La Fortuna Costa Rica

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La Fortuna, Costa Rica

Lying at the eastern foot of the spectacular, Volcan Areanl, is the charming little tourist town (about 7,500) of La Fortuna. Recently this town has become quite the destination for volcano watchers from around the world. La Fortuna is the entry point to the road that connects the Arenal Volcano area to Lake Arenal and continuing on into Guanacaste. The magnificent Arenal Volcano is basically what put the little former farming town of La Fortuna on any visitors to Costa Rica’s map, and prior to 1968, it was solely a agricultural town. Now it is one the premier tourist destinations in Costa Rica.

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Driving from San Jose to La Fortuna

The town of La Fortuna is one of Costa Rica's most visited towns by tourist from all over the world. So, I'm pretty sure most of you will be looking for a way to get to La Fortuna while you visit this beautiful country. In this video D'Angelo walks you threw three different routes you can take to get from the International Airport to the town of La Fortuna and the Arenal Volcano. He'll talk about the advantages and disadvantages of taking one route over the other, and which routes you should take during the rainy season to avoid landslides.

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Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna

Video on Arenal National Park

Video on Arenal Volcano Tips

Arenal Volcano Best Place to View

La Fortuna Waterfall

I would suggest a visit to the La Fortuna waterfall (La Catarata) as well. The waterfall is located only about 3 miles from the center of town and nestled in the hills over looking La Fortuna. The cab ride is about $6.00 and entrance to the waterfall is $10.00 per person. The hike down to the waterfall is a little steep, but rather nice. Hiking back up can be a little rough if you're not in shape, but you can rest as much as you'd like.

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Princesa de la Luna Eco Lodge

Princesa de la Luna is an 8 room Eco Lodge located about 20 minutes outside of La Fortuna. This magical place is unusual with more than 100 types of fruit trees ,including many threatened by extinction or are endangered species. The area is one of the most biodiverse and fertile in the world and therefore wonderful for understanding and observing nature and to experience the wildlife and the people who live here.We believe in the concept of integrated tourism, enjoy meeting real people. The objective here is to practice permaculture principles and create a self-sufficient and sustainable lifestyle in harmony with the local biodiversity.

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Salto in La Fortuna

Salto may not be the BIG secret it once was but that's probably a good thing for you the traveler. Salto means 'jump' in Spanish and is a local waterhole about a mile from the center of La Fortuna complete with mini-waterfalls, mild rapids, a rope swing and bordered by beautiful forest. So to say Salto is picturesque would be a vast understatement. Salto is a fun place to hang out for a few hours because not only can you do some swimming and tanning on the rocks, you can also explore the area and find all kinds of interesting creatures. Check it out if you're in the area.

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Hot Springs around La Fortuna

Baldi Hot Spring

Tabacon Free Hot Springs

Eco Termales Hot Springs

Los Laureles Hot Springs

Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge

Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge is an area of lowlands that are seasonally flooded forming lakes and marshes which offer a safe haven for a variety of fauna, particularly large numbers of migratory waterfowl and other bird species. Cano Negro is excellent for bird-watching from mid-November to April and shouldn't be missed as a visitor will typically see cattle egrets, wood storks, roseate spoonbills, white ibis, black-bellies tree ducks and Neotropic cormorants to name a few. However, during the dry season (April to November) the main lake dries up and Cano Negro is relegated to small lagoons, channels, ditches and strips of beach.

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Rio Celeste - Tenorio National Park

Costa Rica has a few secrets and one of them is the Rio Celeste located in the northwestern part of the country. Rio Celeste is known for its magnificent light blue color water. The river is surrounded by stunning rainforest and the entire area is located in Tenorio Volcano National Park. The Rio Celeste is home to a striking waterfall with its frothy water cascading into the picturesque light blue waters below. The water changes color due to the sulfur emitted by volcanic activity and mixes with calcium carbonate to produce a stunning hue. Legend has it, when the Gods painted the skies, they dipped their paint brushes into the river which turned the river its light blue color.

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Burger King in Costa Rica UGH!

Really, it was just a matter of time before La Fortuna crossed over from a 'quaint' little farming town to one of the top tourist destinations in Costa Rica. Let's be REAL, it's difficult to keep an ever-erupting Volcano a secret from the visiting masses and DOUBLeY difficult to stop locals from trying to capitalize on the fact there's money to be made from said tourists. Hence, the over-growth of hotels, souvenir shops and restaurants. The recession has slowed the construction down and many places have faced foreclosure since there's just not enough tourist dollars to keep everyone OPEN, so it's become survival of the fittest so to SPEAK. I can live with that, it will all work itself out in the upcoming years, but FAST FOOD FRANCHISES.....

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Green Market -La Fortuna

Gotta LOVE a Costa Rican ‘GREEN MARKET.’ No matter where you are in Costa Rica- San José or ‘any’ small town, you can be rest assured, they WILL have a green market- complete with ALL the best fruits and vegetables you’ve come to expect from living here. And the tilapia, let’s just say, I’m a fan. Green Markets around Costa Rica are somewhat of a social event for ALL- farmers, locals and tourists alike come to buy, sell, mingle, or just browse around the rows of fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, flowers, plants, clothes and depending on the town or city, about anything else you might be interested in- anyone need an 8-track player?

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Jardin Escondido

DAngelo and michael alan love their pizza and if you make it to El Castillo, Costa Rica, about 40 minutes from La Fortuna (the Arenal Volcano area), you should stop in this little pizza/ice cream shop and say hey to "Pizza John", who makes some great pizza, and don't get me started on the chocolate coconut ice cream. mmmmmm.... You're going to love it!

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Villa Decary

'Welcome to Hotel Villa Decary Bed & Breakfast, overlooking the majestic and pristine Lake Arenal and the beautiful Tilaran mountains. The Lake Arenal region is a special area of Costa Rica, uncrowded and unspoiled. At an elevation of 1800 feet, we are blessed with a uniquely temperate climate of cool nights and warm days. Affordable and relaxed, the American owned and operated Hotel Villa Decary is nestled in a green hillside, within a botanical garden of exotic tropical plants and palm trees from around the world. We are located just east of the charming and tiny Tico town of Nuevo Arenal, a safe 14 miles from the active and popular Arenal Volcano and Hot Springs.

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