3 Days in La Fortuna/ Arenal
La Fortuana and Arenal are in a lush, rainy, beautiful region of Costa Rica. The looming Arenal volcano is just awesome, it’s looming presence just absolutely has you awe struck, there’s no other ! Hopefully you’ll have a few days in this area as I’ve read that sometimes the low clouds can obstruct the view. We were lucky to get full visibility during our stay there. Also, I mention La Fortuna / Arenal because La Fortuna is the town that sits right at the base of the Arenal Volcano.
When I was preparing for this trip I was overwhelmed with all the tours and things to do in this area, so I hope if you happen upon this I can simplify it for you.
Hotel: Arenal Springs Resort & Spa
We booked this hotel using our AA Airline Miles and boy was I blown away. The service, the food, the grounds, the looming volcano that I could see from my bungalow bed. There are also several natural hot springs at this hotel for guests only, and a swim up bar! The water is 100% natural thermal spring water, the minerals make your skin feel soft and refreshed.
This was day 2 of our full trip in Costa Rica but here’s the breakdown for our 3 days spent in La Fortuna/ Arenal (click the links below to jump forward):
Day 2 – La Fortuna Waterfall & Chocolate Tasting
Day 3 – Mistico Hanging Bridges, Zip lining & Night time Frog Hunt
Day 4 – Arenal 1968 Hike (Hike the lava trails from the 1968 volcanic eruption)
We arrived, checked in, soaked in the hot springs with a drink at the bar then made our way to La Fortuna Waterfall, a very short drive from our hotel. Check out the video for a short recap of our Adventures.
The Waterfalls
I recommend to ditch the tour guide. Drive up, park, purchase tickets and walk 15 minutes to the falls. There are many, many steps that take you to the base of the waterfalls. I’ve read that you can also arrive to the falls by horseback. With our youngest being 3 years old, we did it on our own two legs, we prepared for this outing by bringing with us a hiking backpack, but we never actually used it. We took our time walking back up (which was the hard part, and my husband did carry him for a bit, I’m sure it was a good workout!)
At the base of the falls are many pools, the main basin was closed to us due to heavy currents on the day we went, and with the force of that waterfall and the constant rainfall I’m not surprised. We did swim in the very cold water in a basin not far from the falls and I still found the current to be strong so exercise caution, especially with young ones. We also packed some food, which you’ll see in the video was sniffed out by an unidentified rodent-type animal. I also recommend taking swim shoes with you for the slippery rocks.
After the Waterfall we took it easy with dinner and some chocolate dessert from a nearby local cocoa farm. They also offer tours (there are several you can choose from!) but we just opted for a sampling and bought some goodies to take back home with us.
For more info on the falls: arenal.net/la-fortuna-waterfall-costa-rica
Mistico Hanging Bridges
Human beings have done amazing things. Erecting suspended bridges throughout the rainforest for an immersive experience is one of those amazing experiences! We were traveling with a 3 year old, so let’s just say I wasn’t immersed as long as I would’ve liked to have been!
This was another adventure we did without a tour guide. Truth be told I’m a bit anti-organized-tours, because when we traveled to Egypt with the littles it was too rigid and I’ve learned with kids we need to be able to go at our own pace. This day was a great example. Once we realized we were nearing the point of no return we took the short-cut (they provide an easy-to-follow map) and high-bridged it outta there.
When you arrive the Mistico Arched Sign frames the majestic Arenal Volcano so perfectly it’s a must photo stop! And then it’s a matter of purchasing your tickets and following the map and guided route through the jungle of ginormous trees and leaves. I was so proud of my littles, they showed great courage crossing those wobbly suspended bridges with the forest floor sooooo far below! I will definitely love to return and explore the longer route.
For more info on visiting this attraction: misticopark.com
Ziplining
We went on a zip line tour through the rainforest with GoAdventurePark.com. The level of professionalism, how great they were with my daughter, and everything about how they operated from booking to completion was above board excellent! I highly recommend them. Just a note, we got the photo package, which was not terribly expensive, but I’d personally prefer if there were some videos included and not just still photos. The great thing about this tour also was the surprise addition of a rappel down the side of a cliff down to the river bed below. It was so exciting!
For more information on booking this excursion: http://www.goadventurepark.com
Frog Watching Jungle Night Walk
Ok. So… I hate frogs. They are slimy and not my cup of tea. BUT I love my son more, and my husband opted out of a walk through the jungle at night, so mama-bear to the rescue to include little dude in some sort of adventure, because he was quite grumpy that big sis went ziplining and he didn’t.
If you’re into this sort of thing here’s the link.
I don’t sound super enthusiastic because I ended up holding a 3-year-old for an hour as we walked ever so slowly through the wet, rainy, jungle, with nothing but a tiny flashlight.
Let’s just say my biceps are stronger, as well as my resolve never to do this again. We did see a super cool translucent frog as well as a sloth, some cool spiders and the tiniest frog ever. I wonder what froggy-sense that guide had to spot him, it was like finding a needle in a haystack, except it even more impossible…like finding a tiny frog in a forest.
