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What You Will Find In This Post
The area around Arenal is very popular amongst tourists, who very often stay in the small town of La Fortuna. La Fortuna is not really interesting, you will find small tourist shops and places to book tours along with a few hotels nearby. The town is only famous for 2 things, it’s waterfall and, the fact that it’s located next to the Arenal volcano, the tropical forest and the Tenorio National Park. This area is also popular because it is easy to access from San Jose Airport.
It THE perfect place if you want a good mix of experience (Volcano, Waterfall, Hanging Bridges, Zip Lining, Hiking in the Rain Forest, Rafting…), conveniently located next to each other and not far from San Jose. However, if you want to get the best rafting experience, or the best tropical forest experience or the best waterfalls…you will not necessarily find them all here. For instance, go to Pacuare for the best rafting experience, go to the Corcovado for the wildest Rain Forest experience and go to the Cloud Forest in Bajo del Toro for the waterfalls!
We went in March / April and had no rain at all, plenty of sunshine, and hot temperatures.
HOTEL
Most Beautiful Hotel Near La Fortuna
Nayara Springs Hotel
The Nayara Springs is a gorgeous luxury boutique hotel, nestled in the tropical rainforest. It is ideally located for touring the area and offers amazing views over the Arenal Volcano
Left is the two-bedroom villa with outdoor hot tub at El Silencio Lodge. Right is an aerial view of El Silencio Lodge.
The Origins Lodge (2h from la Fortuna)
The Origins Lodge looks really amazing, with its view over the Tenorio Volcano and the surrounding rainforest. The hotel offers some really good tours to the main points of interest of the area and some more off the beaten path ones. You should defintely check it out!
The Origins Lodge is closer to Nicaragua, its lake and the great Cano Negro park.
Getting here: It is slightly farer than the Nayara Springs, more to the north. It takes about 3 to 4 hours from the Cloud Forest near Bajo del Toro by car and at least 4 hours from San Jose Airport. They organize private transfer from Liberia and SJO airport.
Good To Know: If you wish to get there by yourself, note that while the main access road is paved, the immediate road to ORIGINS is a maintained dirt road best suited for a 4WD SUV
WHAT TO DO
What To Do In La Fortuna?
Why going to the Arenal/La Fortuna Area ? for us 3 reasons: 1. The Nayara Springs hotel is just fabulous 2. It is easily accessible by car when coming from the Cloud Forest or San Jose 3. It is a great place to experience the jungle, see some animals and have a good rafting trip since we did not go to Pacuare.
1. Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge River Safari
The Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge, is a 10000+ hectares national park of wetlands and forest on the northern part of Costa Rica close to the Nicaragua’s border. It is actually the biggest Costa Rica’s wetland, an heaven for animals indeed. You can marvel at the beautiful landscapes of the Rio Frio water system and of the abundant wildlife that you can see there. With more than 200 different species the Cano Negro is as well a real heaven for birds and birders
Click for Useful Information For Your Trip To Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge
Driving Time From Nayara Springs: 90 min, yeah guys, that means we woke up at 6AM 🙂 … it might be closer to the Origins
Road Condition:Â ok
Walking Time: No walk is required there, you do the safari by boat, the whole tour usually takes about 6-7 hours
Starting Point:Â Â The jetty in the small village of Los Chiles
Bring With You: Sunscreen, insect repellent, appropriate clothes: we put long sleeves in order to prevent mosquito bites.Â
Difficulty: No difficulty as it is a river safari
Entrance Fees: $5 per person
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday from 08.00-16.00 (no reservation needed)
Best Time To Visit: We went there very early (for the opening) and spent our whole morning there.
Three White-faced Capuchin monkeys at Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge.
A Spider Monkey climbing a tree at Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge
There are several boat safari tours offered, some don’t go in the National Park but at its border where you can see pretty much the same animals than inside. Just make sure to ask before booking. It is also better to book tours with smaller boat as it offers a more private, quiet and customized experience than if you are 30 packed on a boat.
Tips: Get there early as animals are more active in the morning. Most tours starts around 7 or 8h30 am anyway…
Anhinga Bird and Cayman at Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge
Why Going To Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge? 1. To explore the wetlands & jungle wildlife 2. This is one of the most off-the-beaten-path national park to explore Costa Rica’s Wildlife 3. Easy access from Arenal/la Fortuna.
Tips: Don’t forget your passeport, as it is next to the border with Nicaragua, military or police may ask to see your ID… Nobody asked us, but better safe than sorry!
Howler monkey, Jesus-Christ Lizard and Iguana at Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge
2. Rio Celeste Waterfall Hike In The Tenorio National Park
Despite the fact that we can’t call the Rio Celeste a hidden gem anymore (it is the 5th most visited park in Costa Rica…), it is still a must do. Ok, there are more people than in the Cloud Forest but the park is big and it wasn’t too crowded.
Maybe the only drawback would be that the dense, pristine rainforest of the Tenorio National Park is supposed to have a lot of wildlife (monkeys, sloths, and birds) but we didn’t see many of them, except for a coati.
Click for Useful Information For Your Trip To Rio Celeste
Driving Time From the Nayara Springs: 1h30Â
Road Condition: Excellent on the dry season.
Walking Time: Around 4 hours roundtrip as we took a lot of time to take pictures.
Starting Point: Ranger station at Tenorio National Park.
Bring With You: Sunscreen, insect repellent, appropriate shoes and clothes: you will walk on uneven path, mud, closed shoes seem mandatory, and we would recommend walking sticks (for those who have some issues with their knees for exemple), swimsuits (if you want to swim outside the park).
Difficulty: Medium. This is quite a walk (around 6km), some parts are pretty steep, and the trail is forest floor with rocks and roots… If it has rained the day before it could get really muddy. The end of the walk to the bottom of the waterfall involves going down some stairs.
Entrance Fees: $12 per adult and $5 per child (up to 12 years).
Opening Hours: 8 AM to 4 PM (last entrance at 2PM). But, come as early as possible, the access to the park is limited to 1000 person per day, and only 500 can be in the park at the same time. No reservation possible so if you arrive after the 500 first people you will just have to wait for people to leave the park…
Best Time to Visit: The dry season or at least a beautiful and sunny day would clearly be the best, if it rains or if there is no sun (and worse: both!) you won’t even see the Celeste blue!
Rio Celeste Waterfall from down the stairs
Nevertheless, the Rio Celeste waterfall and its azure pool are absolutely gorgeous. The meeting point of the two river’s tributaries (called Teñidero, I think) carry some specific minerals (silicium, aluminium… yes again volcano stuff :-)) which creates a very specific mixture that transform the river’s color in bright vivid blue. You can visit the spot on the way to the waterfall.
Tips: Ask around (at your hotel for instance) what’s the current condition of the waterfall pool colors as rains can affect it.
Rio Celeste Waterfall, one of the bridge crossing the river, the Tenidero point where the magic happens and a coati all on the way to the waterfall
You are not allowed to swim in the park but for those who want to swim after quite a demanding hike, we went near Cabinas Piuri, where we found a natural pool located at less than a km from the park entrance, just next to the bridge.
Tips: It appears they don’t allow plastic bottle, bags… so be aware as they are checking the backpack at the entrance… bring a reusable bottle of water.
Rio Celeste from above, the blue river in the forest and outside the park, the bridge where you can dip a toe in the water
3. White Water Rafting On The Sarapiqui River
Costa Rica is well known for white-water rafting adventures. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to go in the Limon Province to do it on the world-famous Pacuare river, but the San Miguel section of the Rio Sarapiqui is a very good option as well. The scenery was very nice, we were surrounded by nature with the lush rainforest walls dripping with waterfalls! This was quite an adventure.
Why doing a White Water Rafting trip in the Sarapiqui River? 1. It is a very different way to observe the great scenery the area has to offer 2. This is the greatest combo of landscapes, fun and sport as well! 3. Easy access from Arenal/la Fortuna
Click for Useful Information For Your Rafting Trip On The Sarapiqui River
Driving Time From the Nayara Springs: 1h30Â
Road Condition: Excellent
Provider of the tour we had chosen: Flow Trips, it was great with a good mix of safety, fun and an amazing guide. You can go on their website Flow Trips
Duration of the tour: 3 hours with a break halfway, on the edge of the river where you can have some tropical fruits and drinks and dip a toe in the water.
Starting Point: They usually give you a pick up point. If you want more information go on their website :Â Flow Trips
Bring With You: Sunscreen, appropriate sneakers or water shoes and rashguard. Don’t forget to bring some change of clothing and maybe towels as well. They will provide you with helmet and a life jacket.Â
Difficulty: Intermediate. You’ll spend the two hours and a half navigating 12 kilometers of clear mountain water with over 30 different rapids. You will need to paddle and to be able to support yourself on the raft edge. You should be mobile with no serious health issues. Be aware that we went during the dry season and it was more a class 3 river  (than Class 4) and it was perfect for us as we don’t have much rafting experience 🙂
Entrance Fees: $103 (no child allowed under 12 years). It is expensive but totally worth it!
Best Time to Visit: 8AM (as there is no other options :-))
More information: go on their website Flow Trips
Tips:Â You can get nice pictures of you in the raft as they work with a photograph
Pictures of our rafting tours on the sarapiqui river with Flow Trips
4. Mistico Hanging Bridges
Click for Useful Information For Your Trip To The Mistico Hanging Bridge Park
Road Condition: Excellent
Walking Time: 3 hours (we took a lot of time taking pictures and talking about animals with our guide)
Starting Point:Â Â Mistico Hanging Bridge parking lot. Sett road entrance next to the Lake Arenal dam, La Fortuna, San Carlos.
Bring With You: Sunscreen, insect repellent, appropriate closed shoes and clothes: we put long sleeves in order to prevent mosquito bites.Â
Difficulty:Â Easy to Intermediate, you will walk around 3.2km (you also can do the 1.9km short version), go trough 10 regular bridges and 6 suspension bridges. The paths are very well maintained (natural and man-made), just keep in mind that several spots will require to navigate tall steps. It could be challenging for people that are afraid of heights.Â
Entrance Fees: $26 per adult, $16 per teen (11 to 18 years) and free for children under 11 years.
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday from 06.00-16.30 (reservation needed) last entrance at 15h50
Best Time To Visit: We went there very early (for the opening) and spent our whole morning there.
More information: go on their website Mistico Park
Tips:Â It is better to arrive at the opening as many of the animals are more active before the sun is high.
Mistico Hanging Bridge Park in the Tropical Forest near La Fortuna
From some of the suspension bridges you can get some nice views over the canopy and one bridge gives you a partial view on the Arenal Volcano. The best view over the Volcano is from the entrance of the Park.
Tips: Don’t do it on your own, you will miss 90% of the interest of the visit, guides really have an input here! So make sure to do a guided tour here even a private guided tour actually. We would have miss most of the spectacle without with the accute eyes of our guide.
Several views from the mistico hanging bridge park and the emblematic tiny poison-dart blue jean frog
The Mistico Hanging Bridge is known to be one of the best hanging bridge tour in Costa Rica, so yes it is a bit touristy and “paved” but still wild!
Eyelash viper, ants and bat all found in the Mistico hanging bridge park
5. Zip Lining: Sky Tram And Trek Tour
Its typically the type of activities that we don’t usually do because it feels too touristy but if you have to try it once in your life, Costa Rica offers one of the best experiences of that kind. So we said what the eck, let’s try it!
Our opinion: It is not the most amazing thing we have done in Costa Rica and yet one of the most expensive. If you are on a budget, you can definitely skip this part. During the tour you will have a good view over the Arenal Volcano and the Arenal Lake as well. The views are not breathtaking though (and most definitely doesn’t justify the price). The waiting at each zipline can be annoying too. It is said that you will be able to observe the fauna and flora, but regarding these points we would strongly recommend other tours instead, as we didn’t see any animals (They tend to avoid the noise of the zip lines…). If you are not in a budget, you can do it for the thrill of it. The 7 different zip line cables with range between 250m and 800m long are quite fun, but don’t expect to see any animals or amazing views over the Arenal!Â
We would have like it more if the main point of the tour was getting to high towers to observe animals and the zipline was used as a mean to get there. But in this tour, the main point is to zipline. Some hotels in Osa have their own private ziplines and it might be better to do it there…
Click for Useful Information For Your Zip Lining Trip
Driving Time From the Nayara Springs: 20 minÂ
Road Condition: Excellent
Duration: 2h as it is crowded and after 30 seconds you have on each zip-line you will have to wait for all the other members of the group to get there… it is so boring!
Starting Point:Â Â Sky Tram/Trek Visitor Center
Bring With You: Sunscreen, insect repellent, appropriate shoes and clothes: we put long sleeves and long pants in order to prevent mosquito bites. As you will wear a harness, at least long short are required.Â
Difficulty: You don’t walk there but you fly over between the trees! The only required thing is no to be too afraid of heights.Â
Entrance Fees: $108 per adult, $88 per student 75 per child under, 62 per resident.
Opening Hours: 8AM to 3PM (for the last entrance) (reservation needed)
Best Time To Visit: we’re a bit clueless regarding this one, we did it in the afternoon and didn’t see any animals at all, maybe early in the morning would be better on that point (but we don’t believe so…).
More Information : go on their website Skyadventures Travel
Warning for people afraid of heights: Once you have started the first zipline you CANNOT go back, you have to do them all. But, you can get to the starting point of the first zipline for the view and to cheer up your friends and take the tram down.
Picture from the Zipline at Sky Tram and Trek.
6. Frog Watching Night Tour
Doing a night frog watching tour is definetly a must-do in Costa Rica. There are several places where you can do that in the country, we did the Arenal Oasis night time frog watching tour, which is one of the only option in the La Fortuna area.
Like every other tours, the quality highly depends on your guide. Unfortunately, this time, the guide we had, was probably not the best…
Honestly the experience of walking in the rain forest by night is really something… It’s actually pretty scary! It’s dark, the noise is deafening, and you can feel your heart beating crazy because you know that in this habitat you always can face a Fer de Lance or another very dangerous species…yeah, as advertised, we are not the bravest adventurers haha 🙂  The park was nice, with more than 30 different species of frog, and depsite not having the best guide this time, we still managed to see a few!
Don’t forget to bring closed shoes, long pants, & insect repellent!
Red eye Tree frog, Brilliant forest frog (with yellow dots & legs) and I can’t find the name of the last one …sorry!
7. La Fortuna Waterfall
 Is It Worth It To Visit La Fortuna Waterfall?
We thought it was not. To go to the waterfall, you’ll have to climb 450 stairs up and down. Ok, you it is possible to swim in it, but given the gorgeous waterfalls we had visited in Bajos del Toro and the fact that la Fortuna is pretty touristy and crowded we decided to skip this one. There are many more interesting waterfalls in Costa Rica like Rio Celeste, or Llanes Do Cortes, or Caratata La Leona or Eco-Chontales…
8. Arenal Volcano National Park
 Is It Worth It To Visit The Arenal Volcano National Park?
The Answer for the Arenal Volcano National Park is less of a clear cut than for the La Fortuna Waterfall. The park is nice and you have good views over the volcano, which is in fact the main interest of going there. On our side, we decided to skip it because we had limited time and we had already many opportynities to get good views over the volcano. For instance from the parking lot of the Mistico hanging bridge tour you have a pretty descent picture (and you don’t have to use the fake frame they installed for that purpose…) also from the Nayara Spring the view is just amazing. If you don’t stay there, maybe you can book a lunch on a clear day as many of their restaurants have incredible views!!
If you have enough time, there are a number of lovely hiking trails in the park and one thing that we were considering is to take a walking trail to the Arenal Lake and hire a Kayak to have a tour on the lake. This should give you a very nice photo opps with the kayak and the lake in the foreground and the Arenal in the background!!
Book Your Tickets (they seem to have many options for Arenal & lake tours): Here
Left the view on Arenal from the mistico hanging bridge parking lot, right are 2 different views of the Arenal Volcano from the Nayara Springs Hotel
9. Monteverde Cloud Forest
 Is It Worth It To Visit The Monteverde Cloud Forest?
If you haven’t been to the Cloud Forest near Bajo Del Toro, why not? The primary Cloud Forests are really beautiful and have this mystic mood that are really special. In Monteverde they also have hanging bridge so it can be interesting to go there but we did not. Why? Because we already went to Bajo del Toro, which is less touristy than Monteverde and had already done the hanging bridges in the Tropical Forest near Arenal. It’s a bit far of La Fortuna and the road to get there is not very well maintained, it’s a mix of paved and dirt road with pothole, so get a good car!
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