Things to do in  La Fortuna

Incredible guides and such a wonderful way to see the volcano! Includes entrance to the hanging bridges park, so you can take that walk on your own, making the entire day a complete steal! Best thing we did in La Fortuna.

Absolutely amazing, fun filled day! With only three days in La Fortuna, I wanted to see as much as possible - this tour helped me do that! I didn't feel rushed at any of the locations and was able to enjoy them to the fullest. Our guide, Erica, was absolutely amazing and helped us take awesome photos while also giving us lots of information about the locations we visited. She was also excellent at helping us spot wildlife - and thanks to her we were able to see a three-toed sloth, a chestnut mandibled toucan, and several snakes / frogs!

Our daughter loves horses and Rio Celeste was a place we wanted to see, so this combo was perfect. David, the outfitter, was very kind and his customer service was exceptional. We had a little bit of difficulty finding the place and passed it- tip: follow the GPS, but when you see the blue sign that says David’s Horseback Rides at the Tilapiria- stop, even though the GPS says you have another 1.6 miles. Viator lists the tour provider as Rio Celeste Horseback Riding, but the provider is actually David’s Horseback Riding. David got us helmets, put us each on a horse and gave some basic instructions. We set off for Rio Celeste. It poured rain (which is common and to be expected). David had large raincoats tied behind each saddle that were large enough for everyone and fit over a backpack. Our first stop was a Tarzan swing in the middle of the jungle/rain forrest. The swing was fun and felt like being a kid! We rode the horses further down until the beautiful river was visible. We dismounted and walked across a little hanging bridge maybe 200m to the river. Some went off into the wood and changed into swim suits; we had worn ours under our clothes. The river was stunningly beautiful in a milky turqouis color. The water was quite cool, but not as cold as La Fortuna waterfall. The section of the river David took us too was on private land he has access to and not the national park, so it was just us and a local family which was really nice. The current was strong and the water is deep. David climbed up the hillside and dove in from about 10m. I followed and cannon-balled off the hillside- it was a blast! After an hour or so swimming and hanging out, we dried off some (others changed clothes) and walked back toward the horses. David stopped to show us a little red frog. The horses trotted/galloped toward the end of the ride after climbing back up the very steep, rocky and muddy path. There is a restaurant (Tilapiria) at the start and end with a restroom. We changed there and stayed for a good lunch. They will catch a fish on the spot and go cook it (chicken options are also available). This was way off the beaten path and very local/authentic. David did a great job all the way through and seemed very trustworthy. I recommend this for those seeking a unique experience- be ready for rough roads driving the last ten min and the horse riding is quite off road.

We had a great time with our very polite driver, Hector, and our extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and fun guide, Fabrizio. We were picked up from our hotel in La Fortuna for this private tour with just our family of three, then drove to the raft launch. We floated and paddled down a moving river and saw several birds (Kingfisher, yellow belly flycatcher, heron, and a bare-throated tiger heron that was eating a fish), a Howler monkey troop with at least 6 monkeys, 2 river otters, and a sloth that moved. Fabrizio also pointed out several reptiles like 2 iguana and a Basilisk lizard. We finished the float and went to a local family farm for an incredible snack on plantains, cheese, yucca bread, and juice before heading to the La Fortuna Waterfall. The family farm was 100% farm-to-table and everyone was very friendly. At La Fortuna waterfall, Fabrizio kindly took a few family photos for us, gave us instructions for the rest of the day, then connected us with our next guide, Erica. Erica had a group of 6 and we joined that group for the waterfall and lunch. Erica was also very knowledgeable and shared many facts about Costa Rica and the La Fortuna Waterfall. The waterfall was magnificent, the water was cold and there were about 400-500 stairs down and back up. We had about an hour to swim and marvel at the waterfall, then a chance to change to dry clothes. We went to lunch about ten minutes away and it was delicious. This was one of the best days of out trip. We really felt like we got to see authentic Tico life and experience the Pura Vida. I would request our guides again.

Pickup came promptly, and in no time we were whisked off to Mistico Hanging Bridges. We spent a few hours wandering the paths - pretty much nobody there, just us taking in the animals, such as poison dart frogs and bats. Got great views of the mountain from all over the park! Really enjoyed the morning strolling through the trees. Continued onto the waterfall for a quick soak. Steps down here are sturdily built - no need to worry even when it's rainy. The only bad part is going back up the steps after you're done soaking! Water was deliciously cool and everyone was pretty much split into their own social bubbles. One side on the right goes towards the waterfall, which has a lifeguard that will blow his whistle if you get dangerously close to the spray. The other side is perfect for cooling down and trying to catch some of the little fish swimming by! There is also a fantastic photo spot a few steps up from where the stairs end. We were here for roughly an hour. Went for a delicious casado plate lunch on the outskirts of La Fortuna. Started on the hike after lunch towards the lava fields. We learned more about what happened here - how there used to be a town called Arenal that was abandoned after the volcano eruption damaged it in 1968. Meandering through the forests, we saw the landscape slowly change to something more arid and rocky as we entered the lava fields, which are a black rock. We continued ascending to the panoramic viewpoint after about an hour, and took some pictures. It was raining then, but stopped once we descended back to a separate parking lot. Saw lots of birds on the way!

We were glad we went on this tour. We got the history and to see the sights but might be a little pricy for what it is. Since we were staying near the volcano we wanted to learn about it but google would have done just as good. You must see la fortuna waterfall for sure as it is beautiful!!

We went to this because 3/4 of our group are baristas/coffee enthusiasts. I unfortunately am not a fan of coffee, and was worried I would be bored on this tour, but I was completely wrong! Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and loved answering all of our questions, and we talked about not only the coffee growing process, but wildlife and plant conservation in CR, chocolate production, the local town, and lots more! We drove ourselves to the cafe where it takes place (its literally 5 minutes away from La Fortuna and clearly marked) and our guide started the tour with a walk around the farm where we learned all about the plants that grew there, then we went back to the cafe to see how coffee AND chocolate was brewed there, then we got to sample freshly roasted coffee with a spot of breakfast. All in all, it was a wonderful tour, and I would highly recommend it if you love coffee OR if you are willing to learn!

Randall made a rainy day very interesting and fun!! We saw lots of wild things in the jungle, had a great hike and swim in La Fortuna Falls, an excellent traditional Costa Rican lunch in town, and finished the day off with a volcanoe hike and history lesson.

A great day doing the best activities in Arenal. Hanging bridges was superb, great to do with a guide the first time so as can spot the animals and birds (we went back the next day on our own). Quite a lot of walking (couple of hours) but in beautiful setting. Waterfall and swim was nice, quite a hike up and down (500 steps). Lunch great, in La Fortuna. Hike in Arenal Park was good, to a good viewpoint on lava flow, although quite short (only a kilometre or so). Overall, a very good day.

My boyfriend and I only had ONE full day in La Fortuna, so we knew we needed to maximize it. This tour was the absolute best thing for us to do. I recommend doing this tour on your first full day in La Fortuna. The reason why I say that is because the tour guides will give you so much information about the area. You will also see where to park, and exactly which trails to take if you feel the urge to re-visit what you already saw. The photo opportunities are endless. I wish I could add photos with this review, but there wasn't the opportunity to do so. I run an online business, so it's good for my business to have photos in exotic places. This was perfect. I was concerned that the sites would be swarming with people. The truth was, each of these locations are so large that it doesn't matter if it's busy or not--you can always find a spot to venture off on your own. For me, this was great because I like quiet time to reflect in nature AND I didn't want people in the background of my photos :-) It wasn't too crowded at all--even though we went during the busiest time of the year, and during the busiest time of the day. The tour guide told us about some other things to do in town, so my boyfriend and I checked those sites out the next day. We wound up having so much fun, and we're so grateful that our tour guide gave us suggestions. He was incredibly knowledgeable, fun, funny, and kind. Mistico Park was pretty cool. There were exotic animals and scenic bridges. It was my boyfriend and my least favorite spot, but we would have checked it out on our own anyway (because it's so well-known). It was great to go to Mistico Park first thing in the morning (which the tour guide intentionally does) because it's always very foggy in the morning, so it was wise to kill time in Mistico Park while the sun had a chance to shine through for our time at the waterfall and volcano (although this IS a RAINforest, so no sunshine is guaranteed during your tour). Nine hours seems like a long time to be on your feet, but you get plenty of breaks. You get picked up, drive to Mistico Park, get a break to change/go to the bathroom, then you drive to La Fortuna waterfall, get a change to change/go to the bathroom, and you finally go to the Arenal Volcano and get a chance to change/go to the bathroom before you hike. Overall, I highly recommend this tour! Do it.

This was a fantastic way to learn about Costa Rica and La Fortuna/Arenal vaolcano. Hector was so informative, attentive and easygoing. Pick-up was on time. We hiked to a great vantage to view Arenal. Then moved on to visit La Fortuna waterfall which was beautiful. We ate a genuine Costa Rican lunch. We ended the day at Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park where we were able to see howler monkeys, toucans, a sloth, several birds and snakes. It was so great to have a guide who knew where to spot particular animals and who had a scope for viewing. It was a full day of fun and education - I highly recommend this tour and Hector specifically!

Erica was such a great guide and this tour was awesome! Being our first time to La Fortuna, this tour gave us a sample of the highlights and plenty of information about the history of the area. Our group consisted of 2 families with adult children and we all loved the variety and pace of the tour. Erica took us through gardens, trails and bridges always pointing out interesting sites and helping us to spot wildlife. The time spent at the waterfall and volcano were great and we all enjoyed lunch with Erica and her driver in town. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone up for an adventure and the chance to really get to know the area.

This was an all day tour around the Arenal volcano, La Fortuna waterfall, and Hanging Bridges in the tropical rainforest. Unfortunately the day we went it was foggy so we couldnt see the volcano that well but seeing the dried lava fields was awesome! The waterfall does have 500steps to get to it but it doesnt seem so bad going down. Now coming up the steps takes some time but if you stop to rest its very doable! Lastly the hanging bridges has beautiful views, again because it was foggy and rainy we did not see that many animals but our tour guide Hubert was awesome at explaining the trees and birds that we did see. I have recommended this trip to multiple other people!