One Week in Costa Rica – Waterfalls & Hot Springs of La Fortuna
La Fortuna Waterfall
There are a string of restaurants between La Fortuna Waterfall and the town of La Fortuna. We stopped for a tour of Gallos de la Abuela Luicita, a large and unique restaurant that also hosts evening events. We stopped for lunch at El Chante Verde, which had been rightfully recommended as offering a wide array of vegetarian options.
We arrived just after the waterfall opened to the public. The falls are one of the most popular tourist spots around La Fortuna, and we were thankful to have arrived before any of the tour buses. Signs around the entry gate said that swimming was prohibited for the day, but we learned when we arrived at the falls that visitors were still allowed to swim in the shallow waters in the river leading away from the falls. We purchased our tickets at the counter and started the trek down the 500-step series of staircases and bridges leading to the river.
There was a platform just above the falls pool for observation and photos. A climb on the rocks around the pool brought us a little closer, and staff were quick to reprimand anyone who got too close to the water. We spent a good amount of time watching the black swifts flying near the crevices just behind the waterfall.
The return hike back up to the visitor center was, as expected, more difficult than the walk down. The platforms were large enough to accommodate guests both going up and down the stairs and allowed spots to rest. We spent two hours total at La Fortuna Waterfall, but the spot could be a longer excursion by adding swim time and a meal at the outdoor café. Just ½ hour after we left La Fortuna Waterfall a strong thunderstorm rolled through the area, so visitors should bring provisions for an all-weather hike during the rainy season.
Thermal Hot Springs
The northern hemisphere summer is the rainy season in Costa Rica, a major consideration for tourists visiting the Arenal Volcano area. We were glad to have flexibility for when to visit each attraction based on the weather, but some do sell out in advance and have to be enjoyed no matter what weather falls on the pre-booked tour slot. One of the most popular activities in the Arenal Volcano region is visiting the natural and man-made swimming areas that are fed by the volcano’s hot springs. There were two options to visit the most popular location, the Tabacon Hot Springs, during our time in Costa Rica. The most affordable way to experience the springs at Tabacon is to park along the busy roadway, with cars organized by parking “attendants” that ask for fees for their assistance. The other option is to book a day pass to the Tabacon Thermal Springs Experience, which started at $99/per person and was sold out for the two days we were there.
Ecotermales Fortuna
There were many more options to visit the hot springs closer to La Fortuna, with nearly all requiring a stay or day pass at the resorts that maintained them. We read reviews on each of them and put Ecotermales Fortuna at the top of our list, due to it being noted as more tranquil than some of the others that offered swim-up bars and waterslides. The experience at Ecotermales Fortuna (starting at $50 per person) sold out the night before we planned to visit, but we took a chance that there had been some cancellations late in the day due to heavy downpours. We were lucky to get the few spots left in the 5pm-9:30pm time slot. We were each given wristbands with numbers that allowed us to charge drinks and food to a tab that we would settle when we checked out. Admission also included one towel for each visitor and free rental of a locker.
The pools and grounds were immaculately maintained and never felt crowded (despite some reviews of many hot springs locations). Each swimming area noted the temperate and was warm enough to enjoy on an evening when the air temperature was in the low 70’s. We actually noted that we were glad we had booked when it was cool and overcast instead of on a hot sunny day. We found plenty of seating in chairs surrounding the pools and at the bar area. Servers were delivering drinks both poolside and in the seating area of the adjacent bar. There was an option to purchase a package for dinner at the buffet restaurant, but the bar also served food from an Ala carte menu.
Read more blog posts about our week in Costa Rica:
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