Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [135]
Lava Lounge (Map; 2479-7365; Av Central btwn Calles 4 & 2; until 10:30pm) On the west side of town, this cool spot has a few romantic tables at which you can gaze over your margarita into someone’s eyes – but also, the food’s good, the ambience is lively and it’s a welcome addition to evenings in La Fortuna.
Don Rufino (Map; cnr Av Central & Calle 3; until 2:30am) Mingle with locals and other travelers at this inviting streetside bar.
La Cascada (Map; 2479-9145; cnr Av Fort & Calle 1; until 2am) This thatched-roof landmark is one of La Fortuna’s more established places to have a beer at night.
Chelas (Map; 2479-9594; bocas ₡1600-2600; 5pm-2am Mon-Fri, noon-midnight Sat) This popular, open-air local bar behind Arenal Backpackers Resort has great bocas (small, savory dishes), including chicharrones (stewed pork) and ceviche de pulpo (raw octopus marinated in lemon juice). The best nights of the week to visit are Monday (karaoke) and Thursday (disco). Arenal Backpackers guests get a 10% discount just by asking.
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Getting There & Away
BUS
All domestic buses stop at the Centro Comercial Adifort bus terminal (Av Arenal). The Tica Bus to Nicaragua (₡12,000) passes by El Tanque between 6:30am and 7am daily; to catch the bus you’ll have to take an early taxi to El Tanque (15 minutes, ₡4500).
Keep an eye on your bags, particularly on the weekend San José run.
Ciudad Quesada (Auto-Transportes San José–San Carlos) ₡650; one hour; 15 departures per day from 5am to 7pm.
Monteverde ₡1400; six to eight hours; departs 8am (change at Tilarán at 12:30pm for Monteverde).
San José (Auto-Transportes San José–San Carlos) ₡1955; 4½ hours; departs 12:45pm and 2:45pm. Alternatively, take a bus to Ciudad Quesada and change to frequent buses to the capital.
Tilarán (Auto-Transportes Tilarán) ₡1100; 3½ hours; departs 8am and 5:30pm.
HORSEBACK
Several tour companies offer horseback-riding trips between La Fortuna and Monteverde. The trip (a combination of horse, taxi or boat) takes about five to seven hours and costs about US$85, including separate transport of your luggage. One highly recommended company is Desafío Adventure Company.
JEEP-BOAT-JEEP
The fastest route between Monteverde-Santa Elena and La Fortuna is the sexy-sounding jeep-boat-jeep combo (US$18 to US$25, three hours) – the ‘jeep’ is actually a minivan with the requisite yellow ‘turismo’ emblazoned on the side. Jeep or not, it’s a terrific transportation option and can be arranged through almost any hotel or tour operator in either town. The minivan from La Fortuna takes you to Laguna de Arenal, meeting a boat that crosses the lake, where a 4WD taxi on the other side continues to Monteverde. This is increasingly becoming the primary transportation between La Fortuna and Monteverde as it’s incredibly scenic, reasonably priced and it’ll save you half a day of travel over rocky roads.
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Getting Around
BICYCLE
Some hotels rent bikes to their guests, though Bike Arenal (Map; 8835-2877; www.bikearenal.com; Calle 3; half-/full day US$16/22, guided tours US$67-96; 7:30am-6pm) has the best-maintained mountain and road bikes in town. It also offers guided bike tours, including beautiful rides to El Castillo and around Laguna de Arenal. Note that cycling after dark is illegal in La Fortuna.
The classic mountain-bike trip to La Catarata (about 7km from town) climbs to a fairly brutal, if nontechnical, last few kilometers, although we’ve heard stories of hardy pack-a-day smokers who’ve made it (just barely).
CAR
La Fortuna is easy to access by public transportation, but nearby attractions such as the hot springs, Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal and Laguna de Arenal require a bit more of an effort without internal combustion.