Lodge & waterfall trail
Cataratas Bijagua Lodge
Wooden bungalows, home cooking, two volcanoes on the horizon, and a private trail to a waterfall you can swim beneath.
Pictured The Bijagua River falls
Cataratas Bijagua is a family project, not a chain. In 2004 a group of relatives began building it by hand on their own land at the foot of Volcán Miravalles, and the lodge has grown slowly ever since, in wood, around a garden, facing the forest.
From the bungalows you can see Volcán Miravalles (2,028 m) and Volcán Tenorio (1,916 m) across the Bijagua valley. Río Celeste is about 20 minutes away. But the reason the lodge exists is the waterfall at the end of its own trail.
The waterfall trail
A private trail of about 5.2 kilometers round trip starts right at the lodge. It climbs through three kinds of forest (cloud forest, transition forest and premontane rainforest) and passes three viewpoints over the valley and two suspension bridges before reaching the 15-meter Bijagua River waterfall, where clear pools invite a swim.
- 2–3 hoursTypical walking time, out and back.
- ModerateSome climbing and uneven ground. Closed shoes are a must.
- Self-guidedFree for lodge guests. Go early for birds and cooler air.
- SwimmingNatural pools below the falls, so bring a towel.
Included with your stay
Guests can walk the waterfall trail, join a guided night walk around the lodge (flashlights provided) to look for frogs, insects and snakes, and head out on a dawn birdwatching session while the forest is at its noisiest.
The bungalows
All of the bungalows are built from wood and open onto the garden:
| Bungalow | Highlights |
|---|---|
| Double | Double bed with mosquito net, garden window |
| Superior | Two beds, refrigerator, windows on two sides |
| Triple Superior | Three beds, porch with hammock facing the garden |
| Family | Several beds, ceiling fan, garden terrace |
| Superior Waterfall | Sleeps 6, full kitchen, air conditioning, hot water, porch with hammock. Listed from $100 per night. |
Book directly on the lodge’s website (no middlemen or commissions), or by WhatsApp.
Food and drink
Meals are served three times a day in an open-sided wooden pavilion looking out over the garden and forest. The kitchen cooks with local ingredients such as Bijagua vegetables, fresh cheese from Upala and regional fish. Next door, a wooden bar with hammocks hanging from the rafters serves coffee and cold drinks.
Go with a local guide
Hike the falls with a naturalist
Not staying at the lodge, or want a guide who can point out the birds and snakes along the way? Bijagua Nature Tours runs a guided waterfall hike that ends with a swim.
- Bijagua Waterfalls Hike3 hours · from $50
