• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Daggerhart Destinations

We are passionate about nature, wildlife, and travel. Our goal is to promote wildlife conservation and responsible tourism.

  • Home
  • Destinations
    • Wildlife
    • Family
    • Remote
    • Nature
    • Luxury
  • Off the Beaten Path
  • Portfolio
  • Blog
  • About
Home » Arenal Costa Rica – Hot Springs, Volcanoes, Water Falls

Arenal Costa Rica – Hot Springs, Volcanoes, Water Falls

Updated October 3, 2019 Leave a Comment

There are many things to do near Arenal Volcano. This area of Costa Rica offers hot springs, volcanoes, wildlife, and waterfalls. Arenal is located in central Costa Rica.  It takes about 3 hours to drive from the San Jose International Airport. This is the first stop on this suggested two week vacation.

There is a nice viewing deck of La Fortuna Water Falls. This is the beginning of the 400 step walk down to the base.

 Things to do near Arenal volcano

Most people vacation to Arenal to relax and enjoy the natural hot springs. The majority of the hotels have hot spring fed pools.  There are many off the beaten path hot springs as well but those will take a little more research to find. This is also a popular destination for birdwatching.

La Fortuna Waterfall

This is a MUST SEE when visiting Arenal Costa Rica.  Stunning panoramic views can be seen from the top and they are just as amazing as the views from the bottom.  There are bathrooms, gift shop, and a restaurant at the top.

The base of La Fortuna Water Fall

Warning! Extreme leg workout!..and very cold water! It is 400 steps down to the base of the fall and then back up!  At the bottom of the falls, people are all around trying to get the perfect picture.  Make sure to wear appropriate shoes for climbing on the slippery rocks.  Take a detour from the main attraction and let the kids play in the river before hiking back up.


;

The base of La Fortuna Waterfall can be loaded with tourist. If you want a more secluded vibe, explore the jungle river.

Town of La Fortuna

Take a taxi into the closest town of La Fortuna.  This is such a charming town buzzing with roadside sellers, tourists, and locals hanging out in the park.  Barter with local farmers for their fresh produce, such as water apples! There is a small pizza joint (La Parada) in the main square that is delicious!

RELATED POSTS  Giraffe Manor

Our kids’ favorite thing to do in a new place is to try all the different candy and drinks. We stopped into a local market to buys a few treats and that is where we found a crate of machetes for sale!

Arenal Volcano Observatory

Learn more about the volcano at the Arenal Volcano Observatory. This is the best place to view the volcano even though it can be seen from almost anywhere within the area (weather permitting).  They also offer lodging and would be a great place to stay.



Booking.com

Nature hikes

Most hotel grounds offer some easy hiking trails. Coatimundis, toucans, snakes, and exotic bugs will most likely be seen while walking. We were hoping to see some monkeys, but that didn’t happen until we went to Manuel Antonio.

Much time can be spent strolling the wild pathways of the hotel grounds.

Where to stay

We stayed at Hotel Los Lagos for 3 nights which was loaded with naturally fed hot spring pools.  Some had water slides for kids…and adults.  Other pools have swim up bars for drinks and food.  Then there were lots of small private hot spring pools, but good luck snatching these up before all the love birds.

This is one of many hot spring fed pools at the resort. We visited in February and we were usually the only guests at the pool.

The hotel also had some wildlife exhibits with crocodiles, frogs, and leaf cutter ants. There was also a quaint butterfly garden that is educational and worth strolling through.  There are a lot of butterflies but nothing compares the witnessing the monarch migration in Mexico. We visited these everyday that we were here.

  • Share
  • Tweet

Related Posts

  • Things to do in Monteverde Costa Rica

    Monteverde, Costa Rica is located in the northwestern part of the country. It is home to vast amounts of biodiversity of flora and fauna.  If you are looking to take a break from the beach and head deep into the mountains, this destination is for you. Nature enthusiast flock to…

  • monkey in palm tree
    Things to do in the bohemian town of Montezuma Costa Rica

    Montezuma is a quaint surf town nestled in the hills of Costa Rica. This is the ideal place for travelers to kick back and leave all worries behind. Even though this destination is small, there are plenty of things to do in Montezuma, Costa Rica. Many travelers who have been…

  • manuel antonio
    Things to do Near Manuel Antonio

    Manuel Antonio is one of the most popular travel destinations in Costa Rica.  This is a great place to splurge in luxurious amenities while still experiencing the culture. Manuel Antonio is a prime vacation spot located on the Pacific Coast of central Costa Rica.  This destination is a 2-3 hour…

Filed Under: Central America, Costa Rica, Destinations, Travel, Travel with kids Tagged With: Family, Nature

About Laura

Laura is the creator of Daggerhart Destinations. She also operates a licensed non-profit wildlife rehabilitation center in Ohio where she rehabs orphaned or injured wild animals and releases them back into the wild. When Laura's not rescuing animals, she travels to experience unique destinations and wildlife wonders. She is a lover of nature, animals, good food, and yoga.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Join Our Mailing List

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

Categories

daggerhart_destinations

We haven’t seen any keas yet.🤞There are a few We haven’t seen any keas yet.🤞There are a few locations where they frequent due to humans feeding them. Remember, keep wildlife wild, do not feed any wild animals!
-
-
-
#keepwildlifewild #responsibletravel #travel #newzealand #kea #wildlife #conservation #donotfeedwildlife #cheekybird #bird #nz #daggerhartdestinations
The many views of New Zealand - - - #travel #views The many views of New Zealand
-
-
-
#travel #views #newzealand #landscapes #beautiful #nature #destinations #hukafalls #mtcook #lakepukaki #predatorfreeisland #roadtrip #daggerhartdestinations
Islamorada, FL - - We were blessed with many magic Islamorada, FL
-
-
We were blessed with many magical manatee moments during our stay In the Keys.
-
-
-
#family #holiday #islamorada #thefloridakeys  #florida #vacation #manatee #seacow #gentlegiant #peaceful #creatures #wildlife #nature #underwaterphotography #tropical #destination #familytravel #daggerhartdestinations
Islamorada, FL - - - #florida #sunset #islamorada Islamorada, FL
-
-
-
#florida #sunset #islamorada #floridakeys #holiday #tropical #family #vacation #travel #beautiful #destination #daggerhartdestinations
Greystoke Mahale, Tanzania - - - #travel #africa # Greystoke Mahale, Tanzania
-
-
-
#travel #africa #tanzania #remote beautiful #luxury #destination #nature #wildlife #greystokes #mahale #national #park #sunset #kayak #lake #beach #mountains #daggerhartdestinations
Greystoke Mahale, Tanzania - - - #travel #africa Greystoke Mahale, Tanzania
-
-
-

#travel #africa #tanzania #remote #destination #nature #wildlife #photography #greystokemahale #mahale #national #park #wild #chimpanzees #chimps #responsible #ethical #animal #tourism #daggerhartdestinations
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Footer

Search

Contact                               Privacy

Copyright © 2023