The Ultimate Guide to La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Welcome to Costa Rica. With an abundance of wildlife, stunning landscapes, including rough volcanic scenery and lush rainforest and many activities to do, La Fortuna is one of the places you have to visit on your trip to Costa Rica.
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Top 10 Things to Do in La Fortuna
La Fortuna is located right in the centre of Costa Rica. Being in close proximity to the Arenal Lake, the Arenal Volcano and the Costa Rica rainforest, it doesn’t surprise that La Fortuna offers many activities to easily spend a whole week there without getting bored. The following Top 10 Things to Do will give you a perfect guide to planning your trip to La Fortuna in Costa Rica.
1. La Fortuna Waterfall
The main thing to do when you are visiting La Fortuna in Costa Rica is the La Fortuna Waterfall. This incredible waterfall is located just outside of the town of La Fortuna and can be reached within 10 minutes from La Fortuna by car.
Top Tip: If you go to the waterfall in the mornings, there is a high chance that you can spot wild tucans next to the road that leads up to the entrance of the waterfall.
Once you arrive at the entrance of the waterfall you have to hike down approximately 500 steps through the beautiful and lush rainforest. After around 20 minutes you will arrive at the bottom of the waterfall, where the water plummets approximately 70 meters into the natural pool below.
The opening hours of the La Fortuna waterfall are every day from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Although it is not recommended to arrive later than 4 pm to visit the waterfall. The entrance fee to enter the La Fortuna Waterfall is 18 USD. A walk through the beautiful orchid garden of the waterfall is included in the price.
2. Arenal Volcano, El Silencio Hike, 1968 Hike
Even before you arrive in La Fortuna in Costa Rica, you will have your first glimpse of the Arenal Volcano. This almost perfectly cone-shaped volcano is a sight for itself and is present in the whole area of La Fortuna. Since its massive eruption in 1968, the Arenal volcano was the most active volcano in Costa Rica until 2010. At the moment the volcano is in a resting phase but can erupt at any time.
During its first erruption since the last 400 years in 1968, the Arenal Volcano covered a huge area with rocks, lava and ash. This erruption left a massive black lava field that you can see when visiting the Arenal volcano.
The Arenal 1968 Route
There are multiple treks to explore the area around the volcano. The most famous and therefore the most visited trek of them all is the Arenal 1968 Route. This trek offers two different routes on which you can explore the area around the Arenal Volcano within 2 hours. Because of its fame, the Arenal 1968 Route is quite expensive and costs 19 USD to enter the trailhead. Depending on the time when you arrive you will encounter many people hiking this trek.
The Mirador El Silencio Route
Lesser known, but equally beautiful is the route to the Mirador El Silencio. Here you can really dive into the nature surrounding the Arenal Volcano. You won’t encounter many people on this trek and therefore it is quite easy to spot wild animals. While I hiked this trek, I was able to spot white-faced capuchin monkeys, tucans, lizards, coatis and many more. The path is very well-signed and leads you through primary and secondary rainforests. At the top, you will be able to walk through the black lava fields and see Arenal lake from the distance.
This trek will take you around 3 h to hike and it only costs 5000 Colones (around 8 USD) to enter the trailhead. The trek is open every day from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Top Tip: As it can be very warm, bring a lot of water with you. Also, don’t forget to wear good hiking boots as the trek can be rough and you never know what snakes or insects you will encounter.
3. Day Trip to Rio Celeste, Tenorio Volcano National Park
Located around 1.5 hours away by car from La Fortuna, Costa Rica you can find the Tenorio Volcano National Park. This national park houses a very special nature gem – Rio Celeste. Rio Celeste is a very special river with astonishing blue water running through the Tenorio Volcano National Park.
The magical blue colour of the river is caused by a unique natural phenomenon initiated by the volcanic action in this area of Costa Rica that makes this river one of the bluest in the world. Further upstream two rivers with transparent water merge into one river (Rio Celeste). Because of a chemical reaction of different minerals and sulfur, which naturally evaporates from the ground, the colour of the water changes into a deep blue which makes this place very special.
Walking through the lush rainforest along this blue river makes for an outer-worldly experience that could be straight out of a fairytale.
It is a bit difficult to get to Rio Celeste as there is no public transportation to the national park. The easiest way to get there is by joining a guided tour from La Fortuna. However, the way I would recommend to you is to go there by rental car (Parking Fee: 2000 CRC).
The National Park is open every day from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. The last entry to the park is at 2 p.m. The entrance fee to the park is 12 USD for adults and 5 USD for children.
Top Tip: As tempting as it might seem to go for a swim in the river, it is actually not allowed to swim in the national park. But no worries, I got you covered. Just a 5 minutes drive from the parking lot outside of the national park you can find a place where the river is freely accessible and it is perfectly safe to swim (click here to go to the Google Maps location).
4. La Fortuna Hotsprings
Because of the volcanic activity in the area of La Fortuna, there are naturally occurring hot springs in this area. The water of the hot springs has a very cosy temperature of around 38 degrees Celcius. And the best thing is, that you can access the hot springs for free. Although there are many resorts that charge money to use their hot springs, the water that runs through the river nearby the Tabacon Resort (click here to go to the Google Maps location) is equally warm. So grab yourself some drinks and head over for a relaxing spa afternoon in the river.
There are no changing rooms and lockers around and you have to park on the road. Although it is a public road, there are people that charge you around 3000 CRC to watch your car. Nevertheless, it is a great experience, especially after one of the hikes around the La Fortuna Volcano.
Read More: If you want to see a completely different side of Costa Rica, check out the Perfect Guide of Puerto Viejo in Costa Rica.
5. Night Walk, Arenal Oasis
The rainforest around La Fortuna, Costa Rica has a lot of wildlife to offer such as monkeys, toucans, sloths and many more. But during the night, when most mammals are going to sleep, the world of insects, amphibians and snakes takes over the jungle. The best way to discover the wildlife of the night is with a guided night walk at the Arenal Oasis.
There you can spot many different frog species, including the very famous red-eyed tree frog. As snakes are natural predators of frogs you will also find many vipers in the trees waiting for their prey. In addition to that, you will encounter many different kinds of insects such as spiders or ants.
The Arenal Oasis runs the night walk tour every day at 5:45 p.m. The price for the tour is 54 USD and you will get a discount if you arrange your own transportation.
Top Tip: Flashlights will be provided by the Arenal Oasis. But don’t forget to bring closed shoes, long pants, long-sleeved tops and insect repellant.
6. Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges
It’s time to discover the world above the canopy of the rainforest in La Fortuna. The best place to get to know the different layers of the rainforest is at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park. On the 3.2 km long trail you will cross over 16 bridges which include 6 hanging bridges with a height of up to 45 meters. These bridges make for a perfect picture motive.
This experience will give you a completely different perspective of the rainforest, as the view from above is simply mesmerizing. By looking out into the distance you will see all kinds of birds, like toucans or parrots, flying by. And if you look down you will experience the beauty of the plants below you from the birds-eye view.
On this trail, you won’t only be able to walk over the rainforest’s canopy but also walk past a beautiful waterfall where you can spot many more animals such as monkeys, bats, sloths, and tarantulas.
The Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park is located about a 30-minute drive away from La Fortuna and the best way to get there is by rental car. The park is open every day from 6 a.m. until 4 p.m. and the last entry is at 3:50 p.m. The price to enter the park is 26,86 USD for adults and 19,45 USD for children.
Top Tip: The park is very popular amongst tourists, so I recommend you to arrive there early in the morning to have the best experience. The chance to spot birds is also higher in the mornings, as the birds try to avoid the heat of the day.
Read More: If you are interested to spot many more birds including the very rare resplendent quetzal think about visiting the Cloudforest of Monteverde as well.
7. El Salto Rope Swing
An amazing and also free thing to do in La Fortuna is going to the ‘El Salto’ rope swing. This rope swing is located right in La Fortuna and is the perfect spot to cool down in the blue water of the river Rio Fortuna. Many locals come here as well to show off their tricks while jumping into the river.
8. Sloth Tour at Sloth Territory
If you haven’t encountered any sloths during your stay in La Fortuna, Costa Rica, a Sloth Tour at the Sloth Territory is a perfect way to get up close with these relaxed and super adorable creatures.
The private reserve of the Rodriguez Perez family is a natural paradise and attracts many different kinds of animals including two- and three-toed sloths. It is fantastic to see how well these animals camouflage in the foliage of the trees because of the algae that grow in their fur. Since sloths are the animals with the slowest metabolism in the world and therefore move really slowly, these animals are very vulnerable and have many natural predators. That’s why they only leave the top of the trees once a week to defecate.
The tours are operated every day at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and take between 1,5 h to 2 h. The cost of the tour is 28 USD for adults and 17 USD for children between the age of 5 and 17 years. It’s best to book the tour in advance.
9. Camping El Castillo
A bit further outside of La Fortuna, you can find the cute little town of El Castillo. Although there isn’t much to do around El Castillo, it is the perfect place to disconnect from the digital world and reconnect with nature. My favourite campground was the Sunset Inn Arenal Camping. This cute family-run campsite offers little huts in which you can overnight or you can bring your own tent. They also serve a very delicious breakfast. From there you will have the perfect view over Arenal Lake and the Arenal Volcano.
Read More: If you are planning to visit more places in Costa Rica, check out the Guide of the Top 10 Things to Do in Uvita, Costa Rica.
10. Get an Adrenaline Rush
As La Fortuna is the adventure capital of Costa Rica you can find many activities that will give you an adrenaline rush. Some of my favourite activities in La Fortuna are Zip Lining, Canyoning and Tubing. All these activities will provide you with a different view of the rainforest around La Fortuna.
Getting Around La Fortuna
Many of the above-mentioned activities in La Fortuna are further remote than you might think and there isn’t a public transportation system that will bring you to the main places around La Fortuna. Therefore you have to rely on taxis or tour operators that will bring you to those places.
However, my prefered way to get around La Fortuna and also the whole of Costa Rica is by rental car. This will give you the ultimate freedom to visit all the places around La Fortuna independently. Although most of the roads around La Fortuna are paved and a normal car will do the job, I would still recommend you get a 4×4 which can get you even further into the wild and prepares you for your adventures all around Costa Rica.
As it is very likely that you will arrive in Costa Rica at the international airport of San José, the best way to get your rental car is at the airport. Although you might be lucky to get a good deal at the airport on arrival, I would always recommend booking your rental car online in advance.
Best Food and Restaurants in La Fortuna
La Fortuna offers many different places to eat healthy and delicious food. However, eating out can be quite expensive in Costa Rica. For that reason, I have selected fairly cheap restaurants where you can eat delicious and yet cheap food.
- Soda La Hormiga: The Soda La Hormiga is right in the centre of La Fortuna and offers affordable and very delicious Costa Rican food. The restaurant is open every day from the mornings until the afternoons.
- Soda Viquez: This small restaurant offers delicious and healthy Costa Rican food for an affordable price. It is open every day from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.
- Fruits: In Costa Rica, you can find many delicious fruits for a really cheap price. So why not head over to the markets and buy some fruits as a snack? Two of my favourite fruits in Costa Rica are granadilla and pitahaya.
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