1 active Manuel Antonio alert
- ClosurePunta Catedral Trail Temporarily ClosedPunta Catedral trail is temporarily closed; do not plan to use it. Check the current Manuel Antonio National Park status before traveling.Official details
Overview
About La Catarata
Why stop
- A short forest detour reaches a seasonal cascade.
Heads up
- The waterfall may be dry outside the rainy season.
La Catarata is a small waterfall at the end of a jungle trail near Manuel Antonio's main entrance. It's a modest stop, but an easy extra if you're already walking this part of the park. Expect a small cascade, not a big plunge.
Parkwolf’s verdictWorth a short detourMap
Where it is
Loading the Manuel Antonio map
Full mapPlan your stop
Before you go
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Manuel Antonio Tour Guide
Your drive to La Catarata, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Manuel Antonio National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this area
Playa Manuel Antonio and Punta Catedral0:00 / 0:37
“You're approaching the park entrance, the way in to Playa Manuel Antonio and Punta Catedral. The beaches are farther inside, reached on foot.”
Plays on the road 0.5 km from La Catarata in the Parkwolf Manuel Antonio Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Little Pools in the Canopy
- Playa Espadilla Norte
- The Iguana’s Sunny Perch
- Bats That Plant a Forest
- 18 audio storiesacross Manuel Antonio’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Howler Monkey, White-faced Capuchin Monkey, Three-toed Sloth, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 10 trails, 13 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
More about La Catarata
A spur, not a loopThe approach is a short out-and-back with plenty of stairs, so you return on the same route.
The approach is a short out-and-back with plenty of stairs, so you return on the same route. It's a simple detour to fit near the start or finish of your park walk, but it doesn't connect to the other trails.
Time it for waterThis is a rainy-season waterfall; outside that season, you may get a quiet forest walk without…
This is a rainy-season waterfall; outside that season, you may get a quiet forest walk without much of a cascade to see. The waterfall itself is the photo opportunity, so plan for the rainy season if you want water in the frame. Exact flow months and current conditions aren't confirmed.
Look for frogsFrogs are another reason to slow down along the trail, especially after rain.
Frogs are another reason to slow down along the trail, especially after rain. Green poison-dart frogs have been noted on this route, but sightings are a bonus, not a promise.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Manuel Antonio
411 sightingsHowler MonkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
1,193 sightingsWhite-faced Capuchin MonkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
803 sightingsThree-toed SlothMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
271 sightingsTwo-toed SlothMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
110 sightingsRed-eyed Tree FrogMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
170 sightingsCoatiMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Manuel Antonio. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
