Arenal volcano and La Fortuna
A perfect cone above the pastures, hot rivers beneath the jungle: Arenal is the trip's first thrill — and its best organised.
Suggested stay — 2 to 3 nights
Dormant since 2010 after forty years of eruptions, Arenal remains the north's monument: you hike the 1968 lava flows in the national park (easy trails, a head-on view of the cone when the clouds allow), walk at canopy height on the Místico hanging bridges — toucans, monkeys and eyelash vipers in the trees' arms — and dive into the La Fortuna waterfall after the 500-step descent.
Come evening, geothermy treats you: from the sumptuous spa (Tabacón) to the free hot river under the road bridge (the country's worst-kept secret), every day ends in 35 °C water. Two to three nights do the job, in cabinas or volcano-view lodges.
Don't miss
- The 1968 lava-flow trails in the national park (late afternoon: better light and clearer summit odds)
- The Místico hanging bridges early morning, with or without a naturalist guide
- The La Fortuna waterfall and its turquoise swim
- A hot-springs evening, luxury version or free-river version
Our tips on the ground
- The summit often hides: treat a clear volcano as a bonus, never a due — and watch the late afternoons.
- Book a naturalist guide for at least ONE walk: the scope and trained eyes multiply the wildlife tenfold, and the learning pays all trip long.
- The lake-loop road 702 towards Monteverde is superb but slow: leave in the morning.
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Our flagship guide — €44
Guide available“Costa Rica on Your Own”, the complete edition, is out
10 chapters: day-by-day itineraries, driving and transport, a costed budget and checklists — the same method as our Namibia guide.
The guide is currently written in French — an English edition is in the works.
Before you go
Readers' questions about Arenal volcano and La Fortuna
Can you climb to Arenal's summit?
No — the ascent has been banned for decades: the cone remains unstable and visitors have died there. The official trails stop on the lower flows — amply sufficient for the experience — and neighbouring Cerro Chato, the green crater lake, is also officially closed.
Paid springs or the free river?
Both schools coexist: the complexes (€25-90 by standard) offer landscaped cascades, swim-up bars and towels; the free river below Tabacón offers the same water, the starry night and zero colones. Many do one AND the other — keep sandals and a headlamp for the free version.