La Fortuna

Until 1968 this was a sleepy farming hamlet called El Borio. On 29 July 1968 Arenal — long thought dormant — erupted violently, destroying the villages of Tabacón, Pueblo Nuevo and San Luís on the volcano's western flank. El Borio, tucked on the sheltered east side, was spared, and was renamed La Fortuna — "the fortunate" — in recognition of its luck. For decades afterward the volcano put on a near-nightly show of glowing lava that made the town famous. That activity ceased in October 2010, and the cone has been quiet since; you may still see daytime steam, but do not come expecting night-time lava. What endures is the scenery and the geothermal heat that feeds the area's hot springs.

The town itself is small and walkable, laid out around a tidy central park (Parque La Fortuna) anchored by the Catholic church, with the volcano framed behind it. Restaurants, tour desks, sodas and shops cluster within a few blocks of the park; most hotels, hot springs and attractions string out west along Route 142 toward Lake Arenal and the national park. Everything you'll want is either in town or along that corridor.

Climate. Hot and humid year-round, typically 22–31°C, in a transition zone between Pacific dry forest and Caribbean rainforest — so it can rain in any month. The drier months (roughly mid-December to April) offer the clearest volcano views and the safest hot-spring conditions; September–November is the wettest. Locals note the springs are best enjoyed in dry weather, as heavy rain mixing cold runoff with warm spring water can raise the risk of skin and ear infections. Mornings are usually clearest for photographing the cone — clouds tend to gather over the summit by afternoon.

By Plane

The practical international gateway is Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in Alajuela, near San José, about 125 km / a 3½-hour drive away; most visitors connect onward by shuttle, private transfer or rental car (see By Car / Road). Domestic flights also serve the small Arenal / La Fortuna airstrip (FON), a few kilometres east of town, with Aerobell, Sansa and Skyway operating from San José (SJO) and Quepos (for Manuel Antonio); fares run around US$90 one way, plus roughly US$7 per person departure tax. From the airstrip it's a short taxi into the centre.

By Car / Road

By car: roughly 3½ hours from San José (about 125 km). The route is scenic but junctions are poorly signposted, so use offline maps/GPS. A standard car is fine in the dry season; a higher-clearance vehicle is reassuring in the rains.

By bus: Direct buses run from San José (≈5.5 hr, ~US$7), or you can break the trip with a transfer in Ciudad Quesada (San Carlos), about 2 hr from La Fortuna. Buses also connect from San Ramón, and there is one daily local bus from Tilarán (around the lake). From the Nicaraguan border at Peñas Blancas, take a San Carlos bus (~US$8) and get off at El Tanque, then a local bus or taxi for the final 7 km. Note: outbound schedules from La Fortuna are notoriously vague and unreliable — confirm an approximate departure, arrive early, and budget up to an hour of waiting. Be wary of touts who exploit the confusion.

By shared shuttle: the easiest door-to-door option. Operators such as Daytrip and the major tourist-shuttle companies run several times daily from San José (hotels, Selina San José, or SJO airport), with typical morning (~7:45 AM from the city, ~9:00 AM from SJO) and afternoon departures. From about US$30; book ahead to guarantee a seat. A popular variant is the jeep–boat–jeep transfer to/from Monteverde across Lake Arenal.

By private shuttle: a private driver from San José or the airport is surprisingly affordable for the comfort and door-to-door convenience, and is easily arranged through hotels and tour desks.

The town core is small and walkable — you can cross it in 10–15 minutes. For everything along the volcano road you'll want wheels.

• Taxis wait by Parque La Fortuna and can be flagged easily; agree the fare or insist on the meter. Ride-hailing apps (e.g. Uber operates in Costa Rica) often cost roughly half the price of a hailed taxi when available.
• Local buses make a limited circuit around the volcano/lake, but service is sparse — most visitors rely on taxis, tours or their own vehicle. Expect to pay for parking almost everywhere.
• Scooter rental runs about US$40/day (dropping toward US$20/day for 5+ days); motorcycles ~US$75/day. Try La Fortuna Rentals (☏ +506 8718 0231). Riding is much less pleasant in the rainy season.
• Hitch-hiking is reportedly common and reasonably easy on the volcano road, and lets budget travellers reach trailheads, the waterfall and the hot springs on their own schedule. Use normal caution.

Volcano & lake

• Arenal Volcano — the iconic stratovolcano and the reason the town exists. The most photogenic angles are from the southwest, near the village of El Castillo (about 25 km / 16 mi west of town, ~4 km up the road from the national-park entrance), with sweeping views over Lake Arenal toward the Monteverde cloud forest. Guided tours through Arenal Volcano National Park typically walk about an hour over old lava fields to El Mirador, the prime viewpoint; some skip the lava walk and go straight there. Tours range from a no-frills mini-bus run to El Mirador and back (~US$10), to the basic guided tour (~US$25), tours bundled with Baldí hot springs (~US$30), or with buffet dinner and Tabacón hot springs (~US$64). Bring a jacket — it can be chilly and cloudy at the viewpoint. Note: lava has not flowed since 2010.
• Lake Arenal — Costa Rica's largest lake, just west of the volcano, crossed by the main highway over the dam toward Tilarán. The finest views are from the hills above El Castillo (about 9 km off the highway on the national-park road). The lake is a hub for boat tours, fishing, kayaking and windsurfing.

Waterfall

• Fortuna Waterfall (Catarata Río Fortuna) — a 70-m cascade plunging into a jungle pool you can swim in. Stone steps lead down (about a 10-minute hike down, ~20 back up). Reachable by road/taxi; once inside you can stay as long as you like. Foreign adults US$20; children 8 and under free. Entrance closes 17:00. Bring a swimsuit and water shoes. (☏ +506 2479 9515)

This is an adventure-tourism town — the activities, not the sights, are the draw.

• Hot springs (see your own section of choices below) — the signature La Fortuna experience.
• River pool & El Salto rope swing — a free local spot on the Río Fortuna for a refreshing dip and a jump into the water.
• Arenal Volcano night hike — a roughly two-hour guided walk through secondary rainforest, prime habitat for monkeys, congos (howlers), coatis, toucans and abundant flora, sometimes ending at copper-tinted thermal pools.
• Canyoneering / waterfall rappelling — descending jungle waterfalls in the Lost Canyon (Cañón Perdido).
• White-water rafting — the Río Toro (Class III–IV), 45+ continuous rapids through deep tropical gorges, or the gentler Río Balsa (Class II–III), good for families.
• River safari / wildlife float — calm-water cruise on the Peñas Blancas river (~US$45) to spot sloths, caimans, monkeys and birds.
• Horseback ride to Monteverde — a scenic ~2½-hour ride along Lake Arenal (~US$75); also shorter rides to the waterfall.
• Lake activities — fishing (the prized Guapote rainbow bass, plus mojarra), kayaking and wakeboarding at FlyZone Wakeboard Center, Puerto San Luís (☏ +506 8339 5876), where calm water and warm temperatures run year-round.
• Arenal Butterfly Conservatory — in El Castillo (about 20 km west; 9 km off the highway on the park road), open 08:30–16:30, US$12. Six atrium habitats representing the micro-climates around Lake Arenal, plus frog and orchid exhibits, a rainforest river walk along Quebrada Mariposa (sloths, monkeys, toucans), and a volcano-view gazebo.

Other staples easily booked at any town tour desk include hanging-bridges canopy walks, zip-line tours, sloth-spotting walks, and chocolate or coffee tours on nearby plantations.

The local staple is comida típica — gallo pinto (rice and beans, the breakfast of Costa Rica) and the casado (a hearty lunch plate of rice, beans, plantains, salad and a protein) — best and cheapest at a no-frills soda. La Fortuna also has a surprisingly broad international scene thanks to tourism. A few across the price range:

• Soda Viquez (budget) — a reliable, well-loved soda for casados, gallo pinto and fresh batidos; generous portions at local prices.
• La Choza de Laurel (mid) — a long-standing traditional restaurant near the church, known for rotisserie chicken, casados and a lively típico atmosphere; popular with both locals and visitors.
• Que Rico Arenal (mid–upper) — Italian and international menu about 6.4 km toward the lake from the Catholic church; a standout for combining a good meal with volcano views. (☏ +506 2479 1020)
• Don Rufino (upscale) — on the main road one block east of the park (across from the gas station); open 11:30–22:30. The town's best-known upmarket table, with an extensive international menu, polished service and a great bar. (☏ +506 2479 9997)

Vegetarian eaters are well served — gallo pinto, casados (order sin carne), patacones and fresh produce are everywhere; several tourist-facing restaurants list vegetarian and gluten-free options.

Costa Rica's national drinks are easy to enjoy here. Order café chorreado (coffee dripped through the traditional cloth chorreador) or agua dulce (hot cane-sugar drink), and cool off with batidos and frescos naturales — fresh fruit shakes and juices made with water (en agua) or milk (en leche). The local beers are Imperial and Pilsen; the national spirit is guaro (cane liquor, e.g. Cacique), often in a guaro sour. Town bars such as Lava Lounge are easygoing spots for a beer and live-sport/casual evenings. Tap water is generally considered safe to drink in La Fortuna and most of Costa Rica; if you have a sensitive stomach or are visiting during heavy rains, bottled or filtered water is a cautious choice.

Hot springs

A category of its own — geothermal pools fed by Arenal. Visit in dry weather where possible (see Understand):

• Tabacón Hot Springs (Tabacón Grand Spa & Thermal Resort) — the most spectacular: multi-level natural thermal pools with a slide, waterfalls, swim-up bars and volcano views; open 8 AM–9 PM. Entrance from US$89 (buffet packages cost more; volcano-tour packages often include it for less).
• Baldí Hot Springs — 16 pools of varying temperatures, water slides and bars; open until 22:00. Adults US$47, children US$37. (☏ +506 2479 2190)
• EcoTermales Fortuna — quieter and more discreet, capped at 100 guests so reservations are essential; across from Baldí. About US$80 for two (pools only), +US$20 each for the dinner buffet; cocktails US$6–12. (☏ +506 2479 8787, [email protected])
• Tabaconcito (free river hot springs) — across the road from Tabacón, a natural thermal river open to all since a court ruled the rivers public. No facilities, no lights — bring a torch if staying after dark, and pack out your trash. Free.

• Budget
  • Selina La Fortuna — sociable flashpacker hostel with dorms and private rooms, pool and bar; dorms roughly US$15–25, privates from ~US$50.
  • Arenal Backpackers Resort — a "luxury hostel" with a pool and volcano views; dorms from around US$18, privates higher.
• Mid-range
  • Hotel Arenal Volcano Inn — comfortable rooms with pool and volcano outlook on the road toward the park, around US$90–130.
  • Volcano Lodge, Hotel & Thermal Experience — grounds with on-site thermal pools and good cone views, typically US$120–180.
• Upscale / resort
  • Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa — the landmark luxury choice, with private access to the famed Tabacón hot springs; rates commonly US$350–600+.
  • Nayara Springs / The Springs Resort & Spa — adults-oriented and full-service luxury respectively, both with private thermal pools and dramatic volcano views; generally US$500–1,000+.

La Fortuna's shopping is casual and souvenir-led. Look for Costa Rican coffee (a regional pride), photos and prints of the erupting volcano, hand-painted crafts, and — a local hardware-store classic — a well-made machete. Small supermarkets and souvenir shops line the streets around the park. Prices are generally fixed; light bargaining is acceptable only with informal vendors, not in shops.

• Monteverde Cloud Forest — ~3 hours via the scenic jeep–boat–jeep across Lake Arenal (or ~4 hr by road); misty cloud forest, hanging bridges and zip-lines.
• Río Celeste / Tenorio Volcano National Park — about 1.5–2 hours; a surreal turquoise river and waterfall, a top day-trip hike.
• Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge — roughly 1.5–2 hours north toward Los Chiles; wetland boat safaris with exceptional birdlife, caimans and monkeys.
• Ciudad Quesada (San Carlos) — about 1 hour; the regional hub, with its own hot springs (Termales del Bosque) and a workaday Costa Rican town feel.
• Tilarán & Lake Arenal's west shore — around the lake (~1.5 hr); windsurfing, kite-surfing and quieter lakeside villages like El Castillo.
• San José — ~3½ hours; the capital, museums (Pre-Columbian Gold, Jade) and onward connections, with craft town Sarchí (painted oxcarts) en route.