It's my fourth visit to Costa Rica and this time my wife and I decided to explore the north east section of Guanacaste state which is located in the north western side of Costa Rica.
We've heard about Rio Celeste and its famous volcanic blue water so we thought we'd check it out and we are so glad we did. What a spectacular piece of work by mother nature! About a half an hour hike into Tenorio National Park you'll find the spectacular waterfall and a blue turquoise pool and further into the park you'll come across hot springs and the meetings of two rivers and the origins of the color.
Definitely worth the visit. It's best to spend the night or two in the mountains and head to the park entrance at 8am when it opens. There's a $12 per person fee to enter and you can park your car safely at the entrance. There are also a couple of cafes/restaurants right there if you are hungry after your hike.
Here's how the color comes about according to Wikipedia: "The source of the river's distinctive turquoise color is not a due to a chemical species but to a physical phenomenon known as Mie scattering. [3] Celeste River is fed by two colorless rivers, the Buenavista River and Sour Creek. Buenavista River carries a large concentration of aluminosilicate particles with a small diameter. Sour Creek, as its name implies, has a high acidity due to volcanic activity. When these two streams mix to form Celeste River, the drop in pH causes the aluminosilicate particles to agregate and enlarge to a diameter of about 566 nm. These suspended particles produce Mie scattering which gives the river a strong sky blue color."
Enjoy the photos. Tomorrow we head to Nosara to spend the rest of our stay in this gorgeous country and visit our Spiritual Sanctuary in the making.
