La Fortuna: The Ultimate Guide With All The Best Things To Do

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La Fortuna is probably Costa Rica’s most visited area, and for good reason. Nestled at the foot of the stunning Arenal Volcano, La Fortuna offers one of the most diverse mixes of experiences you’ll find in the country. It’s that rare kind of destination where every type of traveler—backpackers, families, honeymooners, and thrill-seekers alike finds something to love. If you’re planning a trip to Costa Rica, La Fortuna is one of those destinations you’ll regret skipping.

If you’re headed to La Fortuna and wondering what to do, you’ve come to the right place!

I’ve gathered all my research and experience into the ultimate travel guide where you’ll find everything from the best things to do, which areas to base yourself, how to get around, and everything else you need to know to plan your vacation.

15 Best Things to Do in La Fortuna, Costa Rica

If you’re anything like me you’ll want the fun stuff first, so I’ll jump straight to the best activities to do in La Fortuna. If you also need more practical info like where to stay, when to visit or how to get there, just scroll further down and you’ll find everything you need.

Visit La Fortuna Waterfall

The jewel of the area, La Fortuna Waterfall is a dramatic 75-meter waterfall surrounded by thick jungle. To get to the waterfall you need to walk down a set of about 500 steps, but it’s well worth it. Once at the base, you can swim in the pool if the current allows you. It was unfortunately too strong when I visited so I wasn’t able to, but the sight itself is absolutely worth going down for. My impression is that it’s rare to be able to swim there during rainy season.

If you for some reason can’t descend the stairs to the base of the waterfall you can still enjoy a pretty spectacular view from a lookout plattform at the top.

The waterfall is absolutely stunning, but after just spending time in Bajos del Toro where you get even more stunning waterfalls almost to yourself, it felt a lot more touristy. However, absolutely worth a visit! If you’re visiting during peak season and want to avoid the long lines you can prebook your tickets here. If you have time when visiting Costa Rica, I would recommend adding a stop in Bajos del Toro as well.

If you don’t have a car, book this popular day trip

This popular day trip takes you to see the La Fortuna waterfall, as well as the Arenal Volcano

La Fortuna Waterfall

Explore Arenal Volcano National Park

No trip to La Fortuna is complete without exploring Arenal Volcano. Although the volcano has been dormant since 2010, the surrounding national park is full of trails through the forest and old lava fields.

The trails are well-marked and you can easily explore the area on your own. There are a range of different trails to do, but I recommend parking your car at the main parking area and start on trail 3, continue on trail 4 and after reaching the lookout point, go back down and enter trail 5 so you get to see as much as possible and get a nice loop to walk.

The volcano is often covered in clouds, so if you have a couple of days in La Fortuna save this hike for a day it’s not so cloudy. The weather was pretty grim when we hiked so we didn’t really see anything which was a bit disappointing, but we drove past the national park on multiple occasions and saw it from a far and it looked spectacular in the sunlight.

It’s a bit outside of town so if you don’t have a car I recommend booking a tour that takes you there. You can combine it with the La Fortuna Waterfall like I mentioned above or check out one of the most popular trips below.

Arenal Volcano Hike with Optional Hot Springs Visit

Explore the forests of Arenal Volcano National Park on a half-day walking tour, with the option to soak away the afternoon in the park’s nearby thermal springs.

Arenal Volcano ATV Guided Experience

For those seeking a bit more adventure, this guided ATV tour takes you through a private trail of the jungle

Soak in La Fortuna’s Hot Springs

La Fortuna’s geothermal hot springs are legendary, and there’s a version for every budget. Luxury resorts like Tabacón offer lush landscaped pools with waterfalls and swim-up bars, while mid-range spots like EcoTermales have a more intimate, relaxed atmosphere. If you’re traveling on a tight budget, the free El Choyin hot spring river just outside town is a local favorite.

If you opt to visit the free one you’ll find people waiting along the side of the road waiving you in to help you park along the road. They also charge a fee to watch over your car while you swim. I’ve read mixed reviews about this so make sure to not leave any valuables in the car even though someone is supposed to be watching it.

We had such bad weather for most of our time on La Fortuna so we never made it to the hot springs, but I had set my eyes on the one in Tabacón to really pamper myself a bit. Even if you don’t stay there you can book a day pass for the hot springs. It’s on the luxurious side so if you’re traveling during low season like I did I would take my chances and try to book on the spot depending on weather. However, during high season I’ve read that it can be pretty tricky to get a spot if you don’t stay there and haven’t made a reservation, so book in advance for the one you want to visit if it’s peak season.

Book your day pass to Tabacon Hot Springs here ($165 per person)

Book your day pass to Baldi Hot springs here ($60 per person)

Cross the Mistico Hanging Bridges

The Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park offers one of the best rainforest experiences in Costa Rica and was one of my favorite things to do in Costa Rica. The trail winds through lush jungle, across 16 bridges (six of them suspension bridges), giving you a bird’s-eye view of the jungle.

It’s said to be a great spot to see animals, but I didn’t see a single one. If that’s important to you, you definitely need to book a guide to help you spot them.

When I went in May, I didn’t think the crowds were too big, but I’ve read that it can get pretty crowded with tour busses during peak season, so if you visit then, my advice is to try to go early or right before closing if you want to avoid the crowds.

Book this tour if you don’t have a car and want to see multiple spots in one day

This combo tour picks you up in La Fortuna and takes you to the hanging bridges in Mistico, as well as Arenal volcano and La Fortuna waterfall.

Guided tour of Mistico national Park

If you drive yourself, but still want a guide to walk you through the national park and help you spot animals, this is the most popular tour to choose.

Mistico Hanging Bridges

Take a Night Walk in the Rainforest

When the sun sets, La Fortuna’s rainforest comes alive in ways you can’t imagine. A night tour is one of the most fascinating activities here. Equipped with a flashlight, you’ll follow a guide along jungle trails where you might spot red-eyed tree frogs, tarantulas, kinkajous, snakes, and glowing fungi. The sounds of the forest at night feels pretty intense, but it’s also such a cool experience you don’t get many other places in the world.

Book your night walk in La Fortuna here

There are plenty of tours to book, but this is the most popular one making sure the groups aren’t too big to enjoy the wildlife.

Go Ziplining with Views of Arenal

Costa Rica is the birthplace of ziplining and La Fortuna has some pretty iconic ones to choose from. Several operators run zipline parks with cables stretching across valleys and forests, offering views of Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal. Sky Adventures is a popular choice, with some of the longest and fastest lines in the country. If you’re not into high speeds, they also offer a scenic gondola ride through the treetops. Going ziplining is often a bit cheaper in Monteverde, so if you’re also heading there and want to save a buck or two, you can opt to do it there instead.

Go White-Water Rafting

For adrenaline junkies, white-water rafting on the Sarapiquí or Balsa Rivers is a must. The Balsa is perfect for beginners and families, with fun class II–III rapids, while the Sarapiquí offers more challenging runs. I’d already done my fair share of rafting during my 6 months in Central America, so I didn’t add this to my itinerary here. However, if you’re only visiting Costa Rica on this trip, I highly recommend trying it, it’s really fun!

Alternatively if you’re into a bit of adventure you can try canyoning and waterfall rapelling. This is way out of my comfort zone so I didn’t test it, but if you like jumping from cliffs and a bit of adrenaline, this is probably the most fun activity to do in La Fortuna.

Balsa River White Water Rafting - Class 2 & 3 Rapids

A gentle, but fun start to white water farting.

Sarapiqui River Extreme White Water Rafting Class 4

This is an even more adventurous rafting experience.

Our first time rafting in Rio Cangrejal, Honduras

Spot Sloths on a Guided Tour

Most people want to see sloths in Costa Rica and La Fortuna is known as one of the best places to spot one, but they are incredibly hard to spot. We tried doing it on our own and didn’t see a single one, so I highly recommend booking a guide. We did luckily see one in Manuel Antonio and later on some in Panama as well, but if I’d known how hard it would be I probably would’ve doubled my chances and booked a guided tour in La Fortuna as well.

There are a couple of different spots you can choose from. The Bogarin Trail and the Sloths Territory are both known for the amount of sloths that stay there. There are no self guided options available in the sloths territory, but you can explore on your own in the Bogarin trails. However, you still have to pay a fee to enter, so ultimately I can’t stress enough how much I regret not doing a guided tour here. Learn from my mistake and pay a bit more and see some sloths instead of trying to do it on your own and spend money not seeing sloths.

Book your Sloths Watching Tour through Sloth's Territory

Book your Costa Rica Sloth Tour in La Fortuna here

Visit the Butterfly Conservatory

Located near El Castillo, a small village on the other side of Lake Arenal, the Butterfly Conservatory is a hidden gem. It’s home to the largest butterfly exhibition in Costa Rica, with six biodomes representing different rainforest habitats. Walking through the conservatory, you’ll encounter hundreds of butterflies, from the iconic blue morpho to delicate glasswings. The project also focuses on frog and reptile exhibits, making it a great educational stop for families.

Hike at the Arenal Observatory Lodge

Even if you’re not staying there, the Arenal Observatory Lodge allows day visitors to explore its network of trails. The lodge sits on a private reserve with waterfalls, hanging bridges, and some of the best volcano views you’ll find. Birdwatchers will love it here—over 500 species have been recorded on the property. Either choose to spend a night or two here, or pack a lunch, bring binoculars, and spend a day exploring at a slower pace.

Exploring La Fortuna

Take a Day Trip to Rio Celeste

About 1,5 hours from La Fortuna, Rio Celeste is one of Costa Rica’s most stunning natural wonders. If you’ve looked at Costa Rica on Instagram, chances are you’ve seen pictures of this stunning waterfall. The river gets its surreal turquoise color from a chemical reaction of volcanic minerals, and the result is mesmerizing. I’d dreamed of going here for so long, but do to the bad weather we sadly never made it there. I’m still adding it here even though I don’t have any personal experience from it because it looks absolutely amazing and I will definitely go there on my next visit to Costa Rica.

If you don’t have a car this is the day trip I would’ve booked myself

Day Trip to Bajos del Toro

Bajos del Toro was our first stop on our Costa Rica roadtrip, but we didn’t have the beast weather during our time there so we decided to go back on a day trip to see some of the waterfalls we missed. I highly recommend going here on a day trip if you’re not making it a stop on your itinerary. It’s a 1,5 drive each way, but the waterfalls are absolutely stunning and you’ll most likely have them almost to yourself.

Getting to Bajos del Toro is fairly easy if you rent a car, either for your whole trip or just for the day. If that’s not possible this is the only tour I’ve found that will take you there to explore the area for a day. It’s a flexible tour so you’re able to adjust it as you see fit and add the waterfalls and hikes you think will suit you the best.

Have Fun at The Free Rope Swing

Along Rio Fortuna there is a section where you can stop and have some fun jumping into the river from a rope swing. It’s free and usually pretty crowded. Even if you don’t want to swing from the rope you can come and just explore the section and relax in the water at different spots.

The rope swing is closed off if the current is too strong after heavy rainfall, something it was when we visited. We drove over there a couple of times to check, but was never able to get in the water. My assumption is that this spot rarely is open during rainy season.

Go on a Chocolate & Coffee Tour

Costa Rica’s rich volcanic soil makes it perfect for growing coffee and cacao, and La Fortuna has several plantations that welcome visitors. Tours walk you through the process from bean to cup of coffee, or bean to bar of chocolate, with plenty of tastings along the way. Don Olivo Chocolate Tour is a local favorite, offering an intimate, family-run experience that feels authentic rather than commercial.

Take a Horseback Ride to Arenal or La Fortuna Waterfall

For a slower-paced adventure, consider exploring the countryside on horseback. Guided rides take you along scenic trails with volcano views, and some tours even combine a ride with a visit to La Fortuna Waterfall. I’m personally not a big fan of horseback riding so I didn’t do this, but I’m adding it here because if you love horseback riding you’ll definitely love doing it here.

Horseback riding to La Fortuna Waterfall

Horseback riding in Mistico Park

Try Stand-Up Paddleboarding or Kayaking on Lake Arenal

Lake Arenal, Costa Rica’s largest lake, is a beautiful spot for water sports. You can rent kayaks or try stand-up paddleboarding with volcano views as your backdrop. The winds can get pretty strong at times, making windsurfing and kitesurfing a popular sport along the lake as well. Head to El Castillo town and rent whatever you need, be it a kayak or wind surfing equipment. Alternatively you can choose to just relax and enjoy the view of the lake.

Where to Stay in La Fortuna

As La Fortuna is one of the most popular places to visit in Costa Rica, you won’t have any trouble finding a place to stay no matter what budget you’re traveling on. Below you’ll find some of my favorites for each budget.

Best Budget Stays in La Fortuna

If you’re traveling on a budget, La Fortuna has a great range of hostels and guesthouses that still put you close to all the action. Arenal Poshpacker Hostel is a fun option right in the center of town, with dorms and private rooms that are simple but comfortable, plus a lively common area where travelers swap tips over beers.

Arenal Backpackers Resort calls itself a “luxury hostel,” and with its pool, bar, and hammocks scattered around the garden, it’s one of the most relaxed places to hang out after a day of adventures.

If you prefer something quieter and family-run, La Choza Inn Hostel has a friendly, local feel with clean, no-frills rooms and helpful staff who can help you book tours.

Best Mid-Range Comfort Stays in La Fortuna

For travelers who want more comfort without splurging on luxury, La Fortuna’s mid-range hotels offer excellent value. Casa Luna Hotel & Spa is one of the most popular, with spacious rooms, a spa, and a pool surrounded by lush gardens, not to mention lovely volcano views on clear days.

Hotel Secreto La Fortuna feels like a small boutique hideaway right in town, with stylish rooms, a welcoming staff, and a relaxed vibe that makes it easy to linger longer than planned.

Monte Real Hotel is a quiet oasis just off the main strip, with a garden setting, a pool, and rooms that back onto a little river where you might even spot sloths.

Another good pick is Arenal Country Inn, set on spacious grounds with views of Arenal and a peaceful atmosphere that makes you feel tucked away from the busier center of town while still being just minutes away by car.

Best Boutique & Luxury Escapes in La Fortuna

La Fortuna truly shines when it comes to boutique and luxury stays, with some of the most stunning eco-lodges and resorts in Costa Rica.

Nayara Gardens is world-famous for its romantic casitas tucked into lush jungle, offering private terraces, outdoor showers, and five-star service—it’s a dream stay for couples or anyone wanting a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Its adults-only sister property, Nayara Springs, raises the bar even higher with ultra-private villas that come with their own plunge pools fed by natural hot springs.

Another iconic choice is Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa, where beautifully landscaped hot spring pools wind through tropical gardens, and guests have exclusive access to private sections of the river.

If you want something chic and intimate, Amor Arenal is a boutique luxury hotel perched on the hillside, with spectacular views of Arenal Volcano and cabins that blend rustic charm with modern elegance.

And finally, The Springs Resort & Spa is a sprawling property that’s practically a destination in itself, with multiple thermal pools, a wildlife rescue center, and so many activities on-site you might find it hard to leave.

How to get to La Fortuna

Most travelers arrive from either San José or Monteverde, and the trip offers some seriously beautiful views along the way.

How to get to La Fortuna by Car

If you’re comfortable driving abroad, renting a car is easily the best way to get to La Fortuna. It will also make exploring the area around La Fortuna a lot easier and cheaper since you don’t have to book as many guided tours.

From San José, it’s around a 4–5 hour drive through rolling green hills and small rural towns, and if you’re coming from Monteverde it will take you about 4-5 hours along some bumpy mountain roads, but the views are stunning! We didn’t see that many gas stations on the way between La Fortuna to Monteverde so make sure to fill up before your leave.

If you’re coming from San José my advice is to add a couple of nights in Bajos del Toro if you can, or at least make a stop on the way for some amazing waterfalls.

Find the Best Deals for Your Rental Car here

How to get to La Fortuna with Shuttle & Local Bus

If you’d rather not drive, several companies operate shared or private shuttles between San José, Monteverde, and La Fortuna. Shared shuttles cost around $25–40 per person, while private transfers start at about $120 per vehicle. Public buses are the cheapest option (about $5–8) but take 5–6 hours and require patience and a few transfers.

If you’re coming from Monteverde, you can book a shuttle for the most scenic route that includes a boat ride across Lake Arenal. This takes about 3,5 hours and will cost you approximately $30 per person.

Public buses are the cheapest option but take longer, so most travelers opt for a shared or private transfer to make the most of their time once they reach La Fortuna.

Book your shuttle to La Fortuna here

How Many Days Do You Need in La Fortuna?

A week would be ideal if you want to see as much as possible without stressing, but I recommend at least 3–4 nights in La Fortuna to have time for the highlights. With three days, you can comfortably hike, chase waterfalls, enjoy hot springs, and squeeze in a big adventure like horseback riding or rafting. With four nights, you’ll have more time to slow down and fit in optional side trips like Arenal’s hanging bridges or a day trip to Rio Celeste or Bajos del Toro.

When Is The Best Time To Visit La Fortuna?

The best time to visit La Fortuna largely depends on what kind of experience you’re after.

The dry season, from December to April, is the most popular time to visit, offering clear skies and unobstructed views of the majestic Arenal Volcano. It’s ideal for outdoor adventures like hiking, zip-lining, and visiting the famous La Fortuna Waterfall. However, this also means larger crowds and higher prices.

The green season (May to November) brings more rain, but it usually falls in short afternoon bursts, leaving mornings pleasantly clear for exploring. This time of year also means fewer tourists, lusher landscapes, and better deals on accommodation.

For the perfect balance of good weather and fewer crowds, visiting in May or November is often considered the sweet spot.

Final Thoughts: Top Things to Do in La Fortuna

La Fortuna is the perfect combination of adventure, nature, and relaxation. Whether you’re ziplining through the treetops, chasing waterfalls, or soaking in hot springs, this corner of Costa Rica has a way of making every day feel magical. It’s one of the places in Costa Rica you just can’t miss!

I hope this guide proves helpful when planning your trip to La Fortuna and Costa Rica. If you have any questions about La Fortuna, Costa Rica or travel in Central America in general, dont hesitate to reach out to me on social media. I would love to connect and help you out!

-Ingrid