WHAT’S INCLUDED: 5 Activities, restaurants, Airbnb link, shuttle service link, 4 day itinerary
La Fortuna, Costa Rica, is a small town nestled in the northern highlands of the country, about 2.5 hours from both San Jose and Liberia's international airports. It's a charming and lively town that serves as the gateway to the adventure and natural beauty of the Arenal Volcano region.
If you’re thinking about going to Costa Rica, La Fortuna is a must visit. Below you will find 5 activities that we did along with numerous restaurant recommendations and a link to where we stayed! I also list the itinerary we followed 😊
La Fortuna waterfall was beautiful. Make sure you get there early because once the tours start arriving it gets incredibly busy! We arrived around 7:30am and enjoyed the view point at the top first. It’s about 500 steps downhill with points to rest. There’s a beautiful viewpoint at the bottom to admire the waterfall and you are also able to swim in it! The rocks can be slippery so I recommend bringing water shoes. The water is also very cool and refreshing but the current can be strong! Before you head back up, be sure to explore the backside of the path as well, there is another area you can swim in.
Tickets to enter are $18
Again, make sure you arrive early because it gets busy. We did not hire a tour guide and we were still able to see all types of wildlife like frogs, snakes, monkeys, and coati! It took us about 2 hours to go through the trails and it was about 2.5 miles. We got lunch in the observatory after and it had a beautiful view of the volcano.
$32 entrance fee
What. A. Day. Probably my favorite part of this trip. We bought a day pass with dinner and spent around 9 hours at the resort. Baldi had about 25 different hot springs ranging in temperatures from 63° to 110°. Each pool has different features including bars, waterfalls, and more. Dinner was a buffet and you have an hour time period to go and eat.
You can purchase a locker to keep your belongings in for $7
Towels require $10 cash that is refundable when you return the towel
A day pass + a meal (lunch or dinner) $69
These trails are great. There are different levels for beginner, moderate and expert hikers. The beginner trail is about a mile. The moderate trail is about 3 miles and the expert trail is about 5 miles. We had a beautiful day and the trail. We were pretty much alone, other than a few other hikers and viewpoint of the volcano at the top was stunning. We didn’t see any sloth. At the end we went up to the observe observatory look out they had a great menu of food, but we were getting lunch elsewhere so we just got two delicious strawberry daiquiris
$15 entrance fee
A local treasure. We spent a few hours here, jumping off the rope swing and the rocks! About a mile walk from the town, it is popular among all that visit and live in the area.
We came here for dinner the first night we arrived. The atmosphere and staff were great! The drinks were good and so was the food. Relatively cheap and I’m really glad we came here.
We came here for lunch after a long day at the waterfall and volcano trails. The staff were awesome! And the food was great. We ordered chips and guac along with steak faijitas. I ordered a mojito and it was delicious.
On our bar crawl we stopped here for a drink! Great atmosphere, decor, and friendly staff. They had a 2 for 1 special and we had really good
Mojitos pictured above.
Our Airbnb was great! This place was super affordable and just what we needed. We could walk to town, it had a hot tub with a view of the volcano, and we always felt safe. Our host was very responsive and gave us a lot of local great recommendations.
Transportation
We flew into San Jose and made our way to La Fortuna by private shuttle! We booked through the below company and had no problems. They were on time, knowledgeable of the area, and we were able to stop at a souvenir shop to look around and use the bathrooms.
A quick overview of the most important things to know.
LANGUAGE 💬
In Costa Rica most people speak Spanish as their first language, although many locals also speak English, especially in tourist areas.
CURRENCY 💵
Costa Rican Colón (CRC) and in most instance the U.S. Dollar is also accepted (USD)
MAIN AIRPORT ✈️
The closest international airport to La Fortuna is the Daniel Oduber Quiros Airport in Liberia, a two-to-three-hour drive from La Fortuna. The second closest international airport to La Fortuna is the Juan Santamaria SJO Airport in Alajuela, a three-to-four-hour drive from La Fortuna.
BEST TIME TO VISIT 🗓
December-April; May- June if you want to avoid crowds although it’s the beginning of the rainy season.
TIPPING 💸
You do not need to tip in restaurants as the tip is added to your bill automatically at the end of the meal as a service charge. If you would like to leave more you are certainly welcome to do so.
TRANSPORTATION 🚂
Buses are the most common form of transportation. Private shuttles like the ones I linked above are also common for long distance travel. Taxis and Ubers (although technically illegal) are also doable.
Hi everyone, my name is Julia Schaefer and I currently live in Boston, Massachusetts. While I love exploring the city, my true passion lies in venturing out and discovering new places. Whether it's a weekend getaway within the US or an international adventure, I love seeing new places. This love has inspired me to create these travel guides with the goal being to share my experiences and recommendations, making trip planning easier and more enjoyable for you! Through these guides, I hope to equip you with the knowledge and resources to have unforgettable travel experiences of your own.
