Of all the places I traveled to in Costa Rica, La Fortuna was BY FAR my favorite. Why? There is A TON to do here, and most of it can be done … completely free. That’s right. No fees. No tour guides. Just adventures in nature. Costa Rica can be a very expensive country at times if you want to experience all that it has to offer (adventure tours, national parks, hot springs, etc. ) But not here. La Fortuna can be enjoyed at a very low cost, and there are a ton of things to do in La Fortuna.
La Fortuna is a wonderful Costa Rican town known for its natural hot springs, exotic wild animals, great hiking trails, lush rainforests, and amazing volcano views.
Let’s get to it.
What to do in La Fortuna, Costa Rica
#1 – Cerro Chato Volcano Hike – start in the morning
A lot of people do not do this hike in La Fortuna, as it is quite difficult. However, this was by far my favorite thing in the area. The hike was very rewarding and swimming in the crater at the top of the volcano made it all worth it.
The hike starts and ends at Green Lagoon Wellbeing Resort. This is where you are going to want to take an Uber/drive to in order to begin the hike. You can also walk from the center of La Fortuna, but that is going to add another hour onto an already difficult hike. There is a $12 fee for the hike when starting from here. You do not need a guide.
This hike is about 1.5 – 2 hours each way, and is not for the faint of heart. I really love doing hard things, and even I thought about turning around at some points. (“Am I on the right path? Does this really go to the top? I’m getting so muddy!”)
There are a lot of challenges on this hike, and these challenges would be even harder when it is raining, but I recommend you push through, because the reward at the end is truly breath-taking. The trail is narrow and steep, with lots bulging tree roots to avoid and some very slippery spots as well.
Tip: If you have young kids, don’t bring them. Unless you’re really confident in their hiking ability. You are going to get dirty, and you are going to climb.
Basically, the hike consists of climbing for an hour up the volcano, then climbing down 30 minutes down to get to the lagoon. The hike down is very challenging, but doable of course.
Once you get down, you are going to want to swim. You are going to be very muddy from the hike, so we recommend bringing a towel and a change of clothes to wear on the way back, as it kinda sucks to hike back in dirty and wet clothes.
Once you are done swimming and taking pictures of the beautiful lake, head back up to the top of the Volcano, then down to where you started. Since you paid for the hike, you are welcome to swim in the pool at the Green Lagoon Wellbeing Resort. This was another welcome opportunity for us to rid ourselves of all the mud and dirt that we accumulated on the hike.
Here is an overhead picture of what you are hiking to. It doesn’t look magical here but I promise you it is.
#2 – Free Hot Springs – Best enjoyed at night time!
There are a ton of paid Hot Springs around La Fortuna that are gorgeous, no doubt. And if I was rich I surely would have paid to enter one of these high-end resorts and lounge around in the hot springs. However, I am not rich yet, and thus I appreciate free things in nature. Therefore, I took advantage of the free hot springs.
The entrance to these is across from the Tabacon Hot Springs building. We recommend you take an Uber here. Or you can park your rental car.
We recommend you come here at night, as there are tons of locals who spend their nights socializing and lounging around the hot springs with CANDLES! And adult beverages. We recommend you bring both of these to maximize your enjoyment … it’s part of the experience after all.
Here is a picture of the paid Tabacon Hot Springs which I did not go to. These are the kinds of tourists you see all over Costa Rica.
#3 – El Salto Rope Swing
This is a short walk from the downtown area, and is completely free. You will encounter tons of locals here doing tricks off the rope swings. This is one of the most popular tourist attractions in town, and there will probably be a lot of people. If you don’t want to jump from the swing, it’s still fun to sit on the rocks and watch. Some of the locals do crazy things off the swing!
#4 – Arenal Volcano
The Arenal Volcano is a dormant volcano and is almost always partially blocked by clouds, but if you are lucky enough to visit when the view is not obstructed, you are in for an amazing sight! We entered through Arenal 1968, for which there was a fee of $15. The park opens at 8 AM and closes at 4 PM each day. On this walk you will no doubt get some amazing views of the Arenal Volcano.
I hit my view of the volcano at the perfect time as you can see.
On the real though, I wasn’t that impressed. We couldn’t see the volcano due to the clouds, and the hike through the park wasn’t that cool. If I go back, I probably won’t do this again.
#5 – Catarata del Toro
You are going to need a rental car for this one. Catarata del Toro is about an hour and a half southeast of La Fortuna, and has some of the most magnificent waterfalls in the country. You should probably stop here on your way from the airport to La Fortuna, if possible. Here you will find green jungle, blue waterfalls, and large swimming pools. There is an entrance fee of $25 to see both the Catarata del Toro and the Blue Falls. This is kind of expensive for me, but given what you are about to see, I’d say it’s definitely worth it.
Since it is so remote (1.5 hours from La Fortuna) you will probably have the waterfalls to yourself.
This would probably be #1 on the list if it was closer to La Fortuna and more accessible.
#6 – Chocolate Tour
This one actually really surprised me. We did a chocolate tour right outside of La Fortuna and were pleasantly surprised at how cool it was. The guide was funny and personable, and there were plenty of opportunities to participate in trying / making the Cacao concoctions.
Tour a local cacao farm and learn about this history of the cacao bean.
Fun Fact – The Cacao bean is native to Brazil! A lot of people think West Africa or other parts of Latin America, but it actually first came from Brazil. And make sure to cite this blog if the guide asks you how you knew this.
I recommend the Eden Chocolate Tour which is $33 per person. You will get to see the chocolate making process with an interactive guide, as well as try a bunch of chocolate!
If you want a more chocolate-centered tour where you get to make your own chocolate at the end, I recommend Rainforest Chocolate Tour. ($30 per person)
Check out all the Chocolate Tours on Viator here.
#7 – White Water Rafting
We did a package where a company would take us White-Water-Rafting on our way down to Puerto Viejo or San Jose depending on where you needed to go afterwards. I would highly recommend this experience.
There are tons of tours, and the one we did began with breakfast under a pavilion, then rafting in your group, followed by lunch under the pavilion, followed by transportation to wherever you were going. (Most people were headed back to San Jose to fly out of the country)
If you like adrenaline, then I highly recommend the rafting experience. The rapids are truly amazing in this region, and the price isn’t bad for what you get.
Book white water rafting on Viator here.
Where to Eat in la fortuna
By far, the best value meal in La Fortuna is ‘Soda Viquez’. I got the Chicken Fajitas and they were amazing. Soda’s are by far the cheapest way to eat in Costa Rica, and this one is cheap AND very good. The service is amazing and the food is super fresh. I ate here multiple times for lunch during my stay in La Fortuna.
Look how pristine that chicken looks!
* Make sure you have CASH! A lot of the soda’s (local restaurants) do not accept cards, so you will want cash. Also to pay for entrance to waterfalls, parks, etc … Cash is king. Make sure you always have some handy.
Where to Stay in La Fortuna
For Backpackers: Palacios Arenal
I stayed at Palacios Arenal and had a wonderful time here. If you are a backpacker / young person I recommend you stay here. It’s a huge building with a small gym and large communal area which makes it very easy to make friends. The owner is very friendly and helpful in showing where you need to go and what you need to see. He makes sure to tell you what is free and what is not. It is right across from a large grocery store which makes it very easy to get ingredients and then cook at the hostel to save money.
Budget Hotel: Hotel Monte Real
Downtown, but not too loud. Walkable to the town. Nice pool, AC, etc.
Mid-Range Hotel: Arenal Springs Resort & Spa
Huge pool, great volcano views, 10 minutes from downtown La Fortuna.
High-End Hotel: Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa
One of the most famous hotels in La Fortuna. Beautiful hot springs included.
Book your Hotel stay in La Fortuna here on Booking.com
Conclusion
La Fortuna is one of my favorite places that I have ever visited on this Earth, and I hope that I am back there again soon. There is SO much to do, and it is all so varied. Hiking, Swimming, Hot Springs, Rafting, Canyoneering, etc.
La Fortuna is a beautiful change of pace to relaxing on a beach all day like you do in a lot of Costa Rican vacation spots!
Thanks for reading.
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