Outdoor Activities in Central Valley

Hike though the tropical rain forest of Tenorio Volcano National Park to witness the enchanting blue waters of Rio Celeste on this full-day tour from La Fortuna. Trek with a guide along forested trails dotted with waterfalls and rich with native wildlife to reach the convergence of two mineral-rich rivers that together produce the mysterious aqua tint of the Rio Celeste. After the hike, reward your efforts and recharge with a traditional Costa Rican lunch.

Spend a delightful day soaking in the dramatic vistas and relaxing hot springs of Arenal. Explore Arenal 1968 Park with an easy hike and take in awe-inspiring views of the active volcano and lush jungle. Then, unwind and give your muscles a good soak in the natural pools of nearby volcanic hot springs. Choose from three different hot springs to suit your style, and finish the night with a dinner of traditional Costa Rican cuisine.

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.

Experience Costa Rica's famed natural beauty and biodiversity in an eco-friendly way with a day trip to La Paz Waterfall Gardens from San Jose. Observe rescued rain forest creatures like spider monkeys, toucans, tree frogs and even jaguars while learning about the nature reserve's conservation efforts. Lunch among the serene jungle setting and transport from San Jose are included.

Push your limits on this competitive canopy tour in La Fortuna. Develop your team spirit and a sense of friendly competition over the course of 12 adventurous activities such as a Tarzan swing, rappel, and swinging bridge, all under the watch of your safety-trained guide. This tour includes pickup and drop-off from select Arenal-area hotels.

An all-inclusive tour is an efficient and affordable way to visit Costa Rica's essential highlights in just a week. Transportation, activities, meals, and lodging are included on your visits to Arenal Volcano, Monteverde Cloud Forest, Tortuguero Canals, and more. Plus, traveling with a guide means gleaning lots of insight into local culture and history that you might miss traveling alone. This tour is limited to just four people for a more personalized experience.

Explore a protected tropical rainforest on a 4-hour hanging bridges tour from La Fortuna, and hike a 2-mile (3.1-km) circuit that crosses a series of 15 bridges with extraordinary views of the jungle canopy. Watch for brilliant birds, monkeys, boars and jewel-toned frogs as you follow your guide through the forest, and listen to the sounds of tropical birdsongs and trilling insects. Experience Costa Rica’s rich diversity and lush habitat in terrain that abuts the Arenal volcano, and discover a remarkable world hidden in thick rainforest canopy.

Hike through Tenorio Volcano National Park's remarkable landscape and see the otherworldly blue of the Rio Celeste waterfall on a full-day trip from La Fortuna. Follow your guide on a 4.3-mile (7-km) trail into the forest, watch for the monkeys and birds as you stroll past a serene lagoon, and take in views of the imposing Tenorio Volcano. Visit the park's boiling mud pits and brightly colored jungle waterways, then enjoy a full lunch in the park before returning to your hotel.  

Test your limits on an extreme canyoning expedition in Costa Rica! On this thrilling, 6-hour tour from La Fortuna, journey to a remote rain forest canyon where you'll rappel down cliffs, leap from waterfalls and trek through a jagged, slippery landscape. Prepare to get soaked as you splash into jungle pools and swim under cascades in an extraordinary natural playground. Numbers are limited to 10 for a personalized small-group adventure.

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.

A guided tour enriches your experience in Tenorio Volcano National Park by providing information about the park's plant and animal life and expert navigation down the pothole-ridden roads between the Papagayo Gulf and the rain forest. Perfect for hikers and photographers alike, this tour offers a stress-free way to visit one of Costa Rica's must-see destinations in just one day. To top it off, sloth sightings are practically guaranteed.

See the mystical blue waters of Rio Celeste on a full-day hiking tour in Tenorio Volcano National Park. Learn about native plants and look for Costa Rican wildlife on an intense trek through the rain forest that includes several steep elevation gains. Your efforts are rewarded by the sight of the brightly colored river and waterfall, which results from the convergence of two mineral-rich streams, and with a delicious Costa Rican lunch after the hike.

Walk among the treetops on this tour of the Arenal's Hanging Bridges. Take in a bird's-eye view of Costa Rica's incredible biodiversity as you traverse 15 different bridges that stretch across the rain forest canopy. Get up close with native wildlife and admire an unforgettable perspective of the active Arenal Volcano while your local guides shares secrets of this incredible landscape.

See the best of Costa Rica in a single day on this 12.5-hour four-in-one tour that's perfect for outdoor adventurers. Cross the famous hanging bridges, where you'll experience the beauty of walking high above the jungle floor. Take in the incredible wonder of La Fortuna Waterfall and hike to the top of a nearby volcano where you'll capture incredible views of Costa Rican countryside. This tour includes a stop at Tabacon Hot Springs and a traditional meal of regional cuisine prepared in the home of a warm and welcoming local. It's the perfect way to experience the beauty, excitement and adventure of Costa Rica in a single day.

Walk across the rain forest canopy, hike to a waterfall, and relax in natural thermal hot springs with this 3-in-1 tour of Arenal Volcano from La Fortuna. Inclusions such as lunch, dinner, and entrance fees ensure that you don't have any unexpected expenses, while a choice of hot spring sites lets you choose how you want to spend your afternoon.

Learn about the natural charms that make the Arenal area famous on this 4-hour hanging bridges tour. Walk with an expert guide along a series of 15 bridges, which vary in length from 16- to 130-feet long (5 to 100 meters), that allow for a unique perspective on the rain forest plants and animals. Your guide will point out wildlife along the way for a tour as entertaining as it is educational.

Located in Mistico Park, Arenal Hanging Bridges is known as one of Costa Rica's most beautiful environmental projects - a combination of trails and bridges through the rain forest near Arenal Volcano. On this tour you can travel through the park and across elevated bridges, see views of the volcano, and enjoy close-up encounters with native flora and fauna. Your guide, a wildlife specialist, provides helpful narrative along the way.

Learn about Costa Rica's most remarkable creatures on a 1.5-hour tour of a La Fortuna wildlife rescue center. Explore the center with a naturalist guide, get a glimpse at some of the center's cutest inhabitants, and see how conservation efforts are saving vulnerable species from development and poaching.

Hike among the spectacular scenery and mystical aquamarine waters of Tenorio Volcano National Park. On a full-day trip from La Fortuna, discover the amazing biodiversity of Costa Rica's rain forests while accompanied by an expert naturalist guide. See the beautiful Rio Celeste waterfall that cascades into a clear turquoise lagoon, and watch the mysterious color-changing rivers of Los Teñideros. After your hike, re-energize with a tasty lunch at a local restaurant.

Delve deep into the Costa Rican rain forest with his full-day tour to Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí. Take in views of lush tropical landscape and native wildlife during a leisurely riverboat cruise, and then experienced the thrill of swinging through the jungle canopy on a series of treetop ziplines. This action-packed day includes a traditional Costa Rican lunch and round-trip transport from your San Jose hotel.