The Best Things to Do Near Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna

Located near Costa Rica’s verdant Arenal Volcano National Park, the 3.2-mile Mistico Hanging Bridges Park hiking trail takes visitors through a series of six suspension bridges within a private rainforest reserve. The trail allows for close encounters with some of the country’s most famous flora and fauna, including red-eyed tree frogs, boa constrictors, and more than 300 species of birds. The tour can be self guided, but you’ll want to go with a guide. The nearby resort Nayara Springs offers some of the area’s best private tours, where a naturalist will help you interpret the different plant and animal species along the way.

The 165-acre Springs Resort & Spa sits 1,000 feet above the Arenal Valley, higher than any other resort in the area and affording each one of its 47 polished-wood guest rooms commanding views of the Arenal Volcano and surrounding countryside. Impressive as those vistas are, the luxury resort’s biggest draw is its 28 mineral thermal pools, which wind through four lush acres. The setting is undeniably romantic—the resort was featured in an episode of The Bachelor—but families are welcome, with activities for kids of all ages. Club Rio, on the resort’s half-mile of river frontage, offers tubing, kayaking, mountain biking, and horseback riding; there’s also a wildlife preserve for rescued native animals, including monkeys, ocelots, jaguarundis, sloths, and a puma. Five restaurants (and five bars) mean there are plenty of options, from casual poolside dining to tasting-menu elegance.

Get down and dirty on an unforgettable spelunking experience at the Venado Caves, 45 minutes from La Fortuna. The caves were formed some 15 to 20 million years ago by tectonic shifting and erosion from underground streams. In them, you’ll see stalagmites and stalactites galore, and get the chance to check out colorful frogs and fascinating marine fossils and learn about the bat communities hanging right over your head. The experience is real (and really humid)—so wise adventurers bring insect repellent, knee pads, and an extra change of clothes. Waterproof your camera, too.