All things guides · Arenal & North

Hot Springs of Arenal

La Fortuna has a dozen hot springs and they are not interchangeable — the wrong pick means paying resort prices for a water park, or a DJ by the pool when you wanted quiet. Here's the honest head-to-head on which spring is worth the money for couples, families, and budgets.

Good to know

  • Tabacon: go 3–4pm, soak through sunset, included dinner, out 8–9pm; do the night walk a DIFFERENT night.
  • Tabacón day passes sell out — book 1–2 weeks ahead, and expect weekend crowds at the marquee resort.
  • Families: Baldi is the big resort soak with dozens of pools, slides, and a swim-up bar; Kalambu is the water-park value pick across the road.
  • El Chollín is free and open all day right across from Tabacón — no bathrooms or changing rooms, and it crowds up after 9am.

Everything on the map

Tap a category above — the map and the list below filter together. Every pin is from The Costa Rica Map.

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