is also the most popular time to visit Costa Rica so make sure to book tours in advance if you are visiting this time of year. Since it is more popular this time of year you can expect to see more people on the river and larger group tour sizes.

Rainy Season

The true rainy season occurs during September to October, when the area receives its highest rainfall unlike most sources suggest. Rincon de la Vieja tends to stay relatively dry until late August and usually doesn’t get many effects of the rainy season until then other than some light rain in the late afternoon.

This time of year the rivers are higher. Also it is recommended that you book tours in the morning to avoid the rain since usually there is rain in the afternoon. This time of year there are a lot less tourists in Costa Rica so tour slots do not fill up as fast and you can expect to see a lot less people in the river and smaller group tour sizes.

What to Bring

• Clothes you can wear in the water
• Bathing suit
• Shoes you can hike in and wear in the water (closed toed shoes, water shoes, sandals with straps) NO FLIP FLOPS ALLOWED
• Clothes to change into after the tour
• Shoes to change into after the tour
• Water bottle
• Towels

What is Provided

• Life-jacket
• Dry Bag
• Professional tour guides
• Bathrooms, showers and changing rooms 
• Lockers 
• Private and secure parking 

Tour Guides for La Leona Waterfall

Here at Rincon de la Vieja Tubing your safety is a top priority. We put emphasis on safety while still ensuring a fun and exciting experience for everyone. We have a staff of highly trained tour guides with training on first aids and Costa Rica nature and wild life. Our tour guides will be by your side the entire time to assist you and educate you along the way. With them by your side you are ensured to have a fun, educational and safe trip while Rincon de la Vieja Tubing.

How to Book La Leona Waterfall

Self Drive Tour

For a self drive tour, you will drive yourself to the start of the tour (our office). You do not need a 4 wheel drive vehicle for this option all of the roads are paved and easy to drive on.

Tour with Transportation Included

With transportation included, our driver will pick you up at your location, take you to the tour start, wait for you, and bring you back to your accommodation. We can also make a stop along the way for souvenirs or food during the ride.

Photos of La Leona Waterfall