Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [126]
It’s worth the climb out (think Stairmaster with a view) to see the rare world at the jungle floor. Though it’s dangerous to dive beneath the thundering falls, a series of perfect swimming holes with spectacular views tiles the canyon in aquamarine – cool and inviting after the hike or ride here. Keep an eye on your backpack.
From the turnoff on the road to San Ramón, it’s about 4km uphill to the falls. If you decide to walk up, you’ll enjoy spectacular views of Cerro Chato as you hike through pastures and past the small hotels lining the road. You might appreciate a stop at Neptune’s House of Hammocks (Map; 2479-8269; hammocks ₡25,000-85,000), which sells soft drinks and hammocks (cat-sized models also available) that you can try out while you take a breather.
You can also get to the waterfall on horseback (US$25 to US$35 per person) or by car or taxi (₡3000 one way); several outfits offer overpriced tours that include a shuttle. A handful of snack and souvenir stands are at the entrance to the falls, but it’s worth packing your own lunch and making a day of it.
The falls are also the trailhead for the steep, five- to six-hour Cerro Chato climb, a seriously strenuous but rewarding trek to a beautiful lake-filled volcanic crater, where you can have a swim once you summit Cerro Chato. Starting from here, you’ll have to pay a US$10 fee for crossing the finca leading to Cerro Chato; a slightly cheaper (though you’ll still pay a fee) and less physically taxing alternative would be to hike up the other side from Arenal Observatory Lodge.
Can’t handle the hike? Just past the turnoff to the catarata (waterfall), at the third bridge (Río Fortuna) as you leave La Fortuna for San Ramón, there’s a short trail on the left leading to a pretty swimming hole just under the road, with a rope swing and a little waterfall of its own – thank you very much.
ECOCENTRO DANAUS
The reader-recommended Ecocentro Danaus (ecological center; Map; 2479-7019; www.ecocentrodanaus.com; admission with/without guide US$12/7; 8am-4pm Mon-Sat, 9am-3:30pm Sun), 3km east of town then 600m down a dirt road, has a well-developed trail system that’s good for bird-watching, and there are frequent sightings of sloth, coati and howler monkey. The price of admission also includes a visit to a butterfly garden, a ranarium featuring poison-dart frogs and a small lake containing caiman and turtles. Various tour operators in town run guided night tours (US$25) to the ecological center.
Return to beginning of chapter
Activities
There’s no shortage of things to do around La Fortuna, but it’s going to cost you.
BUNGEE JUMPING
It was bound to spring up here sometime – Arenal Bungee (Map; 2479-7440; www.arenalbungee.com; jump US$50; 9:30am-9:30pm) lets you fling yourself through the air from its ‘Extreme Machine’ structure in several ways, including launching upwards from the ground. Confused? Try it for yourself at this outfit, safety-certified by the Costa Rica Tourism Board. During our visit, Arenal Bungee was in the process of moving to a new location by Ecoglide (right).
CANOEING
Highly recommended, Canoa Aventura (Map; 2479-8200; www.canoa-aventura.com; 6:30am-9:30pm) is about 1.5km west of town on the road to Arenal and specializes in canoe and float trips led by bilingual naturalist guides. Most are geared toward wildlife-watching, with birds (green macaw, roseate spoonbill, honeycreeper etc) being the focus of various tours. Popular paddles include the full-day trip to Caño Negro (US$150, including breakfast and lunch) and an overnight (US$311) to the northern rainforest for an opportunity to spot the great green macaw.
CANOPY TOURS
Opened in 2008,