How to spend a dreamy day in La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Updated: Aug 6
We could hear the Arenal volcano cracking and thundering as we lowered ourselves into the hot springs at Baldi Hot Springs Resort ( $285/night shoulder season https://www.baldihotsprings.cr/) near La Fortuna, a small town, often referred to as the gateway to Arenal volcano. The day pass crowds had retreated and the sun had set leaving the pools empty for the resort guests to enjoy in the night air.
We had chosen Costa Rica for our kid's first international trip because of the amazing outdoor activities and extensive tourism infrastructure. We had chosen Baldi for the therapeutic hot springs.
We reached La Fortuna after a, harrowing at times, drive through the cloud forest from San Jose stopping at Ranas en Paradiso aka Frogs Heaven (https://frogsheaven.com/) a family run haven for Costa Rican frog species including the endangered red eyed tree frog. As we approached the La Fortuna we saw our first sloth, a mother with two babies, hanging from a tree.
We arrived at Baldi in the late afternoon and were offered a complimentary cocktail to help us settle in to our teak walled room.
After a restful night we woke up to a breakfast of fruit, eggs, hardy Costa Rican Gallo Pinto and an excellent Costa Rican coffee. Then it was off to our first adventure.
Mistico Arsenal Hanging Bridges
We had pre-booked tickets for the morning self-guided tour ($32 adults, $12 kids https://misticopark.com/) at Mistico Arsenal Hanging Bridges about a 20 minute drive outside La Fortuna. On our drive over we encountered a pack of curious young coatis and a number of boomer cyclists. The park entrance seemed a little chaotic so having tickets in advance saved us a lot of time.
From the bridges, which can be 180 feet in the air, you can spot monkeys, morpho butterflies, koatis, tropical birds, creepy spiders, and if you’re lucky, you might see a sloth (we did not). Friendly locals and travelers alike greeted us with a cheery, “Pura Vida!”
A lunch of arroz con pollo and papas fritas recharged our batteries, providing the much needed energy to visit the shops near the plaza in town. We sourced a fresh mango smoothie at a fruit stand.
La Fortuna River Waterfall
Situated in a biological preserve just on the edge of town you’ll find this 75 meter column of water that plunges into a turquoise pool.
The road to the waterfall is in good condition so the driving was easy. We got wristbands at the gate and descend the 500+ steps to the basin which took 30 minutes with little kids on our backs (https://www.cataratalafortuna.com/)
Visitors can swim in the plunge pool but a lifeguard approached us and said that swimmers who get too close to the column of water can be sucked under the water by the force. That was enough for us to pass on the experience.
Instead, we swam in the creek downstream from the falls. The water is cool and fresh and there are some nice sized fish for the kids to chase.
A word to the wise - be sure you collect ALL of your belongings before you climb the 500 stairs back up. We realized we had left our daughter’s sandals in the sand down at the bottom, hubby had to double back to retrieve them.
A few slices at Pizzaria Vagabondo hit the spot for dinner and after a quick stop at a chocolate shop we headed back to Baldi where the hot spring pools are lit and open until 10 at night. As we relaxed in the quiet hot springs at night after a long day of hiking we listened to the volcano crackling in the distance.
