It definitely has a fun party vibe, especially on the weekends! The La Fortuna / Arenal Airport (FON) is located a 10-minute drive east of La Fortuna / Arenal, near the community of El Tanque. Finally, spend a few days in Manuel Antonio National Park, kayaking through turquoise waters and relaxing on pristine white sand beaches. Because La Fortuna is such a big tourist town, there are a ton of amazing places to stay. Theres Costa Ricas first fruit beer, the Pia Blonde, made with organic pineapples that is always on tap. Youll find everything from bright, colorful paintings to traditional Costa Rican masks, ceramics, and mirrors. Tifakara Boutique Hotelis located just outside Arenal Volcano National Park. If whitewater rafting sounds fun but intimidating, I suggest going withthis specific touron a gentler section of Rio Balsa. For more information, please visitDIY Costa Rica. Both La Fortuna / Arenal and Monteverde welcome travelers who speak English. If you just want to explore Arenal as I did,this specific tour is a great option. Most are also run by themes, plugins, and other add-ons to our website that we do not and cannot control, which means the cookies you receive are mainly provided by third parties. This walk takes some people much longer, so be prepared and take your time. The lodge has an incredible view of the volcano, and the wildlife surrounding it includes toucans, howler monkeys, and sloths. The closest thin, Search for critters in the rainforest! Each Costa Rica Travel Blog article reflects our own work, travels, and lessons learned. Visit Monteverde Cloud Forest The forest really is cloudy! Continue to Monteverde, where you'll discover the remarkable flora and fauna of the cloud forest. Browse our Costa Rica blogs to learn everything you need to know about Costa Rica accommodations, including recommendations for where to stay in Costa Rica. The tour also includes a homemade lunch in a local familys home and a stop to view waterfalls that reach up to 590 feet at the Toro Hydroelectric Project. We compare and contrast La Fortuna / Arenal and Monteverde, plus offer a quiz, photos, and free discounts for both areas to help you decide! Day 3: Hanging bridges, La Fortuna waterfall, Volcano hike. Best Yoga Pose Our Costa Rica travel guide published by Moon Travel Guides, Our Costa Rica discounts database (Pura Vida! Click here to access the FREE Monteverde discounts! Thats what led us to Manuel Antonio, because of time constraints and travel. Our awesome Costa Rica Destination Tool filters 66 destinations by nearly 150 criteria to help you quickly and easily decide where to go in Costa Rica according to your unique preferences, wants, and needs. Its this: Should I visit La Fortuna / Arenal or Monteverde? Similar inquiries, like Which is betterLa Fortuna / Arenal or Monteverde? and Should I visit both Monteverde and La Fortuna / Arenal are equally asked, as are innumerable other variations. Best Art Gallery The tour involves entering a larger cavern before exploring smaller caverns, and at some points, youll squeeze through holes barely big enough to fit through. The bridges range from 170 feet (52 meters) to 560 feet (171 meters). For more information about this and other privacy-related practices, please see our Privacy Policy. Even better, some of the tightest areas can be skipped by individuals. La Fortuna / Arenal and Monteverde both offer a wide variety of dining options. The tours are set up so there are protected areas and trails made of cement, so you can do this tour on a sunny or rainy day. Of course, Arenal Volcano is only a fraction of why people love La Fortuna. But the road and waterways between these destinations are not as straightforward to navigate. The small downtown core offers a handful of urban amenities like trendy souvenir shops and cafes, while the outskirts of town showcase natural, agrarian settings, and quiet neighborhoods. This part of the river is really hot, and youll smell the sulfur before you see it! If you have more than a week to travel around Costa Rica, youll find that visits to both La Fortuna / Arenal and Monteverde are possible, in addition to time spent relaxing on a beach elsewhere in the country. Best View Of The Arenal Volcano There are 7 ziplines with a total length of 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers) with a maximum height of 660 feet. Best Ways To Travel From La Fortuna To Monteverde (Or Vice Versa). This means that every time you visit this website you will need to accept the policy again. Best Place To See Coatis I stayed for a week with a group of friends, and Danilo and his family are among the most hospitable and fun people Ive ever met. Not to mention the town is big on accommodation, and a thriving restaurant and cafe scene. Entrance to La Fortuna Waterfall is $18 USD, and you can purchase them at the gate orhere online in advance and skip the line(its the same price.). To ensure you're aware of and okay with this and our other privacy-related practices, please review ourPrivacy Policy, then click the button below to accept it. Thanks! If you do not accept the policy, please see the Settings. The best option is taxi-boat Birdwatching. Road construction along the route is ongoing; to date, the road is paved as far north as Guacimal. Can/should I visit both La Fortuna / Arenal and Monteverde? We appreciate your interest, preference, time, and visit. Inc., home to hundreds of discounts for Costa Rica day tours, our best of Costa Rica compilation DIY Costa Rica, which includes our Costa Rica Destination Tool and our Costa Rica Recommendations Map, our free Costa Rica Trip Planning 101 E-Course, and our awesome Costa Rica travel guidebooksMoon Best of Costa Rica, 2022 edition (a selective best of guide; available now), Moon Costa Rica, 2023 edition (a full-country guide; out September 2023 but currently available to pre-order), Moon Costa Rica, 2021 edition (a full-country guide; available now), and Moon Costa Rica, 2019 edition (a full-country guide; available now)published by the prestigious Moon Travel Guides. Get the Costa Rica info you need by browsing our article's TABLE OF CONTENTS: Are you curious to know the most common question we receive from people who are planning a trip to Costa Rica? Best Equipment (Other Than A Camera) To Pack WebLa Fortuna (the town nearest to the Arenal Volcano) has an altitude of 1,148 feet (350 m), while Monteverde straddles the Continental Divide at 4,921 feet (1,500 m). A PayPal account is not required to make a donation; credit and debit cards are also accepted. Great experiences are all about service, and nothing beats local, authentic service encountered with the help of word-of-mouth recommendations. There areso many different hot springs to visit in La Fortuna; you could visit a different one every day for weeks! The closest airport to La Fortuna is Juan Santamara International Airport in the capital of San Jose. One of the best trails is the Waterfall Trail which is about a 30-minute walk to the base of a waterfall. Not to mention the town is big on accommodation, and a thriving restaurant and cafe scene. This tour explores an area known well known as sloths territory, which is a private reserve run by a local family about 10 minutes away from downtown La Fortuna. Click here to access the FREE La Fortuna / Arenal discounts! We did Curi Cancha Reserve in the morning for a birding tour and then hiked Bosque Nuboso Santa Elena by ourselves in the afternoon. TheVolcano Lodgeis set at the foot of Arenal Volcano. Best Hummingbird Garden Best Adventure Tour Operator, Best View Of The Sunrise Because of La Fortunas central location in the country, its not far from some great rivers that are perfect for whitewater rafting in Costa Rica. Visit Monteverde Cloud Forest The forest really is cloudy! Travel distance from the SJO airport (San Jose / Alajuela), Travel distance from the LIR Airport (Liberia), Best Hot Springs In Arenal: We Compare All 12 La Fortuna Hot Springs, Visiting The All-New La Fortuna Waterfall And Orchid Garden, Costa Rica Itinerary: 5 days in Costa Rica, Costa Rica Itinerary: 8 days in Costa Rica, Costa Rica Itinerary: 10 days in Costa Rica, Costa Rica Itinerary: 12 days in Costa Rica, Costa Rica Itinerary: 15 days in Costa Rica, our Questions and Answers Forum on DIY Costa Rica, Pura Vida! One of the more unique things to do in La Fortuna is caving through the Venado Caves. Monteverde on another hand is best for a day trip. For more than a decade, weve been helping travelers determine the answers to these questions based on whats best for them, and were happy to do the same for you. Also, if it is raining, do not attempt the trail! The water in La Fortuna is completely safe to drink and some of the best in the country. Distance from La Fortuna. Kayaking is also really popular on Lake Arenal, andthis specific tourincludes all you need for a 2.5-hour paddle on the lake. Coolest Animal To See Up Close, Best Volcano To Visit Luckily, the next best thing is learning how to cook the dishes for yourself. Youll have the chance to rock climb up a hidden rainforest canyon and rappel along a thrilling course that includes the Monkey Drop canyon zipline and four waterfall descents. 3 to 4 days is enough time to visit a few of the best attractions in La Fortuna. Kids over the age of four are also able to take part. Best Place For Black Sand Most of the nicer beaches are anywhere from a 3.5-hour drive to a 6-hour drive away from La Fortuna. The Arenal Observatory Lodge in the Arenal area also has nice hiking. This safari float touris a great way to get up close to wildlife. (Continued use of the website implies that you agree with the policy.) The river is located a 15-minute drive out of La Fortuna, and those with a car can park along the highway. Our Moon Costa Rica guidebook, 2023 edition (a full-country guide out September 2023 but currently available for pre-orderpaperback and e-book versions): Our Moon Best of Costa Rica guidebook, 2022 edition (a selective best of guide currently available for purchase in stores worldwide and through online retailerspaperback and e-book versions): Our Moon Costa Rica guidebook, 2021 edition (a full-country guide currently available for purchase in stores worldwide and through online retailerspaperback and e-book versions): Our Moon Costa Rica guidebook, 2019 edition (a full-country guide currently available to purchase in stores worldwide and through online retailerspaperback and e-book versions): Today's the day! This is a great way to spot birds including Great Blue Herons and Kingfishers, and youll probably hear Howler monkeys too. 2 Full Days in Monteverde. Best Adventure Tour Day 2: Relax at the hotel or check out La Fortuna town. Costa Rica is often a beach getaway for many visitors who come for the surf, sun, and relaxation in towns such as Jaco and Tamarindo. Combine two of the best activities in Arenal, Stand Up Paddle Lake Crossing and Mountain Biking all in one! Explore the surroundings of the most authentic and epic scenarios that the Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal have to offer. We agree 100%. However, those with a vehicle can also drive out there and park at the bridge. Birdwatching. Monteverde. Its $45 USD per person, which includes unlimited coffee tasting in the gift shop. Most Important Reason For Keeping Colones On Hand. Arenal and La Fortuna. Youll want to get out on this lake while youre here! You cant come to Costa Rica and not taste some of the coffee and chocolate this country is known for! Toucans are my favorite! Are you aware of a day hike that would allow for a quick connect between these two destinations? Browse our Costa Rica blogs to learn everything you need to know about starting to plan a Costa Rica vacation. Best In-Pool Hot Springs Feature That should have said Poas. Best Site For A Titanic Im The King Of The World Moment This specific tour is awesome, and youll learn so much about chocolate making in Costa Rica as well as sample your fair share the hot chocolate is so good! While La Fortuna is absolutely stunning during the day, it really comes alive at night! 22. Awe (blush). About Monteverde. Below are some of them. You can take a swim at the base of the falls! We've seen lots of beautiful birds there including toucans. Our company is inclusive. In addition to writing this Costa Rica Travel Blog, were the team behind several other Costa Rica-based projects, including: our business, Pura Vida! During the wet/winter/green season, the area remains warm and mostly sunny, with occasional cloud cover and rain showers. 9 BEST Tours of Costa Rica (Multi-Day Guided Tours) & How to Pick One! The area is home to a vast chunk of Costa Ricas protected land space and offers a number of nature reserves, most notably the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, and the Childrens Eternal Rainforest. Depending on the type of ground transfer service used, the route followed, and weather conditions, the drive could take longer. The biodive, Sunbathe on #PlayaEspadillaSur! The Monteverde Cloud Forest essentially welcomes the sky down into the rainforest letting you walk through the low-hanging clouds and mist. 2 Full Days in Monteverde. Costa Rica Itinerary: 5 days in Costa Rica(i.e., 4 nights and 5 days in Costa Rica)Costa Rica Itinerary: 8 days in Costa Rica(i.e., 7 nights and 8 days in Costa Rica)Costa Rica Itinerary: 10 days in Costa Rica(i.e., 9 nights and 10 days in Costa Rica)Costa Rica Itinerary: 12 days in Costa Rica(i.e., 11 nights and 12 days in Costa Rica)Costa Rica Itinerary: 15 days in Costa Rica (i.e., 14 nights and 15 days in Costa Rica). , andthis specific tourincludes things to do between la fortuna and monteverde you need for a 2.5-hour paddle on type... On Lake Arenal have to offer amazing places to stay and Monteverde both a! A donation ; credit and debit cards are also accepted tightest areas can be skipped individuals. Probably hear howler monkeys too ground transfer service used, the route followed and! Will need to know about starting to plan a Costa Rica vacation be prepared take... 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