La Fortuna is a famous, small, beautiful town in Costa Rica with majestic waterfalls, a wide variety of wildlife, lush rainforest, and stunning landscapes. It houses and leads to most of the breathtaking tourist attractions in the country. The most beautiful hikes when visiting La Fortuna revolve around these tourist attractions.
There are about 25 tourist attractions with incredible times and fun activities in and around La Fortuna to participate in that will make your visit worthwhile.
Having seen and hiked 25, I highly recommend just 10 as the most beautiful hikes that will leave you in awe.
In this guide, I will share vital information on the 10 most beautiful hikes in La Fortuna that you should try whenever you visit.
Key Takeaways
- The most stunning turquoise-blue waterfall is the Rio Celeste.
- The best place to spot sloths in La Fortuna is the Bogarin Trail.
- The most beautiful hike with elevated views is the Mistico Hanging Bridges.
- The best spot to unwind in a hot spring after a long hike is El Choyin.
- The tallest waterfall in La Fortuna is the Catarata del Toro.
- The most beautiful hike that gives you the best view of the Arenal Volcano is Mirador El Silencio.
- The most popular hike in La Fortuna is the La Fortuna Waterfalls.
List of The 10 Most Beautiful Hikes In La Fortuna
In no particular order, here are the ten most beautiful hikes in La Fortuna.
La Fortuna Waterfall
The famous La Fortuna waterfall is a ten-minute drive from La Fortuna town and three hours from San Jose International Airport.
The waterfall opens at 7 am and closes at 5 pm daily, and before you can access it, you have to pay an entrance fee of $18; however, there is free entry for children under eight years old.
The trail that leads to the waterfall begins on a concrete path and takes you to the first viewpoint, which gives you a distant view of the waterfall.
Then, you will hike for about 100 meters and arrive at the concrete stairs that you will climb through lush tropical rainforest and exotic wildlife calls to the waterfall’s base.
When you arrive at the waterfall’s base, you will have to walk over some rocks, but do that with extreme caution because the rocks can be wet and slippery. Every step leads you to the gorgeous sparkling white waterfall and a blue-green pool beneath it.
You can swim in it; however, the water current can be very turbulent, so I would advise you to take a 50-meter walk to a more calm spot where you can swim peacefully.
The exciting thing about this place, aside from the waterfall, is the gorgeous blue Morpho butterflies that fly around the water while you are swimming. It makes you feel like you are in a fairytale.
Pro Tip
- La Fortuna is a crowded place, so come early in the morning or late afternoon and avoid weekends.
- Come with your swimming suit to enjoy
Arenal Volcano National Park
Located 20 minutes drive from La Fortuna town, it is one of the famous tourist destinations of La Fortuna and attracts many tourists each year.
The park opens between 8 am and 4 am daily, and you pay an entrance fee of $15 for adults and $5 for children.
There are two different sections of the Arenal Volcano National Park. People often visit the main one, while the second one, a quieter section, was closed when I visited.
The trail to the volcano starts at the main section called Sector Volcan and has three tracks, one of which is a connector called Los Heliconias. The other two tracks, Las Coladas and El Ceibo, are the trails that take you on a hike around the volcano.
You will start your hike on the Las Coladas trail, walking on the forest floor (sometimes mixed with gravel) in between tall grasses that rise above you until you get to a slightly dense forest.
After about 1.4 km of hiking, following the signpost, turn left and head to the viewpoint, where you will first climb a metal staircase and walk on an old lava flow from previous eruptions before setting your eyes on the gigantic, gorgeous Arenal volcano.
Big rocks are there, so you can sit down and admire this wonder before setting out to the other viewpoint, which is a 200-meter distance from the first. From this second viewpoint, you can see the Arenal volcano in one direction and Lake Arenal in another.
After which, you can head back along the trail down the metal staircase to the El Ceibo trail. Unlike the first trail, where you walk between tall grasses and a slightly dense forest, the El Ceibo trail leads you into a very dense rainforest where you can hear the calls of various wildlife.
The trail is also flat and easy to hike, and after about 1 km of hiking, you will come to the Gigantic Ceiba tree, which is over 400 years old and makes you feel so small standing beside it.
The trail continues from there, through dense forest and thick mud out of the jungle into the car park, and that’s the end of your hike.
Pro Tip
- Visit in the dry season, from December to April, to get the best view.
- Wear sturdy hiking boots to be able to hike on the muddy trails.
- Be careful when climbing the old-law flow; you can easily slip and break your ankle.
Rio Celeste Waterfall
Rio Celeste is an hour and thirty minutes drive from La Fortuna, located in the Tenorio Volcano National Park. It is famous for its stunning turquoise-blue waterfall, lush tropical rainforest, beautiful landscape, and varied wildlife.
The waterfall is a well-known tourist destination in the country and attracts thousands of tourists from around the globe each year.
To access the waterfall, you must pay an entrance fee of $12 for adults and $5 for children on the SINAC website. Afterward, you can present your payment screenshot to the park to begin your hike.
The trail leading to the waterfall begins from the jungle entrance and takes about 30 minutes of hiking on a mixture of paved concrete, bare ground, and small rocks amidst the never-ending calls of the jungle to the waterfall.
On getting close to the waterfall, you can begin to hear the thunderous sounds of the Majestic Rio Celeste Waterfall. You will need to climb a 250-step steep staircase to get to the foot of the Rio Celeste waterfall, cascading from a 90-meter height down into the pool beneath it.
After you are satisfied with staring at the gorgeous natural wonder and probably taking photos, you can climb up the stairs back to the trail that leads to the waterfall or continue to other parts of the park.
If you choose to continue, your next stop will be the Mirador, also called the viewpoint, where you can see the Tenorio Volcano in all of its glory. Then, the Laguna Azul, also called the Blue River, will be your next stop. Crossing the suspended wooden bridge will take you to the Borbollones (Hot Springs), where you can see a bubble on the surface of the water due to sulphuric gases coming from beneath the Tenorio Volcano.
Finally, Los Tenideros, where the magic of two clear rivers meet to form the turquoise color seen in the water, happens.
Los Tenideros is the end of the hike, which takes about 3 hours and 30 minutes to complete.
Pro Tip
The best time to visit the Rio Celeste is in the dry season, from December to April. If you visit in the rainy season, you may be disappointed to see muddy water instead of the stunning turquoise color.
Arenal 1968
This is one of the most beautiful and famous hikes in La Fortuna. It is a 20-minute drive from the town, and the park opens daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the last entry at 4 p.m. and an entrance fee of $25.
The trail starts from the car park on a gravel path beside the forest. After 300 m of hiking, you will turn, following the sign into the forest, which brings you to tall grasses after a brisk walk, and continuing on the trail brings you to the old lava flow, an uphill track that makes you feel the likeness of a volcano.
After about 650 meters of climbing the old lava flow, you will get to the main viewpoint, where you see the magnificent volcanic Arenal mountain, and from there, you hike to Los Patos over steep rocks into the rainforest.
Continuing on the trail brings you to Lago Los Patos, a pretty green lake, and hiking around the lake will take you back into the rainforest and to the cafe, which marks the end of the hike.
It should take you about 5.5 km to hike around the Arenal. I’d advise you to come on a sunny day to get a beautiful view of Arenal.
Mistico Hanging Bridges
Another beautiful hike in La Fortuna is the Mistico Hanging Bridges. It is a 30-minute drive from La Fortuna town and opens daily from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the last entry at 3:50 p.m. Entrance into the park costs $30.
There are 16 bridges in total, 6 of which are hanging bridges. Hiking on these bridges gives you an elevated view of the rainforest.
Although walking on the hanging bridges may appear scary, it is safe to have attendants at each bridge who allow a specific number of people, so it does not get too shaky.
Overall, the hike is exciting and worth it.
Mirador, El Silencio
The Mirador El Silencio is one of the famous tourist attractions in La Fortuna and is a 15-minute drive from the town. It opens at 8 am and closes by 5 pm with an entrance fee of $9.
Mirador El Silencio offers the best views of Arenal Volcano and the various hiking trails leading to it. They all start from the ticket office at the junction, where you see a signpost indicating the route to follow for each trail.
I’d advise you to choose the third trail, the Sendero El Tabacon, because it’s the easiest and most beautiful.
Then head right into the dense rainforest, where you can hear the sounds of various wildlife. Climb on the old lava flow and arrive at the junction, where you have three options.
Head right, using the Salida or Exit sign and continue into the rainforest. Slightly steep steps take you to the first Arenal viewpoint, and as you continue on the trail, you will see Lake Arenal.
Then, follow a dirt trail that gives you a full view of the Arenal volcano for a lengthy walk and turn right following the Lago Verde sign. You will arrive at the Majestic Arenal Volcano’s main view point, which is a vast lava field covered in black rock and tropical rainforest.
El Salto Rope Swing
It would help if you tried this place when you visited La Fortuna. Not because it’s free, but because it is gorgeous, and a brisk walk from the town gets you there.
There’s no stipulated time to visit since it’s a public area. You can visit at any time of the day, especially on a hot day when you need to cool off.
To get to the swing, you start hiking from the southern side of the bridge and head down to a few broken steps, and then take a left turn along a dirt trail that brings you to the rope swing, where you can either swing it and jump into the pool beneath or use the other route, which takes you through steep rocks and dirt trails to the edge of the pool.
Then, you can hike to other parts of the river that are a bit secluded but beautiful to swim in.
Pro Tip
There are small rocks under the water, so be careful when swinging in or, better yet, use the other route to get into the river.
El Choyin
El Choyin is one of the most popular attractions in La Fortuna. It is free and open 24 hours a day. If you are looking for a spot to soak yourself in a hot spring river after a long day’s hike in La Fortuna, then this is the perfect place for you.
However, this spot is no secret, so it can get crowded, especially on weekends and during the peak tourist season.
So if you want a quiet time all to yourself, come in very early in the morning at about 6 am or late at night at about 10 Pm. Aside from the crowd, the timing is perfect to get the best water temperature for soaking yourself in the hot springs.
The hike to this hot spring is pretty straightforward: a one-minute walk from the entrance, crossing an open wire fence.
The Bogarin Trail
A few minutes’ drive from the center of La Fortuna town will bring you here. It is usually open daily from 7 am to 5 pm and costs an entry fee of $18 for adults and $3 for children above three years old; children under three years old can enter for free.
The Bogarin trail is the perfect place to go sloth touring in La Fortuna. You can easily find sloths swinging and lying on top of trees, as well as other wildlife like toucans, hummingbirds, etc.
The best part about this place, aside from sloth touring, is that the ticket is valid for 24 hours. This means if you are unable to sight a sloth on day one, you can come the next day with your ticket and will have access to do sloth touring.
One more thing: the trail is flat and easy to hike.
Pro Tip
They only accept cash, and you cannot pay with your credit card, dollars, or online. So have some Colones with you.
Catarata Del Toro
Catarata del Toro should be the tallest waterfall I have ever seen. An hour and thirty-minute drive from La Fortuna takes you to the Catarata del Toro, and you pay an entry fee of $14 per person.
This waterfall is located on private property and surrounded by lush tropical rainforest and several other smaller waterfalls.
To get to it, you need to hike a quarter mile from the park into a volcanic crater to the waterfall’s base.
Hiking Tips for Travelers
- Most of these hikes require physical fitness before you can start, so ensure you consult your doctor to ascertain whether you are to go for a long distance.
- Come with a sturdy hiking boot and not flip-flops because the trails can be very steep and muddy, so you might easily slip wearing flip-flops.
- Carry insect repellents, water, snacks, and a camera when going on most hikes.
- Follow the park’s rules and regulations and ensure you do not litter so the park stays clean for future generations to enjoy.
- Avoid weekends and peak tourist season if you don’t like crowds.
Make sure you have proper hiking gear for Costa Rica. I have outlined all you need on the aforementioned page.
If you’re planning an adventure in La Fortuna, you might also be interested in 10 Tips for Hiking Arenal Volcano on Your Own. It’s a great resource for those who want to explore the iconic Arenal Volcano independently.
Conclusion
La Fortuna is a small town with the most beautiful hikes in Costa Rica. Each comes with a bundle of non-stop fun and learning.
Remember that most hikes may require physical fitness and traveling over a long distance of an hour or more. So come prepared to enjoy and hike the ones you can.
To enjoy the hikes without hassle, visit All World Travel and Tours for a smooth experience.
About Michelle Schmidt
Born in California, Michelle traveled extensively through the USA and Europe before moving to South Florida during the pandemic. Her career in Marketing has taken her all across the world. Her favorite country is France but she'll never turn down a beach vacation!
