La Fortuna is incredible. The volcano, the hot springs, the hanging bridges — it deserves every visitor it gets. But here's what most travelers don't realize: the region just south and east of Arenal contains some of the most spectacular natural sites in all of Costa Rica, and almost nobody goes there.
We're talking about turquoise canyon systems that went viral on social media but still see a fraction of La Fortuna's visitors. Volcanic crater lakes where you might be the only person all day. A waterfall that drops 90 meters into an extinct volcano. Hot springs with no resort attached and no entry line.
Every single place below is in the same region — the mountains and lowlands between Arenal and Poás Volcano — and can be visited as day trips from La Fortuna or as part of a 3-5 day exploration.
1. Jurassic Canyon
A hidden river canyon with 140-meter waterfalls, turquoise swimming pools, and walls covered in moss so thick it looks prehistoric. Access requires a guided hike (5-6 hours, $65-90/person). It went viral on TikTok in 2024-2025 but still isn't in any major guidebook. About 1.5 hours from La Fortuna.
2. Catarata del Toro
One of the tallest waterfalls in Costa Rica — 90 meters plunging into an extinct volcanic crater surrounded by cloud forest. $15/person (or $25 combo with Blue Falls). The scale is hard to comprehend until you're standing at the bottom. 1.5 hours from La Fortuna.
3. Blue Falls of Costa Rica
Six waterfalls along a river with water so blue it looks artificial. The color comes from dissolved volcanic minerals reacting with sunlight. You can swim in several pools. Same entrance as Catarata del Toro. $20/person or $25 combo.
4. Laguna de Hule
An emerald-green lake inside an extinct volcanic crater, surrounded by untouched rainforest. 8 km circuit hike through the Bosque Alegre National Wildlife Refuge. Free to access. You might not see another person all day. 1.5 hours from La Fortuna.
5. Laguna de Río Cuarto
A perfectly circular, 66-meter-deep crater lake where you can swim, paddleboard, and kayak inside a dormant volcano. About $4 entrance. Multiple travelers report being the only visitors. 1 hour 15 min from La Fortuna.
6. Río Agrio, Pozas Celestes & Dino Land
A gorgeous 50m waterfall at the end of a 15-minute walk through a fern-covered gorge that genuinely looks like Jurassic Park. Nearby Pozas Celestes offers turquoise swimming pools. Dino Land has 25+ lifelike dinosaur replicas — incredible with kids. ~$4.50/person.
7. Tesoro Escondido & Mirador de la Gota
A tall waterfall, natural swimming pools, and the Instagram-famous cliff-edge lookout where you stand with the waterfall behind you. Family-owned farm, popular with locals. ~$15/person.
8. Recreo Verde Hot Springs
Natural hot springs in Marsella with no resort, no swim-up bar, and no $80 entry fee. Natural pools at different temperatures, surrounded by forest. The polar opposite of Tabacon. About 1 hour from La Fortuna.
9. Juan Castro Blanco National Park
A 14,000+ hectare cloud forest national park that receives fewer than 1,000 visitors per year. Quetzals, toucans, howler monkeys. No entrance fee, no tourist infrastructure. Raw, real wilderness. About 1 hour from La Fortuna.
10. ATV Tours Through Marsella & Venecia
Ride through working farmland, cloud forest, river crossings, and mountain ridges with views to Arenal Volcano. Smaller groups, lower prices than La Fortuna operators. About 1 hour from La Fortuna.
11. Museo Casa del Boyero
An interactive museum in Venecia dedicated to Costa Rica's oxcart tradition — a UNESCO Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Most tourists go to Sarchí for painted oxcarts, but the actual cultural heart of the boyero tradition is here. 45 minutes from La Fortuna.
12. Canyoning in Marsella & Venecia
Rappel down waterfalls, jump into natural pools, and slide down natural rock chutes. Local guides, small groups, terrain as good or better than commercial operations in La Fortuna.
13. Whitewater Rafting on the Río Sarapiquí
Class III-IV rapids through lowland rainforest. One of the best rafting rivers in Costa Rica, far less crowded than the Pacuare. Toucans, monkeys, and iguanas commonly spotted from the raft. 1.5 hours from La Fortuna.
14. Safari Float on the Río Sarapiquí
A calm, quiet float where you'll see more wildlife in two hours than most people see in a week. Sloths, monkeys, caimans, toucans, and kingfishers. Early morning floats are best.
15. Night Wildlife Tours in Sarapiquí
Walk through lowland rainforest after dark with a naturalist guide. Poison dart frogs, sleeping toucans, red-eyed tree frogs, tarantulas, and insects you've never imagined. One of those experiences that changes how you see the forest.
How to Visit
All 15 places are within a roughly 60-minute radius of Venecia, a small town that makes an ideal base. For a 2-day add-on from La Fortuna, do Catarata del Toro + Blue Falls on Day 1 and Jurassic Canyon + hot springs on Day 2. For 3+ days, add Laguna de Hule, Casa del Boyero, and Sarapiquí activities.
A rental car is essential — none of these places have public transportation. Download offline Google Maps before you leave La Fortuna. Cell service is patchy.
Continue Exploring
More guides and resources to help you plan your trip
The Complete Guide to Bajos del Toro
Everything you need to plan your trip to the waterfall capital of Costa Rica. Every waterfall worth seeing, how to get there, where to eat and sleep, and how to build the perfect 2-3 day itinerary.
Jurassic Canyon: The Most Spectacular Hidden Place in Costa Rica
A Complete Guide to Quebrada Gata & Barroso Waterfall in Bajos del Toro
