A Free Hot Springs River - Arenal

A Free Hot Springs River - Arenal.

Arenal, Costa Rica

Around the Arenal area, it’s common to see advertisements about hot springs and thermal waters as the magma of the volcano warms and dilutes minerals in the water. However, you will have to pay for almost all of them (not cheap at all). Therefore, I’m going to tell you about one of the few free hot springs spots in Costa Rica. It’s called Free Hot Spring River and it’s located on the Tabacón River, 15 minutes by car from La Fortuna.

The roads are good, you can make it even with a Fiat Punto you can make it. There is a space where you can park. If it’s full, you can also leave the car on the side of the road. Some “guardians” will help you to find a spot and will ask you 1-2$ for watching after the vehicle.

To access the hot springs you will have to walk until the bridge and take one of the paths on the sides of the bridge. It won’t take more than 1 minute to reach the river. On one of the sides there are more tourists while on the other one there are more ticos.

It’s a very crowded place. As it’s free, it’s frequented by families with kids and by young people having beers. As a result, the place is not that beautiful or spectacular. Despite this, taking a dip in a completely natural hot spring river is a good experience. In fact, it’s an interesting option if you have a low budget.

There is not a spot where you can leave your belongings, so I strongly recommend you to go with the essentials.There is not any table/bench/chair either. There is nothing built there, it’s only a narrow path from the bridge to the river.

It’s very crowded, that’s the downside of this place…