Believe it or not, some beautiful waterfalls in Costa Rica are still free, and Cascada El Pavon is one of them. If you’re looking for a change from the beaches of Uvita and Dominical, then a swim in the cool waters of Cascada El Pavon should be on your list.
The walk to get there is easy and there are several additional swimming holes down river if you want to make an afternoon of it.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Cascada El Pavon.
The walk to Cascada El Pavon
Distance: 100m each way to the waterfall & 100m each way to the pools downstream
Elevation gain: 10m
Difficulty: Easy
The trail
From the parking area (details below) you head along a good dirt track through the forest. In the dry season the path was in excellent condition, but I imagine it could get a bit muddy in the rainy season.
The track is nice and shady and you can hear the cascades below. After a 100m easy stroll you’ll arrive at a set of steps leading down to the waterfall.
These last few steps are a bit muddier and there is some leaf litter, but it’s not difficult. The steps are also quite rustic, but it only takes a minute to get down to the pool, and it wasn’t that slippery.
You’ll then be standing at the base of the waterfall.
Cascada El Pavon
I have to admit I wasn’t expecting much from the falls, perhaps because it was free in a country that seems to charge for absolutely everything in nature! I was therefore delighted to find a gorgeous waterfall with a big swimming hole at the base.
It flows over the rocks and has a small boulder wedged on top, which gives it extra atmosphere. The pool is a deep green and the forest canopy kept much of it shady.
If you’re not planning to take a dip, there are some rocks to the left you can sit and relax at, but no actual seating area.
Swimming at Cascada El Pavon
The pool is one of the easiest to access wild swimming spots I’ve been to in Costa Rica. The steps drop you right down to the water’s edge, and then there are virtually no rocks to negotiate.
The water is very shallow at first, but gets deeper as you get closer to the waterfall.
It’s a lot warmer than most of the waterfalls I’ve swum in here, but still cool enough to feel refreshing. The current is very slight in the dry season, so you can get right up to the waterfall itself with ease.
The only downside, which feels a bit nit picky to say, is that when we visited (in March) there was a lot of ripe fruit on the trees which had fallen into the water. This did give the pool a bit of a over ripe fruity smell in certain areas! However, I assume this is only at certain times of year, so it may not be the case when you visit.
Fruit aside it was a lovely place for a swim, and incredibly quiet. We went in the middle of the day and there were only two people there, which was quite unusual in Costa Rica’s peak season!
The other swimming holes at Cascada El Pavon
There are several other swimming holes along the river, all of which are very close together. You could river hop downstream straight from Cascada El Pavon, but that does involve negotiating a few slippery rocks.
It’s actually easier to retrace your steps back to the parking area and walk for one minute down the road in the direction you drove in from.
You’ll see a gravel path heading right, which takes you down to the river.
In less than a minute you’ll be at the water’s edge. There’s another quite large pool with a small cascade here.
You can then wander up river checking out the various spots along the way. Some are better than others and have deeper water. You can either walk through the water, or along the rocky edge (if you don’t want to get wet yet).
Some of the spots had large boulders which gave them a nice wild feel.
None of the pools rival Cascada El Pavon for size and the ability to have a proper swim, but several are good for lazing around in.
Essential info about Cascada El Pavon
Cascada El Pavon entry fee
At time of writing, entry to Cascada El Pavon is still free of charge! There are no opening hours, so you can come whenever you want to.
Getting to Cascada El Pavon
Cascada El Pavon is located just over 20km and a 25 minute drive from Uvita. It’s 40km and 40 minutes from Dominical. The last 3.8km of the road are unsealed. A 4WD is not necessary in the dry season (we did it in a small car) but we aren’t sure about the rainy season.
The pretty forest lined road is mainly flat and in good condition - definitely one of the better gravel roads we drove on.
There is no car park as such, you just park to the side of the road by the waterfall sign.
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, we will earn a small commission if you click through and decide to make a purchase. This helps towards the costs of running our website. Thanks for your support.
