Walking in La Fortuna Town and Trails

October 31, 2026

A town to walk and trails to guide you

La Fortuna is a walk-it-yourself town. The centre is a flat, compact grid, so a town stroll needs no tour. The guided walking on offer is on the nature trails around the town, where a guide helps you find frogs, birds and plants. This page covers both.

The town stroll

The centre of La Fortuna is built around the central park, which has a manicured garden, a fountain and a clear view of Arenal volcano on a good day. The church stands beside it. The streets around the park hold souvenir shops, tour desks and small local restaurants called sodas.

Sodas such as Soda La Parada, Soda Viquez and Soda Mima serve casados, the plate of rice, beans, salad and a main, for about CRC 3,500 to 5,500. Card and dollar payments are widely accepted, but small amounts are easier in colones, at about CRC 450 to $1.

Guided nature walks

The Bogarin Trail is a 2.5 km forest trail on the edge of town, open 6am to 8pm. A guided walk costs about $45 and a self-guided walk $20. The guided night walk costs $60 and lasts about 2 hours, and a birdwatching walk costs $80 for about 3 hours. Bring a torch and use no flash. Frogs and insects are common, and larger wildlife is possible but never guaranteed. Never touch, hold or feed an animal.

Mistico Arenal has guided walks from $44 on its 3.2 km trail, and night, bird and twilight tours from $54. Self-guided entry starts at $32 plus tax. The trail has 16 bridges, six of them hanging, and closed-toe shoes with good grip are required.

Trails at the volcano base

Arenal Volcano National Park has the Las Coladas trail, about 1.8 km, over hardened lava, and the entry fee is about $15 for foreign adults. Arenal Observatory Lodge has 11 km of trails, including 800 m that are wheelchair accessible, for an entrance pass of about $20 to $22. The Arenal 1968 reserve has about 7 km of trails for about $25. The cone itself and a zone of about 4 km around it are closed to the public, so every legal trail stays at the base.

Practical tips

Wear closed shoes with grip, since forest trails are damp.
Carry water and rain protection on every walk.
Keep valuables with you rather than in a parked car.
Hours and prices change, so check with the venue first.

Official details: Bogarin Trail and Mistico Park .

Find guided walks on GetYourGuide .