Few places in Costa Rica contain as many diverse and unique experiences as the area surrounding Arenal Volcano National Park. A small town located about 3 hours north of San Jose, La Fortuna acts as a common launching pad for travelers eager to explore this adventure paradise! On my first trip to Costa Rica, we landed in San Jose with a group of 8 friends and left on a cross country tour the next day. Our first stop centered around touring the famed Arenal Volcano National Park. Despite less than ideal weather, our 2 days in La Fortuna were some of the most memorable I have had in all my travels.
We stayed in a spectacular Airbnb just outside the main town of La Fortuna. The town itself is not super developed, but does contain some nice smaller restaurants, bars, and cafes. For us, we did not go into town except for groceries and of course lots of Imperial (Costa Rican beer).
La Fortuna Waterfall
After our drive from the capital, we dropped off our luggage at the Airbnb and went straight to La Fortuna Waterfall. This place was stunning! Tickets are $18 (12,343 colones) each, including access to the waterfall adjacent Orchid Garden. The waterfall is gorgeous with several unobstructed views as you descend the boardwalk stairs through the jungle. Note that the short walk from the parking lot to the base of the falls is no joke. 530 steps await you as you make your way to the bottom of this 246 ft beauty. One of the coolest parts on this day was the open area at the base of the falls. The view of the falls from the bottom is obviously magnificent. If you are planning to propose in Costa Rica, this is your spot. Though what I found particularly fun was the adjacent swimming hole. Schools of fish teamed in the shallows, gobbling up bread provided by laughing children. In the deeper part of this swimming area was actually a decent current which allowed you to swim against the flow while remaining in place. This aquatic treadmill was fun and a great workout! Of note, we read reviews about thieves taking belongings near this swimming spot. We had no trouble but did have someone with our stuff at all times. Maybe bring a bike lock for a little more peace of mind.
FREE Natural Hot Springs
After the waterfall we made our way to the FREE natural hot springs of the Arenal River. Thanks to the region’s geothermal activity at the base of Arenal Volcano, numerous hot springs dot the landscape north of the National Park. After researching our options, we opted for the free route and visited the free natural hot springs, also known as “Rio Chollin.” Take route 142 approximately 10-15 minutes west of the main town until you pass Tabacon Resort on the right. Just past this you will likely see cars parked on the side of the road with access down to the river below. We spent about 45 -60 minutes at this site. It was fun and worth seeing but definitely not the luxurious or kid friendly access to the thermal waters you can find at the resorts. It gets dark around 6PM year round in Costa Rica, thus after our hot water plunge, we headed back to the Airbnb for dinner and some shut eye.
Arenal Volcano National Park
Hiking Peninsula Section of the Park
The next morning, we got up early and went straight to Arenal Volcano National Park. The park is beautiful and diverse with the focal point obviously being the active volcano at its center. There are two main hiking spots in the park: Sector Volcan and Sector Peninsula. Of note you CAN’T actually hike the volcano. We started our day by driving to the Peninsula Sector and hiking the Miradores Trail. The trail is 0.75 miles one way. It descends down through the jungle to Lake Arenal with several lookouts and an observation tower on the way. The boardwalk at the bottom was great for an impromptu photoshoot. As you hike back up, I’d recommend taking the alternate Tororoi Trail, which is about the same distance but takes you more into the jungle.
Arenal Volcano National Park
Hiking Volcano Section of the Park
After these two trails, we then drove over to the Sector Volcan, where the longer trails in the park are located. In this section we started by hiking along the Coladas Trail to where it branches into the Ceiba Trail. The Ceiba Trail is a 1.9 mile semicircle which ends back on the Coladas Trail. Along this route you can see a magnificent massive Ceiba tree, for which the trail is named. This tree is thought to be well over 400 years old and survived the 1968 volcanic eruption which decimated much of the surrounding countryside. After returning to the Coladas Trail we continued to the Coladas Trail Lookout, located on the site of a former lava flow! This lookout provides views of the volcano to the west and the lake to the east. We concluded our hiking by retracing our steps along the Coladas Trail to the parking lot before driving to the “Main Lookout.” There is also a hike to this spot but we elected to drive after hiking for much of the day (I also forgot to pack half of our sandwiches so we were getting hungry). We had very cloudy weather and did not get a great look, but I’m sure the views from this spot on a clear day are spectacular.
Paradise Hot Spring
After getting some much needed food, we still had some daylight left with no desire to go home. A quick google search landed us at Paradise Hot Springs Resort. It was a cheaper option already on our route with large concrete pools of varying temperatures. We spent a relaxing afternoon into the night soaking and swimming in these soothing waters. A fitting end to a fabulous weekend!
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