La Fortuna Guide
Things to do in La Fortuna
The top things to do in La Fortuna are hiking Arenal Volcano, crossing hanging bridges over the rainforest, soaking in a natural hot river, visiting La Fortuna Waterfall and taking a day trip to Río Celeste. Add a zipline, a sloth walk, a night hike or a coffee and chocolate tour, and you have plenty for three or four days.
- Days to plan3–4
- Our tours10
- Shortest tour1.5 h
- Full dayRío Celeste
Hike Arenal Volcano
Walk across the old lava flows at the foot of the volcano, with views of the cone and Lake Arenal on clear days. Choose a 3-hour morning hike, a 4-hour afternoon hike that ends in a hot river, or a 6-hour day with lunch.
Cross hanging bridges
Hanging bridges take you through the rainforest canopy, where you can spot birds, monkeys and other wildlife, with views of Arenal Volcano.
Soak in a hot river
Rivers heated by the volcano run through the area. El Choyín is a natural warm river near town, where our afternoon hikes end with a volcanic mud mask. The area also has hot spring resorts with pools.
Visit La Fortuna Waterfall
About 5.5 km from town, the waterfall drops around 70 meters into a pool. A staircase of about 500 steps leads down to it, there is an entrance fee, and swimming depends on the water level that day.
Take a day trip to Río Celeste
The sky-blue river of Tenorio Volcano National Park is a full-day trip from La Fortuna, with a hike to its waterfall and a traditional Costa Rican lunch.
See sloths and night wildlife
Sloths are much easier to spot with a guide and a spotting scope. After dark, a night walk shows frogs, snakes, owls, tarantulas and insects that hide during the day.
Fly on a zipline
A zipline circuit takes you over the forest with views of Arenal Volcano in about 1.5 hours. Children can join from age 4.
Taste coffee, chocolate and sugar cane
A short cultural tour shows how coffee, chocolate and fresh sugar cane juice are made, with tastings of all three. It is easy, open to all ages and a good plan for a rainy afternoon.
Plan by time
| Activity | Time | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Morning volcano hike | 3 h | Clear views, active mornings |
| Afternoon hike and hot river | 4 h | Ending the day relaxed |
| Hanging bridges | 6 h | Canopy, birds and volcano views |
| Río Celeste | 8 h | A full day out |
| Zipline | 1.5 h | A dose of adrenaline |
| Sloth watching | 1.5 h | Families and wildlife |
| Night hike | 2 h | Evenings |
| Coffee and chocolate | 1.5 h | Rainy afternoons, all ages |
On a rainy day
Rain usually comes in the afternoon, so plan hikes early and keep these for later:
- A coffee, chocolate and sugar cane tour
- A soak in a hot river or hot springs
- A short sloth walk on easy trails
Tours for this trip
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Questions
Planning your days
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Contact usA hike on Arenal Volcano, the hanging bridges and a soak in a hot river. With an extra day, add the trip to Río Celeste.
Three or four days let you do the main activities without rushing, including a full day at Río Celeste.
Sloth watching, the coffee and chocolate tour, the hanging bridges and the volcano hike with lunch and hot river all accept children from age 1. The zipline and the morning and afternoon volcano hikes are from age 4.
Rain usually comes in the afternoon, so hike in the morning. Later, try the coffee, chocolate and sugar cane tour or a soak in a hot river.
No. The waterfall is a separate visit with its own entrance fee, about 5.5 km from town.
More in the La Fortuna guide
La Fortuna · Arenal Volcano
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