Three Days in La Fortuna: Costa Rica’s Volcanic Wonderland

La Fortuna is the perfect destination in Costa Rica to spend three days. It’s got lush jungles, the beautiful slopes of Arenal Volcano, hot springs, and tons of hiking and wildlife.

This three day itinerary for La Fortuna has all the top things to do as a first time visitor to the area with all the details. La Fortuna has so much to offer, you will find yourself wishing you had more time here.

Highlights for me on this itinerary were the opportunities for jungle hiking and spotting sloths. The jungles here are full of wildlife so you are sure to see some iconic Costa Rican wildlife like the red-eyed treefrog, sloths, or coatis.

La Fortuna was my first stop on a 10 day Costa Rica trip and it was a fantastic place to begin the vacation. It’s also the perfect choice as a destination if you only have time for a short trip to Costa Rica.

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Three Days in La Fortuna, Costa Rica

• Day 1: Mistico Hanging Bridges, Night Tour
• Day 2: Arenal Observatory, Hot Springs
• Day 3: El Silencio Hike, Sloth tour
• Departure Day: La Fortuna Waterfall

Are La Fortuna and Arenal Worth Visiting?

The Arenal and La Fortuna area is worth visiting. The scenery is gorgeous and it is easy to find an activity for all types of traveller.

You can have an active vacation and with plenty of opportunities for wildlife viewing and hiking. There are even activities for thrill seekers like waterfall rappelling or ziplining. Or if you need to unwind and relax you can spend your days trying out the different hot spring options.

If you only have time for a short trip to Costa Rica, this is the one destination I would recommend as an introduction to the country.

La Fortuna vs. Arenal

When I started planning my trip to this area, I kept seeing both Arenal and La Fortuna come up as the location. Arenal is the name of the volcano and is often used to refer to the entire area. La Fortuna is the name of the town closest to Arenal Volcano.

Confusingly, when looking for hotels on Booking.com, you should search for “Fortuna” to show all the hotels in the area. For some reason using “La Fortuna” as a destination shows you only a few results.

When to Visit La Fortuna

I visited La Fortuna in mid-May. This is the beginning of the “rainy season” or “green season.” It felt like the perfect time to visit. I was able to get a good accommodation deal because it is a low tourism season. I did have some rainy afternoons and evening thunderstorms, but it only enhanced the rainforest vibe. Everything was green and lush.

I recommend visiting La Fortuna in May, June, July, or November. You will get some rain, but fewer crowds. For drier weather (and peak tourism season!) in La Fortuna, visit from December to April.

How Many Days to Spend in La Fortuna

I spent 3 nights in La Fortuna so I had 2 full days and 2 part days. For me, 3 nights is the minimum amount of time you will need to experience the highlights of La Fortuna.

You could easily spend 5 nights in La Fortuna. With 5 nights, you do a day trip to Rio Celeste and use the other day to go ziplining, rafting, or canyoning.

With only one full day in La Fortuna, I recommend joining a tour that allows you to see all the highlights.

Where to Stay in La Fortuna and Arenal

If you don’t have a car, I recommend staying close to the town of La Fortuna. From this area, you are within walking distance of restaurants and tours will offer pickup options. It’s also a more affordable area than staying close to Arenal Volcano. I stayed at La Fortuna Natural Green just outside of town and loved the location and hotel. It was affordable, and I had a large and private cabin. Tifakara Boutique Hotel is another great option as it is close to La Fortuna Waterfall and has gorgeous rainforest grounds.

Arenal Volcano is a great area to stay as it is close to the hot springs and most activities. This area has most of the resorts and more expensive accommodation options. The downside to this area is that most tours do not offer pickup here, and you will likely end up eating at the resort restaurant most nights. Nayara Gardens is a great option if you can splurge on accommodation, as the rooms and private pools are stunning. Hotel Arenal Springs Resort & Spa is another great choice with on site hot springs and views of Arenal Volcano.

Where to Eat in La Fortuna

I had heard some bad reviews about the food in Costa Rica, so my expectations were low. I ended up being pleasantly surprised! It ended up being one of the easiest countries I have visited for vegetarian food as most places had more than one option.

I loved starting the day with a traditional breakfast that included rice and beans. When you book a hotel, I highly recommend having breakfast included. I ate breakfast every day at La Fortuna Natural Green and felt spoiled by how much food they gave me.

El Chante Verde– This place is fantastic and is a must-try while you are in the area. They do a tableside guacamole and the veggie burger is probably the best I’ve ever had. Plenty of options on their menu.

La Street Bistro– Located on the main street of La Fortuna, this fusion restaurant makes everything fresh. I had the guacamole (amazing!) and vegetarian tacos, which included a variety of vegetables. Delicious food and a charming atmosphere.

Soda La Palma– Close to Arenal Volcano, this is the perfect place for lunch or dinner. It has a very local vibe and the service was fast. They serve up a delicious quesadilla.

The Perfect Three Day Itinerary for La Fortuna and Arenal

For this three day itinerary to La Fortuna, I used a rental car. I booked with Adobe Rental Cars through DiscoverCars and was very happy with my experience. If you don’t want to drive, there are shuttles to La Fortuna from San Jose. You can get around La Fortuna and Arenal by taxi or using day tours that have pickup options.

Day 1: Arrive to La Fortuna and Visit Mistico Hanging Bridges

I spent the night near the San Jose Airport, so I took the 2.5-hour drive to La Fortuna after breakfast. The drive is quite easy, with clearly marked, well-paved roads. I dropped my luggage off at La Fortuna Natural Green Hotel. Then I was on my way to Mistico Hanging Bridges for my first experience with the Costa Rican rainforest.

Mistico Hanging Bridges

Mistico Hanging Bridges is one of the most popular activities in the La Fortuna area. If you are travelling in a busy season, you should book your tickets in advance. They also have guided tours available.

I did a self-guided tour as I was okay with not seeing wildlife and just wanted to experience the bridges. It took about 2 hours to walk the 3 km trail. I was able to spot some wildlife on my own, including Strawberry Poison Dart Frogs, a few birds, butterflies, and a snake.

The rainforest scenery with hanging bridges draped across it are the highlight at Mistico. With mist rising above the rainforest trees, it was the perfect way to start a vacation in Costa Rica.

Mistico Hanging Bridges were the most accessible hanging bridges I visited in Costa Rica. The main route is even has signs directing wheelchair users of the best route.

Night Hike at El Silencio

After exploring Mistico Hanging Bridges, I headed back to the hotel to await my pickup for a night hike at El Silencio with Wildlife Tours Costa Rica. I was picked up by Brandon, who was my guide for the night, along with 7 other people.

For this night tour, you spend about 1.5 hours doing a short walk around the trails and ponds at El Silencio. One of the highlights were the red-eyed tree frogs in the pond area. The red-eyed tree frogs are very colourful in La Fortuna. Further south, in Manuel Antonio, the iconic red-eye tree frogs are missing the vibrant blue legs and ribs. The ponds also had hourglass tree frogs and drab tree frogs, as well as an eyelash viper and a cloudy snail-eating snake.

After the pond, we set off with our flashlights to see what we could discover along the trails. On the trailside, we spotted sleeping toucans, rhinoceros katydid, a striated salamander, and some gorgeous butterflies and moths.

This night tour was a fantastic way to experience the rainforest at Arenal. The guides were very knowledgeable and passionate about the animals they were introducing you to.

After getting dropped back at La Fortuna Natural Green Hotel, walk the short distance to El Chante Verde for a late dinner. I ended up eating there a couple of times because the food and ambiance are fantastic. They have great vegetarian and vegan options, and I am still thinking about the veggie burger I had there.

Day 2: Explore Arenal Observatory

After breakfast, head out to Arenal Observatory Lodge. I had heard bad things about the road to the lodge, but it was not bad when I visited. It’s set quite far back from the main road and it is a dirty road.

You can buy day pass at the gates, at the time I visited, entry was 20USD for the day or 40USD if you wanted lunch included. The entry may sound a bit steep but the grounds are extensive and you can easily spend most of the day here.

The hiking at Arenal Observatory ended up being my favourite in La Fortuna. You can do as little or as much as you want. I hiked most of the trails and the highlight for me was Danta Waterfall. If you aren’t up for a big hike it is pretty close to the start of the trails.

I also loved the scenery around the Los Cangrejos section of the trail. There are some beautiful seasonal waterfalls and a large colony of Montezuma Oropendolas. In good weather, you should also be able to get some nice views of Arenal Volcano and the other mountains in the area.

After doing the longer hike, make sure you check out the Observation Tower. It’s quite tall and you get an amazing view over the forest canopy and of Arenal Volcano as well as Lake Arenal.

Wildlife at Arenal Observatory

Arenal Observatory was a fantastic place for wildlife spotting. I was able to spot coatis, howler monkeys, and many species of bird, including toucans, hummingbirds, oropendolas, crested guans, and Great Currasow. It was my first time seeing a Great Currasow and seeing it walk across the path in front of me was unexpected as I didn’t know that they were so large.

I skipped the lunch option here but did grab some delicious smoothies from the smoothie bar. I spent about 6 hours at Arenal Observatory Lodge.

Visiting a Hot Spring in La Fortuna

Afterwards, if you are up for it, it’s a great time to check out one of the nearby hot springs. I ended up skipping on the hot springs as a thunderstorm got in the way. I would head to Tabacon Hot Springs.

If you are looking for a free option there is also El Choyin, however this does not have any facilities and is completely natural. Another water-based option is the free El Salto rope swing close to La Fortuna town.

Finish up the day by enjoying dinner at La Street Bistro on the main street of La Fortuna.

Day 3: Hike El Silencio and Do Wildlife Tours

While in La Fortuna I wanted to do at least one hike that included lava flows from the 1968 eruption of Arenal Volcano. I chose to hike the trails at Mirador El Silencio. Arenal 1968 is nearby and another option for lava trails.

I hiked the entire loop at El Silencio and it took about 3 hours. The highlight was Trail #6 Sendero Lava 1968. If you want a short hike, I recommend driving up to the second parking lot and hiking only this section of the trail. The Lava 1968 trail offers views of Arenal volcano and the unique black obsidian landscape. I loved seeing the black lava field and the orchids here. On the way down I was also lucky enough to spot a sloth.

Another highlight of El Silencio is Trail #2 Sendero Los Sainos with its fantastically large trees. This section of the forest is gorgeous and is exactly what I was looking for from a rainforest hike.

After your time at El Silencio, head to Soda La Palma for lunch before meeting up for the Sloth Tour at Papa’s Place.

Sloth Tour with Papa’s Place

The Sloth Tour with Papa’s Place ended up being one of the highlights of La Fortuna for me. It feels like a must-do activity. I highly recommend Papa’s Place as there is an emphasis on ethical wildlife viewing. Some other tour operators or sloth trails use sloth calls to get sloths to move, use laser pointers that can damage their eyes, or relocate sloths into their areas for guaranteed sightings.

The sloth tour I went on ended up being a private tour as I travelled in a lower tourism season. I lucked out with having Emilio as a guide and Javier as a driver/spotter. Even though it is a sloth tour, Emilio also points out other wildlife and turns it into a wildlife safari around La Fortuna. He’s very knowledgeable and passionate about the species here. He also brought along a spotting scope to help you see sloths and birds high up in the tree canopy and to take photos with your smartphone.

We ended up seeing about 10 sloths of both the 3-toed and 2-toed species that are present in La Fortuna. Emilio and Javier also spotted howler monkeys, green and black poison frogs, strawberry poison frogs, toucans, and hawks. It was easily my favourite tour I took in Costa Rica.

Night Tour with Papa’s Place

After my fantastic experience with Papa’s Place sloth tour, I immediately signed up for a night tour as well.

This night tour is a bit different than the one in El Silencio as it is completely on the grounds of Papa’s Place. There are multiple gardens and ponds set up in the yard that attract quite a few species.

I ended up seeing different species than I did at El Silencio, including the resident fer-de-lance snake as well as glass frogs, a giant stick insect, and bats (see them feeding from a hummingbird feeder here!). There were also plenty of hourglass frogs and red-eyed tree frogs.

If you love wildlife, I recommend doing more than one night tour. Wildlife is unpredictable so there is always the chance to see different species. Also, searching for wildlife by flashlight is a lot of fun.

I finished up the day by having a late dinner at El Chante Verde.

Day 4: La Fortuna Waterfall and Depart La Fortuna

Your final morning in La Fortuna before departing is the perfect time to visit La Fortuna Waterfall. You only need a couple of hours at the waterfall so you should have time to visit before checkout time today. It was only about a 5 minute drive from La Fortuna Natural Green Hotel where I stayed.

The La Fortuna Waterfall is one of the most iconic landmarks in La Fortuna and it is well worth the visit as it is beautiful.

Entry is 20 USD to the waterfall and can purchase your entry to the waterfalls in advance to make sure you get the entry time you want. There are bathrooms, change rooms, and a cafe right at the entrance. There are no facilities at the base of the waterfall.

I liked visiting La Fortuna Waterfalls in the morning because there are almost 500 stairs to get to the waterfall. It’s fine on the way down, but it really starts to heat up walking back up to the parking lot. It only takes about 45 minutes to walk down and back up the stairs, not including time at the bottom.

You can swim in the stream next to the waterfall. When I visited, there were lifeguards and they were very strict about where you could swim. It wasn’t allowed to swim right at the base of the waterfall.

After your time at the waterfall, head back to the hotel to check out and continue your journey in Costa Rica or head back to the airport for departure. My next destination after La Fortuna was to spend three nights in the gorgeous cloud forests of Monteverde.

Spending 3 Nights in La Fortuna

La Fortuna is a gorgeous destination in Costa Rica that has a little something to offer everyone. I could have happily spent longer in the area and would definitely visit again. It’s the perfect destination as a first-time visitor to Costa Rica.