Trip to Cataratas del Toro

---

It’s been a while since we’ve updated our blog. So much has transpired since our last posting. I thought I would start with a quick trip we took during Grayson’s Easter break. Kilon researched and found Cataratas del Torro which owns ~100 acres of land containing a walking trail to a 400 foot waterfall. This was the perfect destination because it could be a day trip and was a new place to visit. Cataratas del Torro is close to Juan Castro Blanco National Park (this is the newest National park in Costa Rica…established in 1995). We traveled to Sarchi and looked for signage to Bajos Del Torro (a small town close to Cataratas Del Torro). We ‘found’ the sign and it pointed down a small road. Of course we quickly encountered a stop sign and there were no other signs to be found (that’s typical). We made a best guess and headed north. We questioned if we were on the right route due to the lack of signage and we were basically isolated in a matter of minutes. The drive into Bajos del Torro had astonishing views, but was definitely not for people who tend to get ‘car sick’. We drove up the mountain to approx. 6,000 feet. We stopped a few times to take a break and to just enjoy the views. It was cool to watch the clouds slowly creep over the crest of the mountain and then drop down into the valley. Once at the top of the mountain we began to descend into a little town, Bajos del Torro. The town was very small, but incredibly cute! I liked the area immediately. We passed through the small town and noticed the national park. We continued down a country road and passed numerous streams. Kilon was excited to find the streams. He wants to go back to the area and trout fish soon. We finally made it to our destination. After a minimal fee to Cataratas del Torro we were able to hit the trails and descend ~400 precarious steps to see the waterfall (just take a look at the pictures). The hike down to the waterfall was very treacherous and I was AMAZED at Grayson’s ability to maneuver the trails. He pretended to be our ‘tour guide’ which was amusing. He ran ahead of us, turned around and said “shhh Kilon. I think I’ve spotted a bird”. He would also periodically ask “Monica…do you have any questions”. The terrain surrounding the waterfall was very different from other waterfalls we have seen in Costa Rica. The water from the waterfall is very acidic because it flows from the Poas Volcano and because of the acidity from the water the surrounding plants were affected. Vegetation was sparse. The water spray also stings your eyes slightly, but it is so worth it to see the beautiful scenery. We added this area to our ‘go back to’ list.

---

Photos

Cataratas del Toro
The 400 foot waterfall on Cataratas Del Toro's property

We made it
We made it to the base of the waterfall. Now can we make it back?

The treacherous steps
It's really hard to tell exactly how steep these steps are! They are brutal!

Going up!
Grayson decides to use hands and feet!