What isn't free
Popular attractions that charge admission and areas you are not allowed to enter. We only publish prices when they appear on the operator's official site or a recent source; prices can change.
Charge admission
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La Fortuna Waterfall
Not freePriceForeigners US$20; Costa Rican nationals US$10; children under 8 free.
Run byLa Fortuna Integral Development Association (ADIFORT)
It is the area's best-known waterfall and is run by the community association, which reinvests the money in La Fortuna projects. Open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Catarata Río Fortuna (ADIFORT), Pregun…, Catarata Río Fortuna (ADIFORT), Tour, Delfino.cr
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Arenal Volcano National Park
Not freePriceNon-resident adult US$16.95; non-resident child US$5.65; national or resident adult ₡1,130; national or resident child ₡565 (VAT included).
Run bySINAC (National System of Conservation Areas)
Payment is by card only, on the day, at the ticket office. SINAC publishes hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; a 2025 report mentions last entry at 2:30 p.m. There are free-entry days (see the events page).
SINAC — Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal, SINAC — Comprar (PNVA), El Observador CR – Alertan por turismo…
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Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges
Not freePriceSelf-guided tour from US$32 + tax; children aged 0 to 4 do not pay.
Private park. Open daily from 6:00 a.m. to 3:50 p.m., according to its website.
Mistico Park – Tours and attractions (…, Mistico Park (sitio oficial, página pr…
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Bogarín Trail
Not freePriceSelf-guided tour from US$20 per adult.
A private family project near downtown. Sloth-watching tours in the area are usually like this, in private reserves that charge admission.
Bogarin Trail (sitio oficial de reserv…, Visit Costa Rica (ICT) – Bogarín Trail
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Arenal Observatory Lodge trails
Not freePriceEntrance Pass US$22 per person; Day Pass US$40 (lunch included).
A private hotel and reserve on the volcano's slopes. Payment is made at the gate.
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Arenal 1968
Not freePriceSells tours and day passes with booking. Its website does not list prices in text.
A private reserve with trails over the lava flows.
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Mirador El Silencio
Not freePriceYou pay at the entrance booth; we found no published price.
A private reserve 1 km east of Tabacón on Route 142. Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to its website.
Mirador El Silencio (sitio oficial), Earth Trekkers — Best Things to Do in …
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Ecocentro Danaus
Not freePriceSells a self-guided day pass and guided tours (plus 13% VAT); the amount is not shown in text.
A private reserve east of La Fortuna.
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Hot-spring resorts (including Choyín Río Termal)
Not freePriceThey charge admission or a day pass. Tabacón publishes per-person prices in dollars.
Watch out for Choyín Río Termal, a private hot-spring business opened in late 2024 next to the Tabacón River that charges admission. It is not the free stretch known as El Chollín, which is under review.
Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa, Teletica (MasQN), The Costa Rica Travel Blog
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Mirador La Armonía
Not freePriceA photographer reported a ₡3,000 entrance fee in 2022; we found no current price.
A viewpoint with picnic and camping in Tilarán's Arenal district, according to the municipality.
TravelFeed — La Fortuna Photography Gu…, Municipalidad de Tilarán — Distrito Ar…
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Recreo Verde (hot springs, Marsella de Venecia)
Not freePriceDay pass: national or resident adult ₡6,000; children aged 3 to 11 ₡3,000; seniors and students ₡5,000. The website does not publish the price for foreigners.
A private hot-spring resort near Venecia, San Carlos. Open 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., according to its website.
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El Tucano Resort & Thermal Spa
Not freePriceThe hot springs are included for hotel guests; the day-pass price is only given by phone.
A private hotel on the road from Ciudad Quesada to Aguas Zarcas.
El Tucano Resort & Thermal Spa – sitio…, El Tucano Resort – Qué hacer en Ciudad…
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Proyecto Asís (wildlife refuge, La Tigra)
Not freePriceSloth tour from US$35 and wildlife tour from US$40 (1.5 hours), booking required. Children under 5 free.
A private refuge. Tours Monday to Saturday at 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., according to its website.
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Pocosol Station and lagoon (Children's Eternal Rainforest)
Not freePriceTrail entry in 2026: national adult US$10.80; foreign adult US$18, plus 13% VAT. Children aged 0 to 5 free. In 2024, local press reported a US$2 rate for residents of La Fortuna, Chachagua, La Tigra and Peñas Blancas.
A reserve run by the Monteverde Conservation League, with 10 km of trails to a lagoon, a waterfall and fumaroles. Reached by four-wheel drive, an hour from La Fortuna.
Asociación Conservacionista de Monteve…, Asociación Conservacionista de Monteve…, San Carlos Digital – Las montañas de L…
Prohibited or no permitted access
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Climbing Arenal Volcano's cone
Prohibited or no permitted accessClimbing the cone and its immediate surroundings is strictly prohibited, and the CNE keeps a restricted zone around the crater. Under the law in force in 2026, entering unauthorised areas of a national park carries a fine of almost ₡1.4 million (₡4.6 million for operators or guides).
SINAC — Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal, El Observador CR – Alertan por turismo…, CR Hoy – 4 personas estrenan multas po…
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Cerro Chato
Prohibited or no permitted accessSINAC does not authorise entry to Cerro Chato, and going in breaks the National Parks Service Law. Although some businesses sell hikes there, the area has no infrastructure to handle emergencies.
El Observador CR – Alertan por turismo…, El Observador CR – Pese a riesgos, tur…, Two Weeks in Costa Rica – Cerro Chato …
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"Hidden Falls" near the waterfall
Prohibited or no permitted accessA blog presents it as free, but describes getting around a locked gate to reach it. That is not permitted access and we do not recommend it.
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Juan Castro Blanco National Water Park
Prohibited or no permitted accessIn October 2026 work began on visitor facilities in the Volcán Viejo sector (Bajos del Toro), with no opening date. Older sources mention entrances via San José de la Montaña; do not assume they are open.
Visit Costa Rica (ICT) – Parque Nacion…, ICT — Guía turística Llanuras del Nort…, The Tico Times – Juan Castro Blanco Na…, Delfino.cr – Arrancan obras de infraes…