Cascada El Pavon, Costa Rica: Hidden in the Jungle

Cascada El Pavon is a quirky little waterfall, secretly hiding in the lush forests of the Costa Ballena area of Costa Rica.

Although it may not always feature on the most common Costa Rica itineraries, this waterfall is actually quite popular among the locals. So, if you want to spend some time at a locally famous pretty waterfall, let us help you plan your visit.

For other ideas on things to do in Ojochal, Uvita and Dominical, check out our comprehensive Costa Ballena travel guide.

You may also like reading our roundup article on the best waterfalls in Costa Rica.

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2023 Update:

We visited Cascada El Pavon for the first time in August 2020. Since then we have returned to the region several times over the years. Our most recent visit to Cascada El Pavon was in March 2023. Now, we are familiar with every inch of the route to the waterfall. But, it does not change the fact that we lost our way on the first visit. Yes, you read that right!

We do not want you to repeat the same mistake as we did during our first visit to Cascada El Pavon. So, for that reason, and also for your entertainment (!), we have retained that first visit story, even while updating this article in 2023. However, we have updated the route and entrance photos to those of 2023, so that you have the right references while visiting Cascada El Pavon.

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How to Reach Cascada El Pavon?

This is the trickiest part of visiting Cascada El Pavon. At least that is what we experienced. But if you know the details, it can be fairly easy.

The Route

Cascada El Pavon is marked on Google Maps. Yet it was not so easy for us to find it for the first time.

You can check this post for how to reach Uvita from other major cities and nearby towns. From Uvita, you will need to keep driving south on Costanera Sur (Ruta 34) highway for about 18 km (11 miles) to reach Cascada El Pavon.

2023 Update: Look for a sign board on the left for “Restaurante Tilapia”. The board also has “La Cascada” written on it. It is where you have to take the left and continue to drive on a gravel road for another 2.5 km (1.6 miles).

Where is Cascada El Pavon!

Along this stretch, there are several boards confirming that you are on the right route. Until there are none! And the waterfall is nowhere in sight! There should have been another board at the entrance too, but we did not find any.

This is the story of our first visit.

According to Google Maps, the waterfall should have been there. We tried walking on various little dirt trails leading to the jungle. But we did not find any sign of Cascada El Pavon. We also drove up and around in the vicinity looking for the waterfall, but could not find any.

Later in the evening, we shared this story with Ana at the front office of Oxygen Jungle Villas. She confirmed that we were at the right location and that the waterfall was indeed where we were looking for it.

Really? We had to take a second attempt the next day!

Cascada El Pavon – Hidden in the Jungle

On the immediate next day, we took the correct turn from the highway and drove again on the gravel road. On this day, we decided to venture on the only jungle trail that we had left out exploring the previous day while searching for the waterfall. And voila!

We had to walk barely for a couple of minutes on this trail before the sight of Cascada El Pavon appeared before us. At the end of this very short walk, a flight of slippery stone carved stairs leads you to the pool near the waterfall.

2023 Update: This is how the signage looks now at the entrance of the jungle trail. It is hard to miss!

Spotting the Entrance – The Right Clues

2023 Update: As you can see from the photo above, now you see “Cascada El Pavon” clearly written at the beginning of the jungle trail that leads to the waterfall. Now, you can avoid the confusion we had on our first visit because of the misleading signage described below.

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But why did we miss this on the previous day? We blamed it on a misleading sign board. There is a prominent board at the entrance of this trail for Restaurante Rio Tico with a forward-marked arrow of 200 meters.

We later realized that the sign board was for the restaurant down the road. But we had initially interpreted that this jungle trail would lead to the restaurant. But remember, we were searching for a waterfall, not a restaurant. Hence we had confidently skipped this trail!

Tip: In order to spot the right entrance to Cascada El Pavon, look for this board “Restaurante Rio Tico”. On the left side of this trail, you will also see a blue on white sign saying “No Contaminar El Rio”, meaning “Do not contaminate the river”.

Entrance Fees for Cascada El Pavon

You need not pay any entrance fee to access Cascada El Pavon. It is free for all, both locals and visitors.

Parking at Cascada El Pavon

There is no designated parking spot for visiting the waterfall.

You need to park your vehicle on the road side. Nobody guards this area and the vehicle will be out of your sight. So remember not to leave any valuables in the car.

However, if you prefer a safer parking spot, you can drive up about 100 meters past the entrance of Cascada El Pavon. On the right, you will see a big board for Restaurant Tilapia Ojochal. They have a fairly big open parking ground. You can leave your car here, after checking with the restaurant staff. We have used both the options for our car parking near the waterfall.

The Quirky Waterfall

Cascada El Pavon has a distinctive structure. The small waterfall is framed by two huge rocks on either side. Clinging between these two big rocks is a much smaller roundish rock, as if someone tried to drop this rock from the sky but it got stuck between the two big boys. The waterfall makes its passage over this small rock, thus acquiring a quirky look.

The waterfall splashes into the river and forms a nice little pool. If you want take a dip, wear your swimsuit and bring your towel. Remember, this is a waterfall hidden in the jungle. So there is zero tourist infrastructure in the area, that is, no restroom, no changing room, no locker. Prepare accordingly.

Best Time to Visit Cascada El Pavon

According to us, all waterfalls are at their glorious best during the rainy season. The waterfalls swell to their maximum volume in this season.

But we think, Cascada El Pavon deserves your attention even during the dry months, because of its unique formation. In fact, the unique formation is accentuated in the dry season due to lesser flow of water.

Rainy season in Costa Rica runs from April/May to November/December.

We visited Cascada El Pavon in the month of August but got to see green pool and river because of clear weather day. On the day, we have also seen the waterfall in the dry season, but right after couple of days of rain. So, the unique formation was better visible but the pool and the river looked all muddy and brown. For reference, see the photos below.

Left: Sunny day in the rainy season. Right: Rainy day in the dry season.

Get More out of Your Trip

On your road trips, do you like to stop where nobody else does? Then you can add a little more fun to your Cascada El Pavon trip.

You have to take the same dirt road to return to the main highway Ruta 34. This dirt road is continuously accompanied by the flowing river to your right, and later on your left. So, if you want to be a bit adventurous, you can choose any spot you like along the way and have a little riverside rendezvous.

There was not a single soul around where we made this stop. We absolutely loved this place. We showered in the soft sunlight peeping through the different shades of green that soothed not only our eyes but our souls as well.

Please note, you will need to park your car on the road and it will be out of your sight when you are inside the jungle. So here also, remember to lock the car and not leave any valuables.

Further down the road, there is an iron bridge under which the river continues to flow. We made another stop here.

This should be a comparatively safer spot to have a relaxing riverside break as it has more open space. We parked right next to the river, sat on a rock by the river and had a picnic snack for lunch, while humming our favorite tunes.

Is It Worth Visiting Cascada El Pavon?

Cascada El Pavon may not be as grand as the Nauyaca waterfalls near Dominical. Neither can you slide down this waterfall like you can at Catarata Uvita. Yet the sheer secretive setting of the waterfall makes it attractive. So, if you are in the area visiting Ojochal, Uvita or Dominical, it is totally worth taking a trip to Cascada El Pavon.

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Check out our travel guides to other amazing waterfalls of Costa Rica:

• Rio Celeste Waterfall
• Oropendola Warerfall
• La Cangreja Warerfall
• Rio Negro Waterfalls and Hot Springs
• Catarata Del Toro
• Nauyaca Waterfalls, Dominical
• Uvita Waterfall
• Montezuma Waterfalls, Nicoya
• La Paz Waterfall Gardens

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