Costa Rica Waterfall wedding locations  | The Best Waterfall Wedding Venues in 2024

By Fabian Murillo Photography

The complete guide for Costa Rica waterfall wedding locations.

A waterfall wedding in Costa Rica is a wonderful adventure; getting married by a waterfall in Costa Rica means being surrounded by the lush tropical rainforest; accompanied by a varied chorus of birds and as witnesses, a lazy sloth, or a curious monkey. Intimately reunited there, feeling at the same time tiny under the immensity of the fall of the water, and immense of love and union with your beloved person, and with the beautiful natural scenario. This is “Pura Vida” (pure life). My specialty as a professional photographer and my passion is Costa Rica waterfall weddings. I would like to share with you a list of the best venues for weddings by a waterfall in Costa Rica. No particular order, since they are all favorites!

La Fortuna waterfall wedding in Costa Rica

Fortuna Waterfall wedding in Costa Rica

La Fortuna Waterfall emerges from dense jungle greenery of Arenal Volcano National Park before plummeting some 200 feet (65 m) into an emerald pool. The trail runs through pasture and rainforest, offering up chances to spot toucans, monkeys, sloths, and other tropical creatures. It takes about 15 minutes to hike down the stair set to the Fortuna Waterfall. A local non-profit association administers the waterfall.

Fortuna Waterfall elopement

Difficulty: 500 stairs.

Facilities: Restaurant, souvenirs, Bathrooms… at the top of the 500 stairs.

Entrance Rates: $18 entrance (may vary).

Schedule: Daily from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m

La Paz Waterfall Gardens by Peace Lodge

Peace Lodge / La Paz waterfall wedding in Costa Rica

La Paz Waterfall Gardens weddings in Costa Rica are the picture-perfect location for your intimate destination waterfall elopement. Getting married in La Paz Waterfall Gardens at Peace Lodge is an extraordinary experience for you and your guests.

Wedding ceremony in La Paz Waterfall Gardens, Peace Lodge, Costa Rica

For couples looking for an intimate celebration, the Peace Lodge is the best waterfall wedding in Costa Rica. Peace Lodge is the perfect blend of the luxury resort, with great accommodations, hotel facilities, and services; combined also with the lush tropical rainforest, spectacular waterfalls, toucans, hummingbirds and butterflies for your dreamed destination wedding experience. Let your love bloom beneath a breezy gazebo set amidst lush tropical rain forest by the waterfall.  Every magical sight, wondrous smell, and sensual touch will create irreplaceable memories of your wedding ceremony.

• Difficulty: easy. We are going down-stairs most of the time, and a transportation shuttle is waiting at the end of the trail.
• Facilities: An amazing luxury resort with great service.
• Entrance Rates: ask Peace Lodge about the wedding packages.
• Schedule: Daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m
• External link to the website: http://www.waterfallgardens.com/weddings.php

Blue Falls & Toro waterfall wedding in Costa Rica

Blue Falls of Costa Rica

Hidden within the cloud forests of Bajos del Toro, the magnificent bright Blue Waterfalls will take your breath away. Blue Rapids of Costa Rica is a truly blue river with 6 blue waterfalls, trails and viewpoints. Visitors can enjoy the spectacular natural landscape surrounded by forest, river, waterfall, and wildlife. The starting point for all tours will be Catarata Del Toro (Toro Waterfall).

Toro Toro Waterfall, Costa Rica

Catarata Del Toro is a private reserve. This really unique piece of property will offer you what you would never have expected: beauty, extraordinary beauty! Rock formations, forest, lookouts, an old volcanic crater with the waterfall tumbling in, it is breathtaking. And if you stay at the top you will enjoy the forest, garden and all the amazing hummingbirds circling around your head.

Waterfall wedding in Blue Falls, Costa Rica

• Difficulty: hard, even considering that 90% of the trail is easy, two rivers must be crossed walking.
• Facilities: Restaurant, small lodge.
• Entrance Rates: $15 USD
• Schedule: Monday to Saturday 07.00 – 16.00 hours and Sunday closed.

Nauyaca Waterfall wedding in Costa Rica

Destination wedding in Nauyaca waterfall 

Nauyaca falls are hidden among the mountains of the Central Pacific and just 20 minutes from Dominical Beach. Nauyaca is actually two waterfalls together. Both waterfalls offer spectacular natural scenery for your waterfall wedding in Costa Rica. The Nauyaca Waterfalls are located in a canyon approximately eighty meters wide. One of the falls is forty-five meters high in free fall and the other twenty meters high in stepped fall, forming at the foot of it, a pool of a thousand square meters.

wedding in Nauyaca waterfall 

Nauyaca Waterfalls is the ideal place for lovers who want to get married in one of the most beautiful natural venues of the south pacific of Costa Rica.

Elopement at Nauyaca waterfall

The Nauyaca waterfall is also close to beaches such as Manuel Antonio National Park, Dominical, Uvita and Ballena Marine National Park, so you can even mix the adventure of the waterfalls with the romantic sunsets by the beach in the same day.

• Difficulty: easy
• Facilities: Bathrooms
• Entrance Rates: $32 USD
• Schedule: Monday to Saturday: 7 a. m. to 5 p. m. Vehicle reservations must be made.
  Vehicles are NOT available on Sundays.

Llanos del Cortes Waterfall

There are two kinds of Costa Rica waterfall wedding locations: those that you have to suffer, sacrifice and walk until you can’t anymore to reach them, and those that you only have to enjoy. Llanos del Cortés is the second kind. It has it all and you just have to follow the sound of the water.

Getting there is not complicated. You do not need a 4×4 vehicle or legs of steel. Moreover, Llanos del Cortes waterfall wedding in Costa Rica is the perfect place for those who want to leave the car in the parking lot, walk a couple of minutes, contemplate the beauty and celebrate the marriage ceremony by the waterfall.

From the entrance where the sign is, you can hear that the waterfall is impressive, despite the fact that neighbors say it is smaller than normal due to the drought.

The waterfall belongs to the canton of Bagaces, in the Llanos del Cortes community; hence its name. It is part of the Potrero River, which, after falling, carries the water for more than a kilometer. The place is municipal property, so it is a public place and you just have to leave a voluntary contribution.

• Difficulty: very easy, just a few steps and you are there.
• Facilities: Bathrooms.
• Entrance Rates: $7 USD
• Schedule: 8:00 am – 04:00 pm
• https://www.facebook.com/CatarataLlanosdelCortes

Rio Celeste waterfall wedding in Costa Rica

Rio Celeste is one of the most beautiful Costa Rica waterfall wedding locations. Celeste Waterfall is located in Tenorio Volcano National Park of Costa Rica. It is notable for its distinctive turquoise coloration. The Celeste River also borders several hot springs and has one large waterfall.

You’ll hike through both primary and secondary rainforest in the Tenorio Volcano National Park. Enjoy the trails while searching for monkeys, sloths, tropical birds and more. As the hike continues, you’ll soon arrive along the banks of the Río Celeste.

• Difficulty: medium-hard.  20-30 minutes hike on a good condition trail.
• Facilities: Bathrooms.
• Entrance Rates: $12 per person
• Schedule: daily 8:00 – 4:00 pm

Waterfall Trail by Arenal Observatory Lodge

The waterfall location is by one of the most beautiful trails at Arenal Observatory Lodge & Spa. A short, relatively easy walk from the lodge (20 minutes), the trail ends at the base of a 20-foot waterfall. Hikers are refreshed by the moist air, cooled by the waterfall, and the surrounding forest, lush with ferns and palms.

Additionally, this eco-lodge is perfectly positioned directly between the massive Arenal Volcano and deep blue Lake Arenal. No other hotel in La Fortuna, Costa Rica and the Arenal area is so close to the famous volcano and its lovely lake.

• Difficulty: medium  20-30 minutes hike on a good condition trail.
• Facilities: Hotel, restaurant.
• Entrance Rates: $15 per person
• Schedule: daily 8:00 – 4:00 pm

Club Rio by The Springs Resort

• Difficulty: very easy
• Facilities: Hotel, restaurant, bar, spa, pools, and more.
• Entrance Rates: ask to Springs resort about the wedding packages.
• Schedule: daily 8:00 – 4:00 pm

Tabacon Resort waterfall wedding in Costa Rica

• Difficulty: very easy
• Facilities: Hotel, restaurant, bar, spa, pools, and more.
• Entrance Rates: ask to Tabacon resort about the wedding packages.
• Schedule: daily 10 am to 10 pm

El Salto waterfall wedding in Rio Fortuna Costa Rica

• Difficulty: very easy
• Facilities: Restaurant.
• Entrance Rates: none… maybe have lunch in the restaurant.
• Schedule: daily 8 am to 4 pm

Let´s talk / chat

Costa Rica Photographer Fabian Murillo

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CONTACT YOUR WATERFALL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER NOW!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
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 Christian 
 
September 8, 2025.
 
 
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Thank you so much Fabian, the experience was so amazing! You brought everything to life. And made the proposal to my wife a dream that came true. Thank you for going far and beyond, and the white glove treatment that you showed us. What an amazing experience, Pura Vida!
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Danny Marino 
 
August 29, 2025.
 
 
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Fabián is a true professional at his craft, we loved our pictures that he took for us. He’s in constant communication with you and bilingual which helps as well. The photos were truly incredible📸
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Uzair Surani 
 
July 25, 2025.
 
 
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Fabian is wonderful! He took really amazing photos of our engagement and was super nice and friendly along the way. He was also really flexible and was willing to work with me on day-of timing in case of rain. Also very communicative and addresses questions quickly! Was truly a pleasure working with Fabian
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Marisa Shaw 
 
July 16, 2025.
 
 
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Fabían did a phenomenal job of capturing our large family while on a vacation to Costa Rica. He planned the perfect location and captured our family perfectly. Would highly recommend him! He communicated well before, during and after.
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Peyton Leftwich 
 
July 1, 2025.
 
 
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I say enough great things about Fabián whom I hired for my surprise proposal. From the very beginning, he was absolutely amazing—helping me plan every detail and even pretending to be a tourist so my fiancée (now fiancée 😄) wouldn’t suspect a thing. He captured the entire moment perfectly, from the surprise on her face to the raw emotion of the “yes.” After the proposal, he guided us through poses and spots that made for stunning, natural-looking shots. He made us feel comfortable and relaxed, and the photos turned out better than we ever imagined. If you’re looking for someone who goes above and beyond to not just take pictures—but to help create a moment you’ll never forget—this is your guy. I highly, highly recommend him!
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Erica Howard 
 
June 6, 2025.
 
 
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Fabian took amazing engagement photos for us at La Fortuna Waterfall! He was very kind and affordable and captured the exact vibe we wanted. He was also incredibly understanding and flexible after we rescheduled our trip 3 times due to illness/family reasons. I highly recommend!!
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Ryan Reichel 
 
May 16, 2025.
 
 
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We had the absolute best experience working with Fabian for our wedding in Costa Rica near Arenal Volcano. And not only did he capture stunning photos of our ceremony and our guests, but he also planned and led us on an epic “wreck the dress” adventure hike to several waterfalls a couple days later — the photos are just incredible. Words can't do them justice. Fabian is a phenomenal communicator, extremely professional, and easy going. He speaks excellent English too, which made everything feel easy and seamless since we only know a little Spanish. Beyond that, he’s just a genuinely fun, kind, and hilarious person to be around. He made us feel completely at ease in front of the camera, and the entire experience felt more like hanging out with a friend than a photoshoot. We honestly can’t wait to go back to Costa Rica just to have Fabian take our family portraits someday. Our family has been talking about it already and they haven't even seen how awesome the photos are yet! Working with him was an unforgettable highlight of our wedding week. If you’re considering booking him — do it. You won’t regret it! Thank you again for everything, Fabian!! -Ryan & Gina
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 pedro gonzalez 
 
May 14, 2025.
 
 
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I highly recommend Fabian Costa Rican photographer! Great conversations made the whole process easy and enjoyable. The photos are professional and beautiful, truly capturing the moments perfectly. ¡Recomiendo mucho a Fabian fotógrafo de Costa Rica! Las conversaciones agradables hico que todo el proceso fuera fácil y divertido. Las fotos son profesionales y hermosas, capturando los momentos a la perfección.
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Melina Hann 
 
April 17, 2025.
 
 
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We were vacationing in Costa Rica and fell in love with this beautiful place. We decided we wanted to get married while we were there. I found a wedding officiant and he gave me Fabián’s name as a wedding photographer. From my first contact with Fabián, he was amazing. Sending me pictures of different locations to help me select the right place, he helped me find a florist and someone to do my hair and makeup. On our wedding day, Fabián went above and beyond. He took the most breath taking pictures and even continued to do our pictures when it started to rain. We can not thank him enough. Our pictures are amazing!