La Fortuna is gorgeous and budget-friendly city and a paradise for adventurous hikers. People coming to La Fortuna for spectacular hiking trails usually aim for Cerro Chato Crater Lake and active Arenal Volcano – two greatest tourist attractions in the region – which are on the top adventurous things to do in La Fortuna in Costa Rica.
La Fortuna is an adventurer’s dream, with its stunning landscapes, tropical forests and Arenal Volcano at the background. This breathtaking region is not only a hub for volcano hikes but also offers plenty of activities. Highly adventurous things to do in La Firtuna are waterfall tours, natural hot srpings, zip-lining in lush forests and ATV Guided Tours.
Top things to do in La Fortuna.
Most people would be coming to La Fortuna to explore Arenal National Park and hike Arenal Volcano. There are different well-marked trails across the park, allowing you to explore the area on your won, or with a guided tour.
Before we reached La Fortuna locals told us it has been raining for 2 weeks. It was a heavy downpour with low hanging cloud. We saw that cloud on a first day and got really upset that it may impact our adventorous hiking plans.
When we woke up the next day we could not believe our eyes – how amazing, sunny and clear the day was. We could even see the the smoking crater of Arenal Volcano!
How to get from San Jose to La Fortuna?
There are several ways to get from San Jose to La Fortuna or Arenal Volcano.
PUBLIC BUS: You need to take a bus heading to Ciudad Quesada or San Carlos (3 buses daily). Prices range between 6-8 USD. The bus takes 3 hours to reach La Fortuna from San Jose.
SHUTTLE/MINI-VAN: Takes about 3 hours to reach La Fortuna.
Hiking Arenal Volcano.
One of the most popular things to do in La Fortuna is the Arenal Volcano National Park. The main trail Sendero Coladas de 1968 takes you through old lava fields and showcases the dramatic impact of the last major eruption in 1968.
You’ll be amazed by the native wildlife of Costa Rica – howler monkeys, snakes, exotic flogs and toucans (very hard to find them),
The symmetrical cone of the Arenal Volcano is visible from number of viewing spots along the trails.
Observatory Lodge – which is a luxury resort and a starting point for Arenal National Park and Cerro Chato hike, is one of the most amazing places to relax, have a cup of aromatic coffee while watching Arenal Crater.
Arenal National Park two main hiking trails: Las Coladas, (volcano viewpoint) and El Ceibo, leading through the rainforest.
LAS COLADAS TRAIL:
- Distance: Approximately 3 km (1.9 miles) loop
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Highlights: This loop trail takes you through old lava fields, expect to see a variety of wildlife, as well as remarkable views of the volcano.
The hikes leads through one of the most beautiful tropical forests I’ve seen and real hanging bridges – which are fine to walk through.
The weather is very humid so make sure to bring plenty of drinks, water and nutrition. One of the best drinks are coconuts, which are widely available in CosTa Rica.
COCONUT NUTRITION AND HEALTH BENEFITS. Coconut is one of the most nutrities fruits you can have. It is highly beneficial especially in a humid weather where the body easily looses minerals and sweats a lot.
Coconut can be a delicious and nutritious addition to your diet. Coconut meat is a rich source of vitamins and minerals. A single serving of coconut meat provides 34% of the daily value of manganese – one of the crucial minerals for your body.
The best hotels in La Fortuna Costa Rica.
There are plenty of accommodation options in La Fortuna. We arrived in the town without having anything booked and managed to find a great bungallows with Arenal Volcano Views. But after few days we moved to a comfy resort to give our bodies some treatment after days of hiking!
LUXURY RESPORTS:
- Top luxury resport with amazing Arena Volcano view is Tifakara Boutique Hotel & Birding Oasis.
- Very similar 4* resort is Arenal Manoa Resort & Hot Springs.
BUDGET-FRIENDLY:
The best option you can book is exotic Poshtel Arenal with outdoor swimming pool, garden, a restaurant and bar (~USD15 per night).
Another highly popular budget place is Selina La Fortuna with an amazing garden, a shared lounge and a restaurant (~USD25).
MID-PRICE:
Beautiful Cabinas La Catarata (2.8 km from La Fortuna Waterfall), features accommodation with an outdoor swimming pool, free private parking, a garden and a terrace (~USD75 per night).
La Fortuna Waterfall.
One of the nicest things we did was a day walk toward La Fortuna Waterfall (entrance 15$). On the way you will find lots of interesting local craft shops and galleries, with incredible wooden sculptures and other types of handicraft (hammocks, masks).
It is not unusual to find on the backyards’ of local houses fresh fruits left to attract tukans and other exotic birds.
La Fortuna Waterfall is a stunning 70-meter waterfall which cascades into a beautiful turquoise lagoon. You can swim in the pool, relax on the rocks or exlore the jungle. The hike down to the waterfall involves descending around 500 steps, but the view and the chance to cool off in the water make it worthwhile. Adventurous hikers can also opt for a guided tour that includes tubing or canyoning around the waterfall. Waterfall is among top adventurous things to do in La Fortuna and it’s a perfect idea for half-day tour.
Explore La Fortuna town.
La Fortuna town is a lovely place, where life happens slowly. Take a walk along the town to meet local people, try some food, admire its magnificent tropical scenery and beautiful flowers (you’ll be able to spot animals everywhere). La Fortuna is actually an excellent base for nature, wildlife observation.
There are plenty of local craft shops with wooden sculptures, hammocks and craft items.
Before coming to Costa Rica you will be told that this is bird lover’s paradise. That’s true but it’s not that easy to spot them. First of all the birds are almost inaccessible during the day, at least not tukans, which are hidden in a deep jungle during the heat hours.
Birds hate heat and they spend most of the day in the most chilly places. Bird watchingtours are among best things to do in La Fortuna, where you chase unique species through lens.
Hiking Cerro Chato.
Cerro Chato is a challenging hike, which offers the opportunity to hike up an extinct volcanic crater located near the Arenal Volcano. The trail takes you through lush rainforest and leads to a beautiful crater lake. Hiking Cerro Chato is doable without a tour guide but only in a dry weather.
Chato Volcano is located right next to Arenal. This is one of the most spectacular hikes and best things to do in La Fortuna for adventurous hikers and wilderness exploration. Cerro Chato hike is less popular than Arenal Volcano, as offers a more secluded experience, taking you through dense forests before reaching the green crater lake. The trail can be steep and rugged, especially in wet weather (I read horrible stories on internet about this hike ;)!). But reaching the top (actually the bottom, as the last half an hour is a steep hike down), rewards you with breathtaking views turquoise lagoon. After reaching the crater you will have your lunch surrounded by nature’s majesty and what’s best – you can have a swim in the crater lake!
Canopy Tours and Hanging Bridges.
If you are looking for a fun day the most adventurous things to do in La Fortuna are hanging bridges and canopy tours. You’ll be walking among the treetops on a series of suspension bridges and trails.
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