Exploring La Fortuna, Costa Rica

by Scott Setterberg August 27, 2018

In Costa Rica's rural northern highlands, the thriving small town of La Fortuna is one of the most-visited Costa Rica destinations and there are plenty of reasons why. La Fortuna hosts an endless supply of outdoor activities including zip lining, hanging bridge tours, and natural hot springs, as well as excellent hotels, restaurants, shops, and spectacular views of the iconic, cone-shaped Arenal Volcano.

Of the many highlights in this lush region, the incredible La Fortuna Waterfall is one of the most beautiful tropical waterfalls in Costa Rica. Known to locals as Catarata La Fortuna, the rainforest waterfall plunges 230 feet into a shallow pool below, and the location is well-developed, easy to access, and packed full of vibrant Costa Rica colors, large rocks, and a small beach area.

Catarata La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Another fantastic location near La Fortuna is the amazing one-lane suspension bridge that surprisingly emerges from the dense jungle and crosses the sparse, slow-moving Rio Peñas Blancas. Pro Tip: The small on-site restaurant, La Finca, serves delicious traditional Costa Rica cuisine and ice-cold beer.

On my first photography trip to Costa Rica in 2012, while stopped to shoot the stunning jungle bridge, a group of white-nosed, ring-tail Coatimundis (Coatis) approached out of nowhere looking for food. The cute, friendly, and fearless creatures combine the looks of a raccoon and anteater with the long tail of a monkey, and within a couple minutes of their arrival, a tour bus stopped to see the strange looking Costa Rica wildlife and a dozen British tourists flooded out with huge smiles on their faces.

Costa Rica Coatis

Twenty minutes west of La Fortuna is the massive Lake Arenal, Costa Rica's largest lake. Covering 33 square miles, the lake provides excellent windsurfing, kitesurfing, wakeboarding, and stand-up paddle boarding opportunities and produces extraordinary tropical sunsets.

Lake Arenal Sunset, Costa Rica

An additional La Fortuna waterfall hike takes you to the surprisingly powerful Danta Waterfall, a wedge-shaped Costa Rica waterfall that's tucked away in the jungle of Arenal Volcano National Park.

Danta, Costa Rica

Along with scenic landscapes, exotic wildlife, and superb waterfall photography, La Fortuna provides countless activities and photo opportunities and is a must-see location for every Costa Rica all-inclusive travel photography vacation.

You can experience and photograph the magnificence of Arenal La Fortuna on all our exceptional Costa Rica photography tours. Make sure you take advantage of the big-time discounts by registering early and note that discounts are now expiring weekly!

See you soon in Costa Rica! Pura Vida!

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