Situated in the heart of North Central Costa Rica is La Fortuna, home of the Arenal Volcano and the National Park that surrounds it.
In this area, you have the opportunity to visit the best that Costa Rica has to offer (except, well, a beach).
If you are considering a trip to Costa Rica, we highly recommend spending some time in this area. While there make sure you:
- View the wildlife. Sloths and monkeys as well as cats, frogs, and birds abound. You can get overwhelmed by the number of tour companies offering a chance to see unique wildlife on both day and night tours. We used Sloth’s Territory which backed up to the Airbnb Property we rented. The tour guide was great and they served fresh fruit at the end of the tour. We saw several sloths that our guide pointed out and a variety of other wildlife (no cats or monkeys though).
- Visit the hot springs. Natural hot springs flow from the Arenal Volcano. We visited Baldi Hot Springs. While you can stay at this resort, you can also get a day pass to their hot springs and water attractions. Water slides for all ages can be found here as well as a variety of hot and cold springs and bars and restaurants to relax in.
- Shop and eat downtown. I had one of the best acai bowls I’ve ever had while strolling through downtown La Fortuna. We also enjoyed an authentic Costa Rican meal and visited a pub that had a variety of games in their outdoor seating area for kids. There is also a beautiful open air Catholic church and a variety of street vendors and souvenir shops.
- Stay in a great place. One of the best and most unique Airbnb’s we have stayed in as a family was in La Fortuna. Arenal Villa Mara (yes, the girl in all the pictures can be a bit of a distraction…) was a delight as was the host, Jason. The property has great outdoor space including a pool and hot tub, elevated deck area, and a variety of porches. The view of the volcano from the master bedroom windows is amazing as were the flowers and plants throughout the property.
While there, get Jason to arrange a massage on the property for you. Also ask him for food recommendations. He brought us a fabulous dinner from El Jardin de Frida that we enjoyed as a family on the elevated deck.
We didn’t have time to visit all of the attractions while there. There is so much to do and see in one of the most unique places we’ve been to by far to enjoy the outdoors. We missed out on ATV riding, hiking around the volcano, and whitewater rafting, but it gives a reason to go back!
