Submitted by Kat Severson on the 2024 Winter SPAN program in Costa Rica…
This weekend our group had the opportunity to to visit the wonderful Cateratas de La Paz! loved getting out of the city of Heredia, where we are staying, and into the rainforest. This nature park’s mission is to preserve and protect the natural environment and educate visitors about the importance of these natural habitats and their preservation.
We drove up into the central mountain range, all the way up into the clouds! The reserve covers around 70 acres, 40 acres of which are rainforests and cloud forests. The tour started with visits to their wildlife sanctuary exhibits including the aviary and hummingbird garden, the butterfly garden, the snake house, insects, frogs and the jungle cats. I have never seen so many hummingbirds in one place before! We stopped at their cafeteria for a buffet-style lunch (gallo pinto, plantains, picadillo), then were off to hike the waterfall trials.
I had been waiting all day for the waterfalls. Ready to explore we headed on the guided path, which was all built without taking down any trees or vines, and without using heavy machinery. All of the materials were brought down on foot to cause minimal disturbance to the wildlife around it. The views from the five waterfalls were breathtaking! La Paz is definitely staying on my bucket list! (Submitted on January 28, 2024)
