La Fortuna & Arenal Volcano

Soak in volcanic hot springs and walk rainforest hanging bridges at the foot of the perfect cone of Arenal Volcano, with a day trip to the Río Celeste waterfall.

La Fortuna lies in San Carlos canton, Alajuela province, in northern Costa Rica. It is the gateway town at the foot of Arenal Volcano and one of the country's most popular nature destinations. Arenal Volcano, at about 1,670 m, forms a nearly perfect cone; after its major eruption in 1968 it stayed active until 2010 and is now dormant, but its geothermal heat feeds the many hot spring resorts at its base. The climate is humid tropical: December–April is the dry season, with the best chance of seeing the cone clearly in the early morning; May–November is the green season, with frequent afternoon showers but fewer visitors and lower prices, and soaking in a hot spring in the rain has its own charm. Sightseeing falls into several areas: the La Fortuna Waterfall and the Cerro Chato crater lake hike southeast of town; Arenal Volcano National Park, the Arenal 1968 lava trail and the Arenal Observatory reserve to the west; hot springs such as Tabacón and Baldi along the highway; Mistico Hanging Bridges Park and Lake Arenal to the north; and day trips to the Río Celeste waterfall, the Caño Negro wetlands and the Toro waterfall. At night you can join a jungle night walk to look for tree frogs and sloths. Getting there: it is about 3 hours by car from San José Airport (SJO) and about 2.5–3 hours from Liberia Airport (LIR), with tourist shuttle buses available; accommodation, restaurants and tour agencies are concentrated in town, and getting between attractions requires a rental car, a taxi or a tour. We suggest staying 2–3 nights, often combined with Monteverde (via the "jeep-boat-jeep" transfer across the lake) or a Pacific beach. Notes: bring rain gear and insect repellent; day-pass prices at hot spring resorts vary widely, and popular activities should be booked in advance in high season.

Top sights

• Arenal Volcano – A near-perfect conical active volcano. Its foot is dotted with hot springs, lava trails and rainforest suspension bridges, making it Costa…
• La Fortuna Waterfall – A waterfall plunging about 70 meters from a rainforest cliff. More than 500 steps lead down to a jade-green pool, and you can swim in the s…
• Río Celeste Waterfall (Tenorio Volcano National Park) – Volcanic minerals turn the entire river an incredible sky blue. The waterfall drops about 30 meters into a blue pool, one of Costa Rica's m…
• Tabacón Hot Springs – A natural hot river heated by Arenal Volcano, with cascading waterfalls and thermal pools set in a tropical garden. It is the most famous r…
• Místico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park – A loop trail of about 3 km links 16 bridges, six of them suspension bridges. Walk through the rainforest canopy to spot toucans, howler mon…
• Lake Arenal – Costa Rica's largest lake, where the water and the volcanic cone complement each other. You can paddle a kayak, take a boat across to Monte…
• Arenal 1968 Volcano View and Lava Trails – A private reserve next to the national park, with trails crossing lava flows from the great 1968 eruption, offering both close-up views of…
• Cerro Chato Crater Lagoon – Cerro Chato, Arenal's 'sister volcano', has been dormant for thousands of years. Climb to the cloud-forest-covered summit to see an emerald…
• El Chollín Free Hot Springs – A warm stretch of river beneath the road bridge across from Tabacón resort, a popular spot where locals and backpackers soak for free.
• Baldi Hot Springs – A large hot-spring park with more than twenty pools at different temperatures, water slides and a pool bar, just a few kilometers from town…
• EcoTermales Hot Springs – A small hot spring hidden in a private rainforest, with timed entry sessions to limit crowds, its pools surrounded by ferns and tropical pl…
• Sky Adventures Arenal Park – On a hillside above Lake Arenal, ride an aerial tram for views of the lake and volcano, zip-line high over the rainforest, and cross a susp…
• Arenal Observatory Lodge – Originally built as a volcano observation station, now only about 3 km from the volcano, with terraces facing the cone, several rainforest…
• Bogarín Trail – A small private reserve on the edge of town with short, flat trails where you are almost always able to spot sloths, and a popular site for…
• Venado Caves – Limestone caves where you wade and crawl through underground rivers, with stalactites, bats and blind fish. An adventurous half-day trip fr…
• Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge – An internationally important wetland near the Nicaraguan border. A boat trip along the Río Frío reveals caimans, monkeys, iguanas and abund…
• Catarata del Toro – A waterfall plunging about 90 m from the rim of an extinct volcanic crater into a deep pool ringed by red and yellow volcanic rock. The Blu…
• La Fortuna Town & Central Park – A gateway town at the foot of the volcano. Behind the central park and white church rises the volcanic cone, and restaurants, tour agencies…

Where to eat

• Soda La Hormiga – A family-run budget soda beside the La Fortuna bus station, serving casados for about US$5 and a favourite of locals an…
• Anch'io Wood-Fired Pizza Restaurant – A wood-fired pizza and Italian restaurant on the main street, with semi-open seating facing Arenal Volcano; live music…
• Tierra Mía – A quiet little eatery with only a few tables on a town-centre side street, serving refined Costa Rican food; the coffee…
• Soda Viquez – A long-established budget soda in the town centre, open into the evening, with over 3,000 reviews; its casados are larg…

Itineraries

• Costa Rica Four Regions Classic Loop – From the Caribbean canals to volcanoes, cloud forests, and Pacific rainforest beaches, experience all four major region…
• Pacific to Volcano Self-Drive 3-Stage Route – Self-drive down to the Pacific coast first, then head up to the cloud forest and Arenal, and finally return to the airp…
• Family Volcano & Beach Dual-Base Tour – Using only La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio as bases, this itinerary minimizes hotel changes while maximizing water activi…
• Nicaragua & Costa Rica Multi-Country Tour – Cross the border from Granada and Ometepe Island, then head to Monteverde Cloud Forest and Arenal.
• Guanacaste Volcano to Beach Self-Drive – In and out of Liberia, connecting Rincón de la Vieja, Río Celeste, and Arenal, before wrapping up at a Pacific beach.
• Panama City to Arenal Northbound Combo Tour – Fly from Panama City to Bocas del Toro, cross the border overland, and travel via Puerto Viejo and Tortuguero to Arenal.