Interactive Map of La Fortuna
Explore the top landmarks and excursions around La Fortuna, from the Arenal Volcano to the hot springs, waterfalls and Río Celeste. Click any marker to learn more.
La Fortuna landmarks
Day trips & excursions
Arenal Volcano National Park Arenal Volcano last erupted in 2010 — there's no lava to see today. What the national park actually offers, and how to visit it well. Baldi Hot Springs: What This La Fortuna Thermal Park Is Really Like Baldi Hot Springs: La Fortuna's largest, liveliest thermal park, with 25+ pools, waterslides, and a swim-up bar heated by the Arenal volcano. Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Caño Negro's Ramsar wetlands, 2 hours from La Fortuna: boat safaris for birds and caimans, and why water levels swing hard by season. Juan Santamaría Airport (SJO): Your Gateway to La Fortuna Juan Santamaría International (SJO) is the main way into La Fortuna — but it's a 3-hour mountain drive, not a shuttle hop. Here's how to plan around it. La Fortuna Waterfall How to visit La Fortuna Waterfall: the 500 steps, entry fees, the safe place to swim, and why you don't go near the base of the falls. La Fortuna: The Base Town for Arenal Volcano Country La Fortuna is Costa Rica's busiest base town for Arenal Volcano country — where to stay, how far everything really is, and how to use it well. Lake Arenal: The Dammed Lake That Flooded Two Villages Lake Arenal is Costa Rica's largest lake — a 1979 dam reservoir that flooded two villages, not a natural lake. What to see and do here. Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges: six suspension bridges near Lake Arenal, ticket prices, and how it differs from the other two bridge parks. Monteverde Monteverde: a 1951 Quaker village turned cloud-forest hub, 3–4 hours from La Fortuna by road or about 3 hours via jeep-boat-jeep. Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve The 1972 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, explained: trails, wildlife odds, quetzal season, and how it differs from Santa Elena next door. Peñas Blancas River Safari Float A calm, raft-based wildlife float on the Peñas Blancas River near La Fortuna — birds, sloths and caimans, with no rapids and no experience needed. Río Celeste: Why the River Turns Turquoise Why Río Celeste turns turquoise, where the color starts, and when heavy rain turns it brown — a clear-eyed guide to visiting Costa Rica's blue river. San José: Costa Rica's Capital and Gateway to La Fortuna San José is Costa Rica's capital and main airport gateway, about 3 hours from La Fortuna — here's how to use it well, not rush it. Selvatura Park: Hanging Bridges, Zipline and Wildlife Exhibits in Monteverde Selvatura Park: hanging bridges, zipline canopy and wildlife exhibits in Monteverde — what's included and how it differs from nearby parks. Tabacón Thermal Resort What Tabacón actually costs, what the water temperature is, and why it's hot geothermal water, not visible lava, on the site the 1968 eruption destroyed. Tenorio Volcano National Park How Tenorio Volcano National Park actually works: SINAC booking, daily entry caps, and the early afternoon trail cutoff visitors miss. The La Fortuna–Monteverde Lake Crossing How the jeep-boat-jeep crossing over Lake Arenal gets you from La Fortuna to Monteverde in about 3 hours, for less than a private transfer. Arenal Observatory Lodge: Trails, Wildlife & Volcano Views Private trails at Arenal Observatory Lodge, the closest legal views of the volcano's cone, and why a clear summit is never guaranteed. Balsa River Rafting Class II–III+ whitewater rafting on the Río Balsa near La Fortuna: real rapids, guided runs, and who should skip it. Bijagua Sloth Sanctuary: A Guided Look at the North's Best Sloth-Watching Guided sloth sanctuaries near Bijagua: what a visit costs, how it compares to wild spotting, and why it's not La Fortuna's Bogarin Trail. Bijagua: The Quiet Base for Río Celeste Bijagua is the quiet northern base for Río Celeste's turquoise river and its sloth refuges — smaller, slower, and closer than La Fortuna. Bogarín Trail: La Fortuna's Sloth-Spotting Walk How the Bogarín Trail near La Fortuna town improves your odds of seeing a wild sloth, what a guided walk costs, and what it can't promise. Curi-Cancha Reserve: Easier Birdwatching Near Monteverde Curi-Cancha's short, open trails make birdwatching easier than Monteverde's bigger reserves. Quetzal season (Feb-Jul) matters more than which reserve. Ecotermales Fortuna Ecotermales Fortuna is La Fortuna's smaller, calmer hot spring complex near Arenal Volcano — reservation-only, and genuinely quiet. El Castillo, Costa Rica El Castillo is a small lakeside village near Arenal, reached from La Fortuna by a road that turns to gravel — the base for scattered nature stops. El Choyín: La Fortuna's Free Hot River El Choyín is a free public hot river near Tabacón, heated by Arenal — no entry fee, no lockers, no lifeguard, and a real risk of bag theft. La Fortuna Town Centre & Parque Central The real centre of La Fortuna: Parque Central, its volcano-backdrop church, and the sodas and restaurants where the town eats after the tours end. La Paz Waterfall Gardens A private, paid garden with five waterfalls and wildlife exhibits near Poás — not a wild waterfall, and priced accordingly. Liberia Airport (LIR): The Guanacaste Gateway to La Fortuna Flying into Liberia (LIR) for La Fortuna? Here's the real drive time, routes via Rincón de la Vieja, car rental tips, and why LIR isn't SJO. Liberia, Guanacaste: The Gateway You Pass Through, Not a Day Trip Liberia is Guanacaste's regional hub near Daniel Oduber airport, about 2.5-3h from La Fortuna. Here's who actually needs to stop there. Nuevo Arenal: The Village Built After the Lake Nuevo Arenal on Lake Arenal's north shore: a village rebuilt after the 1979 flood, not the historic original. What to see, when to stop, why. Poás Volcano Poás Volcano's crater needs a booked time slot, a helmet, and a bit of luck with the gas. Here's how to actually get in, from La Fortuna. Rincón de la Vieja: Guanacaste's Steaming Volcano Fumaroles, boiling mud pots and cloud forest trails on an active Guanacaste volcano, about 3 hours from La Fortuna. What to see, skip, and book. Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, run by the local high school since 1992 — quieter trails, separate tickets, and no relation to Monteverde's older Santa Elena: The Village Base for Monteverde's Cloud Forest Santa Elena is the lively village base for Monteverde's cloud forest — restaurants, hotels and reserve access, distinct from nearby Monteverde village. Sarapiquí: Costa Rica's Other Rainforest, Two Hours from La Fortuna Sarapiquí's lowland rainforest sits two hours east of La Fortuna: boat safaris, night walks, fewer crowds than Arenal — its own stop, not a day trip. Sky Adventures Arenal: Bridges, Tram and Zipline Above La Fortuna Sky Adventures Arenal combines a Sky Walk, an aerial tram and a canopy zipline above La Fortuna — a different park from Mistico and from Monteverde's Sky Sky Walk & Sky Tram Monteverde: Hanging Bridges in the Cloud Forest Monteverde's Sky Walk hanging bridges and Sky Tram cable car through the cloud forest canopy, distinct from Sky Adventures Arenal near La Fortuna. The 1968 Lava Trail: Arenal's Solidified Flow on Foot Walk the solidified 1968 lava flow on Arenal's El Silencio side: private-reserve trails over cooled rock, regrowth, and cone views when clouds allow. The Río Frío A wildlife river through Costa Rica's northern wetlands, best seen by boat — but only if you time it against the water level. Venado Caves Guided caving through limestone passages near La Fortuna: bats, blind fish, stalactites, and a wading stream. Helmet and boots provided, guide required. Alajuela Alajuela sits by Costa Rica's main airport in the Central Valley - a practical overnight stop before or after La Fortuna, not part of it. Arenal Dam: The Lake's Origin Story and a Roadside Lookout The 1979 dam that created Lake Arenal and powers much of Costa Rica — a brief roadside viewpoint, not a ticketed attraction. Arenal Natura: La Fortuna's Wildlife Park, Explained Arenal Natura is a compact, guided eco-park near La Fortuna with boardwalk trails and wildlife exhibits — not a wild rainforest reserve. Cerro Chato: Why the Crater Hike Is Closed Cerro Chato's crater and lagoon hike has been closed since 2018. Here's why, what still stands, and what to do instead near Arenal. Ciudad Quesada: San Carlos's Working Town, Not a Sight to See Ciudad Quesada is San Carlos's service town, 45 minutes from La Fortuna — useful for banks, hospitals and markets, not a sightseeing stop. Ecocentro Danaus: La Fortuna's Frog and Insect Night Walk A private reserve near La Fortuna known for guided night walks spotting frogs, insects and small wildlife — sightings are likely, never guaranteed. Guatuso Guatuso is a crossroads town on the back road to Upala, near the Maleku territory — useful to know, not a place to build your La Fortuna trip around. Juan Castro Blanco National Park Juan Castro Blanco National Park near Ciudad Quesada: cloud forest, river headwaters, and one of the least developed parks near La Fortuna. Katira: A Waypoint Between La Fortuna and Upala Katira is a farming community on the road between La Fortuna and Upala in Costa Rica's northern lowlands — a waypoint, not a destination in itself. La Leona Waterfall La Leona Waterfall sits deep in Guanacaste's dry forest, reached only on foot. The real hiking time, season advice and what it actually costs. Laguna del Hule: Costa Rica's Quiet Crater Lake Laguna del Hule is a small crater lake near Ciudad Quesada, usually a short stop on the road between La Fortuna and San José, not a full day out. Llanos de Cortez Waterfall: A Guanacaste Swimming Hole Near Liberia Llanos de Cortez Waterfall near Liberia: an easy swim in Guanacaste, and why it isn't a realistic La Fortuna day trip. Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí Travel Guide Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí is a former river port on the Río Sarapiquí, about 2 hours from La Fortuna — plan a full outing, not a rushed add-on. The Butterfly Conservatory, El Castillo A small, farmed butterfly garden near El Castillo, 45 minutes from La Fortuna. The Children's Eternal Rainforest (Bosque Eterno de los Niños) How to actually visit the Children's Eternal Rainforest near Monteverde — which sector is open to casual visitors and which is not. The Maleku Indigenous Territory Visit the Maleku territory near Guatuso through guided, community-run tours — crafts, language and tradition, never a walk-in site. Tilarán: The Windy Town on Lake Arenal's Far Shore Tilarán is a windswept ranching town on Lake Arenal's western shore — a stop for the lake loop, not a La Fortuna day trip. Upala: Costa Rica's Quiet Border Town North of Bijagua Upala is a working agricultural town near the Nicaragua border, not a La Fortuna stop — here's when (and why) it's worth the detour north. Zarcero: The Topiary Park Town on the Road to San José Zarcero's topiary park is a striking roadside stop between La Fortuna and San José — not a day trip destination, and not part of Arenal's immediate area.