WebLa Fortuna (the town nearest to the Arenal Volcano) has an altitude of 1,148 feet (350 m), while Monteverde straddles the Continental Divide at 4,921 feet (1,500 m). Because of this, its illegal to climb to the top of the Arenal Volcano. Try the Paradise Pale Ale with a distinct hoppy flavor from Nelson, Centennial and Cascade hops. WebArenal COMBO Tour Pedal and Paddle Crossing Lake Arenal. On the fastest route between the two towns, you'll experience the beauty of the Arenal Volcano National Park and the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Although I dont rate the food as one of the best restaurants in La Fortuna, the live music from talented musicians is so good! The other way to the top is fromArenal Observatory Lodge. . Best Yoga Pose Inc.), How To Decide Between La Fortuna / Arenal or Monteverde (or Why You Should Visit Both), Deciding between La Fortuna / Arenal or Monteverde. Another one of the best free things to do in La Fortuna is the free hot springs! PayPal donations are confidential; we never see your payment details. It also comes complete with a massive jacuzzi for up to 60 guests. Dusty dirt roads, lik. If youre not a coffee drinker, you can also do just a chocolate tour instead. Most Convenient Waterfall To Visit, Best Airport Set amidst lush vegetation, this hot springs resort boasts 25 thermal water pools with temperatures ranging from 93F to 152F (doesnt it sound dreamy?!). Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio's travel planner. In fact, hotels and food around town are much cheaper than places such as Tamarindo, Nosara, and Jaco. La Fortuna is one of the cheaper tourist destinations in Costa Rica. The Sky Tram has a guide on board to help you spot animals and tell you more about the ecosystem around you. It exists between the San Gerardo Biological Station in Monteverde (roughly a 1-hour hike is required to get to the station from beyond the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Biological Reserve) and El Castillo in the Arenal region (an approximate half-hour drive from downtown La Fortuna). Before then, Arenal was Costa Ricas most active volcano, which began with a major eruption in 1968. The food in Costa Rica is amazing! Best Cultural Tour On day 2, we recommend to do a cloud forest hike or a birding tour, or both! For hiking, maybe go to the Monteverde Reserve and hopefully get to see a quetzal. Its about 30 minutes from La Fortuna and is a great destination on a rainy day. If you have more than a week to travel around Costa Rica, youll find that visits to both La Fortuna / Arenal and Monteverde are possible, in addition to time spent relaxing on a beach elsewhere in the country. Related read: If you love horseback riding, you should check out the best things to do in Playa Flamingo. This full-day tourvisits not only Arenal but also La Fortuna Waterfall, a butterfly garden, Maleku Indian village, and the free hot spring river. Cold coconut water is just as del, Relax on a secluded beach! Monteverde offers more than 40 accommodation options that vary in style, size, amenities, and price. Great experiences are all about service, and nothing beats local, authentic service encountered with the help of word-of-mouth recommendations. Check out our other Costa Rica-related projects, too: Tagged:adventure, arenal, arenal or monteverde, costa rica, la fortuna, monteverde, monteverde or arenal, nature, rainforest, tourism, travel, travel guide, travel tips, vacation, The comment section of this article has moved! WebTravel easily between La Fortuna and Monteverde with a van-boat-van transfer crossing over Arenal Lake. Read our disclosure policy for more info. Shared shuttle services typically arrive into and depart from La Fortuna / Arenal twice daily, once in the morning and again in the afternoon. Your best bet is to book afull-day tourwith a guide to take you there. Hundreds of articles on Costa Rica trip planning, travel in Costa Rica, and saving money, plus free discounts. Arenal Volcano is an active volcano that last erupted in 2010. On the fastest route between the two towns, you'll experience the beauty of the Arenal Volcano National Park and the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Continue to Monteverde, where you'll discover the remarkable flora and fauna of the cloud forest. Yes! Its a cool accommodation thats definitely more like glamping with a comfy double bed inside the teepee. The forum Costa Rica Travel Blog Forum is closed to new topics and replies. We're truly grateful for your time and preference. Some of Costa Ricas highest-rated activities, most stunning hotels, and most jaw-dropping landscapes hide among the Monteverde and La Fortuna areas. Theres a taxi stop and a bus station in downtown La Fortuna. Do you have any tips on the pros and cons of some beaches that are reasonably close to Arenal? Best View Of Volcano Lava Rocks This three-course meal cooking classis the best you can book in La Fortuna and pairs you with Chef Scott Alan and other local chefs for an entire afternoon. One of the best is El Salto or the rope swing. This beautiful river is so much more than a rope swing and, instead of a hidden paradise just off the main highway, complete with waterfalls, beautiful trees, deep swimming holes, and of course, a fun rope swing. However, those with a vehicle can also drive out there and park at the bridge. The Sky Tram can bebooked on its ownfor about $50 USD per person ($33 for children.) This is one of the main Monteverde attractions, and its an incredible place to spend some time. Thanks for the great information! Read our Anti-Hate, Anti-Racism, Anti-Xenophobia, Anti-Inequality, Anti-Discrimination Statement here. The tour also includes information about coffee, cacao, and sugarcane, and youll have a chance to taste these important Costa Rican crops as part of a snack after youre done paddling. Day 3: Hanging bridges, La Fortuna waterfall, Volcano hike. . 2. NEW! Browse our Costa Rica blogs to learn everything you need to know about Costa Rica luxury travel, including recommendations for high-end accommodations in Costa Rica. Purchase a day pass when you arrivefor $12 USD and explore 7 miles (11 kilometers) of trails, including observation towers and hanging bridges. The lodge has an incredible view of the volcano, and the wildlife surrounding it includes toucans, howler monkeys, and sloths. This specific tour is awesome, and youll learn so much about chocolate making in Costa Rica as well as sample your fair share the hot chocolate is so good! It only takes 15 minutes to get down but a little longer on the way up its 500 steps! I myself love that version more! La Fortuna is the city at the base of the Arenal volcano. This moderate to difficult trail (depending on the weather) leads to the gorgeous emerald green crater lake of Chato Volcano, where you can enjoy a refreshing swim. Click here to access the FREE La Fortuna / Arenal discounts! Whats great about hostels like this is youll meet other travelers from around the world. Just be sure to leave La Fortuna before 7 am so you can get tothe park entrancebefore it gets really busy. Absolutely! Teideros is 3 kilometers from the entrance. Thanks so much for the compliment! ). To learn more about Costa Ricas many, many beaches, dont miss our blog post: 66 Costa Rica Beaches (In Photos) And Where To Find Them. About La Fortuna. The distance between Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna and Monteverde as the crow fliesis pretty short. Best Butterfly Garden The closest thin, Search for critters in the rainforest! Best Luxury Hotel Bathroom Without a tour, entry to the park is $15 USD for adults and $5 for children. The majority of streets run straight, with the exception of the main road (Road 142) that departs La Fortuna to the west and curves around the Arenal Volcano. COSTA RICA is a beautiful place, cant wait to go there asap. To ensure you're aware of and okay with this and our other privacy-related practices, please review our Privacy Policy, then click the button to accept it. Day 3: Hanging bridges, La Fortuna waterfall, Volcano hike. See the rainforest from a new perspective as you float along the Peas Blancas river in a large raft. The volcano blesses the area with mineral-rich thermal water and visits to hot springs attractions are common (see our related blog post Best Hot Springs In Arenal: We Compare All 12 La Fortuna Hot Springsfor information about each). Click here to access the FREE Monteverde discounts! We did Curi Cancha Reserve in the morning for a birding tour and then hiked Bosque Nuboso Santa Elena by ourselves in the afternoon. For the record, Arenal refers to the area around the volcano. Also available are water-taxi services (sometimes referred to as jeep-boat-jeep services, van-boat-van services, or taxi-boat-taxi services) that connect La Fortuna / Arenal to Monteverde and vice versa. Tons of coatis, some monkeys. TheLake Arenal Hotel and Breweryis the perfect spot for this and a great day trip about 1.5 hours from La Fortuna. We've seen lots of beautiful birds there including toucans. The conservatory is open every day from 10 am to 4 pm. Monteverde is a really popular one. We spent around 1 hour at the waterfall before enjoying the 30-minute walk back up. Bring closed-toe shoes so you can explore the trails around here and other exhibits, including the exotic frog habitat, plant gardens, and greenhouses. Monteverdes downtown core, known as Santa Elena, has a taxi stop; theres a bus station just down the road from Santa Elena. It will take you around 2 hours to get to the town of Tilaran. , You are right about planning. The Arenal Observatory Lodge in the Arenal area also has nice hiking. Below are some of them. The trail between the bridges is flat, easy, and well maintained. We love this photogeni, Swim at the base of a waterfall! The La Fortuna / Arenal Airport (FON) is located a 10-minute drive east of La Fortuna / Arenal, near the community of El Tanque. One attraction th, Tour a #coffeeplantation! The water temperatures range from 72 F to 105 F (22 C to 40 C), and the main area has a swim-up bar and waterslide. About Monteverde. Youve identified 4 options Arenal volcano (La Fortuna is the closest town), Monteverde s cloudorests, Manual Antonios rainforests and Papagayo beaches. There are also fun waterslides, waterfalls, and a faux volcano. QUESTION TO COMMENT ON: Have you been to La Fortuna / Arenal and/or Monteverde? Combine two of the best activities in Arenal, Stand Up Paddle Lake Crossing and Mountain Biking all in one! The trail is well maintained and leads down to the waterfall via lots of steps. Best Late Night Restaurant Be prepared to get wet and conquer a fear of heights if you have one! Parking at Rio Celeste costs 2,000 colones per vehicle, and the park entrance fee is $12 USD for adults. Once out of your car, theyll point you down to the river just below the bridge. Best View Overlooking Arenal Lake About Monteverde. The majority of streets in and around Santa Elena are curvy and hilly. Related Read: Love food? This beautiful, forested property has you cross eight sizable hanging bridges during the two-mile (3.2 km) walk. . But we did not take the typical route to Arenal. Day 3: Hanging bridges, La Fortuna waterfall, Volcano hike. The hike will take you along the rim of a volcanic lagoon for a morning hike through pastures and rainforests. Lovely photos. Youll kayak on the calm waters with the volcano on one side of you and the rainforest on the other. Hike the 1968 Arenal Trail. The trail through the forest is 3.2 kilometers/2 miles long, and although the 6 hanging bridges are the main attraction, theres lots more to see. The tour is also much cheaper at $30 USD. Youll have the chance to see two and three-toed sloths (and if youre lucky baby sloths!) Best View Overlooking The Pacific Coast, Best Place To See Capuchin Monkeys Best Opportunity To Take A Selfie Unless youre just diving into your Costa Rica vacation planning, youve probably already heard that La Fortuna / Arenal and Monteverde are two of Costa Ricas top destinations. La Fortuna Hotels: Where We Stay Around Arenal, Monteverde Hotels: Where We Stay Around Monteverde. We did Curi Cancha Reserve in the morning for a birding tour and then hiked Bosque Nuboso Santa Elena by ourselves in the afternoon. 24. See you there, amigos! Our Costa Rica guidebooks published by the prestigious Moon Travel Guides: Our Moon Costa Rica guidebook, 2023 edition (a full-country guide out September 2023 but currently available for pre-orderpaperback and e-book versions), Our Moon Best of Costa Rica guidebook, 2022 edition (a selective best of guide currently available for purchase in stores worldwide and through online retailerspaperback and e-book versions), Our Moon Costa Rica guidebook, 2021 edition (a full-country guide currently available for purchase in stores worldwide and through online retailerspaperback and e-book versions), Our Moon Costa Rica guidebook, 2019 edition (a full-country guide currently available to purchase in stores worldwide and through online retailerspaperback and e-book versions). So you can also do just a chocolate tour instead 15 USD for adults water. Great day trip about 1.5 hours from La Fortuna / Arenal discounts the Peas Blancas river in large... 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