Click here to see more results

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Search in posts

FOR YOU, FOR FREE: 18 years' worth of firsthand Costa Rica trip planning and travel advice compiled into hundreds of articles, plus exclusive discounts. Created by a Costa Rican and a four-time published Costa Rica guidebook author. Welcome, amigos, and as we say in Costa Rica, pura vida!

Our company is inclusive. Read our Anti-Hate, Anti-Racism, Anti-Xenophobia, Anti-Inequality, Anti-Discrimination Statement here.

NEW! Our awesome Costa Rica Destination Tool filters 66 destinations by nearly 150 criteria to help you quickly and easily decide where to go in Costa Rica according to your unique preferences, wants, and needs. Learn more and access the tool on our sister site, DIY Costa Rica, here.

Best Hot Springs In Arenal: We Compare All 12 La Fortuna Hot Springs

Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Viewing 19 reply threads
  • Author
    Posts
  • May 12, 2014 at 3:40 pm #195005
    Shay
    Guest

    I visited CR about 9 years ago. At that time we stopped at a small place that had a minimal entrance fee to get into the heated river (not pools). I remember it was affordable and nice but not too fancy. They had paved sidewalks and some natural pools but it was pretty much the river…I also remember a few wooden plaques describing plants and lizzards and “Jesus lizzards” would run across the water. I’ve looked at the pics of the places you have here but they don’t seem to look like the place I visited before. Does this ring a bell? I’d like to return there if it’s still open when I visit in a few weeks. 🙂

    • May 22, 2014 at 12:47 pm #195006
      Nikki Solano
      Keymaster

      Hi Shay!

      Great question! Was the heated river in the La Fortuna/Arenal region or in another part of Costa Rica? In this post, we touch on the popular hot spring options in the La Fortuna/Arenal area, but a few others exist in different parts of the country, so it’s possible you visited a different area. I’d love to help you narrow down the search. Perhaps we can start by trying to figure out where you went during your trip.

      Pura vida! 🙂

      • May 27, 2014 at 12:07 pm #195007
        Shay
        Guest

        Thanks for the response! I thought it was this area…I remember crossing a lake in a boat to get to the town we were staying in. While there we did zip lining in Monteverde at Aventura and also visited the river I described above.

      • June 11, 2014 at 8:45 am #195008
        Shay
        Guest

        Just returned from our trip. I spoke with the girl at our hotel and she said there are more regulations now and the place we’d gone to before is closed (only the places you list here are open now). We decided to just get in the river below Tabacon for free and it was great!! The trail is easy to find (cab driver knew right where we wanted to go and told us where to walk down) and easy to follow to find the best place to get in. We had the place to ourselves and it was so beautiful and relaxing. I highly recommend it!!!

        • April 15, 2021 at 10:22 am #195228
          Nikki Solano
          Keymaster

          Hey Shay!

          Thanks so much for reporting back! After receiving your penultimate comment, we left some messages with colleagues in the Monteverde area to ask their opinion. We’re familiar with the various hot springs in the La Fortuna/Arenal region; however, after hearing that you had crossed the lake and visited hot springs while zip-lining in Monteverde, I was stumped as to where you might have found hot springs there. (Most hot springs are located in/around the La Fortuna area near the Arenal Volcano, or in other areas of the country near other volcanoes.) Now that you have reported back that you visited the river by Tabacon, which is just outside of La Fortuna, things make sense! What likely happened is you visited La Fortuna/Arenal and the hot springs river there, followed by a trip across the lake to Monteverde where you went zip-lining; I am 99.99% sure that the river you visited was indeed in the La Fortuna area, not Monteverde, and I bet we can narrow down which river it was. Does the place we describe in this blog post look familiar?

          Local Free Hot Springs In La Fortuna / Arenal

          Pura vida! 🙂

        • April 15, 2021 at 10:26 am #195229
          Nikki Solano
          Keymaster

          Hi again Shay!

          Awesome! Thanks so much for the helpful update. Sounds like you ended up at Rio Chollin (mini-Tabacon). We’re glad you had a blast! 🙂

          For anyone else reading this, you can learn more about Rio Chollin here: Local Free Hot Springs In La Fortuna / Arenal

          Pura vida!

  • July 3, 2014 at 4:51 am #195009
    flyingfeet2anywhere
    Guest

    This is an awesome written work 🙂 Love to see this place one day 🙂

    • April 15, 2021 at 10:06 am #195224
      Nikki Solano
      Keymaster

      Hello flyingfeet2anywhere!

      You’re so kind! Thank you for your comment. We hope you make it to one or more of these beautiful hot springs someday!

      Pura vida! 🙂

  • October 24, 2014 at 8:07 am #195011
    psychologistmimi
    Guest

    so excited to go there

    • April 15, 2021 at 10:10 am #195226
      Nikki Solano
      Keymaster

      Hi psychologistmimi!

      Great to hear it! Are you planning an upcoming trip? Or dreaming about a visit one day?

      Pura vida! 🙂

  • January 26, 2015 at 10:24 pm #195012
    robin
    Guest

    we want to visit to CR. for 3 weeks. We love hot springs, We want to spend our time on hot springs.Can you give me recommendations for p;lace where We can eat, sleep and enjoy in hot springs

  • August 24, 2015 at 11:02 pm #195014
    Bali Driver and Tour Guide
    Guest

    Good post, and please read my original article about travel blog too

    • April 15, 2021 at 10:32 am #195230
      Nikki Solano
      Keymaster

      Hi Bali Driver and Tour Guide!

      Thank you for visiting! Will do, and all the best to you and your service in Bali! 🙂

      Pura vida!

  • January 31, 2016 at 8:42 am #195015
    jacqueline
    Guest

    Great information!! I’m really struggling to decide whether we stay at Tabacon or the Springs Resort with 2 kids? Both look great! I was leaning towards Tabacon but the Springs looks awesome as well with lots for the kids to do…I want to explore the area around La Fortuna as well…any thoughts?

    • April 15, 2021 at 9:15 am #195219
      Nikki Solano
      Keymaster

      Hi jacqueline!

      I don’t believe you’ll be disappointed by either one. Tabacon and the Springs Resort are La Fortuna’s top two hot springs. Also to confirm, both are about the same distance away from downtown La Fortuna (about 15-20 minutes by car). This being said, with kids, I’d go with the Springs Resort. In addition to offering a ton of pool variety (to keep the kiddies moving and entertained), you can combine your hot springs visit with time spent at the resort’s on-site activity center (Club Rio) where the kids can experience river tubing, river kayaking, horseback riding, hiking, rock climbing, and wildlife exhibits. Plus, the resort’s monkey slide waterslide is a blast! While we love Tabacon too, especially for its free-flowing river, some kids don’t like the feeling of slimy rocks beneath their feet, and some parents don’t like how slippery the rocks can be. Here are links to our reviews of Tabacon, the Springs Resort, and Club Rio:

      Tabacon Hot Springs Review: La Fortuna Hot Springs Guide
      Springs Resort Hot Springs Review: La Fortuna Hot Springs Guide
      Club Rio Costa Rica Outdoor Center Review

      Pura vida! 🙂

  • February 8, 2016 at 3:24 pm #195016
    joanne haseltine
    Guest

    If you are staying in one of the four mentioned hot springs resorts, is the use of the hot spring free? Like Baldi, Tabacon and Springs Resort?

  • April 12, 2016 at 3:19 pm #195210
    Kathryn Wlodarczyk
    Guest

    Wow! What a great blog! I am planning a trip to the Arenal area for a group of 4. We would like to all stay in the same room, but are having trouble finding a place that allows 4 adults per room. We would like it to have hot springs on site because we are not going to have a car. We looked at the Tabacon and The Royal Corin, and almost booked each one until we found out that they did not allow 4 adults in one room. Do you have any that you recommend that would allow 4 adults? Our budget is around $250 a night for 4 people, but we would go lower of course if we found something we liked. How are the hot springs at Arenal Manoa?

    • April 15, 2021 at 10:00 am #195223
      Nikki Solano
      Keymaster

      Hi Kathryn Wlodarczyk!

      You’re right: a lot of hotels will allow four people to a room but not four adults. If you’re not able to find a place with hot springs on-site that can accommodate your group, keep in mind that most of La Fortuna’s hot springs attractions are only a short taxi ride away from the majority of hotels, and since taxis can fit four adults, you can split the cost of the transfer. As for Arenal Manoa, it is a lovely hotel and it does have hot springs on-site (mainly one large pool, a smaller one, and a Jacuzzi), but they shouldn’t be compared to La Fortuna’s principal hot spring attractions (i.e., Baldi, EcoTermales, Tabacon, Springs Resort, and Paradise), which are large-scale properties that provide several hot spring pools/rivers that you can soak in at varying temperatures. If this doesn’t matter to you, and you’re simply looking for a hotel with one or a few thermal-water pools on-site, then several Arenal-area hotels are worth checking out, including Arenal Manoa (as you mention), the Arenal Springs Resort & Spa, El Silencio del Campo, and Volcano Lodge. Hopefully, one will be able to accommodate your group. 🙂

      Pura vida!

  • June 2, 2016 at 8:37 am #195211
    Cindi Kirkman
    Guest

    Planning a trip to Costa Rica next year and would love to participate in the thermal springs experience, however I am somewhat mobility limited (using a cane and can’t walk long distances) I don’t see any suggestions for facilities that are more accessible, have handrails into and out of pools, limited steps up and down etc. Do those things exist at any of these?

    • April 15, 2021 at 9:41 am #195222
      Nikki Solano
      Keymaster

      Hello Cindi Kirkman!

      This is a wonderful question and one that certainly highlights an area of Costa Rica travel where improvements are needed. My father was visually impaired; he used a cane and wasn’t able to walk long distances either. We spent years helping him discover the accessible side of Costa Rica but it wasn’t easy. Hot springs provide an additional element of concern because splash water makes surfaces slippery. From what I recall from visiting all of the hot springs properties around La Fortuna/Arenal, none are fully accessible but several offer handrails in and out of pools. My best recommendation to you would be to go with the EcoTermales Hot Springs. Though you’ll need to walk from the entrance of the hot springs to the pool area (the path is flat), once there, you’ll have access to all of the pools in one place. Other hot springs attractions are much larger and pools are spread out over a larger geographical area which requires more walking. This is especially true for the Springs Resort, where the lagoon-like hot springs are down a sloped road, and for the Baldi Hot Springs (both properties are very large). Tabacon is a smaller property, but because the hot springs there are part of a natural river, you may find it difficult to climb into and out of the fast-flowing river and maneuver its slippery bottom. At EcoTermales, you don’t have to stray far to switch pools, some handrails are provided, and some pools have shallow parts you might enjoy wading in. You can learn more about the EcoTermales Hot Springs, see photos of the property, and decide if it’s right for you by visiting our related blog post: EcoTermales Hot Springs Review: La Fortuna Hot Springs Guide.

      Pura vida! 🙂

  • Author
    Posts
Viewing 19 reply threads
  • The forum ‘Costa Rica Travel Blog Forum’ is closed to new topics and replies.