Trips Out of La Fortuna by Road and Boat
La Fortuna is a good launch point because the biggest outings are one road or one boat ride away. Here is how each choice plays out, with the travel time and the money involved. Prices are in US dollars and rounded.
If you want a colourful river: Rio Celeste
Allow 1.5 to 2 hours each way by road to reach Tenorio Volcano National Park. Entry is about $12 per adult and $5 per child aged 2 to 12, with IVA on top, and you must reserve online. A parking space costs about CRC 2,000. The park forbids swimming inside its boundaries, though a free public place to cool off lies about 1 km beyond the gate, next to the bridge. Parts of the trail can close, so ask about the waterfall path before you leave.
If you want wildlife from a boat: Cano Negro
This is the longest of the outings, around 8 to 9 hours from start to finish. The first leg is a drive of about 1.5 hours to Los Chiles. After that comes about 2 hours on the Rio Frio. Operators quote about $65 to $100, and the park fee is normally part of the price. Everything happens from the boat, so expect to watch rather than touch. Caiman and birds may appear, but nobody can promise them, and feeding animals is never acceptable.
If you have a car: the lake road
Route 142 loops around Lake Arenal on tarmac, though potholes appear and slow the pace. The drive from La Fortuna to Nuevo Arenal takes about 1.5 hours. Lake Arenal is a reservoir to the west of town. Finish before dark, and carry bags with you whenever you leave the car.
If you are moving on: Monteverde
Monteverde belongs in the category of transfers, not return trips. The usual combination is a van, a boat and another van, with the water leg lasting about 45 minutes from La Represa to Rio Chiquito. Door to door it adds up to about 3 hours. Shared seats are about $25 to $35 each way, and private cars cost much more. If you drive, plan on 3.5 to 4 hours via routes 142, 145 and 606. These roads are mostly paved, with a few rough stretches.
Planning notes
- Morning departures are the norm, and several attractions stop admitting people by mid-afternoon.
- Bring a rain jacket, repellent, water and shoes that cover your toes.
- Roadside parking is where break-ins happen, so leave nothing visible.
- Ask the operator for current prices and trail conditions.
Read more: Bus tours in La Fortuna and Multi-day trips from La Fortuna .
Back in town, Mistico Park offers a forest walk on its own site.
Day-tour search: Viator .