The Diamante Valley is a gorgeous rainforest setting bursting with the beauty of nature, but the centerpiece of it all is the towering Diamante Waterfall of Costa Rica. Known locally as the Diamante Verde, or green diamond, this landmark is a true gem indeed. The iconic waterfall stands at a stunning 600 feet, ranking it among the tallest waterfalls in Costa Rica and ensuring it can be seen from great distances.

In this blog, we’ll discuss how you can see the Diamante Waterfall for yourself, what to expect from the journey, and how to prepare for the experience of a lifetime. We spoke to one of the property’s stewards to get you the most up-to-date and extensive information, and his exclusive insights will help to paint a more complete picture of the falls and the surrounding property.

Experience the Diamante Waterfall in Costa Rica

At Vajra Jahra’s Costa Rica Villas and Retreat center, you can catch amazing views of the Diamante Waterfall from around the property. In full view of the center’s premises, it serves as a marker of the valley’s majesty and a calming presence for your retreat’s atmosphere.

But what if you want a closer look? The land surrounding the waterfall is restricted from public access, but you can get up close and personal with a guided tour, provided by and coordinated through Pacific Journeys Costa Rica.

Digging Deeper into the Diamante Waterfall Hike

As one of the tallest waterfalls in Costa Rica, the Diamante Waterfall is an iconic feature of the rainforest, but neither the waterfall nor the trip is widely documented online. This can create an information gap and leave you uncertain of what to expect.

To address this issue, we sat down for an interview with Kai McGinnis, one of the stewards of the Diamante Falls property, to talk about the waterfall and the tour. Kai’s insights helped to paint a clearer picture of the experience, and in this blog we hope to share that clarity with you.

Kai has done the hike many times over, so he had plenty of tips to share from his own experience. When asked about his favorite sights on the hike, he said this:

“There's nothing that can quite replace the feeling of standing on the top of that waterfall and looking out over the entire valley down in the ocean and seeing all of the life that water and such supports throughout this whole ecosystem of this region.”

About the Property

The falls sit on a gorgeous rainforest property in Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica. Stewardship of this property has been maintained by Jon Chapman and family since 1998—nearly 30 years. The Chapmans started inviting people to visit the natural wonders of the property, and slowly, that endeavor grew into the adventure tour company known as Pacific Journeys. Though it has certainly seen evolution since its inception, Kai says “it's always been in the spirit of allowing it to be appreciated and shared for the natural beauty that it is.”

The land is indeed a testament to the beauty of nature. According to Kai’s estimations, “somewhere north of 90% of the property is and has been preserved as primary rainforest.” This fact allows life to flourish around the property, making the tour all the more vibrant and enthralling.

The Diamante headwaters themselves eventually merge into Costa Rica’s Barú River, which funnels out toward the ocean. This makes for an incredible view from the falls. As Kai puts it, “you can literally see, from end to end, this watershed; the start point to where it meets the ocean.”

What Is Included in the Hiking Tour?

The Diamante Waterfall hike is more than just a straight shot to the falls. Led by a certified wilderness responder guide, your group will get to explore several different scenic spots surrounding the falls, including a botanical garden and greenhouse, a cave that sits behind two 90-foot twin waterfalls, and of course, the top of the crowning 600-foot waterfall. During the trip, you’ll also be able to enjoy vegetarian meals prepared by your guide, which can also be adjusted based on your dietary needs.

“Up there that land is very much like Eden,” Kai told us, “…just tranquil, quiet. So far up, it’s a totally different microclimate.”

There is a small group minimum for the hikes, so it’s not intended as a solo experience. The exact size may vary based on factors like the time of year. “Even just a couple in the low season, we’ll do a day tour and fulfill that,” Kai told us.

“And it’s all-inclusive. From the time they're hiked up, all the bedding, all the food, and everything is there ahead of them.”

Day Hike

Kai assured us that all the highlights discussed above are built into the shortest version of the hike, which is a one-day experience. He also gave us a brief run-through of this experience to better illustrate what hikers can expect.

Guests will check in around 8:00 am at the office, and drive to the base camp from there. You can drive your own SUV over or ride in one of the property’s land cruisers, which Kai calls “a whole experience in itself” and says it feels sort of “Jurassic Park-ish.”

From here, the hike up to the garden begins—this first portion is probably the longest and toughest part of the hike. According to Kai, you can break for coffee and tea in the garden, which “kind of operates as the central hub.” The garden also has potable water, showers, and flushing toilets, making it a great place for a quick recharge.

Next is a hike to the cave, which takes fifteen minutes or so, followed by an about-ten-minute hike to the top of the falls. Afterward, there’s another hike to the upper pools, which takes about a half-hour.

Overnight Experience

For those who want to spend a little more time immersed in this one-of-a-kind environment, there is also an option to stay overnight in the garden.

We asked Kai what the overnight stay was like, and he described it as a uniquely tranquil experience. “The campsite is directly on a point that overlooks the ocean, and it's about the same altitude as the top of the fall. . . . You're waking up, literally stepping out of your bed—getting out of bed, and just looking at this mountainside view as the sun's rising over the mountain behind you.”

What Activities Can I Enjoy on the Tour?

In addition to the adventure of the hike itself, Pacific Journeys has packed a variety of activities into the tour to allow you to make the most of your time at the falls.

At one point, the tour stops at the falls’ upper pools, a place where you and your group can enjoy swimming and supervised cliff-jumping. You can also bring a packed lunch from the garden to enjoy a picnic in the cave or at the top of the falls.

When we asked Kai about his favorite activities, he had this to say: “When you go to the top of the main falls, there is a little swimming hole about 50 meters upstream and a waterfall that comes over that: there's a rock that you can wade or kind of swim over to and you can just sit literally under this waterfall. . . . It’s kind of like its own little baptism.”

His other favorite activity is rappelling over the cave, an optional add-on for both the day hike and the overnight experience. “That’s such an expansion out of most humans’ comfort zones, so it's a really awesome experience to do in that type of environment.”

How Close Can I Get to the Falls?

Kai let us know that in the cave, you can get within a few meters of the twin waterfalls that cascade overhead.

Additionally, at the top of the falls, there’s a steel cable running around 5 meters from the top of the main waterfall. This cable functions as a safety line to allow you to get as close as possible to the water. “So you can walk right up to the edge of it,” Kai told us, “You can be in the river.”

When Is the Hike Available?

The hike is offered year-round, including both the day and overnight experiences as well as the rappel option. We asked Kai what he thought was the best season to go.

“It depends upon if someone's fully chasing waterfalls or not,” he said, but added that the end of the year, around November to December, when the headwaters are sustained with plenty of rainfall, is a particularly beautiful time to him. “Everything's still lush and super alive from all of the rain. And I've gone up and seen a difference where the water is easily three times as much water than what it is in the dry season.”

How Difficult Is the Hike?

The Pacific Journeys website warns that all versions of the tour can be quite physically demanding, so we asked for more insights from Kai.

“It’s a moderate-to-strong high,” he told us. Some parts of the trail will be easier than others, but he estimated that some portions of the hike take place on a 55–60-degree incline. “It’s definitely a pilgrimage and it's not the easiest hike, but I think it's a part of what makes it so beautiful.”

We also asked about what the terrain was like, and he reassured us that there are wooden steps built into the trail, so you won’t be stuck on a flat incline.

Including the return trip, Kai estimated a total of two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half hours of walking time. The amount of time taken will vary based on how quickly and comfortably your group is moving.

Animals to Look For?

The Diamante Valley is teeming with life, and the property surrounding the waterfall is no different. We asked Kai about animals that he’s spotted on the hike.

“I’ve seen bright yellow boas, a coral snake . . . occasional sloths—of course, they don’t move a lot, so they’re kind of hard to find,” he told us. He’s even seen a small ocelot in the cave before.

He explained that this area is part of a major passage for wildlife in Costa Rica, running through Central America down to the Amazon. “So any of these animals like the jaguars, the ocelots, the monkeys, that are traversing a lot of terrain over the course of the day, they're passing through this region and the mountain.”

What to Bring?

Kai recommended that guests “drink lots of water” in preparation for the hike. When we asked about what items guests should plan to bring with them, he gave us a short list of a few essentials:

• Comfortable but practical hiking shoes
• Casual shoes or sandals for walking around in the garden, if desired
• Swimsuit
• Towel
• Water bottle
• Change of clothes
• Rain jacket
• Warm clothes for overnight stays, since the evenings can be colder
• Flashlight or headlamp
• Insect repellent

He also mentioned that although food is provided, guests may want to bring their own snacks. Pacific Journeys offers an FAQ section on their website and sends a welcome packet to guests ahead of time to help them prepare.

“I've had people go up that have been like, ‘Man, I way overpacked for this,’” he told us, “So we just ask them to refer to that, and just to really receive what's there in the experience and in the pilgrimage of the hike itself.

Why Make the Trek?

The opportunity to go on this adventure is enticing on its own, but Kai believes it’s far more than your average nature hike.

“Environmentally and experience-wise this land is one of one on the planet, in my experience. Every time, the hike up brings up something different, and there's inevitably a moment where it's like, ‘oh, this is kind of hard,’ and never once in all my times have I regretted it, that’s for sure.”

Closing Thoughts

To close out our interview, we asked Kai if he had any other tips for those interested in embarking on this journey. Here’s what he said:

“Yeah, my tip and experience with it would be to embrace the adventure. And to just allow the mind to rest. It's a place to be nourished, restored, and replenished. So just come into it, you know, with a state of reverence and willingness to receive, and ideally give it some gratitude and do your best to leave it a little better and a little more loved-on than you found it.”