The 28

Few waterfalls teased me as much and for as long as this one did. In my initial frenzy do investigate all of the closer waterfalls - within an hour bus ride from Turrialba - La 28 reached a near-mythic level of secrecy when it came time to nail down where she is and how to get to her. I remember first seeing a picture of the towering falls, and I put her on the list immediately. Little did I know how tricky it was going to be to accomplish.

The thing about this waterfall is that when you first look it up, you'll likely find that it's situated on the Aquiares River. Your next thought may be, "OH! The Aquiares Waterfall! Yeah, I've seen that one!" But that's not it. That one isn't even on the Aquiares River; in fact, it's on the Turrialba River. (All is explained in Aquiares Waterfall's post.)

The waterfall known simply as The 28 is named such for the farmland that is butted up against the area surrounding the falls themselves. It's a common practice for land owners to sell their property in sections called parcels or plots ('parcelas'), and the person who discovered this particular waterfall was perhaps not feeling very inspired when it came time to name her. So, due to the nearby farmland, she's called The 28. 

Equally impressive is the sheer rock wall
that forms the valley around the 28

The access is fairly simple, and it cuts through some pretty beautiful scenery filled with coffee farms on both sides and a nice view of the river valley. You'll need to take the bus up to Aquiares, taking it all the way to the last stop at the top of the hill called Cuesta Dura. From there you'll follow the white path in the below photo until you end up at the riverbed. The path itself is well marked, and the only really tricky part is the last 50 meters or so before you arrive down at the river bed. Just make sure you have your boots and a good hand hold as you scale down the slope. 

Once you've arrived at the river bed, turn to your left (west northwest) and start moving up along the blue line. There is no path, so you're going to have to make your own way. It isn't that tricky, but you will 100% without a doubt have to get your feet and legs wet along the way. Despite my friend Martín's best efforts as an accomplished rock-to-rock jumper, even he eventually succumbed to the eventual fate of the river. There are a few spots where you just won't be able to hop from one dry spot to another, so the sooner you accept that, the better you are. 

If you find that you've chosen to walk up one side of the river and you get to a spot that seems impassable, you may have to double back a little while. That's just the way it goes. About half way up the river you'll come across a few nice little pools ('pozas') that you can swim in. They even have a nice little cascade of a meter or two, making for a  nice little stop along the hike. Once you continue on, you'll only have about another half hour before reaching the foot of the falls. A lot of the distance and duration depends entirely on the path you take, and how nimble you are when it comes to scaling over, around, and sometimes even under the big boulders that line the riverbed all the way up to the waterfall. 

Exploring with a few local buddies - Martín, Daylan, and Daniel

One of the cooler things about this waterfall is the last 100 meters or so before you get to the absolute foot of it. Instead of so many approaches where you see her up top and simply walk toward her, the river just below her over time has cut a path around a big, sloping island that gives you a really unique spot to stand in front of the falls. Normally you'll just stumble your way up to the foot of the falls on the slippery rocks and small patches of leveled out pebbles, but this special formation makes this experience a little better, in that you have a very solid spot right in front of the falls to see her in all her splendor. 

Don't be scared to try to explore this beautiful waterfall. Although she can be tricky to find, she's worth every step of the way! 

- Dakota B.

La 28 Waterfall Info

Difficulty: Moderate

Location: Aquiares, Turrialba, Cartago, CR

GPS Coordinates: 9.9583, -83.7258

Height: approx. 75 meters / 246 feet

Nearest bus fare: Turrialba to Aquiares, 340 CRC

Entry fee: none
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