Top La Fortuna Nature and Wildlife Tours

Discover the natural beauty of the La Fortuna region on an action-packed full-day tour that is ideal for people who enjoy outdoors activities. Go on hikes through lush rain forest; visit a butterfly garden and Maleku Indian village; take a dip at La Fortuna waterfall; look for wildlife; and view the Arenal Volcano. Top off the day with a cocktail and a relaxing soak in a natural hot water river.

Observe Costa Rica's bountiful wildlife from the hanging bridges of Mistico Park in Arenal. Trek along ground-level forest trails and suspended walkways in this private, family-owned nature reserve that’s home to a vast array of birdlife, monkeys, reptiles, and tropical plants. Learn about the area’s rich biodiversity from a naturalist guide as you explore different levels of the rain forest, from floor to canopy, and enjoy commanding views of Arenal Volcano.

This activity will take you to know the wonderful nocturnal secrets of the tropical rainforest accompanied by a Naturalist Guide. We will visit the trails of one of the best areas of La Fortuna to observe the local flora and fauna at the foot of the Arenal Volcano, Senderos and Mirador El Silencio. We will enter the forest in search of the hourglass frog, the Blue Jeans frog, the largest frog in the country, the “Chicken Eater Frog” and the most beautiful in Costa Rica, the red-eyed tree frog. Also in this place it is possible to observe some species of leaf insects, stick insects, snakes, such as the eyelash viper, snails, Velveteens, the Stone Hand Viper and coral snakes, some mammals such as sloths, opossums and anteaters.

Float down the Peñas Blancas River in a rowboat on this 3.5-hour journey from La Fortuna. Listen to your naturalist guide's commentary while keeping a lookout for monkeys, iguanas, and a variety of bird life. Finish up with a stop at a local farm to sample their homemade snacks and coffee. Round-trip transport from selected hotels included.

As one of Costa Rica's biggest exports, coffee plays a big role in Costa Rica's economy—and its culture, too. Learn about artisanal Costa Rican coffee from bean to cup complete with harvesting, roasting, and grinding on this tour of a family-owned coffee farm near Arenal Volcano. As a bonus, try other favorite Costa Rican crops such as chocolate and sugar cane.

Slip beneath the ground on a 4-hour tour through the Venado caves from La Fortuna, and follow underground trails into a series of remarkable grottoes and chambers. Gear up and follow your flashlight along an ancient seabed as you explore the caves with your guide. Get wet and get dirty on your way to fantastic rock formations and bristling stalactites and stalagmites, visit a bat colony that thrives in the cool, dark cave system, then return to the surface to enjoy a snack of tropical fruits.

Get a close look at Costa Rica’s coffee- and chocolate-making traditions at a family farm near La Fortuna. See a cacao and sugar cane plantation, and learn how cacao is made into chocolate. You’ll get to sample fresh coffee and chocolate from the farm with a small-group tour limited to eight people.

Two popular Costa Rica adventures come together into one adventure-packed day with this white-water rafting and canyoning tour from La Fortuna. During the canyoning portion, rock climb, rappel down a waterfall, and zipline—all under the watchful eye of your guide. Then, head down to the Balsa River for a 2-hour white-water rafting tour with class II to III rapids. When to action ends, wind down with a typical Costa Rican lunch.

Enjoy a thrilling close encounter with Costa Rica’s wildlife on this 4-hour tour to the Mistico Hanging Bridges Park from La Fortuna, in the shadows of the Arenal Volcano. Journey to the heart of the rainforest on a 2-mile (3.2km) circuit of 15 hanging bridges and have chance to spot up to 350 species of bird, including hummingbirds, bell birds, toucans and the majestic Tucancito Esmeralda.

Explore the rain forest of Arenal at three different speeds with a combo tour that has something for everyone. Get a good view of exotic birds and waterfalls on the Sky Walk suspended bridges, and glide up a mountain reserve on the Sky Tram gondola. There, the real fun begins as you fly back down on a thrilling Sky Trek zipline course. In between bursts of adrenaline, enjoy fantastic views over the treetops of Arenal Volcano and Lake.

See for yourself why more than 100,000 visitors flock to La Fortuna Waterfall each year with an admission ticket to one of Costa Rica's most prized natural attractions, located inside Arenal Volcano National Park. After admiring the falls from a distance, hike down a steep path to stand at the base of the mesmerizing 230-foot (70-meter) cascade, where you can feel the power of the Fortuna River and feel its mist spraying into the surrounding jungle.

Combine three adventurous activities in a single tour: a hike to Arental Volcano, visit to the Hanging Bridges, and exploration of La Fortuna Waterfall. This full-day tour from La Fortuna, perfect for nature lovers, includes hiking and swimming amidst Costa Rica's beautiful natural scenery. Hotel pickup and drop-off included.

Chocolate lovers flock to this incredible tour from La Fortuna that includes the sweetest rainforest experience and unearths the hidden secretes of local chocolate production. Visit a farm where cocoa is grown, processed and produced. This hands-on experience lets travelers eat as much chocolate as they want while learning about history, culture and traditions of this popular Costa Rican sweet.

Connect with the waters of Costa Rica by paddling down class II and III white waters of the Balsa River. This half-day, guided, white-water rafting tour includes equipment, instruction, safety briefing and ends with a delicious lunch served in a local restaurant. Feel the thrill and excitement as you glide six miles (10 kilometers) down the river flanked by lush the jungle filled with monkeys, tropical birds, and sloths.

Soak up the beauty and biodiversity of Arenal by horseback on a ride through the family-owned nature reserve at Mistico Park. Known for its hanging bridges, the thoughtfully developed park also features a new riding trail that winds up to hilltop pastures boasting fantastic views of Arenal Volcano and Lake. The slow and natural pace of a horse allows you to appreciate the surrounding flora and look for native wildlife on this relaxed and memorable tour.

Take advantage of some of northern Costa Rica’s best white-water rafting on this full-day, guided tour with traditional lunch included. Paddle through the rainforest and over the rapids of the Balsa River stopping along to swim and rest in nature. After your adventure is done enjoy a Costa Rican style lunch at a local restaurant.

Hiking in the Costa Rican rainforest can be a dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. Book this La Fortuna Sloths, Coffee, and Chocolate Experience and go with a guide who will keep you safe and well informed. Set out through the rainforest to spot sloth and other wildlife before stopping at a chocolate and coffee farm for tastings.

Discover the sounds and sights of the rainforest after dark with a 4-hour night hike and dinner tour from La Fortuna, and visit a  frog sanctuary in the Costa Rican countryside. Follow your guide along an easy trail, and watch for the bats, nocturnal birds and mammals that rustle through the treetops and on the forest floor. Search for red-eyed tree frogs and glass frogs in their natural habitats, then enjoy a traditional dinner prepared on a wood burning stove before returning to your hotel in La Fortuna.

From La Fortuna, you'll meet at Tifakara Lodge then walk through a frog sanctuary with red-eyed frogs, and look for all the other species of amphibians and more as you make your way through the jungle at night with your guide. This will take a little over an hour. You'll see lots of surprises along the way.

Lace up your hiking boots for this full-day immersion in the wild beauty of Tenorio Volcano National Park. Look for wildlife on the drive from La Fortuna, and feel like a jungle explorer on the trek to Rio Celeste, known for its mystical aquamarine waters. Take a dip in warm volcanic river pools, admire a cascading waterfall, and reward your efforts with a typical Costa Rican lunch.

Travel along the Peñas Blancas River on this relaxed rafting tour. Along the way, spot a variety of flora and fauna such as sloths and monkeys in the surrounding forest that's located in the northern region of Costa Rica. Plus, visit a local farm where you’ll be able to learn about farming practices and enjoy a snack.

Though renowned for its wildlife, spotting the Arenal and La Fortuna area's favorite animal residents can be notoriously tricky. Tour a number of locations where wildlife sightings are all but guaranteed on this Arenal wildlife tour—expect to see sloths, toucans, dart frogs, and more with the help of your guide. Tour includes use of spotting scope and hotel pickup and drop-off.

Take a walk through the rainforest canopy on a tour of the hanging bridges surrounding Arenal Volcano. Many species of Costa Rican wildlife like monkeys, sloths, and frogs live up in the trees, so these suspended walkways give you a bird’s-eye perspective of Arenal’s amazing ecosystem. The mostly flat aerial hike is gentle enough for most ages and abilities, so the whole family can experience the wonder of the rainforest.