La Fortuna Waterfall Costa Rica Hike Guide
La Fortuna Waterfall is a short hike located near La Fortuna, Costa Rica. The trail down to the falls is very steep but the “trail” is a concrete path with solid rails on both sides of the walkway. They claim there are about 500 steps down to the falls and boy do your calves feel it! You are able to swim in the river near La Fortuna Waterfall, but not in the pool at the base of the falls themselves.
La Fortuna Waterfall Quick Facts
La Fortuna Waterfall Rating: ★★★ (3/5 Stars)
Distance: About a mile RT
Elevation Start: 2,038 ft
Highest Point: 2,038 ft (Waterfall is located at 1,765 ft)
Total Elevation Gain: 279 ft (one way)
Estimated Time to Complete: 20-30 minutes RT
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate – What does this mean?
Class: Class 1
Season: Year Round
Directions to La Fortuna Waterfall
Trailhead: Ecological Reserve Fortuna
Getting Here: You can drive, take a taxi or take a horseback ride to La Fortuna Waterfall. A taxi is about $15 from town. Horseback tours vary and in my opinion are not worth the extra $$$. If you are driving, there is a medium sized parking lot where you can park your car. You can enter Ecological Reserve Fortuna Waterfall into Google Maps.
Fees: $15 per adult, $5 for children.
Parking: Parking is free but the lot can fill up on busy weekends. There are bathrooms, a gift shop and a small snack shop at the top of the falls.
Summary
Hours: 7:30AM – 4:00PM Daily
Dogs: Dogs are not allowed on the hike to La Fortuna Waterfall.
Trail X Factors: STEPS!
The hike down to the main viewing area for the waterfall is very short but pretty taxing on your leg muscles. On the way down, the hike goes fairly quickly but on the hike back up to the parking area, your calf muscles will be tested on the 500 steps leading you out of the valley where the falls is located.
Hike Tip(s): If you are looking for a pure waterfall swim experience, I would not recommend choosing La Fortuna as your only option in Costa Rica. True, you can swim at the falls, but it’s in the river near the falls, not at the base of them which was a bit disappointing. This could change depending on the season, I am not sure. When we visited, the swimming area was in the river and it was rather small and more of a wading area than an actual swimming spot.
Best Views: There are a number of great views of La Fortuna Falls on the platforms leading down to the river. However, in my mind, the best views are on the main platform itself or right beneath it. Be sure to check out the smaller waterfall before La Fortuna as it is equally impressive and a great additional spot to take photos.
La Fortuna Waterfall Hike Route
Gear Needed
- Mickey’s Mountain Kit
- Footwear: Hiking Shoes/boots
- Optional: Swimsuit
- Optional: Water Shoes / sandals
- Optional: Towel
- Optional: Camera
- Optional: Tripod
Our Trip to La Fortuna Waterfall November 2018
La Fortuna Waterfall was our first major destination on our trip to Costa Rica. The entrance was easy to find and the park rangers did speak a bit of English which made purchasing tickets fairly easy.
The hike down to the waterfall was more like a walk down a concrete path. There were a number of other visitors at the falls, but it didn’t feel crowded to me on the day we visited. The path down to the waterfall was in great condition, but I had read that in the past visitors had to travel down mud paths which I imagined would have been really crappy!
Once we got down to the falls, we took a few pictures and soaked in the massive waterfall. The waterfall is over 75 meters (225 feet) tall and had a strong flow of water rushing down the rock face where it sat. Before we actually reached La Fortuna, we enjoyed the other impressive waterfall that you walk past right before you reach the main attraction.
Jackie and I snapped several pictures near the waterfall and enjoyed the views for a bit. After a while, we decided to take a quick dip into the water. We were both disappointed that you couldn’t actually swim at the base of the waterfall, but rather in the river runoff about 200 yards from the main pool. The water was warm yet refreshing and full of fish. The area to swim was rather small, so we didn’t spend much time in the water. After a quick dip, we ventured back up the steep stairs and towards the visitor center. We watched a hummingbird feed on some of the flowers in the garden near the gift shop and departed shortly after.
We spent about an hour and a half at La Fortuna Waterfall which we both felt was an adequate amount of time at the falls. Overall, La Fortuna was my least favorite waterfall we visited on our trip to Costa Rica. For $15 each, I was expecting a bit more, but we were both glad we visited the spot. If you are in the area, I would recommend a quick visit so long as your expectations are tempered.
