La Fortuna Hot Springs, Waterfalls and Wildlife
Costa Rica’s adventure hub is small enough to see on foot, yet its best sights lie a short ride out of town. This guide sorts the main activities by what they cost, so you can mix free and paid days. All prices are in US dollars and rounded, and many venues add 13 percent IVA.
Free
The public hot river. Below Tabacon, a stretch of warm river runs beside the Route 142 bridge and anyone can enter. There is no real entry fee, and anyone asking for money to watch your car is not official. Thieves target parked cars here, so take valuables with you or arrive by taxi. Visit by day, wear water shoes, and leave the river if rain starts upstream, because it can rise fast.
El Salto. A rope swing and swimming hole on the Rio Fortuna, about 1.5 km from the centre on Route 702. It has no lifeguard and no facilities, and the current gets strong after rain. Use it only if you are a confident swimmer.
Around $20
La Fortuna Waterfall. Foreign adults pay about $20. Plan for roughly 500 steps down and the same number back up. Bathe in the calm pool at the base only. The plunge and the rocks around it are off limits.
Bogarin Trail. Walk the 2.5 km forest trail by yourself for $20, between 6am and 8pm. A guided walk costs about $45. Wildlife such as sloths is possible but never promised.
$15 to $60
Mistico Arenal. Self-guided walks begin at $32 plus tax and guided walks at $44. Its 16 bridges include six hanging spans up to 45 m high. Visitors need closed shoes with a good tread.
Arenal Volcano National Park. Entry for foreign adults is about $15 and for children about $5. Trails remain at the volcano base, since the cone is closed to the public.
Baldi Hot Springs. Adults pay $51 and children $38 for 25 pools, daily from 9am to 10pm, with no booking needed. Add one meal and the prices become $75 and $56.
EcoTermales. Expect about $49 for adults and $30 for children for a morning or evening session.
Splurge
Tabacon. A day pass with lunch or dinner starts at about $170 for an adult. Reserve early, since dates sell out.
Canyoning and ziplines. Pure Trek’s standard canyoning day is about $103 and the Sky Trek zipline about $93. Zip-lining is often excluded from travel insurance, so read your policy.
Getting around and staying safe
Arenal is dormant, so it cannot be seen glowing after dark. The black rock around the trails is old lava from 1968 and later. Lake Arenal sits to the west of town, and paddleboarding and kayaking are offered there.
La Fortuna is in San Carlos canton, in Alajuela province. Colones and dollars are both used, at about CRC 450 to $1.
Read more: Sightseeing in La Fortuna and Family friendly activities in La Fortuna .
Venue sites: Baldi Hot Springs and Bogarin Trail .
Tours can be compared on Viator .