La Fortuna Central Park
Downtown La Fortuna
The heart of town, with benches and gardens. On clear days Arenal Volcano rises behind the church, and that photo costs nothing.
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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.
Arenal Dam (Sangregado Dam)
Dam and eastern lakeshore · 17.3 km · 21 min
The road to Nuevo Arenal and Tilarán runs over the dam that created today's Lake Arenal. From there you can see the reservoir and, on a clear day, the volcano behind it.
El Castillo
El Castillo · 23 km · 34 min
A small village on the lake's southern shore, on the far side of the volcano. Climbing its sloping streets rewards you with views of the lake and, on clear days, of Arenal.
Nuevo Arenal
Nuevo Arenal · 45.6 km · 58 min
The town built for the families of old Arenal when the reservoir covered their original village. It sits on the lake's northern shore, roughly an hour's drive from La Fortuna.
La Fortuna Farmers' Market
Downtown La Fortuna
A local produce market that older sources place downtown. Under review until we can confirm the day, time and place.
Why it's under review: The only source with a day, time and place is from 2022, and the bullring it used as a landmark was going to be demolished for a convention centre. An agro-ecological market ran on Mondays in the park in 2018. We found no current source confirming either one.
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.
Lake access at the boat area (past the dam)
Dam and eastern lakeshore ·
A lakeshore spot about 3 km past the dam, where boat tours leave from. Under review until we know who manages it.
Why it's under review: Only one tour operator (2023 page) says it is a public access with parking and toilets. We do not know whether the land is public, ICE property or private, or whether parking is charged.
La Península, Tronadora
Tronadora and Viejo Arenal ·
A peninsula on the lake's western shore, near Tilarán, that the municipality recommends for family outings. Under review until we know which entrance is free.
Why it's under review: The Tilarán Municipality says it has free entry, but also that there is another entrance where a small fee is charged. We do not know which entrance is free or where each one is, and that is exactly what you need to know before going.
Tronadora Park
Tronadora and Viejo Arenal ·
A recent community park looked after by residents, where tourists stop for photos. Location and access still need confirming.
Why it's under review: Only the Tilarán Municipality mentions it, in a single line, without an exact location or explicit confirmation that access is free.
Viejo Arenal
Tronadora and Viejo Arenal ·
The site of the old village of Arenal, most of which ended up under the lake. The municipality recommends it as an outing with views of the lake and the volcano.
Why it's under review: The Tilarán Municipality recommends it for an outing, but we do not know the state of the road or whether the shore is public or private. It is also far away, about 80 minutes by car from La Fortuna according to the OpenStreetMap router.
Arenal Bee Garden
Around La Fortuna ·
A bee garden that a blog described in 2023 with donation-based entry and paid honey, coffee and chocolate tours.
Why it's under review: The only source is a 2024 blog saying that in May 2023 entry was by donation. We found no official site or current information, and we do not know whether the donation is voluntary. A mandatory donation counts as a cost.
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