El Salto swimming hole (Fortuna River)
Around La Fortuna · 1.8 km · 3 min
A cold-water pool under the Fortuna River bridge, known for its rope swing. It is free and public, but two people died here in 2026. Read the precautions before you go.
Rivers and swimming holes
Rivers here come down from very rainy mountains and can rise in one or two minutes, sometimes without the water changing colour first. We only publish swimming spots with verified public access, and even then each page starts with the risks.
A river existing does not mean you may enter it through any property: Costa Rica's Water Law says nobody may enter private land to use the water without the owner's permission. That is why El Chollín, the free hot stretch of the Tabacón River, is still under review.
Places in this category
Under review in this category
El Chollín (Tabacón River)
Tabacón (Route 142) · 11 km
A hot-spring stretch of the Tabacón River where no entry fee is charged. It is under review because legal access is disputed.
Why it's under review: There is no entry fee, but we could not establish that access is permitted. The path goes through a gap in a fence, there is hotel land on both sides, and in 2025 local residents and the neighbouring hotel said they would take the case to court. We found no ruling. Until it is cleared up, we are keeping it out of the catalogue.