Chorro El Macho

El Valle

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The most famous waterfall in the El Valle region is 35m-high Chorro El Macho, one of four cascades located about 2km north of town; it's a 15-minute walk from the road and the entrance to the Canopy Adventure tour. Below the falls you’ll find a natural swimming pool (US$2.50) surrounded by rainforest. There is also a series of short hiking trails that wend their way into the surrounding jungle.

This towering waterfall is quite forceful and makes for some excellent photographs. El Valle’s famed canopy tour offers an unforgettable aerial view of Chorro El Macho.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

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    Zoológico El Níspero

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  • Aprovaca

    Aprovaca

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    For the largest selection of orquídeas (orchids) in the region, visit this idyllic, not-for-profit garden east of the center, run by the local association…

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    Located in the northwestern corner of the valley, La Piedra Pintada is a huge boulder adorned with pre-Columbian carvings. Locals sometimes fill in the…

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Nearby El Valle attractions

1. La Piedra Pintada

1.06 MILES

Located in the northwestern corner of the valley, La Piedra Pintada is a huge boulder adorned with pre-Columbian carvings. Locals sometimes fill in the…

2. Zoológico El Níspero

1.31 MILES

About 1km north of Av Central, this zoo set in the forest is home to everything from tapirs and capuchin monkeys to jaguars and more than 50 species of…

4. Museo Histórico Padre José Noto

1.44 MILES

The most interesting exhibits in this small, very central museum divided into seven sections are the ones focusing on petroglyphs and ceramics produced by…

5. Museo Victoriano Lorenzo

1.79 MILES

The exhibits in the three rooms of this small museum east of the center focus on local history and the eponymous mestizo national hero. The most…

6. Butterfly Haven

1.84 MILES

One of El Valle's top attractions allows you to walk among up to 250 butterflies as they flutter by in a screened 'flight house.' Learn more about these…

7. Square-Trunk Trees

2.05 MILES

El Valle’s peculiar árboles cuadrados (square-trunk trees) are located northeast of the Hotel Campestre. After a 30-minute hike through the forest and…

8. Aprovaca

2.11 MILES

For the largest selection of orquídeas (orchids) in the region, visit this idyllic, not-for-profit garden east of the center, run by the local association…