Costa Rica with Kids- Arenal/ La Fortuna

On our third day in Costa Rica (we spent the first two nights near the Poas Volcano, see post here!) we packed up after breakfast and hit the road toward La Fortuna, about a 2-hr drive. The first half of the drive was steep and twisty, and the second half was across a flat plain on an easy highway. 

It was MUCH hotter in La Fortuna than in the cool mountains we left behind.  The back porch of our cabin at Hotel Lomas del Volcan had and unobstructed view of the Arenal Volcano (I had to reassure the kids that there would be no lava- fingers crossed!). 

After a dip in the pool and lunch at the hotel restaurant, we checked out Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park (or the “wiggly bridges” as our little one dubbed them).  Mohit and I debated whether to hire a guide (I was worried that our pace with a group and a guide would be too slow and boring for the kids), but I relented and we joined a guided group. I admit- hiring a guide was the right decision.  We would have seen very little wildlife on our own, but our guide and his telescope helped us to find a venomous snake, coatis, monkeys silently swinging in the trees above, sleeping bats hanging on the side of a tree, leaf cutter ants carrying their cargo in a marching line, and many colorful birds.  The kids whined a bit at first because they wanted to run ahead but then they started to get excited about what animal our guide would find next.  Walking on the bridges was exciting and a bit scary (but perfectly safe)- no way I was going to look down!  The hike ended with a stunning view of the Arenal Volcano. 

  We ate dinner in town at the top-rated Restaurante DonRufino.  The food was great (my kabocha squash risotto with shrimp was delicious and unique), but the kids were tired after a long hot day and were ready to eat quickly and go back to our cabin to go to bed.

The next morning we drove ourselves to the La Fortuna Waterfall.  We arrived fairly early- around 9 a.m., parked easily in the parking lot (which was full by the time we returned from our hike), and paid for our tickets.  The hike to the waterfall from the entrance gate is all downhill on well-maintained stairs and paths, with stunning views of the valley below and periodic glimpses of the waterfall.  The roar of the water grew louder as we descended. 

I was not expecting to be wowed by the waterfall, since we’d seen five waterfalls at La Paz Waterfall Gardens only two days ago, but… WOW!  When we reached the bottom I was amazed at the energy of the falls and admired the lush greenery growing on the cliff walls in the mist.  We poked our way around on the rocks along the water and waded into a calm spot of the river just downstream of the waterfall.  On our way back up, the boys went on ahead while little girl and I took frequent breaks on the convenient benches along the way (lots of stairs for her little legs!).  I spotted a Blue Morpho butterfly fluttering among the treetops, glowing iridescent in the sunlight.

Our plan was to spend the rest of the day enjoying natural hot springs.  There are many options to visit the hot springs, but we chose to splurge for the day and purchase day passes to enjoy The Springs Resort and Spa.  Our kids LOVED being in the warm pools all day, and enjoyed playing with other kids, eating lunch at the swim up bar, and screaming down the “monkey slide” (a water slide).  Mohit let me escape for a relaxing lunch all by myself, and I enjoyed fish tacos and Sauvignon Blanc on the 4th floor terrace with stunning views of the pools and jungle, reading a few chapters of my book.

We were having so much fun that we showered and changed back into our dry clothes in the spa-like locker rooms and then stayed for dinner.  After dinner we hung out for a bit in the game room (posted as for hotel guests only, but nobody seemed to care), where big kid enjoyed a bit of air hockey and little girl enjoyed playing with the hotel’s extensive American Girls doll collection (and furniture, and accessories…) with an instant friend that she found.  Technically the day pass allowed us to return the next day as well if we wanted, although we opted to find other adventures. 

On our last day in La Fortuna the boys went to Ecoglide Arenal Park to try some ziplining.  Mohit had been trying to talk big kid into joining him for days.  Big kid was reluctant, worried about falling, that it was too high up and he’d be scared.  But after trying it, he came back and told me breathlessly that it was THE BEST THING IN HIS LIFE EVER!!!  While the boys were away, little kid and I enjoyed a low key morning hanging out at the hotel pool, driving into La Fortuna to pick up the laundry we’d dropped off the day earlier (I’m a big believer in packing light- only half of what we needed for the 10-day trip), and stopping into a souvenir shop to pick out colorful Costa Rica t-shirts.  The boys came back and joined us for lunch at the hotel restaurant. 

After lunch, Mohit had made arrangements through the hotel front desk for a tour to pick us up for a river rafting trip.  We drove for about 30 minutes in a 15-person van with several couples and another family of 4 to the river entry point.  The river water was pretty low due to the dry season, which meant it was gentle for the kids (fine by us).  We saw several “Jesus lizards” (basilisks who can run across the water surface), bats sleeping in the trees above, monkeys, all sorts of birds, and a baby crocodile sunning on the riverbank.  The kids were getting a bit antsy after sitting still for the 1.5 hr float on the river but were excited when they saw the snacks set up for us at the pavilion at the end of our trip.  We enjoyed homemade cheese, corn tortillas and fried plantains, along with hot chocolate that we made ourselves by grinding cocoa beans and mixing the cocoa powder with hot water, sugar, and powdered milk.  The kids chased ducks and chickens roaming in the shade near the pavilion. 

  

For dinner on our last night, we had a fun meal at Pollo Fotuneno in downtown La Fortuna (there are two of them- we opted for the original smaller one closer to the town center).  It was a lively and hopping place, and our family platter of rotisserie chicken, fried mashed plaintains (patacones), beans, and banana salsa was huge and surprisingly cheap! 

Next, onward to the beach in Esterillos Este, on the Pacific Coast…