Top Things to Do in La Fortuna with Kids

Looking for things to do in La Fortuna with kids?

From hiking in Arenal Volcano National Park to ziplining through the rainforest and soaking in the hot springs, there are plenty of things to do in La Fortuna for the whole family.

La Fortuna is a popular place to visit in Costa Rica and is often thought of as the adventure capital of the country. The tourist boom began when Arenal Volcano erupted in 1968, and since then, people have been flocking to this small town for a taste of adventure.

There are plenty of options for tours and adventure experiences, which can be pricey but we’ll give you our family travel recommendations, plus a few budget ideas and even some free things to do in La Fortuna with kids.

History of the Arenal Volcano

The Arenal Volcano is one of youngest volcanoes in Costa Rica but also one of the most active, and it’s definitely worth a visit when you’re in town.

It first erupted rather suddenly in 1968 and continued to be active until 2010.

Visitors flocked to the area to see the nightly show of glowing lava seeping from the volcano.

Although it is now inactive, it’s still a popular place to visit, whether hiking around the volcano or enjoying the thermal waters of the hot springs in the area.

How to Get to La Fortuna Costa Rica

La Fortuna is located in the north-central part of Costa Rica, about a 2.5 – 3 hour drive from the San Jose airport. The drive is beautiful, and you’ll pass through some stunning scenery on the way.

If you’re planning on renting a car while in Costa Rica, most rental car companies offer airport pickup locations.

Private drivers and shared or private shuttles are also a good option. We used a driver from mydaytrip.com and although it’s a bit more expensive than shared shuttles, it was more convenient for us and a fantastic experience.

Public transportation is also an option and there’s a bus which leaves from the airport and takes approximately 4 – 5 hours to reach La Fortuna.

If you are arriving in La Fortuna from Monteverde, the taxi-boat-taxi trip across Lake Arenal is a quicker way than driving around the lake and the view is amazing! The trip can be arranged through most accommodations in either La Fortuna or Monteverde.

Best Things to Do in La Fortuna

**All prices listed are in US Dollars, not CAD, as Costa Rica accepts US Dollars everywhere.

1. Hike the Arenal Volcano

You can’t visit La Fortuna and not see the Arenal Volcano towering above the town.  And unlike some of the other volcanoes in Costa Rica, you can actually hike around the Arenal Volcano and walk on the lava fields.

There are a few different options for hiking around the volcano. The privately owned Arenal 1968 has a popular Arenal Volcano hike or there are several different hiking trails at Arenal Volcano National Park.

At the National Park, there are two main trails – one which leads out to the remains of a lava field, where you can walk on the actual lava rocks. There’s also a great viewpoint, with fantastic views of Lake Arenal to one side and the Arenal Volcano to the other.

The trail also passes a huge 400-year-old Ceiba tree – it’s one of the oldest trees in Costa Rica!

After doing that 7km hike, you can drive or walk 2km down the road and hike the other trail, which is about 2km return.

While you may not feel up to doing both hikes, especially if you don’t have a car and have to walk between the two trails, the second trail is incredibly scenic with some great viewpoints and a lookout tower. If the clouds are cooperating, you’ll have fantastic views of Lake Arenal and the Arenal Volcano.

Tickets for the National Park can be purchased on site and there is parking available. There are two main trails, one from the main entrance and ticket kiosk, which is 7km around the base of the volcano.

Cost: $15 adult / $5 child
Hours: 8 am – 4 pm

2. Soak in the Hot Springs

Now we can’t mention a volcano without also talking about the hot springs.

Many of the hotels and resorts in the area have used their location near the volcano to their advantage and you’ll find plenty of accommodations with hot springs on their property.

These hotels in La Fortuna with hot springs are a great option if you’re looking for a luxury stay, and there are a few budget hotels as well. Or if you’d rather stay elsewhere, you can still visit many of these hot springs on a day pass.

Many of the hot springs are family-friendly, and some resorts, like Baldi, have waterslides, pools and a kids’ area in addition to the hot springs.

But if you’d rather not pay for the hot springs, there is a free option! Just past the entrance to the upscale Tabacón resort, you’ll be able to dip into the hot springs in the river for free.

Parking is on the side of the road, but it does get busy so you may have to park a short walk away. Just follow the trails of people down the side of the embankment and relax in the warm water.

Cost: Prices range from $44-$110/day
Hours: Vary depending on the resort

3. Visit La Fortuna Waterfall

Visiting the waterfall is one of the more popular things to do in La Fortuna with kids (or without!) and it’s become one of Costa Rica’s most well known waterfalls.

Located just a few kilometres from town, it’s an easy half day activity to do in La Fortuna. It’s a short walk from town or a few minutes drive, and there’s plenty of parking onsite.

Be warned, it is a steep walk down 500 steps to get to the bottom of the waterfall, where there’s a viewpoint and spots where you can swim. It seems like a lot, but there are spots to stop and rest along the way.  

While you can’t swim under the falls itself, walk down the river a short distance and you can enjoy the water there. There is a sandy section where you can enter the water, but water shoes might be a good idea if you want to walk along the rocks and find a different spot to swim.

The water does drop off fairly quickly, so be aware when swimming with kids. And the water IS chilly!

The waterfall is one of the more popular things to do in La Fortuna, so it’s best to go early in the day. The entrance fee can be paid onsite, no reservation is needed.

Cost: $18 adult / children under 8 are free
Hours: 7 am – 5 pm daily

4. Walk Along the Hanging Bridges

When you’re in the rain forest, one of the best ways to experience it is by walking through the tree tops on a hanging bridge. It’s an unreal experience and one of the best things to do in Costa Rica with kids.

There are a few different companies that offer this experience and they’re all located close to the downtown area of La Fortuna.

We chose to go with Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges, as we’d heard really good things about them.

There are 3 km of trails, crossing 6 different bridges and offering plenty of incredible views of the rain forest along the way.  The bridges are safe for kids and guarantee they’ll find it fun!

You can visit on a tour from La Fortuna or purchase tickets yourself online and opt to add in transportation from your hotel for an extra $20.

Cost: Mistico Hanging Bridges $26 adult / children are free. Transportation is $20 per person (including children).
Hours: 6 am – 4:30 pm

5. Experience a Canopy Tour

Canopy tours – commonly referred to as ziplining – take you across the very top of the rainforest and are definitely an experience you won’t forget! 

While most companies offer canopy tour packages including the hanging bridges walk, we’ve listed them separately in this post because depending on your family and the ages of your kids, you may choose to do only one.

There are height and weight restrictions for these tours, so not all kids will be able to participate.

Popular companies include Sky Adventures, Arenal Canopy Tours, Ecoglide and Mistico Park.

Cost: starting at $65

6. Take a Coffee Tour

Costa Rica is one of the most important coffee producing countries in the world, so why not take a coffee tour and learn how Costa Rican coffee is made?

There are a few coffee tours offered in La Fortuna. Northfield Coffee was right beside the Arenal Oasis Ecolodge where we stayed so it was an easy choice to do this one! You can also sample chocolate and coffee at their cafe if you choose not to do the tour.

Don Juan also offers a popular coffee tour, which is combined with a sugarcane and chocolate tour. While we didn’t do this tour while we were in La Fortuna, we did do the same tour in neighbouring Monteverde and it was fantastic!

While the coffee tour is designed for adults, it was very kid-friendly as well and there are plenty of opportunities for kids to get hands-on experience, from planting a coffee bean to crushing the sugarcane to make juice.

Cost: starting from $35, transportation from hotel is extra

7. Experience a Night Walk

Another one of the popular things to do in La Fortuna with kids is to take a night walk in the rainforest. You’ll be given a flashlight and with a guide, will walk along the rainforest trails at night, in search of nocturnal animals.

Arenal Oasis Ecolodge does an excellent night time frog walk. The tour was just over 1.5 hours and we saw plenty of frogs, including the red-eyed tree frog, lots of different insects and even snakes!

Cost: $26 for hotel guests / $13 child; $52 for adult with transportation from other hotels

8. Go on a Chocolate Tour

You can’t come to Costa Rica and not do a chocolate tour!

Costa Rica is known for its high-quality chocolate, and it’s actually one of the country’s top traditional exports, along with coffee and pineapple.

While you’ll find plenty of chocolate regions throughout the country, La Fortuna also has several chocolate plantations and tours.

On a chocolate tour, you’ll learn all about the history of chocolate and how it’s made, from bean to bar and you’ll also get to sample plenty of delicious chocolate along the way.

Fun Fact: Chocolate is actually made from the seeds of a fruit that grows on trees in the rainforest.

There are a few different companies that offer this tour, but the Rainforest Chocolate Tour was highly recommended.

Cost: $30 adult / $21 child

9. Spot a Sloth

Admit it, part of the reason you came to Costa Rica was to see sloths, right? A sloth tour is a great way to see these amazing creatures up close in their natural habitat.

The best time to see sloths is early in the morning or late in the afternoon, as they spend most of the day sleeping high up in the trees. And while you can try to see them on your own, it can be hard to spot them if you’re not sure where to look.

Tip: If you see a group of people off to the side of the road, chances are there was a sloth spotted!

While we saw a few sloths without a guide while hiking in Manuel Antonio, we didn’t see any in La Fortuna without the help of a local showing us where to look.

For your best chances of spotting a sloth, take a sloth tour, or walk the Bogarin trail, mentioned below.

There are a few companies that offer sloth tours in La Fortuna. They usually last a few hours, as it can be tricky to spot these

Cost: starting at $60 adult

10. Walk the Bogarin Trail

The Bogarin Trail is a short, easy trail that takes you through the rainforest where you can spot plenty of wildlife.

Choose to do a guided tour or wander through on your own. The guides will point out different reptiles, insects, birds and help spot sloths.

The 2.5km trail is flat and stroller-friendly. There are sitting areas along the way, as well as a volcano viewpoint.

The Bogarin trail is within walking distance from downtown and well worth a visit.

Cost: Guided tour $35 adult / $20 child age 3-12; Self-guided tour $15.
Private tours are also available.

11. People Watch at La Fortuna Square

After all the adventure activities, you might be needing a break and people watching is always a great way to do this.

Head to the square located right in the middle of downtown La Fortuna, sit back and people watch!

Grab an ice cream from one of the many places around the square – we recommend Chocolate Fusion! It’s one of the few free things to do in La Fortuna with kids!

12. Visit Ecocentro Danaus

Econcentro Danaus is a private ecological reserve with trails where you can spot monkeys, coatis and sloths, as well as ponds with caimans, turtles and frogs and a butterfly farm.

While we didn’t manage to fit this into our time in La Fortuna, it came highly recommended! 

Cost: $30 adult/ $15 child, $45 for a night tour

Other Tours in La Fortuna

There are plenty of other tour options and outdoor adventures available if you are looking for more things to do in La Fortuna with kids, including ATV tours, horseback riding, white water rafting or even a safari float on the Penas Blancas River.

There’s also a hike to Rio Celeste through the Tenorio Volcano National Park, which sounded amazing but it was a little more than 4 hours of hiking and may be a bit strenuous for families with younger kids.

Where to Stay in La Fortuna

💰 Budget: Arenal Oasis Ecolodge & Wildlife Refuge
💰💰 Mid-range: Baldi Hot Springs Hotel & Spa
💰💰💰 Luxury: Springs Resort & Spa

Arenal Oasis Ecolodge & Wildlife Refuge

An oasis set amid the rainforest

Although there aren’t hot springs at this property, it’s definitely worth a stay at Arenal Oasis Ecolodge. Private cabins are set in the rainforest and each has a porch with wooden rocking chairs to listen to the sounds of the rainforest at night.

Each cabin has a large bathtub, and while it may not be outdoor hot springs, the water is still quite hot!

Breakfast is included and dinner is available at the restaurant on-site for an additional fee. There’s also a 1 km trail through the rainforest, as well as a hummingbird garden.

Arenal Oasis Ecolodge is a short 5-minute walk from the main road in La Fortuna, and just a half-hour walk to the waterfall.

Baldi Hot Springs Hotel & Spa

A family-friendly resort with hot springs

A perfect way to experience the hot springs whenever you choose, Baldi Hot Springs Hotel & Spa has 25 hot water pools, ranging in temperature so there’s guaranteed to be one perfect for everyone in the family.

Kids of all ages will love the waterslides and waterpark, and there are also waterfalls in some pools that you can sit or stand under.

It’s a great family-friendly resort, with fantastic volcano views. Visit on a day pass or stay overnight to enjoy the hot pools in the evenings.

The Springs Resort & Spa

Luxurious accommodation with a spectacular view.

For a more luxurious hot springs experience, book a stay at the Springs Resort & Spa. It’s one of the top-rated hotels in La Fortuna with hot springs.

This 5 star property offers a spectacular view of the Arenal Volcano, landscaped gardens, a full-service Spa and plenty of hot pools to relax in.

There’s also a waterslide and kids’ game room, plus adventure activities for the whole family.

Final Thoughts: Top Things to Do in La Fortuna with Kids

La Fortuna is a great destination for families, offering plenty of outdoor adventures and unique activities. From wildlife spotting to exploring the rainforest, swimming in waterfalls or taking chocolate or coffee tours, there’s something for everyone.

We hope you enjoyed our list of the best things to do in La Fortuna with kids and that it helps you plan your next family vacation. Pura Vida!

For more Costa Rica travel ideas, be sure to check out these posts:

• Manuel Antonio National Park: A Guide to Visiting with Kids
• 13 Family-Friendly Things to Do in Monteverde, Costa Rica
• 10 Day Costa Rica Itinerary for Families
• Best Things to Do in Costa Rica with Kids: Epic Family Adventures
• Costa Rica Travel Budget: How Much Does 10 Days in Costa Rica Cost?
• 18 Things to Know Before Going to Costa Rica
• Complete (and Printable!) Costa Rica Packing List