Arenal Waterfall

Arenal Waterfall – La Fortuna

Just outside the city of La Fortuna is the Arenal Waterfall Park. A visit to the Arenal Waterfall Park is a great way to spend the day in the La Fortuna area. Many visitors spend the first half of the day at the Arenal Waterfall Park, then make their way to Tabacon Hot Springs to relax, and finish off the day with volcano watching. This is a full days worth of activities, but the Arenal Waterfall Park alone is still a great half days worth of adventure travel.

From the central taxi area in the town of La Fortuna the cab ride is about 15 minutes and costs about $10. This $10 is for the price of the cab ride, so you can split that $10 between all the occupants. Once you’re done at the Arenal Waterfall Park you can have the park call a cab to come pick you up.

The hike down to the waterfall is about a 15 to 20 minute hike down hill and over some mild terrain. The Arenal Waterfall Park has done a excellent job at maintaining the trail system and trying to keep it as safe as possible. Much of the trail is steel or rock steps. The hike back up from the waterfall is extremely intense and very much uphill. If you want, there is also another trail that goes up to the lake that fuels the waterfall.

For More Information

Cost: $8 Arenal Waterfall Park Admission

What to Bring

Good shoes are a must. As with anywhere in the rain forest, things get wet and slick very easily. If you plan on venturing around on the rocks near the waterfall or downriver, you will want some shoes with good traction. I recommend something like a closed toe sandal, similar to the Keen line of sandals and shoes.

If you plan on swimming you may want a change of clothes. The water here is freezing, so its nice to have some dry clothes to put on when you are done swimming. That said, its also nice to have a towel to help you warm back up.

A camera is always nice to have when visiting waterfalls. Just make sure you have something to keep your camera in when you are not using it. The area at the base of the waterfall is very misty and can quickly soak your camera if you are not careful

Photo By: Jelle