If you plan to visit La Fortuna and are not sure what to do, this post will help!
As the La Fortuna area is surrounded by rivers, waterfalls, tropical rainforest and is near the Arenal Volcano National Park, there are a ton of fun activities in La Fortuna for everyone.
It’s no wonder why La Fortuna is one of the best places to visit in Costa Rica!
Want to book tours in La Fortuna? Get our La Fortuna tours discount for hiking, birdwatching, and much more.
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Quick Information About La Fortuna, Costa Rica
- In the Alajuela province.
- ~3 hours from San Jose International Airport and Guanacaste Airport
- You can drive there via rental car (no 4×4 required), take a public bus directly from San Jose, book a shared shuttle, book a private shuttle, fly there on a domestic flight, take a taxi-boat-taxi from Monteverde or do a rafting tour from San Jose or Puerto Viejo.
- Famous for natural hot springs, wildlife, hiking, rainforests, and volcano.
Planning to rent a car?
Get our Costa Rica car rental discount to save some $$!
Don’t want to drive? Get our Interbus shared shuttle discount!
What is the difference between Arenal and La Fortuna?
A lot of tourists get Arenal and La Fortuna mixed up, thinking it’s the same place.
Technically, it is not. La Fortuna is the name of the small town, located about 20 minutes away from Arenal Volcano.
Best Things to Do in La Fortuna, Costa Rica
La Fortuna is best for nature lovers, adventurers, couples, solo travelers and families. Here is our list of the best things to do in La Fortuna including day trips from La Fortuna.
Get our La Fortuna tours discount to save money on your guided tour!
Visiting with your family? Check out our post Best Things to do in La Fortuna with kids.
Want a specific itinerary? Check out our La Fortuna 3 day itinerary that also works for 2 and 4 days.
Canyoning (Waterfall Rapelling)
Jump down 200 foot waterfalls and tall cliffs deep into the rain forest on a tour of canyoning in La Fortuna.
Canyoning, or waterfall rappelling may seem a bit intimidating, but once you start your journey down surrounded by the sights and smells of a lush rain forest, you’ll leave all your fears behind.
This is an adventure for those who don’t mind getting down and dirty, as you’ll end up leaving a lot more wet than when you started.
But it’s all worth it, as you experience the rain forest in a unique and exciting way.
You can see more pictures and watch a video of our Canyoning Arenal adventure. Request to book the canyoning tour with our discount in the link!
River Adventures
If you want an even more adventurous outdoor experience, check out Rainforest Falls.
You travel 1 hour outside of La Fortuna, to a rural mountain to rappel down two waterfall, jump in 4 pools and rock climb up a pristine river canyon!
This tour is perfect for the adrenaline junkies and thrill seekers, looking for a more exclusive adventure in the rainforest.
Click to go to our Rainforest Falls booking page and get a discount off this tour! You can even combine canyoning +Rainforest Falls in ONE day to have an even more fun day!
Rio Celeste Waterfall Hike
Nature lovers, you can’t miss seeing Rio Celeste, a sky blue river on a day trip from La Fortuna.
You’ll hike through the rainforests inside the Tenorio Volcano National Park along side the stunning Rio Celeste.
During the 7 kilometer (4.3 miles) roundtrip hike, you will see the beautiful Rio Celeste waterfall, cross a few bridges, see the blue lagoon and the joining of the two rivers.
At the end of the Rio Celeste hike, you can see where the two rivers come together to create the spectacular sky blue color.
Tenorio Volcano National Park is one of the most beautiful places in Costa Rica and well worth a day trip from La Fortuna!
Book the Rio Celeste day trip from La Fortuna here.
Pro planning tip: you can also visit Rio Celeste if you plan to drive from La Fortuna to Guanacaste or vice versa as a stopover.
Sky Adventures Ziplining (For Extreme Ziplining)
Ziplining is one of the best things to do in La Fortuna, Costa Rica since there are so many canopy tours.
The views are fantastic, whether you’re soaring over the rainforest or over rivers.
For extreme ziplining, Sky Adventures is a fantastic option.
Not only do you fly through the tree tops, you have to ride an 800 meters (2625 feet) aerial tram just to get to the first cable!
This ziplining tour has incredible views of Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal throughout the entire circuit, with high and fast lines up to 70 kmph!
This is not a ziplining tour for the faint hearted! You’ll need to have an adventurous spirit, love of thrills and not be scared of heights.
And if that’s you – you will have an absolute blast at the Sky Adventures park.
You can also add on their hanging bridges hike to enjoy their entire park.
Arenal Canopy Adventure for Families and First Timers
If you’re not quite that ambitious, there are milder canopy tours such as Arenal Canopy Tours that aren’t as high or fast.
However, these are still perfect for first timers and young families visiting Costa Rica.
The Arenal Canopy Adventure has a fun zipline circuit that is family and beginner friendly. It has a fun tarzan swing to add some extra excitement!
Book the Arenal Canopy Adventure and tarzan swing with our discount here.
Wildlife Safari Float
One of our favorite things to do in La Fortuna is a wildlife watching safari float. You float down the river for about 2 hours on a raft, using paddles to move along.
Our tour partner in La Fortuna runs an exclusive safari float, called the Pure nature safari float, making it a truly natural and memorable experience to see wildlife like sloths, monkeys, river birds, and more.
Book the Pure Nature Safari Float tour here.
If you don’t have a full day, then the next best wildlife safari float is the Peñas Blancas Safari Float since it’s only 30 minutes from La Fortuna.
Book the Peñas Blancas safari float tour with our discount here!
The safari float rides are one of the best things to do in Costa Rica with kids since it’s a very easy going, laid back way to see wildlife and nature.
Just sit back, enjoy the beautiful river views and listen to the sounds of the rainforest.
If your kids are too young (less than 4 for Pure Nature and 5 for Penas Blancas) or are with seniors who cannot sit on a raft, we recommend the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge by boat tour instead. Amazing experience on a covered, motorized river boat to see wildlife down the Rio Frio river.
Hot Springs
If you visit La Fortuna, then you have to visit a hot spring.
Thanks to the naturally hot Tabacon river, you can visit any of the beautiful hot spring resorts to relax in their warm thermal pools surrounded by a lush garden.
Many hotels have their own hot springs open to the public to purchase day passes.
Popular hot springs resorts are The Springs Resort and Spa, Baldi Hot Springs Hotel, Titoku, Termalitas, Ecotermales and Paradise.
There are also a few hotels also have their own exclusive private hot springs like The Royal Corin, Arenal Kioro and Volcano Lodge that do not allow non hotel guests.
You can read more about the different La Fortuna hot springs here.
***IMPORTANT ABOUT TABACON****If you want to visit the Tabacon hot springs, we highly recommend booking your hot springs passes ASAP. This resort sells out very far out ahead of time, if you are visiting during the high season December through April. They also have a strict cancellation policy.
Consider staying at the Tabacon resort because hotel guests get extra time at the hot springs and have exclusive access to one of the gardens.
One of our personal favorite hot springs is the ones at The Springs Resort and Spa.
This luxury hotel also has equally luxury hot springs with amazing views, pools by the river, waterfalls, water slide and swim up bar.
Get a discount off the Springs Resort hot springs day passes here!
Free Hot Spring River
One of the cheap things to do in La Fortuna is to visit the public entrance of Tabacon river where all the locals go.
This is the free hot spring in La Fortuna and it’s across from Tabacon Resort.
You can also visit the cheaper hot springs resorts like Relax or Termalitas. They cost around 4000-5000 CRC per person ($8 – 10 USD) per person.
Read more about the free hot spring in La Fortuna here.
Traveling on a budget in Costa Rica? Check out other free things to do in Costa Rica!
Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges
Explore the rain forests of Arenal in an eco-friendly way at the Mistico Hanging Bridges Park, which sits on 600 acres (243 hectares) of private land by the lake.
It is an easy 3.1 kilometer (1.9 miles) trail with 16 suspended and hanging bridges, so that visitors can get different perspectives of the rain forest.
As you walk on the hanging bridge, it’s common to spot wildlife like bats, snakes and birds.
Though the hanging bridges are one of the more popular activities in Arenal, you’ll still get a true sense of the forest when you’re that high up!
To see just how high up in the rainforest canopy you are, look down as you walk on the hanging bridge to see the lush forestry below.
If you have your own rental car, you can make reservations on their website and drive yourself to the park .
If not, the next best option is to book a guided tour with transportation included.
Book the Arenal Hanging Bridges guided tour with our discount here.
Butterfly Garden
Nature and wildlife lovers can’t miss a day trip to the rural small town of El Castillo.
Home to one of Costa Rica’s premiere butterfly gardens, the Butterfly Conservatory has an incredibly knowledgeable staff who will guide you through their perfectly maintained rainforest trails to see the butterflies, frogs and other animals.
Must have a 4wd, 30 minutes drive.
Another option is the Danaus Eco-Center. It’s a private reserve with a 1 kilometer trail to see butterflies, birds, mammals, reptiles and birds.
Only a 5 minute drive from town center, no 4×4 required.
La Fortuna Waterfall
The best waterfall to visit in La Fortuna is the La Fortuna waterfall.
This is one of the top things to do in La Fortuna, Costa Rica as this waterfall is stunning.
Dropping 75 feet in the jungle, the emerald La Fortuna waterfall impresses visitors with its postcard perfect rainforest views.
The entrance fee is $18 USD per adult. The La Fortuna waterfall park is only a few kilometers from La Fortuna town.
You can drive, take a taxi or call an Uber.
You can spend as much time as you like at the waterfall if you go on your own as they have a cafeteria and an observation area.
Read more about visiting La Fortuna waterfall here.
El Salto Rope Swing
For a fun day out with the locals, head to the El Salto rope swing!
Swim and bathe in the refreshing La Fortuna river or dare yourself to hop on the swing and throw yourself into the water!
This is a free swimming hole just a 2 minute drive from La Fortuna town. It’s a super fun place to mingle with locals.
It does get very busy on weekends so if you can, walk there.
Get more information about El Salto here.
White Water Rafting
There are a couple of rivers for white water rafting in Arenal but our favorite is the Pacuare River whitewater rafting Class ii and Class iv rapids tour.
Raft your way through one of the best rivers in the world for white water rafting!
Paddle under waterfalls, swim in the calm pools and see toucans on this exciting rafting adventure.
If that sounds a bit too exciting for you, there are other rivers with Class 2 and 3 rapids, better for younger families or first timers.
Something really nice about the Pacuare rafting is that you can make it your transportation method to and from La Fortuna, San Jose or Puerto Viejo (Caribbean coast).
Many companies can pick up at La Fortuna and can drop you off in San Jose or Puerto Viejo. Instead of sitting in a bus or shuttle, you get to river raft your way over!
Want to book the Pacuare white water rafting tour? Get our Pacuare rafting discount!
Horseback Riding
Venture into the country side of La Fortuna by way of horseback, one of the best to discover the intricate corners of the land.
You’ll ride through rivers, under trees and up to stunning viewpoints of the valley and surrounding hills, places you can’t reach by car and foot.
On a clear day, you can horseback ride with Arenal Volcano as your backdrop. Not a bad view while sauntering though the open country!
See more photos and read what it’s like to go horseback riding in Arenal.
Book the horseback riding to the Arenal Volcano tour with our discount here.
A popular combination tour is Arenal Canopy Adventure and Arenal horseback riding as well as Arenal horseback riding and La Fortuna waterfall.
Lake Arenal
Lake Arenal is the biggest lake in Costa Rica. Though it’s man made, it initially created to produce hydro electric power.
However, it’s is also a place for recreation.
Take a sunset boat ride, go fishing, jet ski, stand up paddle board, kayak, sail, windsurf or boat across to Monteverde.
The lake offers spectacular views of Arenal Volcano and is a great place to enjoy the water and rainforest.
For a leisurely walking tour, check the Arenal Volcano Peninsula sector walk and Lake Arenal by boat tour.
Arenal Volcano Hike
Arenal Volcano erupted in 1968 and you can visit the national park or a private reserve to hike around the base of the volcano and see the lava rocks.
One of the best places to see the lasting effects of the eruption is Arenal Volcano National Park.
The national park has trails to see the original lava rocks with viewpoints of the volcano and Lake Arenal.
The national park entrance fee is $15 + tax USD for adults and you can hike it on your own. Signage is excellent.
You can also visit the other sector of the park, called the Peninsula Sector which goes to a viewpoint of Lake Arenal.
You can also hike in the private reserves near the national park such as Arenal 1968 for equally impressive views. This reserve has a small cafeteria with a beautiful view of the volcano.
La Fortuna Cooking Class and Farm Tour
Enlighten your taste buds on this interactive and fun La Fortuna cooking class and farm tour.
You’ll learn about the farm to table concept, traditional food of Costa Rica, staple foods and ingredients of Costa Rican cuisine and how to cook certain dishes.
Book the Pura vida La Fortuna cooking class with our discount here!
Chocolate Tours
Cacao is incredibly important to the indigenous communities in Costa Rica and it grows incredibly well in La Fortuna.
Learn how to grow cacao, how to process the beans and how to create the sweet delicious desserts we love on a chocolate tour.
Many chocolate tours also offer sugar cane and coffee so you can spend a full day learning about three extremely important crops of Costa Rica.
Book the Arenal chocolate tour here!
How Many Days Should You Spend in La Fortuna?
Since there are SO many awesome things to do in La Fortuna, we highly recommend a minimum of 3 nights.
That way, you have 2 full days in the beautiful La Fortuna area to enjoy and experience the rainforest, volcano and nature.
4 nights will be even better, if you have the time in your itinerary.
La Fortuna, Costa Rica Sample Itineraries
If you’re not sure what activities to do or when to schedule them, here are some ideas. For the tours, get our discount here!
2 full days in La Fortuna, Costa Rica: hiking, nature, wildlife, relaxation
Day 1: Full day. Arenal hanging bridges in the morning, La Fortuna waterfall, lunch and then Arenal Volcano hike. End the day at the hot springs resorts.
If you do not book this as a guided tour and go on your own, we recommend Soda La Hormiga or Restaurante Nene’s for for a Costa Rican lunch.
Day 2: Sleep in and then go on a wildlife watching river safari float in the afternoon to see animals. ~130 PM – 530 PM.
Afterwards, relax at the local central park in the evening and have dinner. Or you can go back to the hot springs and have dinner there.
If you plan to eat dinner out in town, check out Mercadito or La Fortuna Pub for craft beer and a fun night out.
Don’t forget to get an ice cream at the Chocolate Fusion sweet shop in downtown for dessert.
2 full days in La Fortuna, Costa Rica: adventure, hiking
Day 1: Enjoy a full fun day of ziplining and white water rafting Class 2 and 3. It includes lunch and afterwards, shower, rest, nap and relax. Visit the hot springs at night to relax.
Day 2: Sleep in, rest and visit either Arenal Volcano National Park or one of the private reserves like Arenal 1968, El Silencio or Arenal Observatory Lodge to hike the trails for close views of the volcano. This will take around 3-4 hours if you hike a couple of the trails.
If you don’t want to hike, go for a fun horseback riding tour!
If you have a third full day in La Fortuna
Costa Rica is known for its adventure so don’t waste any time! Book a canyoning tour or an ATV tour for more exciting rainforest adventures!
If you want something more chill, we recommend a coffee and chocolate tour or a cooking class instead.
Have more days? Check out our La Fortuna 3 day itinerary that also includes ideas for 4 days!
What You Have to Pack for La Fortuna
Mosquito repellent, sunscreen, hat/visor, waterproof rain jacket, swimsuit, sturdy closed toed walking shoes, water shoes, fitness clothes and backpack. Binoculars or camera for photographers.
Get our full Costa Rica packing list here!
Costa Rica Vacation Checklist
- First time to Costa Rica? Read our First Time in Costa Rica guide.
- Not sure how to move around Costa Rica? Read our How to Get Around Costa Rica guide to find the best transportation method for you.
- Click the link to get our detailed Costa Rica Packing List so you know what essential items to bring.
- Do not forget to purchase Travel Insurance for your trip to Costa Rica.
- Stay connected by purchasing a prepaid SIM Card in Costa Rica.
- Save money with Mytanfeet Deals for tours and hotels. Save more money with our Costa Rica Car Rental Discount.
Paul C says
Hi, we arriving at LIR on a Sunday afternoon in January and leaving late Thursday night from SJO. I want to spend most of the time in the Arenal area but would like to get to spend some time at the beach on Sunday and Monday. What would you recommend in terms of place and activities?
Sammi says
Jaco Costa Rica is a good beach town that’s just 1.5 hours from SJO
Jessica Abadia says
Hi, what atv tour company do you recommend. Traveling with a 13 and 15 year old, next month! Thanks.
Sammi says
Hello Jessica, we work with a tour company in La Fortuna and offer discounts for their tours which you can check here: https://mytanfeet.com/special-deals/la-fortuna-arenal-tours-discount/
LUCY says
Hello, I know the weather in September can be rainy but any suggestions on what to do in La Fortuna? My husband and I arrive Saturday September 25th and we leave Tuesday September 28th, so we have two full days. I know the hot springs is a must but what all can I get in those 2dys, especially if it is raining?
Sammi says
They do still run activities rain or shine but they will call it off if it’s lightning or raining way too much, it’ll depend on whether we have a tropical wave passing through. If there is no tropical wave, usually mornings are fine to do activities. I definitely recommend hanging bridges and we have a lot of recommendations in this post for things to do in La Fortuna
Alexis says
What public transport options are available around La Fortuna? We probably won’t be renting a car, but we’re not sure how to get around!
Sammi says
There are taxis, a few Ubers and then one bus that goes between La Fortuna – Ciudad Quesada multiple times a day, La Fortuna – Tilaran and La Fortuna – San Jose. No public buses that just go around to the attractions, you will have to taxi for those. Without a car, we recommend you to book tours with transportation.
LeAnne says
My husband and I are going to Costa Rica at the end of August. We are staying 4 nights at an Airbnb near Jaco, then 5 nights at an all inclusive on the Gulf of Papagayo. I have had several people say The Arenal volcano tours with the hanging bridges was the best time they had on their trip. We are renting a car the entire time. My question is, is it worth the drive from Gunacaste to spend a day at the Arenal Volcano area?
Sammi says
You could go for a day but to get the best experience in Arenal, is to stay at least one night so you can get a full experience and not drive back super late since August can be more rainy and we don’t recommend to drive long routes at night (it gets dark at 6 PM everyday). And if you go to Arenal, you have to go to the hot springs which are best enjoyed at night.
Janel Olson says
Your site is great, a ton of useful information to help narrow things down. Thank you! Do you have any experience with a day visit to the Arenal Observatory Lodge?
Thank you!
Janel
Sammi says
I’m glad you enjoy the blog! We have stayed there before but outside guests can pay an entrance fee to their hiking trails and their property is incredibly nice.
AJ says
Hi. I’m a female solo traveler and don’t feel comfortable driving on my own so I’m looking for tour advice. Can you recommend a company to get me from Dominical to Arenal? Thank you!
Sammi says
I would check with Easy Ride or RIde CR.
Steph says
Hi! I doing a solo trip to Costa Rica and for 3 nights i’ll be staying at an airbnb in La Fortuna. Is this a safe city for a female solo travelller?
Sammi says
Hi Steph, La Fortuna is a great town for tourists, it’s one of the most popular destinations in Costa Rica so you can find pretty much everything there and you will see lots of other tourists. As for Airbnb, we’ve had good experiences with Airbnb but I would read carefully through all the reviews on Airbnb and then see if you can find more reviews of the place on Google, Facebook or any other website. Then make sure you know exactly where the Airbnb is located and communicate with your host a little bit so you can see if they are responsive or not and ask for details about the place (what’s around, who takes care of the property, if anyone will be on the property with you, etc.). For solo travelers, I usually recommend to find a place to stay closer to town than further or at least not like remote and in the middle of nowhere but at least in a neighborhood with other houses and is in short walking distance to town.
It may be more fun to stay at a hostel for solo travelers though because tour companies don’t always pick up at Airbnbs and you can meet people by staying closer to town or in hostels and you can also split things like cab fare or something.
Sammi says
Rincon de la Vieja and RIo Celeste are the closest (about 2 hours from RIU) but Monteverde and La Fortuna is pretty far (4, 4.5 hours each way) so I’d just choose one or book it as a day trip so that you have a guide and don’t have to worry about driving. Or else that is a loooooot of driving.
For waterfalls, I’d also check out Catarata Llanos de Cortes
Diana says
Hi! I have to say how helpful your website is. I found it so much better than Trip Advisor, so thank you!
My husband and I will be in CR for 10 days in Feb at Riu Guanacaste. We are renting a car for 6 of those days and wanted to get your opinion on some excursions and if they are all doable in the time we have. Also, if you think we could combine any into 1 day that would be great.
Rio Celeste
Monteverde Cloud Forest (zip lining, bird watching)
La Fortuna Waterfall and Mistico Arenal Bridges
Rincon de La Vieja.
I was thinking we would use 3-4 full days to see these, but on separate trips, driving back to the hotel after each. Any advice on what we should/shouldn’t do? Any other waterfalls that you think we could see as well.
Thank you!!