La Fortuna Hot Springs: Which One Should You Choose?
Spend a few days in La Fortuna and someone will eventually tell you to visit the hot springs.
That part is easy.
Choosing which ones to visit is a little harder.
Around Arenal, hot springs can mean very different things. You can soak beside a naturally flowing thermal river surrounded by rainforest, book a quieter evening with limited admission, stop somewhere for a couple of hours after a hike, or take the kids to a large resort with pools and water slides.
None of those are automatically better than the others. It depends on the kind of day you want.
There are many more hot springs around La Fortuna than the four in this guide. The Springs, Los Lagos, smaller thermal pools, and free river spots all have their own appeal. Rather than trying to rank every option in the area, we're focusing on four popular paid hot springs that offer noticeably different experiences: Tabacón, EcoTermales, Paradise Hot Springs, and Baldi.
The short version
| If you want... | Start with... |
|---|---|
| The strongest natural setting | Tabacón |
| A quieter visit with limited admission | EcoTermales |
| A hot springs stop that fits easily into half a day | Paradise Hot Springs |
| Lots of pools, slides, and family facilities | Baldi |
The easiest way to choose is not to start by counting pools or comparing ticket prices.
Think about how you want the visit to feel.
Tabacón: when the setting is part of the experience
If the surroundings matter just as much as the hot water, Tabacón is the first place I would look at.
Its biggest advantage is the setting.
Much of the experience follows a naturally flowing thermal river through tropical gardens, with cascades, stone paths, bridges, vegetation, and different places to sit in the warm water along the way.
That gives Tabacón a very different feel from a traditional resort built around a collection of pools.
Day visitors currently have access from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The standard entrance does not include a meal, although there are packages that include lunch or dinner. Day visitor capacity is limited, so booking ahead is a good idea, especially during busier travel periods.
Tabacón also recommends water shoes, which makes sense given the natural stone surfaces around the river.
You do not need to spend the entire day there. But I would not choose Tabacón for a rushed visit between two other activities.
It also tends to be one of the more expensive hot springs experiences around La Fortuna. That premium makes more sense if the rainforest setting itself is part of what you want to experience, rather than simply looking for somewhere to soak for a couple of hours.
Choose Tabacón if: you're traveling as a couple, want the natural setting to be a major part of the visit, or plan to make the hot springs one of the highlights of your time in La Fortuna.
EcoTermales: when you want things a little quieter
EcoTermales has a different strength.
It limits how many people enter during each session.
Instead of selling one broad all-day admission, EcoTermales currently divides the day into two periods:
- 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- 5:00 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.
That makes it a good option if you care more about a relaxed atmosphere than having a huge number of pools or attractions.
It also works especially well with the rest of a La Fortuna itinerary.
You could spend the morning hiking, visiting the waterfall, or walking the hanging bridges, come back to your accommodation for a while, and head to the 5:00 p.m. session later in the day.
That is often a much nicer rhythm than trying to fit three major activities into one day.
EcoTermales has several thermal pools, trails through the forest, a waterfall, a poolside bar, and restaurant service. The whole experience feels more contained than a large hot springs resort, which is part of the appeal.
The evening session is particularly easy to recommend if you want to finish an active day somewhere calm.
Choose EcoTermales if: you value a quieter atmosphere, like the idea of limited admission, or want an easy evening plan after spending the day exploring La Fortuna.
Paradise Hot Springs: easy to fit into the day
Paradise Hot Springs makes sense for a different reason.
It is easy to fit into an itinerary without planning the entire day around it.
The property is currently open from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and its basic admission for 2026 is listed at US$47 for adults and US$33 for children ages 3 to 11. Packages that include food are also available.
Paradise itself suggests that while you can spend several hours there, many visitors may find a couple of hours enough.
That is actually one of its strengths.
If you already spent the morning at Arenal 1968, Mistico Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall, or another outdoor attraction, you may not want to commit the rest of the day to the hot springs.
You can go back to your accommodation, rest for a while, and head out again later.
Paradise gives you the resort-style hot springs experience without making it feel like the entire day needs to revolve around it.
Choose Paradise Hot Springs if: you want to spend a few relaxing hours in the hot springs while leaving room for other plans on the same day.
Baldi: for families and lots of variety
Baldi is easy to understand once you know what you're looking for.
It is big.
The resort currently advertises 25 thermal pools, along with children's areas and water slides. Its hot springs are open from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Among the four places in this guide, Baldi is the first one I would look at if you're traveling with children.
There are other family-friendly hot springs around La Fortuna, so that does not mean Baldi is automatically the best family option in the entire area. But compared with Tabacón, EcoTermales, and Paradise, it offers far more variety for kids.
Adults may be perfectly happy spending a long time sitting in one warm pool.
Kids do not always share that enthusiasm.
Having different pools, slides, and areas to explore can make a big difference once you've been there for a while.
Baldi is also fairly flexible if you have not planned far ahead. Regular visitors can currently buy their entrance at reception without making an advance reservation.
Published rates are US$51 for adults and US$38 for children for hot springs only, with an option that includes one meal for US$75 per adult and US$56 per child.
The tradeoff is atmosphere.
Baldi feels more active and more resort-like than Tabacón or EcoTermales. If what you picture is a peaceful rainforest experience, it may not be the first place I would choose.
But if you're traveling with kids or simply want plenty of different pools and things to do, that same scale becomes an advantage.
Choose Baldi if: you're traveling as a family, want slides and plenty of variety, or prefer a large resort with lots to explore.
Which hot springs are best for couples?
If you're visiting La Fortuna as a couple, I would first compare Tabacón and EcoTermales.
Choose Tabacón if the setting matters and you want the hot springs to feel like a memorable experience in their own right.
Choose EcoTermales if you would rather have something quieter, with fewer people and a more contained afternoon or evening.
Paradise can also work very well for couples, especially if you only want to spend a few hours there. But if I were narrowing these four options specifically for a romantic trip, Tabacón and EcoTermales are where I would start.
Which one makes the most sense with kids?
Among these four, Baldi.
The slides, children's areas, and number of pools give kids more to do than simply moving between warm pools.
That may not sound like a major difference when you're comparing places online.
After a couple of hours with children, it can become a very important one.
What if your itinerary is already packed?
Do not force the hot springs into an already overloaded day.
La Fortuna is much more enjoyable when you leave some space between activities.
A good day might be one major outdoor activity in the morning, lunch, some downtime back at your accommodation, and the hot springs later in the afternoon or evening.
Paradise works particularly well for that kind of schedule.
The 5:00 p.m. session at EcoTermales is another easy option.
And do not assume afternoon rain means you need to cancel.
Rain is part of La Fortuna, and sitting in warm water while a normal tropical shower passes through can actually be one of the nicest ways to experience the hot springs.
What should you bring?
You do not need much:
- A swimsuit
- Dry clothes for afterward
- Sandals or water shoes
- A small bag for wet clothes
- Identification if you need it for a specific rate
- A little cash, just in case
Water shoes are particularly useful at Tabacón because of the natural stone surfaces.
Other than that, keep it simple. You are going there to relax.
Don't choose based on price alone
It is tempting to open four booking pages and compare the ticket prices.
I would not make the decision that way.
A cheaper entrance is not better value if you wanted a peaceful evening and ended up somewhere busy and full of slides.
And paying more for Tabacón does not automatically make sense if the natural setting is not especially important to you.
Start with the experience instead.
- If you picture rainforest, a thermal river, and a place that feels special, look at Tabacón.
- If you want something quieter with limited admission, look at EcoTermales.
- If you want a few relaxing hours that fit around the rest of your day, consider Paradise Hot Springs.
- If you're traveling with children or want lots of pools, slides, and variety, start with Baldi.
There are plenty of other hot springs around La Fortuna, and that is actually a good thing.
You do not need to find the one that is supposedly "the best."
You only need to find the one that makes the most sense for the trip you're actually taking.
(Note: Prices, hours, inclusions, and admission policies reviewed in August 2026. They can change, so check the property's current information before visiting).