10 Best Things to Do in La Fortuna, Costa Rica With Kids
Nature + Aventure Guide
We keep coming back to La Fortuna because it does something other family destinations don’t: it makes children genuinely want to know more. The hanging bridges, the night hike, the hot springs under the volcano — each one creates the kind of memory they’re still describing years later. This is how we use our days here.
At a Glance
TIME NEEDED
3 - 4 Days
Enough for the top 10 without feeling rushed
MIN AGE
All Ages
Stay on the road toward Arenal Lake for volcano views
BASE
La Fortuna
Most activities work from age 3+ · some from 5+
BEST SEASON
Year-Round
Dec–Apr driest · volcano clearest · hot springs always open
The 10 Best Things to Do in La Fortuna With Kids
Our best of the best. Ranked by how consistently they deliver for families — accounting for the effort involved, the age range they work for, and the kind of memory they create.
Arenal Hanging Bridges — Guided Hike at Mistico Park
Wildlife · Nature I Must-Do · All ages · stroller accessible · 2–3 hrs
The single best wildlife experience in La Fortuna for families. Six suspension bridges through primary old-growth rainforest, with a naturalist guide who finds the sloths, toucans, and poison dart frogs you’d walk straight past. The bridges sway gently, the views down into the canopy are remarkable, and Arenal Volcano appears through the trees at several points on the trail. The stroller-accessible loop makes this genuinely suitable for all ages.
A Full Day at Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa
Hot Springs · Luxury I Must-Do · All ages · Full Day
Geothermal hot springs heated by Arenal Volcano, landscaped into gardens with cascading waterfalls, multiple pools, and Arenal Volcano visible over the treetops. The word “luxury” gets thrown around in travel writing but Tabacón earns it. The shallow pools work beautifully for young children; the thermal river experience is one of the most distinctive things you can do anywhere in Central America. Arrive at opening.
Zip-Lining Through the Arenal Rainforest
Adventure · Canopy I Must-Do · Ages 5-6+ · 2-3 hours
Eight cables cutting through the dense jungle close to Arenal Volcano, with the longest stretching 600 meters above the canopy. The optional Tarzan free-fall swing is the highlight for kids brave enough to try it. By cable three, even the most nervous riders are grinning. The rainforest setting makes this a different experience from the drier Guanacaste courses — denser, greener, with howler monkeys audible in the distance.
Guided Night Hike — The Rainforest After Dark
Wildlife · Night Hike I Must-Do · Ages 5-6+ · 2-3 hours
The La Fortuna rainforest at night is a completely different world from the one you walked through during the day. Red-eyed tree frogs on leaves at eye level, glass frogs on the undersides of leaves beside the trail, leaf-cutter ant highways that pulse like rivers, sleeping parrots, kinkajous moving through the canopy above. Guides carry red-light torches to minimize disturbance. Kids are almost always transfixed — our youngest called it the best thing she’d ever done in her life.
La Fortuna Waterfall
Wildlife · Hike I Must-Do · Ages 6+ · 500+ Steps · 2-3 hours
A 75-meter cascade that drops into a clear swimming pool surrounded by jungle. The descent requires negotiating 500+ steps down — and the same back up — which makes it a genuine workout for adults and an adventure for older kids. The payoff is one of the most dramatic waterfalls in Costa Rica and a swimming hole that feels exactly as good as it looks after the climb. For families with kids under 6, assess honestly before committing to the steps. Not sure or want more information? Take a look at our guide, or get some practical information from the official website.
Arenal Volcano National Park — Lava Fields Trail
Volcano · National Park I Ages 6+ · 3 hours+
The 1968 lava field trail winds through the solidified remains of Arenal’s most destructive eruption — a landscape of twisted rock, pioneer plants reclaiming the hardened lava, and unobstructed views of the volcano’s cone. The trail is relatively flat and accessible. Go in the morning for the best chance of seeing the volcano clearly before cloud cover builds by midday. For kids interested in volcanoes, the visual scale of the 1968 flow is genuinely impressive. Make sure you bring good footwear – this is not your well-maintained path from Mistico Park. Our guide on trails in Arenal Volcano National Park gives you all the details, the official park webpage has great practical information.
Baldi Hot Springs — Best for Active Kids
Hot Springs · Fun I Ages 6+ · Half Day
Twenty-five-plus thermal pools and water slides in a geothermal playground. Less serene than Tabacón, more fun for kids who want activity over atmosphere. The all-inclusive food and drink package makes it good value for a full family day. If your kids are water-slide people, Baldi is where they’ll want to spend their whole La Fortuna trip.
Read our guide to Hot Springs in La Fortuna >
Rio Chollin — The Free Thermal River
Free Hot Spring · Like the Locals I All Ages · 2 Hours · No facilities
Directly across the road from the Tabacón Resort entrance: a public access point to the same geothermal river that flows through the resort’s $80 gardens. No fee, no changing rooms, no facilities. Locals gather here in the evenings. Bring towels and be prepared to change in your car. Our kids thought discovering this was the best trick we’d ever played — floating in volcanic hot springs for free while resort guests paid hundreds of meters away.
Las Pumas Rescue Center — Best Day-Trip Addition
Wildlife Rescure · Stop Anywhere I All Ages · 60-90 mins
Wildlife Rescue · Stop Anywhere
Las Pumas Rescue Center — Best Day-Trip Addition
Technically a 45-minute drive from La Fortuna toward Cañas, but easily incorporated as a stop on the drive back to Liberia. Las Pumas is a small, donation-funded wildlife sanctuary where pumas, jaguars, ocelots, monkeys, toucans, and macaws live in open-air enclosures — often separated from you by nothing more than a chain-link fence. Standing three feet from a puma changes something. Allow 90 minutes minimum. Most people skip it. Don’t.
Our Top Three Picks of Best Things to Do in La Fortuna with Kids
Hanging Bridges at Mistico Park
The highest wildlife encounter rate in the most accessible format. Stroller-friendly, genuinely educational with a guide, and the kind of experience that makes children want to know more about the natural world. Our number one.
Tabacón Thermal Resort
The word “luxury” is overused in travel. Tabacón earns it. Geothermal gardens, cascading waterfalls, volcano silhouette at dusk. The best single day you can have in La Fortuna if budget allows.
Guided Night Hike
Nothing else on this list competes for sheer strangeness and wonder. The rainforest at night is a different world. Red-eyed tree frogs, glowing eyes, leaf-cutter ant rivers. Our kids talked about it for months afterwards.
Practical Information
How to plan your La Fortuna days efficiently with kids.
Planning Your Days
- Day 1 Hanging bridges in the morning (7am) · La Fortuna Waterfall in the afternoon · Night hike in the evening. Full day but manageable.
- Day 2 Zip-lining morning · Tabacón full afternoon into evening. This is the adventure-luxury day.
- Day 3 Arenal Volcano National Park lava trail · boat tour on Arenal Lake · free hot springs at Rio Chollin at dusk.
- Getting Around A rental car is essential. Everything requires driving — La Fortuna town to Mistico Park is 15 min, to Tabacón is 20 min, to the national park 15 min. 4WD recommended.
- Booking Priority Book Tabacón, EcoTermales, and guided night hike in advance. Zipline and hanging bridges are usually available on the day but benefit from morning slots.
Staying in La Fortuna With Kids
- Where to Stay Look for accommodation on the road between La Fortuna town and Arenal Lake. Many properties have direct volcano views — worth paying for. Take a look at our guide for best hotels in La Fortuna.
- Hot Spring Access Some properties along Route 142 include access to their own hot spring pools. A good mid-range option that skips the resort entry fees.
- Eating La Fortuna town center has excellent local sodas (traditional Costa Rican restaurants) alongside tourist options. For families: try a casado for lunch — rice, beans, plantains, protein — it’s honest, cheap, and the kids will eat it.
- Health & Safety Bring any prescription medications from home — the local pharmacy is limited. Insect repellent is essential for evening activities. Travel insurance recommended.
- Weather La Fortuna receives rainfall year-round. Pack a light rain jacket for every activity. Afternoon rain is common; it rarely lasts more than an hour and the forest smells extraordinary afterwards.
What We Loved Most
We have done a lot of family trips. These are the moments from northern Costa Rica that we still talk about.
JUNGLE AT NIGHT
RED-EYED TREE FROGS AT NIGHT
A frog the size of your thumb, sitting on a leaf, staring back at you with eyes that seem to have been designed specifically to be impossible to forget. This is what the night hike is for.
SOAK IN THE HOT SPRINGS
TABACON AT GOLDEN HOUR
The thermal gardens at dusk, volcano silhouetted behind us, children genuinely relaxed for the first time all day. No resort pool anywhere in the world produces this exact combination.
ROARING WATERFALLS
THE WATERFALL PAYOFF
After 500 steps down, you round a corner and there it is — 75 meters of white water hitting a pool of improbable clarity. The swim at the base, with the waterfall noise filling everything, is the best moment of the hike.
NATURE CLOSE UP
THE VOLCANO THROUGH THE WINDOW
Waking up to Arenal Volcano perfectly framed in the bedroom window on a clear morning — conical, enormous, absolutely still. It never became ordinary. Every morning we looked first thing.
LIVE LIKE A LOCAL
RIO CHOLLIN AT SUNSET
Floating in hot volcanic water for free while the light went golden over the jungle. Our kids still bring it up. Sometimes the free thing is the best thing.
WILDLIFE CLOSE UP
FINDING THE SLOTH
The guide pointed up. We couldn’t see it. Then — a slow arm movement above us. The kids’ reaction to spotting their first wild sloth is not something you can replicate with any amount of money or planning.
Planning a trip to La Fortuna?
Related Guides
Keep planning your northern Costa Rica adventure with these deep-dive guides.
Night Hikes in La Fortuna
What to expect: wildlife, bugs and everything in between.
Frequently Asked Questions
3–4 days is ideal. That gives you one day for hanging bridges and the waterfall, one day for zip-lining and a night hike, and a full day for hot springs. Add a fourth day for the volcano national park and Arenal Lake boat tour. Fewer than 3 days and you'll feel rushed.
Yes — it's one of the best destinations in Costa Rica for families with young children. The hanging bridges hike is stroller-accessible, hot springs have shallow gentle pools for toddlers, and wildlife viewing requires no physical exertion. Most activities work from age 3 and up; zip-lining and night hikes are best from age 5–6.
The La Fortuna Waterfall is a 75-meter cascade dropping into a swimming pool. The descent requires 500+ steps down and the same back up — a real workout. Children aged 6 and up typically manage it well. The swimming area at the base is spectacular and makes the climb back up feel completely worth it.
For most families, the guided hanging bridges hike at Mistico Park delivers the highest satisfaction — maximum wildlife encounters in the most accessible format, suitable for all ages. The guided night hike runs a very close second for the sheer sense of wonder it creates, particularly in children aged 5 and up.
Yes, a rental car is essential for this itinerary. It gives you total flexibility between Guanacaste and La Fortuna, access to the rescue center on the way home, and the ability to time your hot springs visits early (before the crowds). A 4WD is recommended — some roads to waterfalls and hot springs access points are unpaved.
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