Bike Arenal
by elji
You can rent bikes or take a guided mountain bike tour from Bike Arenal, www. bikearenal.com. They have a whole fleet of well maintained mountain bikes with shocks, including helmets and small repair kits and locks. We rented bikes for a half day and rode them from the shop out to the Rio Fortuna waterfall. This is a short ride (maybe 8 kilometers?) but, wow, is it STEEP! 4 kilometers is on a dirt road that is really a workout going up hill (but lots of fun coming down!). You can lock bikes up at the top and then hike down to the base of the falls ($6 entrance fee). That is quite spectacular, and it is yet another good workout on the thighs. :-) After that, you may want to ride some more around the area and explore while you have the bike too. Bike rental at Bike Arenal is $12 for a half day and $18 for a full day. I am not sure what time they open, but I know they close at 5:45 p.m. and you must return the bike by that time. (It will be dark by then anyway.) I don't know how much the tours are, but I bet they are fun too.
Please note that you will need your passport in order to rent a bicycle, and at least one person in your group must leave a passport at the shop and promise to pay up to $400 per bike if the bike is stolen or damaged while in your care.
Crocodiles at Los Lagos Hotel in La Fortuna
by twoinluv
On the property of the Los Lagos Hotel are numerous crocodiles. They are not behind 2 sets of bars, but some are just out in the open behind a small wall. Others, the big ones, are behind a chain link fence. Go to their web site www.hotelloslagos.com to get room prices. It is worth staying here if for the crocodiles alone. Plus they have spring heated pools, frog farm, butterfly farm, onsite ziplining, onsite horseback riding, and a unique look out point to see the active part of the volcanol.
Tabacon Hot Springs
by jag17
You absolutely must make time for the Tabacon Hot Springs. We didn't spend nearly enough time there. The grounds are absolutely spectacular. Plenty of changing rooms, a restaurant, and of course...a bar built into one of the pools. Enjoy a cocktail while soaking in the steaming water.
Lake Arenal
by mim95
Many ppl will likely tour on Lake Arenal by the jeep-boat-jeep trip to La Fortuna/Monteverde. It is a scenic ride with green pastures and farms on the rolling hills on both sides of the lake, with endless mountain ranges in the background. If you are coming from Monteverde, the mighty Volcano Arenal is in front of you.
Lake Arenal is actually a man-made lake, created for a hydroelectric project. The dam is right by the dock of Lake Arenal next to the road to the Hanging Bridges.
Many tour companies in La Fortuna also offer sunset tours and fishing trips on Lake Arenal. Just check with any of them in town.
Baldi Termae Hot Springs
by twoinluv
Just 1 mile outside of La Fortuna are the Baldi Termae Hot Springs. There are 3 places that have hot springs and this is the middle priced one, around $18 per person. We chose not to go here because the hot springs are capped off and put into tiled pools, which took away from the ambiance of a natural hot spring. However, we did take pictures and it looks very nice. One thing to note is the sort of loud Hispanic music playing in the background, which can ruin the exotic, hot springs experience.
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Trail Head
Volcano
The view of Arenal from El Silencio
Going up the mountains to Quepo
