15 Best Things To Do In La Fortuna, Costa Rica

Welcome to the best things to do in La Fortuna, Costa Rica!

La Fortuna is a charming town in northern Costa Rica, that serves as a gateway to some of the best adventures in the region.

On today’s post, I’ve rounded up the best things to do in La Fortuna, Costa Rica and beyond.

Let’s dive in.

My posts may contain affiliate links. That means if you make a purchase through my link, I’ll receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping me continue to create free content for you!

La Fortuna Essentials

Top Tours & Experiences In La Fortuna

Where To Stay In La Fortuna

How To Get Around La Fortuna

If you want to get out and explore, you’ll probably need your own car in Costa Rica.

A lot of the best things to do around La Fortuna, Costa Rica are really spread out.

It can be hard to rely on public transport, or find Ubers/Lyfts that want to drive very far.

Make sure to reserve your rental car in advance on RentalCars.com.

Just make sure you understand all the nuance of the rental insurances that are required in Costa Rica.

That way, you’ll avoid any unpleasant surprises when you get to the counter.

Short on time? I recommend booking an Arenal Volcano, La Fortuna Waterfall, Hot Springs Full Day Tour!

1. Explore Arenal Volcano National Park

One of the best things to do in La Fortuna, Costa Rica is explore the Arenal Volcano.

Arenal Volcano is an active stratovolcano, standing at 5,437 feet tall.

It’s also shaped in that classic, symmetrical cone shape, which makes it really cool to see.

Arenal’s last big eruption was in 1968, which covered 5 square miles in ash and lava.

After that, visitors could often see volcanic activity until 2010, when the volcano entered an indefinite resting phase.

Today, there’s still lots of great hiking and adventure to be had here.

The Arenal 1968 Volcano Trail is one of the most popular hikes in Arenal Volcano National Park.

This hike offers beautiful views of the volcano, and lava fields on the way.

2. Visit La Fortuna Waterfall

One of the most famous waterfalls in Costa Rica is the La Fortuna Waterfall.

Just a 10 minute drive from La Fortuna, visiting this waterfall is a must while you’re in the area.

The entrance fee is $18 per adult, and hike is 500 stair steps each way, but the payoff is well worth it.

La Fortuna Waterfall towers at 246 feet tall, and it’s quite an impressive sight.

The best part is that you can swim around the waterfall!

Although, this attraction is very popular so I recommend showing up early in the morning to beat the crowds.

Note: you won’t be able to swim if there’s been a lot of rain. Too much rain causes the waterfall to be much more powerful, making swimming conditions dangerous.

3. Go for a stroll in Parque de la Fortuna

Parque de la Fortuna, or La Fortuna’s central park, is a picturesque park in Downtown.

It’s fairly small, but it’s full of beautiful tropical plants, with Arenal Volcano as the backdrop.

Going for a walk around the park is a great way to start your morning, or end your evening in La Fortuna.

Most of the town’s restaurants, shops, and bars outline the park, so you can also take in what the town has to offer.

4. Go white water rafting

You’ll find Costa Rica’s best white water rafting in the Arenal/La Fortuna area, hands-down.

There are lots of different options and difficulty levels here.

We had an awesome experience on a half-day tour, and chose the Upper Balsa River Class III & IV tour (with basically no rafting experience) and had a ton of fun.

The rapids were exciting, and there were parts of the ride that were calm enough for swimming and spotting wildlife.

I recommend this Upper Balsa River White Water Rafting Class 3/4.

5. Visit or stay in a hot spring resort

Costa Rica is home to five active volcanoes!

So it makes sense that volcano-fed hot springs are some of the most popular attractions here.

Most of the country’s well-known hot springs are nestled into the base of Arenal Volcano.

Here, you’ll find many different resorts and facilities that offer their own experiences.

Some properties are luxurious and expansive, and others are budget-friendly and small.

One luxurious option is Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa.

This resort is one of the most-loved hot springs in all of Costa Rica, and recommended by everyone that visits.

Tabacon is unique because they’ve incorporated much of the natural river and landscape into their property’s design.

The water that heats their pools also comes straight from Arenal, as opposed to being pumped up from the ground.

You can stay at the resort as a guest, or purchase a day pass.

Click here for more more info and reservations on booking.com.

For a more budget-friendly option, try Paradise Hot Springs.

This hotel has nice soaking pools incorporated with lush gardens.

6. Soak in a natural hot spring

If you’re looking for something a little less refined, and without a price tag, you’ll really enjoy the Free Natural Hot Springs River.

Just put that name into Google Maps, and it’ll take you right to the entrance.

You’ll usually be greeted by a parking lot attendant that will charge you around 3000 CRC/5 USD for parking.

You’ll see these self-appointed attendants throughout Costa Rica, but we don’t mind paying them.

They help direct traffic and parking, and also provide some security for your car.

The free hot springs can seem crowded at first, but if you hike up or down a little bit, it’s not hard to find a section to yourself.

Going very early can help thin out crowds as well.

Overall, it was such a fun experience to soak in a completely natural hot spring.

It was the perfect temperature, like a warm bath, and there wasn’t any sulfur smell at all!

7. Visit Rio Celeste

Celeste River, or Rio Celeste, is a river that runs through Tenorio Volcano National Park.

It’s famous for its dazzling turquoise color, as well as a dramatic waterfall.

Visiting Rio Celeste is one of the best things to do in all of Costa Rica, and it’s an easy half-day trip from La Fortuna.

The park entrance is a 1 hour 15 minute drive La Fortuna, with an easy 30 minute hike to the waterfall.

Why is Rio Celeste blue?

The legend behind Rio Celeste dates back to the indigenous tribes that lived in the area.

They believed that the gods dipped their paintbrushes into the river after painting the sky blue, which gave the river its stunning color.

Scientifically speaking, the blue phenomenon is actually an optical illusion!

Nearby, two different, clear rivers meet at a point called El Teñidero.

As the two rivers mix, they create the mineral aluminosilicate.

The sun refracts off of this mineral, causing the water to appear blue to our eyes (and cameras).

Isn’t that crazy??

Tips for visiting Rio Celeste

It’s important to know that visiting Rio Celeste is extremely popular, and can get very crowded.

I recommend showing up as soon as the park opens, or you may be stuck waiting in long lines.

After visiting the waterfall, you can also hike further into the park.

There, you can see El Teñidero, the spot where the rivers meet, which is pretty cool.

There’s no swimming allowed in the park, but there IS an amazing swimming spot called Rio Celeste Free Pool just before the park entrance.

I recommend visiting the park first, then stopping by the Rio Celeste Free Pool on your way out.

Swimming in the bright blue water was so spectacular, and we basically had the place to ourselves.

Related: 21 Best Things To Do In Costa Rica

8. Explore Venado Caves

For fun spelunking adventures, Venado Caves is one of the best things to do in La Fortuna, Costa Rica.

Discovered in 1945, these caves house underground waterfalls, interesting animals, and geological formations that are over 6 million years old.

There are several tours that will provide the gear and guide, and shuttle you to the caves.

9. Go zip lining

Did you know? Many say that today’s modern zip lining was actually invented in Costa Rica!

In the 1970’s, biologists and researchers started to explore the canopies above the jungle floor.

They needed a way to traverse the canopy quickly, and traveling above ground was much more efficient.

Eventually, the commercial allure of zip lining took hold.

Nowadays, Costa Rica remains one of the best places to zip line in the world.

The terrain is famous for its long cables and spectacular views.

You can zip line all over Costa Rica, but you’ll find the best at the higher elevations like Arenal/La Fortuna.

One of the best places to zip line here is at Sky Adventures Arenal Park.

10. Tour a coffee farm

Costa Rica produces some of the world’s best coffee, and it’s a big part of the local economy.

Any fellow coffee-lovers will love learning about how your coffee goes from bean to cup.

Plus, SAMPLES!

11. Cool off in El Salto

To cool off on a hot afternoon in La Fortuna, head to El Salto, the local swimming hole.

El Salto is a 4 minute drive or 22 minute walk from downtown La Fortuna.

Here, you’ll find a picturesque swimming hole, with surrounding rock ledges and a waterfall.

One of the highlights is the fun rope swing, which kids love.

Visiting this local spot is totally free, although there will likely be a parking lot attendant that charges a few USD for parking.

Similar to the Free Natural Hot Springs River, we don’t mind paying these unofficial attendants.

They help direct traffic and parking, and provide some security for your car.

Related: Smile Instagram Captions

12. Explore Mistico Park

Mistico Park is a private natural reserve, home to over 600 acres of protected forest, wildlife, and stunning scenery.

Lookouts in the park offer some of the best viewpoints of Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal around.

One of the highlights here is the Arenal Hanging Bridges, a series of suspension bridges that soar over the forest floor.

Walking on hanging bridges is one of the most iconic things to do in Costa Rica, and these are some of the best.

For the highest chance of spotting wildlife, I recommend taking a guided tour through the park.

The guides have sharp eyes, and will point out animals that you’d never be able to see on your own.

Or, you can opt to explore the park on your own.

Start out early to beat the crowds and the heat, and plan on spending 2-3 hours here.

13. Go canyoning and waterfall rappelling

So much of Costa Rica is about experiencing new adventures, and seeing things from a different perspective.

We’ve talked about suspension bridges, zip lining, and rafting.

Now, enter canyoning and rappelling!

Canyoning is the sport of scrambling through natural obstacles in a canyon, and waterfall rappelling is descending a waterfall on a fixed rope.

There are lots of tours in Costa Rica that combine these elements for an adventure-packed experience.

This is one of the most unique ways to explore Costa Rica’s wilderness, where no trails go.

14. Paddle on Lake Arenal

Costa Rica’s largest lake lies at the base of Arenal Volcano.

Lake Arenal attracts visitors year-round with its plethora of activities, and picturesque views.

Some of the most popular things to do here are boating tours, kayaking, fishing, SUP, and windsurfing.

In fact, its strong and steady supply of wind has made Lake Arenal one of the world’s best windsurfing destinations.

If you’re traveling to the Monteverde Cloud Forest, taxi boats even offer a quick and scenic shortcut across the lake.

Fun fact, Lake Arenal’s dam produces 12% of Costa Rica’s electric energy.

15. Try all the local food

For such a small town, La Fortuna has SO many good restaurants.

Our absolute favorite (which was even recommended by our Airbnb host) was Travesía.

This quaint, open-air cafe serves the most delicious, fresh food at very reasonable prices.

I recommend everything from the cocktails and the fish tacos, to the grilled meats and desserts.

So good!

One of the best healthy options in La Fortuna is Organico Fortuna.

Here, you can enjoy a selection of vegan, vegetarian, and healthy foods.

Not to mention, the decor is super cute and Instagrammable.

Hands down, you’ll find the best coffee at Cafe Metrópoli.

When we visited, the owner himself served us, and he was super friendly and very passionate about coffee.

As a former barista, I really appreciated watching him make everything from scratch.

For my husband’s cafe mocha, he even used fresh ingredients like cocoa powder, rather than syrups.

From the coffee to the pastries, everything we got here was top notch.

Posted By: Arabella · In: central america, costa rica, travel