La Fortuna is a small, vibrant town located in the Alajuela province of northwestern Costa Rica and was originally called "El Burío". It was founded in the mid 1930s by people from surrounding regions of the country. It sits at an elevation of about 253 meters (830 feet) and is renowned as a gateway to the majestic Arenal Volcano.
In 1968, the Arenal Volcano erupted causing extensive damage and 82 deaths. However, the eruption did not reach the village of La Fortuna. This catastrophe, nonetheless, changed the geography of the whole region, making it one of the most visited tourist destinations of Costa Rica.
La Fortuna Waterfall The trail is well-maintained and leads down to the waterfall via lots of steps. When purchasing our tickets the young (very young) lady wanted to make sure we knew it was over 500 steps down and back up.
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| I think this is an easy start |
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There's the waterfall. I don't
need to go any further. |
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Oh here is where our decent
starts |
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I think this is a good shot
of the waterfall |
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You should know my motto
by now
What goes down |
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| Must come back UP |
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We made it down, must read the rules
|
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| Best Rule |
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A lot of power right there and
people were determined to swim
as close as possible |
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| The water was freezing |
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Not lifeguards but there to
ensure you did not get too close
to the waterfall |
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I thought for sure this kid was
going to just pull his mom in |
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| I can't do it |
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| He put his feet in |
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Made it up to his ankles
WOOT WOOT |
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The lower pool was not any
warmer |
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| Plenty of fish |
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| One last look before heading back up |
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| UGHHH back up |
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| 500 Steps |
We booked a hike in Arenal Volcano National Park to see the volcano, which is still considered active, but there hasn’t been an eruption since 2010. It is illegal to hike the volcano but we were able to hike along the lava trail from the 1968 eruption.
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I'm bringing up the rear as
usual |
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Going up, I can make it
|
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| Lava Rocks |
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| I don't look very relaxed |
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Pretty flowers
Our guide said 1
day orchid |
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| My Artistic Picture |
Time to start our decent down.
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I wasn't in the rear on the
way down |
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At least I got to come down
these stairs and not up |
The Green Lake
Did you notice Rob is not in the picture? He was busy being a good boy scout. There was an older couple that joined us on the hike 1/2 way through and the hike down was going to be difficult for the woman. The guide said it would be easier for them to go back they way we came. So Rob offered (and they gratefully accepted) to help the woman down.
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This is it my last uphill
battle |
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| Monkeys |
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| Last View of the volcano |
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A snack
Fresh pineapples 🍍 and bananas 🍌 |
Did you know? Costa Rica has over 200 volcanic formations. Arenal is the most visited.
Something we missed that I wished we had done was the Mistico Hanging Bridges (heights) and the Hot Springs (too hot during the day). The property we were staying on had a nice little Trail.
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| Bananas 🍌 Anyone |
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Can I make it under
|
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| Limbo |
Sunrises
Sunsets
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Our last sunset with Arenal Volcano in
the background |
Restaurants | Bars
Victorinos Restaurant recommended by our AirBnB host. The service was excellent and the food was delicious. We would have went back but I'm trying to visit multiple restaurants.
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| Azteca House Soup |
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| Rice with Shrimps |
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| Fish 🐟 Baked Potato, Salad |
Restaurante Mar de Sabores we stopped here for Ceviche for lunch. We did not choose well. Worst Ceviche we have had -- ever.
Restaurante Fortuneño was recommended by our AirBnB host. When we arrived, there was already a line. We had to wait about 30 minutes. Not bad. The service was excellent and so was the food.
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We ordered a 1/2 chicken
and a side of veggies to split.
We left with leftovers |
Restaurante La Catrina
Where did we stay?
Cabana Las Mariolas an entire cabana. This place was awesome except it was near the main road and far from town. We loved the outdoor area. We didn't even miss not having a TV.
Besides the patio the best part of the cabana is the outdoor bathroom!!!
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My friend wanted to shower
with me |
Our last evening in Costa Rica was spent at the Holiday Inn right near the airport for an early morning flight.
How did we get here?
We drove in our rental vehicle from Monteverde to our Airbnb in a little over three hours.
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| Plenty of 1 lane bridges |
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| Lake Arenal |
When did we visit? March 8 - 13, 2025
I enjoyed our travels between each location (granted I wasn't the one driving). The countryside is absolutely beautiful. 😍 The downside... the roads in Costa Rica are horrible. As Rob said, Costa Rica translates to "huge potholes" or you get a "Costa Rican massage.”
Here are several road signs we came across during our adventure.
"What's your favorite place you've ever been? Wherever I'm going next."
