First-timer’s guide to Costa Rica: La Fortuna, Monteverde and more
I slipped into the cool water at the base of the dazzling Fortuna waterfall and called to my family, watching from the rocks: “It’s warmer than Lake Erie!” No one budged.
A few days later, they needed no coaxing to enter the bath-like temperatures of the Pacific Ocean, at gorgeous Manuel Antonio National Park on Costa Rica’s west coast.
When we weren’t in the water, we were sweating it out — hiking through a steamy rainforest, ziplining down a mountaintop.
Thank goodness I booked a rental house with a washing machine halfway through this adventure.
This was my first visit to Costa Rica and it’s easy to understand why this country, spectacularly beautiful and easy to visit, is so popular.
Home to one of the oldest democracies in the world, Costa Rica has a well established and efficient tourism economy. You can drink the water, there’s no jet lag and nearly everyone speaks English. You don’t even have to exchange money if you don’t want to.
Despite the many tourism-friendly conveniences, there was no doubt we weren’t in Kansas anymore. We saw monkeys from our hotel balcony and sloths along the side of the road. We hiked deep into the jungle and sipped coffee from beans picked from a nearby mountaintop field.
And we crossed our fingers as we dodged pedestrians and motorcyclists on the roadways in our rental car.
But then, what’s an international trip without a little adventure?
Read more: Renting a car, driving in Costa Rica not for the faint of heart: What you need to know
We spent seven full days in Costa Rica, less than half the size of Ohio, bounded by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the south, the Pacific to the west and Caribbean Sea to the east.
And yet, even after seven days, it felt like we had barely scratched the surface of this fascinating space.
We flew into the capital of San Jose, but didn’t spend any time in the city, instead heading three hours north to our first stop, La Fortuna.
We would divide our time among three of the country’s most popular regions, traveling between them in a rented SUV. Our destinations included:
- Two full days in La Fortuna,
home to the spectacular Arenal Volcano, which last erupted in 2010, near superb hiking, hanging bridges and luxurious thermal hot springs resorts.
- Two days in Monteverde, high in the mountains, home to a rare cloud forest packed with biodiversity, coffee plantations and the birthplace of modern ziplining.
- Three days on the coast, near Manuel Antonio National Park, another popular destination for wildlife lovers, this one set against a backdrop of several gorgeous Pacific beaches.
It was a trifecta of destinations, a perfect introduction to the wonders of Costa Rica. Here, then, more about each of our stops:
Two days in La Fortuna/ Arenal Volcano
After hundreds of years of dormancy, Arenal Volcano unexpectedly erupted in July 1968, killing 87 people. Active until 2010, Arenal is currently in another state of dormancy.
The scenic volcano propelled the small city of La Fortuna to the top of adventure travelers’ mustvisit lists, with terrific hiking, canyoneering, rafting and more — all followed by long soaks in one of numerous luxurious hot springs resorts in the area.
My clan — consisting of one husband, two daughters and one boyfriend — began our first full day in Costa Rica at Mistico Hanging Bridges Park, a private
nature preserve with 16 bridges dotting a 2-mile trail that winds through the rainforest canopy. It was a fine introduction to the wonders of Costa Rican wildlife.
We took a guided tour of the park, although it probably wasn’t necessary. Our guide pointed out several animals that we would not have spotted on our own — a viper, greater white-lined bat, mariola (stingless) bees and thousands (if not millions) of industrious leafcutter ants.
After a quick lunch in town at Soda La Hormiga — where we enjoyed the first of many casados, a traditional Costa Rican dish made up of rice, beans, plantains, salad and optional meat — we hit our second activity: La Fortuna Waterfall.
Located just southwest of town, the scenic 230foot waterfall, surrounded by intensely green foliage, is accessed via a strenuous walk down 530 steps. You can cool off at the end, with a dip in the chilly pool at the base of the falls, or farther down the river to avoid the strong currents near the gushing water. It was a relaxing, leg-burning end to a full first day.
A word here about expenses in Costa Rica: Though food costs and accommodations are generally less than you’ll find in most tourism zones in the U.S., the cost of activities is high.
Admission
to Mistico
Hanging Bridges Park, for example, was $30 per person (more for the guided tour); the waterfall was $18. When you’re traveling with five people (or even two people), those costs add up.
On our second day in La Fortuna, we set out for more hiking. I initially planned to hike at Arenal 1968, a private park named after the year of the major eruption, or at Arenal Volcano National Park — but the admission fees turned me off ($25 per person at the private park, $18 at the national park).
We ended up instead at the Arenal Observatory Lodge, a private resort located within the national park. The lodge — a former volcanic research facility — was converted into a resort in 1992, and offers a $15-per-person day pass to explore the grounds.
There’s a small museum here, recounting the geologic and human history of the region, plus miles of trails. We climbed to the top of a 92-foot-tall observation tower, thrilling not only for its terrific views but also because it swayed in the wind enough for me to tighten my grip on the metal railings.
This is where we saw our first views of the top of Arenal, which, at 5,436 feet high, is often shrouded in clouds. But don’t blink — these clouds move fast, reenveloping the top in less than a minute after exposure.
We saw coatis here, a member of the racoon family, plus colorful toucans, and our first sighting of white-faced capuchin monkeys, playing in the trees. Plus, we enjoyed a terrific lunch here, with window seating overlooking the volcano. After all that hiking, we headed to Paradise Hot Springs Resort, one of more than a dozen places to soak in the warm, mineral-laden water that emanates from below the volcano.
In recent years, these resorts — which range from bring-your-own towel to over-the-top luxury — have sprouted along route 142, which links La Fortuna to Arenal. Most resorts offer day passes for visitors who aren’t staying overnight, which range in price from $20 to $80.
Paradise — described in my guidebook as “lowkey” and “simpler” — was plenty extravagant for us, with eight pools, ranging in temperature from a cool 81 degrees F to a piping hot 126, plus in-pool lounge chairs, a swim-up bar and more (cost: $38 per person). It was a perfect ending to a terrific day.
Two days in Monteverde After breakfast at our Airbnb, we loaded up our rental car and headed to our second destination. As the crow flies, Monteverde is less than 20 miles from La Fortuna. Alas, the crow wasn’t flying this route — we were driving it. And it took nearly 3 ½ hours, navigating first around scenic Lake Arenal and then along miles of unpaved, pockmarked roads to our mountaintop retreat.
At an elevation of about 4,400 feet, Monteverde is considerably higher than La Fortuna. Its main attraction is Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, a 28,000-acre park that is magnet for birders and other wildlife lovers. (Note: Reserve your tickets in advance to ensure entry; admission is $25 per person.)
We spent several hours hiking here, through the cloud forest, which is both higher and cooler than a typical rainforest. The park here is otherworldly, featuring every shade of green