Costa Rica Tour and Panama Cruise with CruiseWest
La Paz Waterfalls, Gardens, and Humming Bird Sanctuary -Text and Photos by Jack Yeazel
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GENERAL:
The Waterfalls and Gardens are primarily self-guided tours allowing visitors to proceed directly to their areas of interest.  The full tour is 2 miles long.  Our guide, Jorge, cautioned that there were about 400 or more steps downward along a series of falls.  The Magia Blanca Waterfall-120 Feet, La Paz-110 Feet, Encantada and Escondida Falls-65 Feet.  Each a beautiful natural sight.  Pathways take you to several viewing platforms where seating and sheltered areas have been provided.  The tour bus traveled to the very bottom of the falls to pick us up.   The falls were just a short drive from the Poas Volcano northeastward back toward the Botanical Gardens.

Click on the following thumbnails for larger views

Area map with north to the right

RESTAURANT and BIRD FEEDERS
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These birds are very colorful and are types we've never seen.

HUMMINGBIRD GARDEN:
Attracts more species than any other in Costa Rica. Over 16 different species of hummingbirds call the Waterfall Gardens home. A number of the birds have become very tame and will even land on a feeder while someone is holding it. During the early morning and late afternoon are the times when the hummingbirds sound like they are swarming.

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As you can see, these hummingbirds will "eat out of your hand."

WATERFALLS TRAIL

The pink line is the approximate location of the trail from the gardens to the lowest falls.

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The best thing about the trail is that it's all downhill!

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Working our way down, we finally came out at the highway below the falls to be picked up by the bus.
The remains of a collapsed bridge can be seen under the new "military" bridge in the last frame.