A Three Day Plan for La Fortuna

October 31, 2026

How to spend three days

Three days covers the main sights of La Fortuna without rushing. The plan below puts a walk, a soak and an adventure into each day and keeps travel short. Prices are in US dollars, rounded, and worth confirming before you book.

Day 1: the volcano base, the falls and a soak

Spend the morning in Arenal Volcano National Park. Entry is about $15 for foreign adults and about $5 for children, and the park is open about 8am to 4pm with last entry about 3pm. Buy tickets online in advance where the park allows, and bring a card as well as cash. The Las Coladas trail, about 1.8 km, crosses hardened lava with views of the cone. The cone itself and the zone around it are closed to the public, so all walking stays at the base.

In the afternoon, go down to La Fortuna Waterfall. It costs about $20 for foreign adults and has about 500 steps each way. Swim only in the calm pool at the base.

Finish with a soak. Baldi is open until 10pm with no reservation needed, while EcoTermales has an evening session from 5pm to 9:30pm.

Day 2: canyoning, bridges and a night walk

Start with Pure Trek canyoning. The standard trip is about $103 for 4 hours, with 4 rappels, and the minimum age is 5. After lunch, walk the 3.2 km Mistico trail, where self-guided entry starts at $32 plus tax. The park closes at 3:50pm, so arrive by early afternoon.

At dusk, take the Bogarin Trail night walk. It costs $60, lasts about 2 hours and needs a torch with no flash. Frogs and insects are the usual sightings, and wildlife is never guaranteed.

Day 3: rafting or Cano Negro

Choose between a whitewater trip on the Rio Balsa, rated Class II to III, and the Cano Negro boat safari. The safari takes 8 to 9 hours and costs about $65 to $100, admission usually included. End the day with a drink by Lake Arenal, a reservoir west of town with the volcano behind it.

Moving on to Monteverde

The taxi-boat-taxi link to Monteverde takes about 3 hours door to door, with a boat crossing of about 45 minutes from La Represa to Rio Chiquito. Shared fares are about $25 to $35 one way. Driving takes about 3.5 to 4 hours via routes 142, 145 and 606, which are mostly paved with some rough sections.

Practical tips

Keep valuables out of parked cars, as break-ins at roadside stops are the usual crime.
Zip-lining is often excluded from travel insurance, so check your cover.
Book canyoning, the Mistico walk and the night walk a day or two ahead.
Hours and prices change, so confirm each one before you go.

Official details: Mistico Park and Bogarin Trail .

Find a base on Booking.com .