This activity in La Fortuna is a very difficult hike, but it’s so worth the effort. You can swim in the crater at the end of the Arenal Volcano trail. I don’t recommend going there when it’s raining. The trail will get very slippery and dangerous.
For your information, this activity is completely free. Don’t fall into the trap of the locals who ask 20US for the entrance. You can start directly at the Ecological Reserve Fortuna Waterfall. Don’t go to The Lodge, it’s a scam. Here, I will give you a complete guide from the bottom to the top of the trail!
- Start at the Ecological Reserve Fortuna Waterfall
- Cross the small river
- The meadow
- The intersection
- Climb up
- Cerro Chato
Start at the Ecological Reserve Fortuna Waterfall
You can park your car at the waterfall parking, there’s no fee. Follow the path on the right of the big sign FORTUNA.
You will see a few stairs that lead to the jungle. Take them and follow the path.
Cross the small river
Then, 2 minutes later, you will need to cross a very small river. There’s no longer a bridge in place, so jump to the other side.
On the other side of the river, the path goes up. You need to get around the fence. Then, go up the steps on the right of the fence.
The meadow
After a couple of minutes, you will get to the meadow. Once again, follow the path made in the grass. A couple of minutes later, you will see an intersection.
The intersection
You will see 2 different paths. I recommend going left, even if there is an arrow pointing to the right. That’s what I did, and this path is much nicer than the other one.
Soon enough, you will find more stairs. Later on, you will cross a bridge and see a small waterfall. That’s when you know you are on the right path.
Climb up
After some time, both paths will become one. You need to go left (that’s the way up to the crater). All that is left to do is climb and enjoy!!
Cerro Chato
In the last 10 minutes of the trail, you will need to go down to reach the crater. Be careful, there are a lot of paths you can take, but some are very slippery. The water is cold, but after all the climbing you just did, I highly recommend taking a swim 🙂
