Discovering Pura Vida Gardens & Waterfalls: A Mountain Sanctuary
Experience the magic of Costa Rica’s botanical paradise, located just minutes from the exclusive mountain community of Macaw Crest.
Pura Vida Gardens & Waterfalls
Mountain Rainforest
Pura Vida Gardens & Waterfalls
Botanical terraces and cascades above the rainforest
15 minutes from Macaw Crest 8 km away
The Place
Pura Vida Gardens & Waterfalls is a private botanical garden and waterfall complex on the ridge above Bijagual — a terraced hillside of heliconias, gingers, bromeliads, and orchids overlooking the Pacific. Managed walking trails wind past five waterfalls of varying heights, each with its own swimming hole and viewing platform.
The gardens sit inside the transition zone where lowland rainforest meets cloud forest, so the plant collection is unusually diverse — and so is the birdlife, with toucans, tanagers, and trogons working the flowering understory. For Macaw Crest residents, it is the closest formal garden to the community: a 15-minute drive down the mountain for an afternoon of waterfalls, butterflies, and a hilltop lunch with a view that stretches to the ocean.
What You'll Experience
Signature moments near Pura Vida Gardens & Waterfalls
01
Five waterfalls with swimming holes along managed trails
02
Terraced botanical gardens of heliconias, orchids and bromeliads
03
Hilltop restaurant with panoramic Pacific views
04
Transition-zone birding — toucans, tanagers and trogons
05
15 minutes from Macaw Crest
Stories from Pura Vida Gardens & Waterfalls2026-09-02 · Journal
The area, through the Macaw Crest lens
Latest from Pura Vida Gardens & Waterfalls
Enhanced Trail Access at Pura Vida Gardens & Waterfalls
A newly completed set of observation platforms and trail upgrades makes exploring the waterfalls easier than ever for local residents.
Your Basecamp
Live above it all at Macaw Crest Estates
Twenty-six homesites rise 1,500 feet above the Pacific, minutes from Pura Vida Gardens & Waterfalls yet worlds apart in serenity. Claim your ridge — and let the coast, the canopy, and the waterfall be your everyday.
Explore Nearby
Other experiences within reach
Mountain Village
Bijagual
On-site
Natural Wonder
Bijagual Waterfall
10 minutes
Central Pacific Coast
Jacó
25 minutes
Central Pacific Coast
Punta Leona
35 minutes
Protected Rainforest
Carara National Park
15 minutes
River Town
Tarcoles
20 minutes
Central Pacific Coast
Playa Hermosa
30 minutes
Highway Junction
Orotina
25 minutes
Central Pacific Coast
Herradura
35 minutes
Mountain Rainforest
Rainmaker Conservation Project
20 minutes
Mountain Rainforest
Villa Vanilla Spice Farm
25 minutes
Central Pacific Coast
Esterillos
40 minutes
Luxury Marina
Los Sueños Marina
30 minutes
National Park
Manuel Antonio
1 hour 15 minutes
Southern Pacific Coast
Dominical
1 hour 45 minutes
Capital City
San José
1 hour 30 minutes
Central Pacific Coast
Playa Bejuco
50 minutes
Central Pacific Mountains
Cerros de Turrubares
35 minutes
Central Pacific Coast
Savegre River
1 hour 30 minutes
Central Pacific Coast
Playa Hermosa Mountain Canyons
45 minutes
Central Pacific Foothills
Naranjo River
1 hour 15 minutes
Central Pacific Coast
Vista Los Sueños Adventure Park
30 minutes
Central Pacific Coast
Quepos
1 hour 25 minutes
Central Pacific Coast
Quepos
55 minutes
Central Pacific Mountains
Macaw Lodge
50 minutes
Central Pacific Coast
Quepos
1 hour 15 minutes
Begin the Conversation
Request a private introduction
Macaw Crest Estates
Request More Information
Speak with a Macaw Crest advisor about availability, financing, and arranging a private visit.