Ciudad Esmeralda (aka La Vieja)
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| | Raps:2, max ↨164ft
Red Tape: Shuttle:Optional 1.5mi Vehicle:Passenger Rock type:Volcanic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 3 Mar 2025
"Lovely long rappels in the flow (not that common in the Poas region it seems). The walk out through the canyon is verdant and beautiful. It was 3000 c |
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| Best season: | Jan-Mar
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10.2683, -84.4313
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Introduction[edit]
A beautiful descent through a canyon with sheer walls glistening with green vegetation. Hence the name Ciudad Esmeralda ("Emerald City" in English).
Approach[edit]
Park at the entrance to a dairy farm. You will need permission to enter the dairy farm and hike along their electrified cow corridor to reach the start. They only speak Spanish. If you bring the owner of the farm a cold six pack of beer or 3000c/person (as of Feb 2023), that should put a big smile on his face and let you park your car safely within their gate and access their trails. After passing through the dairy farm follow the ridgeline that descends steeply into the watercourse. Be aware this region is known for venomous snakes.
You will also need to go to the exit beforehand and talk to La Vieja Adventures to exit using their trails (5000c or $10 USD/person). As of April 2021 they installed trails and ladders going down their property to the river, and they now guide clients from the bottom up to the waterfalls. The contact there are Wagner & Allen (brothers). You may be able to arrange this via Facebook Messenger or Instagram before: look for La Vieja Adventures.
Although this route can be done without a shuttle by walking 1.5 miles along the road, beware that there is significant elevation change down and then up again, and also there is no shoulder to safely walk along. The road gets a lot of traffic. La Vieja may also offer to drive you back -- it's probably best to arrange this with them before arriving with only one car.
Descent[edit]
There are 2 rappels in waterfalls that get you into the main canyon of Rio La Vieja, which is gorgeous and non-technical.
r1 30m
r2 50m
Beware of R1 -- the water funnels down into a narrow vertical slot which is also the rappel line, and would be extremely dangerous at anything but low flow.
There is risk of flash floods in the main watercourse, so it is advisable to only descend it in the dry season with a clear forecast.
If there is doubt about having a safe flow level in the main watercourse, before pulling your rope at R1, look over the edge at R2 to assess. It is only about 20 meters away. Ascend back up the rope if necessary.
From the bottom of R2, an impassable river-wide waterfall is only 100m upstream; it is worth seeing before continuing out downstream.
La Vieja Adventures has put in 2 ladders and some handlines near the boulder section (under the bridges) to be able to guide the route from the bottom up. There's one decent jump at the second (downstream) ladder.
Exit[edit]
A series of ladders and walkways, built by La Vieja Adventures. Stop by beforehand to ask for permission and leave your shuttle vehicle. The cost is 5000c or $10/person for exit. They may also offer to drive you back up to your car. They have bathrooms and showers at the top when you finish. Wagner & Allen are the brothers who run the business, and guide tourists up to the riverwide waterfall. There is a very well marked route with spray-painted dots in the river leading to these ladders.
Former Exit: Further downstream from the ladder exit was a fairly obvious trail up the hillside -- nearly vertical for the first 100' until you reach the cow pastures. You had to cross a lot of electrical wires to reach the dairy farm above -- we had 6 to cross in Mar 2021. They also asked what we were doing there and said the property was closed, but that they were ok with us being there. As of 2022, it has been said that farmers do not want people crossing their property and you should use the exit built by La Vieja.
Red tape[edit]
Permission to walk through the dairy farm is required at the start.
Talk to exit property owner (La Vieja Adventures) about exit access and pay them for use of their property.
La Vieja Adventures: Wagner/Allen (5000c or $10/person) +506-6233-2535 @laviejaadventures on IG
Beta sites[edit]
Toros Canyoning Group : Ciudad Esmeralda
Trip reports and media[edit]
Costa Rica Jungle Canyoneering
Background[edit]
This canyon was opened by Toros Canyoning Group. More information about descending it can be found on their website (link in beta section).
