If you are looking for a great place for a long weekend trip, here’s an itinerary for 5 fantastic days in La Fortuna, Costa Rica!
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Travel Logistics
Let’s cover the basic travel logistics you will need to see all of sites in La Fortuna!
Transportation
Flights
Visitors from the U.S. can fly to Costa Rica in just a few hours. Even better, you can fly for free on Southwest! Travelers fly into either San Jose or Liberia from the U.S. The San Jose airport is a bit closer to La Fortuna and is often the least expensive option. You can spend a few days in San Jose if you like, but the real action in Costa Rica is outside the city.
One note – make sure that your are flying to San Jose, Costa Rica, not San Jose, California. Double and triple check this because travelers often find out the hard way that they made a mistake when they are checking in and don’t have a passport. Or worse, when they end up in the wrong country!
Rental Car
I recommend renting a car and driving directly to La Fortuna. This will take you 3-4 hours. My post on Costa Rica travel tips gives an overview of what it’s like to drive in Costa Rica and things you need to know about renting a car. Also check out this website for more tips on driving in Costa Rica.
Rental Car Alternative
If you aren’t up for self-driving in a rental car, your best bet is to stay in San Jose and take day trips to all of the best sites to see in La Fortuna and other places within driving distance of San Jose. The disadvantage of this approach is that you will spend much of your time on a bus with a large group. You also will not have the luxury of enjoying the culture and vibe offered by the charming town of La Fortuna.
Accommodations
San Jose
Even if you are renting a car, you may need to stay in San Jose for one night. It is not recommended to drive all the way to La Fortuna after dark. It’s not a difficult drive in the daytime, but at night there’s very little lighting to help you deal with the curving roads and one way bridges.
Keep in mind that the San Jose airport is not actually located in San Jose. It’s actually located in the city of Alajuela about 30 minutes from downtown San Jose. So if you don’t plan to do any activities in San Jose, it’s best to spend the night at a hotel in Alajuela. We stayed in the Hampton by Hilton San Jose Airport, and it was great. There are many other recognizable brands near the airport as well.
La Fortuna
We stayed at the Hotel Rancho Cerro Azul in a superior cabin with a mountain view. It was a stand-alone cabin with a beautiful balcony overlooking the rainforest. It was simple but incredibly charming and surprisingly inexpensive. If you are on a budget, I highly recommend it.
If you like to splurge, however, I recommend opting for a hotel that offers lodging with access to hot springs created by the Arenal regions volcanic activity. Having easy access to the hot springs would be a delight during what is likely going to be a very active vacation!
5 Day Itinerary
For 5 days in La Fortuna, here’s the itinerary I recommend:
Day 1
Today’s itinerary depends on your departure city and airline. On my recent trip to Costa Rica, I departed my home city about noon, had a three hour layover in Houston, and landed in San Jose about 8 p.m. It gets dark at 6 p.m. year-round in Costa Rica, and you do not want to drive long distances in the dark. So I recommend staying your first night at a hotel near the San Jose airport. If you arrive relatively early in the day, this will give you time to explore the city of San Jose. Not arriving only? Simply get your rest and be ready for your La Fortuna adventure the next day!
If you do have time to spend in San Jose, make sure to check out some the following attractions:
- Enjoy the city like a local – walk down Central Avenue or visit Parque La Sabana
- See a show – Restaurante Tiquicia Folkloric Show (Thursdays) or Costa Rica National Theater (you can also take a guided tour of the theater)
- Go to a market – Central Market or Municipal Craft Market
- Visit a museum – Jade Museum, Children’s Museum, Gold Museum, or National Museum
Day 2
We launch our 5 days in La Fortuna with an early start. You can use the toll roads leading out of town, or you can opt to avoid the toll roads to be a little more immersed in the countryside. My recommendation is use the Waze apps to choose whichever route is faster. Don’t be afraid of the toll roads if that’s the fastest option. The cost is negligible – about $2 or less – and they take both American dollars and credit cards. A sign that says “Peaje” will let you know a toll booth is coming up. Go into any open lane except the one that says “Quick Pass” (in English) as rental cars do not have this option.
Lunch
We won’t make any stops other than what is necessary on this drive because we are anxious to get to the little town of La Fortuna! If you depart your airport hotel by 9 a.m., you will arrive between 11 a.m.-noon, just in time for lunch. Fortunately, La Fortuna has no shortage of restaurants to choose from. You can have any type of cuisine you can think of, from traditional Costa Rican food to Italian to sushi. We just wandered about and looked at the menus out front before choosing a place. But if you want to prepare more, check out Trip Advisor’s recommendations.
Afternoon Activity
Fortified by lunch, you are ready for some adventure! Let’s start with a vigorous hike to, and then a swim in, the waters of La Fortuna Waterfall. The waterfall is located just a few minutes from the town of La Fortuna within the boundaries of Arenal Volcano National Park. It’s easy to get to the hiking trail parking lot, but expect some exertion as you go down the steep and uneven path to the waterfall (and even more as you go back up)! Once at the falls, there’s a swimming area in the cool, clear water for a nice dip before you face the trail back.
To make your visit even more special, you can opt to ride a horse to the trailhead. Better yet, spare yourself the hike and see the waterfall from above on a zipline!
Afterwards, check into your hotel to clean up and then go back to La Fortuna town and enjoy another delightful meal at a recommended restaurant! And if you are staying at hot springs hotel, take a dip in the many pools available.
Day 3
The third of our 5 days in La Fortuna is all about adventure! Today we are going to visit Arenal Volcano. You can do this in several ways, depending on your fitness and ability level.
Hiking
For the very fit, you can choose to hike around the base of the volcano (unfortunately, hiking to the top is not permitted). Mirador El Silencio nature preserve is a great option. It offers six hiking trails, but Trail 3 is the easiest and Trail 6 offers the best viewpoints.
You can also take the 3.5 mile circuit walk in Arenal Volcano National Park. Or you can hike through hardened lava at Arenal 1968 Private Reserve. But perhaps the best choice is the Arenal Observatory Lodge’s 7 miles of hiking trails. The entire complex includes five trails ranging from easy to difficult, hanging bridges, observation towers, visitor’s center, museum, and onsite restaurant, bar, coffee shop, and spa. There’s even a wheelchair accessible trail. It’s a great option for groups with varying levels of ability – there’s pretty much something for everyone to do.
Other Ways to Experience Arenal Volcano
There a quite a few more ways to experience Arenal Volcano. You can sail over it on a zipline. Or you can approach it on horseback. You can also enjoy the thrill of river rafting or tubing the Rio Balsa.
Less adventurous types can sail around Lake Arenal at the base of the volcano on a boat tour. Or hop in your rental car and experience the Arenal Circuito scenic drive around the northeastern shore of the lake. Simply drive on Rte. 142 from La Fortuna to and then around the lake. Note that the road does not continue all the way around the lake, so you will have to turn around retrace your drive to get back to La Fortuna.
Once you’ve visited the volcano, however you choose to do it, grab another delicious meal in La Fortuna and the seek out some hot springs to relax those tired muscles.
Day 4
Our last full day of our 5 days in La Fortuna are spent exploring the rainforest.
Morning
This morning, take a tranquil float along the Peñas Blancas River on a guided river rafting tour. You will gently float along the river, assisting with paddling periodically. Your guide will point out the various wildlife you see on the way and give you thorough details about the species you are seeing. After your leisurely float, your tour ends with a traditional Costa Rican meal and a tour of an organic garden.
Afternoon
The best way to experience the rainforest is by walking trails equipped with hanging bridges. Hanging bridges are supported by cables or ropes suspended from overhead supports. They allow pedestrians to walk across and experience tremendous viewpoints of natural elements such as rivers, gorges, rainforests, etc. There are a few different options to experience hanging bridges in La Fortuna.
Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges offer a unique opportunity to take a 2 mile trail that crosses 10 regular bridges and 6 hanging bridges as well as side trails leading to waterfalls and caves. One of the bridges offers a grand view of the volcano, and along the way you will get an indepth look at the rainforest.
If you want to experience a greater thrill than just walking over swinging bridges, Sky Adventures is for you. Here you can ride an aerial tram uphill and then zipline down. In addition, you can enjoy a guided nature walk through a 1.5 mile trail with two hanging bridges. A side hiking trails take you to a viewpoint overlooking a waterfall.
Evening
After all of this activity, you will likely need to seek out some hot springs, especially if you haven’t experienced them yet! And then go into La Fortuna town for one last meal and some souvenir shopping. Don’t forget to check out the supermarkets in town – it’s by far the cheapest way to buy Costa Rican chocolate and coffee to take home!
Day 5
Unfortunately, the fifth in our 5 days in La Fortuna is our departure day. Best practice is to book an afternoon flight back to the U.S.,but you will need to drive the 3-4 hours back to San Jose. I recommend getting an early start so that you can enjoy a stopover at a truly amazing site along the way.
If you have allowed plenty of time, navigate your map app (Google Maps or Waze) to Zarcero. This small town nestled in the mountains is a great place to stop for a break and experience a truly remarkable site. You will see a grand church, but the real site is the Parque Francisco Alvardoa. This delightful park is full of topiaries that will capture your imagination! You will see topiaries in the shapes of human, animals, and dinosaurs, some etched with faces. And you will delight in walking through the green tunnels of topiary arches. We did not know of this site as we drove past, but now it’s on my bucket list of places to return to!
Upon arrival in San Jose, you will return your rental car and board yout plane. Likely you will be thinking of planning another trip to Costa Rica. Perhaps next time you will focus on Costa Rican beaches?
Are you ready to spend 5 days in La Fortuna?
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