Costa Rica Travel Posts

La Fortuna – Still a Great Spot

By Patrick Brunelle ⋅ May 17, 2011 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

There is no question that La Fortuna is still one of the top spots when it comes to travel destinations to Costa Rica\. Although many people travel to Arenal to see the volcano, many of them never get to see it. Due to the almost always constant clouds, the tip of the Arenal volcano is ofter covered up. You would think this would ruin your visit, but in the end the Arenal volcano just becomes a footnote. La Fortuna is the capital of fun activities, and is your best option if you want to experience the rain forest while also seeing amazing nature reserves like Cano Negro, check out the numerous plantations, or kayak down a calm river and spot lots of Monkeys and Caymens.

La Fortuna is also a tourist town, so don’t expect to see much culture, unless you drive outside of the city limits. The park in front of the Church is where you will find souvenir shops, restaurants and travel agencies. Most hotels are located away from the city center in order to offer better views of the main attraction. If you want to have a drink in a spectacular bar, we suggest the Lava Lounge at Royal Corin.

The most over-hyped hotel in the area is in our opinion Tabacon. Tabacon was the first major hotel in the area, and is most likely the famous famous one because of this fact. However, their rooms have NO views of the Arenal Volcano, and their hot springs are grossly overpriced and luke warm at best. You would be much better off to check out the new hot springs at the Springs Resort and Spa or even Baldi Hot Springs for a more affordable option.

If you ever want to get your blood rushing you will want to check out the Canopy Tour by Sky Trek. Be careful which canopy provider you choose as there are some providers that have very sketchy foundations making them not the safest option. Sky Trek is more expensive than the rest, but their service and quality, as well as insurance policies make them the best choice in Arenal.