Springs Resort Hot Springs Review: La Fortuna Hot Springs Guide

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Written by Nikki Solano

Nikki is the CEO of Pura Vida! eh? Inc. (Costa Rica Discounts), and the author of the guidebooks Moon Costa Rica (2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 editions) and Moon Best of Costa Rica (2022 edition) from Moon Travel Guides. Together with her Costa Rican husband, Ricky, she operates the Costa Rica Travel Blog, created the online community DIY Costa Rica, built the Costa Rica Destination Tool, oversees the brand-new (summer 2023) Costa Rica Travel Shop, and designed the Costa Rica Trip Planning 101 E-Course. Also, Nikki wrote the Costa Rica cover feature for Wanderlust Magazine's sustainability-focused Travel Green List issue, showcased Costa Rica destinations and experiences on Rick Steves' Monday Night Travel show and podcast/radio show, and served as the Costa Rica Destination Editor for Essentialist, a luxury travel brand. Want to show your appreciation for her free article below? Thank Nikki here. ❤️️

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Do you want to know our pick for the BEST HOT SPRINGS in Costa Rica? It is featured on DIY Costa Rica!

Want to save money in Costa Rica?

Our sister site, Pura Vida! eh? Inc., has hot springs pass discounts. Con mucho gusto (you’re welcome) and pura vida!

🙂

We’ve experienced all 12 hot springs in La Fortuna Costa Rica!
Continue reading below to read about our visits to Costa Rica’s Springs Resort Hot Springs.

This article offers our review of the Springs Resort Hot Springs. Don’t miss all of the hot springs reviews we include in our La Fortuna Hot Springs Guide:

Springs Resort Hot Springs Review	Tabacon Hot Springs Review	EcoTermales Hot Springs Review
Baldi Hot Springs Review	Paradise Hot Springs Review	Los Lagos Hot Springs Review
Titoku Hot Springs Review	Termales Los Laureles Hot Springs Review	Kalambu Hot Springs Review
Termalitas del Arenal Hot Springs Review	Termo Arenal Hot Springs Review	Rio Chollin Hot Springs Review

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An overview of the Springs Resort Hot Springs in La Fortuna Costa Rica

If you’ve been researching La Fortuna hot springs options for a while, chances are you’ve already come across the Springs Resort Hot Springs (sometimes cited as the Los Perdidos Hot Springs). Not only are the Springs Resort Hot Springs the largest and one of the most well-known hot springs attractions in the Arenal area, they also provide one of the best (if not the best, depending on who you ask) hot springs experiences you can have in Costa Rica. Though the resort sits a 10-to-15-minute drive away from all of the other hot spring sites you could choose to visit, there’s plenty to lure you to the property, including 25 thermal-water pools, a Jacuzzi, restaurants, bars, and an outdoor center that runs a few on-site adventure tours. If you have several wants on your hot springs checklist, including peaceful, lagoon-like hot springs; delicious food and drinks; a beautiful and clean property that delivers comfort and class; the option to participate in on-site tours and activities; and great value for your money, look no further than the Springs Resort Hot Springs.

Who should (and who shouldn’t) visit the Springs Resort Hot Springs

The Springs Resort Hot Springs offer something for everyone. Regardless of whether you’re looking for indulgence, extravagance, comfort, calm, or fun, you’ll find it at this property. If you’re traveling as part of a group, such as a family group, a friend group, a school group, or a sports team, you’ll love that the Springs Resort Hot Springs offer plenty of space to spread out in. If you’re looking to be active or socialize, you’ll love that the property has a lively pool/bar area (at the Cascadas Calientes), a waterslide (at the Los Perdidos Hot Springs), and an on-site activity center (at Club Rio). If you plan to visit with a significant other, and especially if you’re on your honeymoon, you’ll particularly love the romantic ambiance that wafts around the place, most notably during the evening when it’s easy to relax in your own pocket of one of many quiet, lagoon-like pools.

Due to the property’s size (see the “size and design” section below for details), the Springs Resort Hot Springs are also recommended to travelers who plan to visit Costa Rica during the busiest times of year, including the Christmas/New Year holidays and Semana Santa (Easter), when several people (locals and foreigners alike) opt to visit hot springs. The sheer number and size of pools at the Springs Resort Hot Springs helps the place feel less busy than it is.

If your budget is tight, it would be best to choose a different hot springs attraction. Although day passes (which are full-day/evening passes) for the Springs Resort Hot Springs provide great value, there’s no denying the fact that they’re some of the most expensive hot springs passes around. If you can afford the splurge, great! If you can’t, consider visiting one of La Fortuna’s many other (less expensive) hot spring sites instead. To read the reviews we wrote for other hot springs attractions in the Arenal area, don’t miss the links at the top of this article.

If you wish to stay at a La Fortuna hotel that has hot springs on-site, you can choose the Springs Resort & Spa, the resident hotel of the Springs Resort Hot Springs. It’s important to note, however, that the Springs Resort & Spa‘s on-site hot springs and cold-water pools are accessible to the public via the purchase of a hot springs pass; they are not reserved for hotel guests. If you’d prefer to stay at a La Fortuna hotel that limits hot springs access to hotel guests only, it would be best to choose a different hotel.

Learn what to expect from Costa Rica’s La Fortuna Hot Springs according to which hot springs attraction you plan to visit

Want to know what kind of thermal water experience you’ll have before you decide which hot springs in La Fortuna is the best to visit? We’ve got you covered. Not only have we personally experienced 12 different hot springs attractions in Costa Rica’s La Fortuna area alone, we’ve written a review of each La Fortuna hot springs property to help you decide for yourself which is most deserving of your time and money. Below is our review of the Springs Resort Hot Springs attraction, which documents the following:

• Location: Where you’ll find the hot springs property, complete with the hot springs’ physical address and a map
• Hours: When you can visit the hot springs property during the day and throughout the week
• Price range: A range of prices you can expect to pay for a hot springs pass with or without a meal included (prices are subject to change without notice)
• Reservations: A confirmation of whether advance reservations are required to acquire a hot springs pass
• Size and design: Whether you can expect to enjoy and explore a small, medium, or large hot springs property
• Popularity: Whether you can expect to be joined by crowds at the hot springs
• Pools and rivers: What you can expect to find at the hot springs in terms of thermal-water pools and rivers
• Additional on-site features: What else you can expect to find at the hot springs in addition to thermal-water pools/rivers
• Atmosphere: What type of ambiance you can expect to find at the hot springs
• Dining: Whether you can expect to eat and/or drink on-site at the hot springs
• Accommodations: Whether the hot springs property offers a hotel on-site
• Towels and lockers: Whether you can expect to receive and/or pay for towels and lockers at the hot springs
• Parking: Whether you can expect to find parking at the hot springs
• 4×4 vehicle required: Whether a 4×4 vehicle is required to reach the hot springs
• Alternative hot springs names: Other names for the hot springs property that locals, GPS navigational systems, and maps may cite

Our La Fortuna Hot Springs rating system

We rate Costa Rica’s La Fortuna hot springs according to a 1-10 scale (1 being the worst and 10 being the best). If you’re short on time, visit each hot springs review page on our blog (we’ve written one review for each hot springs property in La Fortuna; see the top of this article for links to each review) and look for the scale to quickly identify how we rate the hot springs.

The scales look like this:

and this:

To learn which rating we gave the Springs Resort Hot Springs, please see the rating provided at the top of this article.

Springs Resort Hot Springs photo gallery

We took the below photos during our most recent visit to the Springs Resort Hot Springs. Click on any photo below to view a larger version.

Springs Resort Hot Springs location

The official address of the Springs Resort Hot Springs is 9 km oeste and 4 km norte del Parque Central (9 km west and 4 km north of the Central Park), La Fortuna, 21007, Costa Rica.

The Springs Resort Hot Springs is the furthest hot springs property from La Fortuna. It takes approximately 20 minutes to drive to the Springs Resort Hot Springs from downtown La Fortuna; approximately twelve minutes on the main road that skirts around the Arenal Volcano (Road 142) and another eight minutes on the side road that leads to the resort. If arriving from the south/east (via downtown La Fortuna), the cutoff to the Springs Resort Hot Springs will be on your right (just after the hotel Arenal Paraiso and just before the hotel Montana de Fuego, both of which will be on your right). Turn onto the paved side road signed for the Springs Resort & Spa. The Springs Resort & Spa (and its on-site hot springs) sits along this road. The property’s gated entrance (which will be on your right) is impossible to miss.

Springs Resort Hot Springs map

Springs Resort Hot Springs hours

Though the Springs Resort Hot Springs hours are subject to change at anytime, the most recent operating hours we’ve recorded for the property’s main pools (called the Cascadas Calientes) are 8:00am to 10:00pm Monday through Sunday. The on-site, lagoon-like Los Perdidos Hot Springs are open from 10:00am to 10:00pm Monday through Sunday. The Monkey Slide (a waterslide that’s part of the Los Perdidos Hot Springs) is accessible from 12:30pm to 8:00pm Monday through Sunday. The hot springs at the Springs Resort & Spa‘s on-site Club Rio Outdoor Center are accessible between 9:00am and 4:30pm Monday through Sunday.

Springs Resort Hot Springs price range

Though entrance fees to the Springs Resort Hot Springs are subject to change at anytime, the most recent prices we’ve recorded are $105.00 USD per person over the age of three (children ages 0-2 are free) for a hot springs pass without a meal included. (Meals are available for purchase at the resort’s on-site restaurants and bars.) If you request your Springs Resort Hot Springs day pass through our sister site, Pura Vida! eh? Inc., which provides discounts for hot springs passes (with the discount applied, our cost is $80.00 USD per person over the age of three), you’ll get a second, consecutive day of resort and hot springs access for free. For more information about our Springs Resort Hot Springs discounts, please see this page.

Are the Springs Resort Hot Springs expensive?

On the spectrum of hot spring attractions you can visit in La Fortuna, the Springs Resort Hot Springs compete with the Tabacon Hot Springs as high-end options in terms of overall quality. For this reason, and compared to the prices you’ll see offered by other (lower-quality) hot springs attractions around Arenal, the costs associated with Springs Resort Hot Springs passes are considered high.

Springs Resort Hot Springs reservations

Advance reservations are required for Springs Resort Hot Springs passes during the busiest times of year, including the Christmas/New Year holidays and Semana Santa (Easter), when several people (locals and foreigners alike) opt to visit hot springs. (Note that during busy periods, the Springs Resort & Spa sometimes chooses to close to the public, allowing only overnight resort guests to access their hot springs.) Although hot springs passes can be purchased directly from the Springs Resort & Spa, if you request your hot springs pass through our sister site, Pura Vida! eh? Inc., you can access a discount for the hot springs pass and receive free access to the resort and its hot springs over a second, consecutive day. For more information about our Springs Resort Hot Springs discounts, please see this page.

Springs Resort Hot Springs size and design

The Springs Resort Hot Springs are the largest hot springs attraction in the Arenal area. The resort’s main building is a five-story, open-air construction that provides a distant but panoramic view of the Arenal Volcano from every level. The entrance and reception area sit on the top level of the resort, which is flush with the access road and area surroundings. Other on-site facilities including restaurants, bars, and a spa fill the resort’s lower floors, which are built into the side of a mountain. The series of cold-water pools and hot springs that you’ll find on the main building’s lowest level (alongside the resort’s change rooms, lockers, and towel exchange desk) are known as the Cascadas Calientes. Some pools and hot springs in this area, which spans two tiers of land, have waterfalls, a view of the volcano, and access to a swim-up bar.

A short walk along a downward-sloped path from the Cascadas Calientes are the Los Perdidos Hot Springs, an area of the Springs Resort Hot Springs that’s nearly enclosed in dense vegetation. The pools and hot springs here resemble lagoons and twine around the property, creating several small, private-feeling soaking spots along the way.

The lower section of the Springs Resort & Spa‘s mammoth property is where you’ll find the Club Rio Outdoor Center. Here, stationed along the bank of the Arenal River, you’ll find adventurists participating in a variety of tours and activities, another set of change rooms, another restaurant (the Rancho Club Rio Restaurant and Bar), and a whole new set of hot springs to enjoy. Similar to those you’ll find at the Los Perdidos Hot Springs, the hot springs at the Club Rio Outdoor Center are lagoon-like and shrouded by dense forest. Some overlook the river where you can watch on-site tubing tours take place. For more information about the Club Rio Outdoor Center, including the types of tours and activities you can experience there, please see our related blog post The Club Rio Outdoor Center.

The Club Rio Outdoor Center is an approximate ten-minute bus ride down steep mountainous terrain from the resort’s main building. Though it isn’t possible to make the 1.6-kilometer journey on foot, free round-trip transportation is provided by the resort to hotel guests and day pass visitors. The shuttle to the Club Rio Outdoor Center departs from a bus stop just outside of the resort’s reception. It typically runs every half hour between 8:45am and 3:45pm Monday through Sunday. A return service (from the Club Rio Outdoor Center to the resort’s reception) typically runs every half hour between 9:05am and 4:35pm Monday through Sunday.

Springs Resort Hot Springs popularity

The Springs Resort Hot Springs are one of the most popular hot springs attractions in La Fortuna. Though the popularity of most La Fortuna hot springs properties fluctuates throughout the year (mid-December to April and mid-June to mid-August are typically the busiest periods), the Springs Resort Hot Springs receives visitors on the regular year-round. This is in part because the on-site hotel delivers a steady stream of bathers in the form of hotel guests. The resort’s on-site activity hub, the Club Rio Outdoor Center, draws other travelers to the property who eventually end up in the resort’s pools upon completion of their adventure tours. Fortunately, thanks to the resort’s size, design, and pool quantity, the Springs Resort Hot Springs rarely feel full.

Springs Resort Hot Springs pools and rivers

The cold-water pools and hot springs at the Springs Resort & Spa are made up of 25 pools that range in temperature between 28 and 40 degrees Celsius.

The Springs Resort & Spa‘s main building is home to the Cascadas Calientes, a two-tier area of the resort with 11 pools (plus a Jacuzzi) that near bars, have volcano views, and are a quick, two-minute walk from bathrooms, change rooms with lockers, and the resort’s towel exchange desk. Popular pools here include the “Laguna” and “Lower Laguna” pools, as well as the pool at the base of the waterfall called the “Cascada Grande” (Big Cascade). To soak in less popular pools near the resort’s main building, head to the “Burbujas” Jacuzzi-esque pool or the “Cascadas Calientes” pool. If you swim all the way around to the small waterfalls located by the Treetops Grill (an on-site restaurant), you’ll find one of the quietest and most unfrequented spaces in the resort.

At the secluded Los Perdidos Hot Springs, you’ll find seven pools that vary in size, another a bar, a volcano lookout space adorned with lounge chairs, and a curvy, mountain waterslide (called the Monkey Slide) that can be run either with or without the resort’s free slide pads. Because the pools at the Los Perdidos Hot Springs are set back from the resort’s main building and sunken in the forest, they feel the most natural. They also tend to emit a more romantic vibe than the pools at the Cascadas Calientes.

At the Club Rio Outdoor Center, an additional seven pools hide among the forest that edges the Arenal River. Most of the hot spring pools at the Club Rio Outdoor Center are small, with the exception of the “Formation Springs,” one of the biggest pools at the resort. Club Rio Outdoor Center tour participants form the majority of bathers you’ll find in these pools.

Nearly all of the hot springs across the resort’s three areas (i.e., the Cascadas Calientes, the Los Perdidos Hot Springs, and the Club Rio Outdoor Center) are decorated with grey/brown rocks built from concrete. Most have been stained yellow/orange by the volcanic minerals in the thermal water that tumbles over the rocks to create waterfalls. Giving the Springs Resort Hot Springs their natural feel, beauty, and “wow” factor are the immaculate gardens full of ornamental plants, ferns, tall grasses, heliconias, and flowers that accompany the pool areas’ rock constructions. Unlike a few other hot springs attractions in town, the Springs Resort & Spa does an excellent job at using these gardens to hide distractions (such as water tubes, cables, and garbage), helping the settings of their hot springs feel clean and luxurious.

Are the Springs Resort Hot Springs natural?

The Springs Resort Hot Springs are natural in the sense that the property’s mineral-rich thermal water comes from the area and is heated in part by the Arenal Volcano. The thermal-water is contained on-site in man-made pools.

Additional on-site features and amenities offered by the Springs Resort Hot Springs

Extra features and amenities you’ll find on-site at the Springs Resort Hot Springs

• a distant, panoramic view of the Arenal Volcano and its surrounding foothills
• a spa (spa services not included in the cost of the hot springs pass)
• a hotel (overnight stays not included in the cost of the hot springs pass)
• restaurants and bars (food/drinks are not included in the cost of the hot springs pass)
• the Club Rio Outdoor Center, which offers a variety of optional adventure tours/activities including river tubing, river kayaking, horseback riding, rock climbing, and a wildlife preserve tour (participation in adventure tours/activities is not included in the cost of the hot springs pass)

Pool-area features and amenities you’ll find at the Springs Resort Hot Springs

• small waterfalls
• a waterslide
• a Jacuzzi
• poolside tables and chairs
• wet bars with in-pool stools
• in-pool steps and railings
• an informative map at the property’s reception that indicates the location and temperature of each pool

Springs Resort Hot Springs atmosphere

Built as a high-quality resort, the Springs Resort & Spa oozes high class offerings, fine touches, and helpful customer service. Its on-site hot springs, the Springs Resort Hot Springs, are equally first-rate, which casts an aura of sophistication over the attraction. This is one of the most romantic hot springs properties you can visit in La Fortuna, thanks to its plethora of intimate-feeling hot spring nooks where you can soak with a decent amount of privacy. This being said, despite exuding a calm and dreamy ambiance that bodes well with couples and honeymooners, some areas of the Springs Resort Hot Springs give off a more lively vibe that appeals to backpackers and travel groups (e.g., family groups, friend groups, school groups, and sports teams). Some pools at the Cascadas Calientes are favored by social travelers, the hot springs at the Club Rio Outdoor Center couple well with time spent engaging in on-site adventure tours and activities, and anyone looking to have some fun will have a ball with the Monkey Slide.

Dining at the Springs Resort Hot Springs

The Springs Resort & Spa has five on-site restaurants: the Tres Cascadas Restaurant (the resort’s main restaurant), the fine-dining Las Ventanas Restaurant, the Japanese-cuisine Ginger Sushi Restaurant, the poolside Treetops Grill, which is located at the Cascadas Calientes, and the Rancho Club Rio Restaurant, which is located at the Club Rio Outdoor Center and most commonly serves adventure tour participants. It also offers five on-site bars. Day pass holders who visit the Springs Resort Hot Springs are welcome to purchase food and drinks at the hotel’s on-site establishments.

As a side note, the dinners we have experienced at the Springs Resort & Spa have been some of the best meals we’ve eaten in Costa Rica. We recommend the Tres Cascadas Restaurant; our meals there have been both tasty and light, and the appetizers (a choice of soup or salad), main courses (a choice of one entree across five staple dishes, with one vegetarian option included), and desserts were all top-notch. Aim to eat dinner between 5:30pm and 6:00pm. It gets dark around 6:00pm in Costa Rica, so dining at this time will not only reward you with a breathtaking view of the volcano at sunset, but also you’ll be able to experience the restaurant’s intimate evening atmosphere shortly after dark. Plan your dinner attire accordingly; swimwear is not permitted inside the restaurant.

Staying overnight at the Springs Resort Hot Springs

The Springs Resort Hot Springs are the resident hot springs of the Springs Resort & Spa, a non-all-inclusive resort in Costa Rica’s Arenal region that houses a variety of unique and luxurious guest rooms, suites, bungalows, and villas. Unlike a few other La Fortuna hotels that offer private hot springs on-site, the Springs Resort & Spa welcomes non-hotel guests (a.k.a., members of the public) to access their hot springs via the use of a day pass.

If you’re looking to have a high-quality resort experience in La Fortuna, one of the best properties you can stay at is the Springs Resort & Spa. In addition to its cold-water pools and hot springs, the 165-acre resort impresses with rustic but elegant accommodations; five restaurants; five bars; a full-service, 1,400-square-foot spa; a fitness center with steam and sauna rooms; a games lounge; a gift shop; plenty of lobbies, nooks, crannies, lookout spaces, and platforms you can lounge around in/at with the help of rocking chairs and chaise lounge chairs; and an on-site tour and activity hub called the Club Rio Outdoor Center.

Towels and lockers at the Springs Resort Hot Springs

The Springs Resort Hot Springs offer both a towel rental service and a locker rental service. The optional towel rental service requires payment of a $10.00 USD per towel cash deposit. The optional locker rental service requires payment of a $5.00 USD per locker nonrefundable fee.

Parking at the Springs Resort Hot Springs

Secure parking beyond the gated entrance to the Springs Resort & Spa is accessible and offered free of charge to Springs Resort Hot Springs day pass visitors, guests participating in tours/activities at the on-site Club Rio Outdoor Center, and overnight guests of the Springs Resort & Spa.

Springs Resort Hot Springs 4×4 requirement

A 4×4 vehicle is not required to reach the Springs Resort Hot Springs.

Alternative names for the Springs Resort Hot Springs

• The Los Perdidos Hot Springs
• The hot springs at the Springs Resort
• The hot springs at Club Rio

Pura vida!

Do you have questions about the Springs Resort Hot Springs, want help deciding if the Springs Resort Hot Springs are the best hot springs property for you, or need help determining how to best incorporate a visit to the hot springs into your vacation? No problem! When you’re ready, make an appointment here to communicate with me (Nikki) privately and we can discuss these and other topics to get your questions answered fast and your Costa Rica trip poised for success. Pura vida, amigos! 🙂

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