La Paz Waterfall, Costa Rica
Encyclopedia
La Paz is a waterfall
in central Costa Rica
. In Spanish, it is known as Catarata de La Paz. It is located 31 kilometres (19.3 mi) north of Alajuela
, between Vara Blanca
and Cinchona
.
The waterfall is located immediately alongside the road from Alajuela that leads to the northern plains of Costa Rica. The River La Paz forms the waterfall after traversing 8 kilometres (5 mi) of volcanic terrain, and then continues through the rainforest
of the eastern side of Poás Volcano
. A short path leads behind the waterfall, where a small shrine had been located. Upstream from the waterfall is La Paz Waterfall Gardens, a hotel and park, where visitors can observe many different species of local wildlife.
The waterfall and surrounding area were severely damaged in the 6.1-magnitude earthquake of January 8, 2009
. Landslides caused destructive damage to the road that runs alongside the waterfall.
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
in central Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. In Spanish, it is known as Catarata de La Paz. It is located 31 kilometres (19.3 mi) north of Alajuela
Alajuela
Alajuela is the second largest city in Costa Rica after the capital, San José. It is also the capital of the namesake province. Because of its location in the Costa Rican Central Valley, Alajuela is nowadays englobed in the conurbation of Great Metropolitan Area...
, between Vara Blanca
Vara Blanca
Vara Blanca is a small village located between Poas Volcano and Barva Volcano in Costa Rica. It is an important cross-road location for all major traffic connecting the northern parts of Costa Rica especially the Sarapiqui River delta area with the major population area of the San Jose Central Valley...
and Cinchona
Cinchona
Cinchona or Quina is a genus of about 38 species in the family Rubiaceae, native to tropical South America. They are large shrubs or small trees growing 5–15 metres in height with evergreen foliage. The leaves are opposite, rounded to lanceolate and 10–40 cm long. The flowers are white, pink...
.
The waterfall is located immediately alongside the road from Alajuela that leads to the northern plains of Costa Rica. The River La Paz forms the waterfall after traversing 8 kilometres (5 mi) of volcanic terrain, and then continues through the rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
of the eastern side of Poás Volcano
Poás Volcano
The Poás Volcano, in Spanish Volcán Poás, is an active stratovolcano in central Costa Rica. Poás has erupted 39 times since 1828.- Crater lakes :...
. A short path leads behind the waterfall, where a small shrine had been located. Upstream from the waterfall is La Paz Waterfall Gardens, a hotel and park, where visitors can observe many different species of local wildlife.
The waterfall and surrounding area were severely damaged in the 6.1-magnitude earthquake of January 8, 2009
2009 Costa Rica earthquake
The 2009 Costa Rica earthquake , occurred at 1:21:34 pm local time on January 8, 2009. The epicenter of the 6.1 Mw earthquake was in northern Costa Rica, north-northwest of San José...
. Landslides caused destructive damage to the road that runs alongside the waterfall.