Eco Termales Hot Springs: Romance in the Rainforest [2024 Guide]

Put on your swimsuit, leave your flip-flops and soak in the volcanic natural hot springs surrounded by the rainforest. This pinnacle of relaxation is one of the best things to do in La Fortuna and also a must do activity on your Costa Rica itinerary. For an intimate hot springs experience at a natural thermal spa, consider a visit to Eco Termales Hot Springs near La Fortuna.

Why Visit the Hot Springs in La Fortuna?

Due to the location of the nearby Arenal Volcano, the town of La Fortuna is blessed with natural thermal springs containing magnesium and other minerals. These mineral rich thermal waters are beneficial for the human body and mind as they help fight stress, fatigue, anxiety and skin irritations.

So, during your visit to Costa Rica, while you are indulging in activities like flying over forest canopy, hiking along nature trails, chasing waterfalls, it is a good idea to sprinkle in a bit of relaxation too. The hot springs in La Fortuna offer that absolute relaxation as your body assimilates the healing properties of the thermal waters.

Where to Experience Hot Springs in La Fortuna?

Many hotels and resorts in La Fortuna offer this hot springs experience for its resident guests as well as for day-pass holders.

Tabacon Thermal Resort and Spa, Baldi Hot Springs Hotel and Spa, The Springs Resort and Spa, Hotel Los Lagos are some of the popular ones.

However, Eco Termales Fortuna is not a hotel or resort. So this is not for accommodation. It is a boutique natural spa offering solely the hot spring experience along with other necessary amenities.

That is why, Eco Termales is a perfect place to experience the hot springs in La Fortuna when you are staying in other nice hotels without hot springs on their premises, like Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails or Hotel Lomas del Volcan.

---

Related Reading: Where to Stay in La Fortuna and Arenal: Best Hotels Guide

---

The Eco Termales Hot Springs Experience

We relished our time at Eco Termales Fortuna, not just for the healing effects of the hot springs, but for the whole experience. From entering the first thermal pool to concluding the evening with a delicious dinner, everything seemed perfect.

Thermal Pools

Eco Termales has six natural thermal water pools of varying sizes and two fresh water pools.

The water temperature at the thermal pools ranges between 37-41 degrees Celsius (~ 98-106 degrees Fahrenheit).

All the pools lie adjacent to each other in a natural setting, surrounded by the rainforest of Costa Rica. The stone carvings at Eco Termales have been made to create couple of waterfalls from the hot spring water.

The whole setup at Eco Termales Fortuna oozes an ambiance of romance.

As we stepped on the stone stairs leading to a thermal pool, the hot water of the thermal pool brushed our ankles. That first stroke of the hot spring water was enough to indicate what was in store for us for the rest of the evening – warmth, comfort and ultimate relaxation. And we were not wrong!

The flooring of the thermal pools differed from one pool to another. Some had stone finished pool bottoms and others had sandy floors. While sitting on the sand or dipping your feet into the sand can give you a beach like feel, I personally liked the stone finishing more.

Cocktails

You can complement the warm thermal energy in your body by sipping on some cool cocktails or chilled beer.

There is a bar right next to the hot springs area. You can either take a cocktail break at the bar in between moving from one thermal pool to another or you can get the poolside bar service.

Indranil ordered a Pina Colada and I got myself a BBC. Both the cocktails were delicious. Apart from rich cocktails, the bar at Eco Termales also serves craft beers.

Dining

The restaurant at Eco Termales serves quality meals, the traditional dishes often cooked in a fancy fusion way. You can either purchase the meal at the restaurant or you can include the meal in your entrance package (more on that later).

We had purchased the entrance with meal combo, and at the time of our visit, had three options to choose from for our dinner. Each meal included a dessert and a natural beverage.

Indranil opted for Tilapia encrusted with Yucca in Shrimp Sauce. I chose Mozzarella and Basil Filled Chicken in Passion Fruit Salsa. Both of us replaced our natural beverages with locally produced craft beers (at an extra cost).

At the end of a (literally) steamy romantic evening at the hot springs, our dinner too was equally satisfying.

The gastronomy experience is so delightful at Eco Termales that we do recommend you to purchase their entrance+meal combo, and not just the entrance tickets.

2024 Update: Now, you can choose between à la carte and buffet style for your meal. The à la carte menu comprises of starter, main course and dessert. They can also cater to vegetarian and vegan dietary needs.

Day or Night: When Should You Visit Eco Termales Hot Springs?

Eco Termales Fortuna offers two different slots everyday to space out number of visitors to limited capacity in each slot. The two slots are:

• 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
• 5:00 pm to 9:45 pm

I think it is a personal choice whether you want to visit the hot springs of La Fortuna during the day or in the evening.

For our visit to Eco Termales or other hot springs, we mostly choose the evening slot so that we can spend the day doing other activities, like seeing sloths or visiting La Fortuna waterfall or Rio Celeste waterfall or hiking in Arenal Volcano National Park.

At Eco Termales, we totally loved the mystic mood of the rainy evening while soaking in the hot springs. So, we were happy about having chosen the evening slot versus the day slot.

We also like how the schedule works at Relax Termalitas Hot Springs. There, you can visit anytime between 9:00 am to 9:00 pm. So we chose to get there by late afternoon and stay until before dinner, and thus got to see the ambience during daylight as well as in the night lights.

Note: If you plan to visit La Fortuna on a day trip from San Jose, it makes more sense to do the hot spring activity during the day.

Facilities at Eco Termales Fortuna

The facilities at Eco Termales are sparkling clean and well equipped. You can spend a whole day or an evening at the hot springs without worrying about the logistics.

🅿️ Parking: Free secure parking is available on site. The parking area is right next to the reception area, so there is not much walking involved.

🔐 Lockers: You will get a locker to store your belongings. Locker access is included in the entry fee.

💦 Towels: You need not bring your own towel. Eco Termales will provide the towel from the same locker key pick-up counter.

🚿 Restrooms and Showers: There are restrooms and showers near the locker area. You will also find restrooms near the bar as well as in the restaurant.

Note: Read the notice in the shower area carefully. They recommend NOT to take a shower after soaking in the hot springs. This will allow your body to absorb the minerals from the hot springs for longer.

Eco Termales: Entrance Fees and Packages

Like most attractions in Costa Rica, the rates vary by if you are a foreign visitor or a Costa Rica citizen or resident. The prices are lower for kids and infants get free entry.

You can choose between entrance pass only or a combo of entrance with a meal (lunch or dinner). We recommend the latter.

For Foreign Visitors

Age Group	Entrance Only	Entrance + Lunch/ Dinner
12 years and above	47 USD	77 USD
5-12 years	28 USD	43 USD
0-4 years	FREE	FREE

For Costa Rica Citizens and Residents (Night)

Age Group	Entrance Only	Entrance + Dinner
12 years and above	14500 CRC	26000 CRC
5-12 years	7250 CRC	13000 CRC
0-4 years	FREE	FREE

For Costa Rica Citizens and Residents (Day)

Age Group	Entrance Only	Entrance + Dinner
12 years and above	11000 CRC	22500 CRC
5-12 years	5500 CRC	11250 CRC
0-4 years	FREE	FREE

How to Buy Tickets for Eco Termales Hot Springs

You can make your reservation online through the reservation page on the website of Eco Termales.

You can also contact them on WhatsApp +506 8339 5979.

If you are not renting a car, do not wish to rely on public transport but need your transfer to the site to be taken care of, you may want to book a tour. On this tour, they pick you up from the hotel and drop you back too. When making the reservation, you can choose your time slot – day or night, and whether you would like to opt in or skip the meal experience.

Book EcoTermales with Transport

Best Time to Visit Eco Termales Hot Springs

Relaxing at the hot springs is one of those activities in Costa Rica that you can perform any day of the year, rain or sun. When we visited Eco Termales, it rained almost all evening, at times drizzling and pouring otherwise. Yet we had a great time at the hot springs. In fact, I feel the rain drops on our wet skin enhanced the romantic vibe of the hot springs at night!

How to Get to Eco Termales Hot Springs

The best way to get around Costa Rica is by having your own transport. So we always recommend renting a car.

Eco Termales Fortuna is located less than ten minutes’ drive away from La Fortuna town. From both San Jose Airport and Liberia Airport, it takes about 2.5 hours to reach the hot springs.

You can find Eco Termales Fortuna on Google Maps.

Distances between Eco Termales Hot Springs and other major destinations:

• La Fortuna town: 5.6 km / 3.5 miles
• San Jose Airport: 122 km / 76 miles
• Liberia Airport: 138 km / 86 miles

Final Thoughts

At the end of our Eco Termales Hot Springs soak, we could feel a calming effect from inside. The thermal waters not only revitalize your skin, but they rejuvenate your spirits too. And the best part is that this natural spa at the hot springs helps induce a peaceful sleep.

So, whether you are looking for romantic things to do in Costa Rica or just want some pure relaxation with the added bonus of healing benefits, plan a trip to Eco Termales Hot Springs in La Fortuna.

Plan Your La Fortuna Trip

For planning your La Fortuna and Arenal trip, check out our other articles about the attractions in the area.

• 20+ Things to Do in La Fortuna and Arenal
• Free and Budget Things to Do in La Fortuna
• 3 Days in La Fortuna Itinerary

• Where to Stay in La Fortuna and Arenal: Best Hotels Guide

• Arenal Volcano National Park
• Arenal 1968 Trail

• La Fortuna Waterfall
• Rio Celeste Waterfall Day Trip

• Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges
• Bogarin Trail for Sloths

• Relax Termalitas Hot Springs
• Best Hot Springs in La Fortuna

• How to Get to La Fortuna from San Jose
• How to Get from La Fortuna to Monteverde

Like the post? Pin it!

---

If you enjoy reading our free travel guides, tips and stories, you can buy us a coffee and help us keep this website ads free. Thanks for supporting Paradise Catchers.

---

Disclosure: Please note that this post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase or a booking through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you.