Practical guides
What you need to plan: getting here, routes to Monteverde, Guanacaste and Ciudad Quesada, the weather, where to camp and the services in town. All sourced.
- Camping in La Fortuna and around Lake Arenal 6 Paid campsites near La Fortuna and Lake Arenal with prices and contacts, why there is no verified free spot and which rules apply.
- How to get to La Fortuna Current bus fares to La Fortuna, driving distances from San José and the SJO and Liberia airports, and road conditions.
- Routes from La Fortuna to Monteverde, Guanacaste and Ciudad Quesada Distances, estimated times, buses and roads from La Fortuna to Monteverde, Tilarán, Liberia and Guanacaste, Upala and Ciudad Quesada.
- Weather in La Fortuna, Ciudad Quesada and Monteverde How much it rains and how warm it is in La Fortuna and the Northern Zone, why Ciudad Quesada is cooler, Monteverde's chill and Guanacaste's dry heat.
- Health and safety in La Fortuna Where to go if you get sick or hurt in La Fortuna, how to avoid car break-ins and where to report a crime. With phone numbers from official sources.
- Useful services in La Fortuna Where the banks and ATMs, the CCSS clinic, the Tourist Police and the bus terminals are in La Fortuna, on a map.
- Money in La Fortuna Whether you can pay in dollars or by card in La Fortuna, where the banks and ATMs are, the sales tax and the coins that stopped being valid in July 2026.
- Before you go What is worth knowing to make the most of this guide and visit the area respectfully. Every fact has a source; if something has changed, let us know. For routes, weather, campsites and services, see the practical guides.