The best hot springs in Costa Rica, compared: Arenal, Rincón de la Vieja, and beyond

If you want hot springs in Costa Rica, go to Arenal. Water heated by the volcano runs under the town of La Fortuna and surfaces in more than ten places, from a free stretch of warm river to Tabacón, which is the best hot spring in the country and the one we recommend first. This guide compares all of them, including the ones we would skip, then covers Guanacaste's volcanic springs and mud baths, the smaller spots near San José, and the practical side: prices, kids, food rules, big groups, and when to go.

Arenal and La Fortuna: where the hot springs are

Arenal is a near-perfect cone above the town of La Fortuna, in the northern lowlands. Rain falls on the volcano, sinks in, is heated deep underground, and comes back out as hot rivers and springs along its base. Most of the resorts sit along the road west of town toward the volcano, so you can reach any of them in a short drive from a villa near La Fortuna. Nothing else in Costa Rica packs this many hot springs, at this many price points, into one valley.

From Manuel Antonio it is about four hours by road, and from the Guanacaste beaches about three, so treat Arenal as its own stay of two or three nights. Our Arenal and La Fortuna guide covers the rest of the area, and we have private villas near La Fortuna for families who want their own pool between soaks.

Tabacón Thermal Resort: our first choice

We want our clients to have the best, and in Costa Rica that is Tabacón. Its hot springs are a river: water heated by the volcano flows down from Arenal's base, through tropical gardens, over waterfalls and into pools that range from 22 to 38 C (72 to 100 F). Tabacón calls it the only natural thermal river in the region, and describes the water as untreated, unaltered, and constantly renewed (tabacon.com). Sitting under a warm waterfall in that garden as it gets dark is the best hour you will spend in Arenal.

What Tabacón told us directly, in writing, for its day pass:

• Regular season: US$115 for adults and anyone 12 or older, US$55 for children 6 to 11, free for 5 and under. With lunch or dinner at its Ave restaurant, US$184 and US$90. Taxes are included.
• Festive weeks (Christmas to early January, and Easter week) cost more: US$150 and US$65 for entrance only. Tabacón also says dynamic pricing applies, so confirm on the official site for your dates.
• Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Rules: no outside food or drink, an ID or passport for every guest at check-in, and constant supervision for anyone 16 or younger. Tabacón strongly recommends water shoes.
• Groups: no more than 15 people on one booking. For a group of 27, Tabacón told us to split across two separate days.

Day passes are booked by email and paid ahead, so this is not a walk-up place. We book it for you. Hotel guests also get Shangri-La Gardens, an adults-only area that day visitors do not.

The Springs Resort

The Springs is the other luxury option: a large resort with hot springs, pools, five restaurants, and six bars. Its day pass is actually a two-day pass, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day, and you can come and go (thespringscostarica.com). Prices vary by season and show only in its live booking calendar; a recent third-party guide put them at about US$124 to US$141 a person. It sells no day passes at Christmas, Presidents' Day week, or the week before and after Easter. The Springs also suggests a dark, inexpensive swimsuit, since the minerals can stain and the rocks can snag.

Tabacón or The Springs? Tabacón, for the river. The Springs is the better pick if you want a full resort day with more restaurants and activities, or if two days of access suits your plans.

Ecotermales Fortuna

Our pick for a quiet soak at a fair price. Ecotermales works by reservation only, in two fixed sessions, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., which keeps it calm. Entrance was US$49 for adults when we checked, or US$81 with a home-style Costa Rican meal (Ecotermales booking page). One booking takes up to 25 people. Children 5 to 11 pay a child rate, and there is an infant rate for 4 and under.

Paradise Hot Springs

A relaxed, mid-priced place with a day pass of US$47 for adults and US$33 for children 3 to 11, or US$81 and US$52 with lunch or dinner, open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (paradisehotsprings.net). There is an adults-only wellness pass with a sauna and an infinity pool. Two things to know: no outside food or drinks, and Paradise advises against pools over 36 C for children under 12.

Baldi Hot Springs

Baldi is big: 25 thermal pools, water slides, bars, and a party feel, open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. with tickets sold at the door (baldihotsprings.cr). Michael has been, and his honest word for it is kitschy: built-up pools and fake rock rather than a river in a garden. Teenagers and groups who want slides and a swim-up drink may love it. If you came for nature, it is the wrong place. Day passes were US$51 for adults and US$38 for children 5 to 10, or US$75 and US$56 with a meal; 11 and older pay adult. The posted rule is "no food, drinks or pets."

Los Lagos

A hotel with hot pools, a kids' slide, and a longer 80 m slide, priced in colones: 16,500 for adults and 10,000 for children 6 to 10, about US$33 and US$20, with under 6 free and hours from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (hotelloslagos.com). Towels are rented separately. A fair budget choice for families.

Kalambú Hot Springs

The family water park, and the cheapest of the resorts: 7,500 colones for adults and 5,500 for children 4 to 10, about US$15 and US$11, with under 4 free (kalambu.com). It has a splash zone for toddlers and cooler pools of 32 to 36 C, which is why it is our pick for families with little kids. The slides run 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and need riders 1.20 m tall. Groups of 15 or more can book admission with meals through its group desk.

Titokú and Termalitas

Titokú is small and quiet: eight pools of different temperatures, each sized for six to 20 people, with room for 80 visitors at most, open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. by reservation only (Arenal Kioro). Good for couples who want calm without Tabacón's price. Ask us for the current rate. Termalitas del Arenal is a simple, local budget spot; visitors report a few thousand colones at the door, cash, but we could not confirm a current price on an official site.

The free hot river: El Choyín (Río Chollín)

Just beside Tabacón's entrance, a public stretch of warm river passes under the main road, and locals and travelers soak there for free. It is a real natural hot spring and a lot of fun, but it is not a resort, and you should know what that means:

• No lifeguard, no lighting, no changing rooms, no toilets.
• Slippery volcanic rock. Wear water shoes or sandals with grip.
• The river can rise fast after heavy rain on the volcano, even if it is not raining where you are. If the sky darkens, the water turns cloudy, or you hear thunder, get out.
• Parking is a roadside shoulder where informal attendants ask for a fee. Pay in colones and leave nothing in the car.
• Go in daylight and never alone. Skip it at night and with small children.

The easiest way to do it is with a guide: Arenal Jungle Tours' volcano hike ends with a soak in this river, with lunch, for US$56 an adult and US$35 a child when we checked (jungletourscr.com). For more on rivers and flash floods, see our safety guide.

Costa Rica hot springs compared

Day pass prices are for adults and children, entrance only, as each place published or quoted them when we checked. Child age bands differ from place to place. Prices change, so confirm on the official site.

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Our picks

Guanacaste: Rincón de la Vieja and Miravalles

If you are staying at the Guanacaste beaches, you do not need to drive three hours to Arenal for a hot spring. Two volcanoes inland from Liberia have their own, and many of them add something Arenal does not: hot volcanic mud you paint on, let dry, and rinse off before getting back in. Most beach towns are 30 to 90 minutes from Liberia, and Hacienda Guachipelín is 34 km from Liberia's airport, so Rincón de la Vieja is a comfortable day trip from a Guanacaste villa.

Rincón de la Vieja

• Río Negro Hot Springs, at Hacienda Guachipelín. Ten pools on the bank of the Río Negro, reached by a 350 m walk and two suspension bridges, heated by the volcano. Hot mud is part of the visit, and you rinse it off in the cold river. Sessions of an hour and a half start on the hour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; US$35 for 13 and up and US$30 for children 4 to 12 (guachipelin.com). Guachipelín also sells a One-Day Adventure Pass with ziplining, tubing, the hot springs, and lunch, from US$129.
• Simbiosis Spa, also at Guachipelín. On the Colorado River: volcanic mud baths, a sauna, and three clay hot spring pools, about an hour and a half, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., US$45 for 13 and up. Massages are booked separately (guachipelin.com).
• Rincon Thermals and Adventures, formerly Vandara Hot Springs. More than 20 hot and cold mineral pools, volcanic mud, and a 400 m jungle waterslide on its Explorer pass. Passes start at US$50 for the thermal pass and run to US$110 for its full Rincon pass (rinconthermals.com). The Guanacaste choice for families with kids who want slides.
• Buena Vista del Rincón. Its Pacayas Hot Springs and Spa has natural hot pools, a natural sauna, volcanic mud, and cold pools, reached by a tractor ride or a 3 km walk. Day visitors book it as a tour, often combined with ziplining and horseback riding (buenavistadelrincon.com).
• Borinquen Thermal Resort. A spa resort with thermal pools, volcanic mud, and a natural steam room (borinquenresort.com). It does not publish a day pass, so we ask whether day visits are open for your date.

Miravalles

• Río Perdido. A hot river a mile long, running through a 50 m deep canyon in a 1,500 acre private reserve, with dozens of natural pools at different temperatures (rioperdido.com). Day passes must be bought in advance and walk-ins are not allowed (terms). The most natural hot spring experience in Costa Rica, in our view.
• Yökö Termales. A simple, local place in Fortuna de Bagaces, at the foot of Miravalles, with hot pools, two jacuzzis, and a steam bath fed by the volcano's water (yokotermales.com).
• Thermomania. In Guayabo de Bagaces: hot springs, water slides, and a volcanic spa, a simple local park (thermomania.net).

Elsewhere in Costa Rica

San Carlos: Ciudad Quesada and Aguas Zarcas

Between La Fortuna and San José, the San Carlos area has its own hot springs, quieter and less known to visitors. Termales del Bosque, near Ciudad Quesada, has eight natural pools at different temperatures and volcanic mud, and sells day passes (termalesdelbosquecr.com). El Tucano Resort, minutes from Ciudad Quesada, fills its pools from a natural thermo-mineral river (eltucanoresort.com). Recreo Verde, in Marsella de Venecia, has mineral springs, camping, and ranchos with grills (recreoverde.com). These make a good break on the drive between San José and Arenal.

Orosi, near Cartago

The Orosi valley, southeast of San José, is the easy hot spring day out from the capital. Hacienda Orosi has seven thermal mineral pools from 34 to 39 C, open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., in a valley of coffee farms about 38 km from downtown San José (haciendaorosi.com). The town also has older public pools, Los Patios among them. It is a nice afternoon, not a reason to plan a trip.

Manuel Antonio and the southern Pacific

We know of no hot springs near Manuel Antonio, Dominical, or Uvita. From the central Pacific, hot springs mean Arenal. With two or three nights you can do it properly, and if you only have one day, our private Arenal Volcano and hot springs day trip picks you up at your villa. It is a long day, roughly ten hours door to door.

Kids at the hot springs

Children are welcome almost everywhere, and the age bands are what change the bill. Teens pay adult at every resort we checked.

Hot water affects small children faster than adults. Keep toddlers in the cooler pools, take breaks in the shade, and keep everyone drinking water. If anyone in your group is pregnant or has a heart condition, ask a doctor before you go. For more on traveling with kids, see Manuel Antonio with kids.

Planning your hot springs day

Go late afternoon, stay past dark

The best plan in Arenal is an active morning and a hot afternoon. Walk Místico's hanging bridges or take the stairs down to La Fortuna Waterfall early, while it is cool and quiet, then have lunch at the villa and arrive at the springs around 3 p.m. This close to the equator the sun sets between about 5:15 and 6 p.m. all year, the air cools, and the pools feel their best. Tabacón and Baldi stay open until 10 p.m., so dinner can be there or back at the house.

A good two-night shape: arrive and soak at Ecotermales or Paradise the first evening, then save Tabacón for the second night after the bridges or a volcano hike.

What to bring

• Water shoes or sandals with grip. Tabacón recommends them, The Springs rents them, and you need them at the free river.
• A dark, inexpensive swimsuit. Mineral water can stain light fabric, and rocks snag.
• ID or a passport for everyone, which Tabacón checks at the door.
• Colones in cash for parking, towel deposits, and lockers at the smaller places.
• A change of clothes and a bag for the wet ones. Most resorts include towels and lockers; check for the smaller ones.
• Leave good jewelry at the villa.

Groups over 15

Big family groups need a plan, because several resorts cap bookings. Tabacón takes 15 on one booking, and told us a group of 27 should split across two separate days. Ecotermales takes up to 25. Kalambú runs a group desk for 15 or more, with meals, and Baldi sells at the door with no booking. For a large group, we usually split the days by age: little ones to Kalambú, adults and teens to Tabacón. Our guide to villas for large groups covers the house side.

Kosher, halal, and other diets

Tabacón, Baldi, and Paradise do not allow outside food or drinks, and most of the others do not publish a rule. Restaurant food at the springs is not kosher. If you keep kosher, halal, or another strict diet, the simplest plan is to eat at the villa before you go, soak for the afternoon, and come home for dinner. Take an entrance-only pass, not one with a meal. Our kosher villa guide covers how kosher food reaches a villa, including in Arenal.

Booking

Tabacón takes day pass bookings by email and payment in advance, Ecotermales and Titokú are reservation only, Río Perdido sells only ahead of time, and The Springs releases a limited number of passes each day. Baldi is the exception, with tickets at the door. In the dry season and holiday weeks, book everything before you arrive.

How we help

We plan Arenal around the springs: the right one for your group, the booking, the hanging bridges and waterfall in the morning, and a driver if you would rather not drive at night. You pay each supplier directly. If you want a house of your own near the volcano, start with our Arenal villas, then tell us your dates and who is coming through our concierge service, and we will come back with a plan.