El Salto
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1-2 hours
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  • blbdvm
    2 contributions
    Fun place for quick visit
    Biggest attraction was the rope swing that you can swing out over pool below falls and drop in. A local kid was doing some fancy dives off the rope and entertained onlookers. People lounging on rocks above and below the falls. Note- no bathrooms or changing rooms. Water shoes would be nice but not necessary. No food stands. We spent 2 hours there and for us that was about right for our family.
    Visited January 2020
    Traveled with family
    Written January 10, 2020
  • Jen.C
    16 contributions
    Review
    About a 30 minute walk from the centre of La Fortuna. The walk isn’t dangerous and is fairly straightforward if you use the my.maps app. When you arrive at the entrance to the falls it’s around a 5 minute walk down to the actual plunge pool. It’s a very beautiful area but there is a road above which ruins the scenic nature slightly. It can get very busy here as it’s free so we’d recommend going early in the morning. Although our things were safe you should only really bring essential items : a towel, some water and some food (there are some stalls on the road too) - try to avoid valuables. There is a rope swing and you can also jump off the side, or just go for a swim in the pool. It’s a really nice place for a 1/2 a day trip.
    Visited January 2022
    Written June 12, 2022
  • Vanski
    Ottawa, Canada134 contributions
    Neat to see.
    El Salto is the local swimming hole. At a neat free place to go with a role swing, deep enough to dive in, a waterfall and pool. Just sitting on the rocks people watching is entertainment.
    Visited March 2020
    Written March 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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5.0
48 reviews
Excellent
38
Very good
9
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
0

Sonni B
4 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
We went here instead of La Fortuna waterfall because we found out the tickets were $18 a person. This is a local swimming hole with a rope swing, visited by locals and tourists alike. We went around 4pm and it wasn't too crowded. There were some local boys and a few couples jumping. There are some parking attendants on the side of the road who will ask for some money. They're not official, but supposedly they'll watch your car and its much cheaper than La Fortuna. When we went there was also a stand with sausages. The rope swing is sturdy and its lots of fun to jump in, but you do need to be relatively fit/able to balance to climb the rocks and swim against the strong current. If you lose something (like we did) there's a guy who comes by every morning searching for lost stuff who might be able to help. Overall, a fun place but a little dangerous.
Written August 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

L. Kennedy
14 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
Great free, local watering hole. You can sit in the river above the waterfall and pool for the rope swing. Many would drop in from the rope swing or jump off the rocks into the pool. The water is a comfortable temperature.
We walked from our hotel, but there is some parking along the street. You can walk down the bank from either side of the bridge.
Written July 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bakkerfeeling Adventures
Heel, The Netherlands8 contributions
May 2021
Next door to Desafio Adventures tour company, this is a great place to cool down after a tour and relax for the rest of your day. Desafio even has a secret entrance to this place! The highlight of course is the Tarzan swing into the refreshing water. See more? We have a video on our YouTube channel: Bakkerfeeling adventures.
Written June 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kurt R
6 contributions
May 2023 • Friends
Not wanting to hike to a waterfalls experience, this place is the most convenient to La Fortuna. Literally park and pay the attendant to park, otherwise completely free. You get all the fun of a rope swing, cliff jumping, and chilling in water pools. Also there are food and drink vendors.
Written May 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bowlby C
Canada3 contributions
Sep 2022
Don't miss el Salto during your trip to La Fortuna. It's free, beautiful, cool vibes. We jumped from the rope and the rocks and meet many locals and other tourists. Also saw a sloth crossing trees right outside the parking lot.
Written September 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

charlesm
London, UK24 contributions
Dec 2018 • Family
One of our top swimming locations whilst in Costa Rica (La Fortuna Waterfall itself was the best). Great fun to hang out with the locals and jump/dive/swing into the crystal clear waters. There are a few parking spots near the bridge over the road and it is right there. Felt quite safe (be sensible though).
Written January 10, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rowan H
Cairns, Australia1,333 contributions
Oct 2022 • Friends
El salto is a small waterfall and swimming hole located only 1.6km from parque central in La Fortuna. It is a continuation of the stream formed by the La Fortuna waterfall and is located next to the road.

Its free to enter.

On site there is a rope swing, cascading water and a small waterfall.

We were warned by a friendly local to keep an eye on your things as petty crime can be a problem.

Overall a nice place to visit. We actually stopped here on our way back from the La Fortuna waterfall to town, as its on the road leading to same.
Written October 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nehemiah
Greenville, NC1 contribution
Jun 2022 • Solo
Why pay $18 when you can visit this awesome, local-known hangout for free?! I went here twice and it was home to locals and tourists alike. It was great fun.
Written June 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

arnoldoaroma
Düsseldorf, Germany127 contributions
Apr 2022 • Family
This is great experience when being in La Fortuna: Just a few steps from the main road is this pond formed by a small river that allows to do jumps from rocks or even a swing into the pond. Great fun and totally for free; probably a better experience than the Fortuna waterfalls.
Written April 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

wannago2015
Venice, FL244 contributions
Aug 2019
Beautiful. Local. Easy to find. Great rope swing into deep, cold basin. A little tricky to climb out but worth it. Fun for a quick stop or stay for awhile.
Written August 18, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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El Salto (La Fortuna de San Carlos) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

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