Top La Fortuna Bird Watching

Float down the Peñas Blancas River in a rowboat on this 3.5-hour journey from La Fortuna. Listen to your naturalist guide's commentary while keeping a lookout for monkeys, iguanas, and a variety of bird life. Finish up with a stop at a local farm to sample their homemade snacks and coffee. Round-trip transport from selected hotels included.

Rise for an early morning chorus of tropical birdsong with a bird watching tour from La Fortuna, or take an afternoon stroll while the birds are most active. Walk near the Arenal lake or near your hotel, and try to spot toucans, parrots, parakeets, tanagers and hawks; more experienced birdwatchers can add to their life lists by finding royal flycatchers, cinnamon woodpeckers and white-fronted nun birds with help from a professional guide. 

Bring your binoculars on an early morning birdwatching tour at Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park. Tucked in between Arenal’s volcanic ranges and the Tilarán mountains, this family-owned nature reserve offers an eco-friendly and accessible way to view Costa Rica’s amazing biodiversity. Trek along forested paths and hanging walkways with a naturalist guide as you look for a wide variety of local and migratory birds. Visit in the wintertime to catch sight of the many birds of prey that migrate through this wildlife-rich corridor.

Get out into nature with this private half-day excursion to the Celeste River and its surroundings. Your guide will take you through the forest, where you will likely see all kinds of birds, primates, and sloths among the tropical flora. You will also have the opportunity to swim in the blue waters of the Rio Celeste during your visit.

Enjoy an action-packed adventure in the shadows of the iconic Arenal Volcano with this great-value 2-in-1 combo tour. First, take to the treetops for a thrilling bird’s eye view of the rain forest as you walk the Arenal Hanging Bridges, then get your camera ready for a visit to the beautiful La Fortuna Waterfall. After cooling off with a swim beneath the falls, tuck into a typical Costa Rican lunch (included) before heading back to the city.

Combine three adventurous activities in a single tour: a hike to Arental Volcano, visit to the Hanging Bridges, and exploration of La Fortuna Waterfall. This full-day tour from La Fortuna, perfect for nature lovers, includes hiking and swimming amidst Costa Rica's beautiful natural scenery. Hotel pickup and drop-off included.

As one of Costa Rica's biggest exports, coffee plays a big role in Costa Rica's economy—and its culture, too. Learn about artisanal Costa Rican coffee from bean to cup complete with harvesting, roasting, and grinding on this tour of a family-owned coffee farm near Arenal Volcano. As a bonus, try other favorite Costa Rican crops such as chocolate and sugar cane.

Design your own perfect day in La Fortuna with this customizable combo tour. Cross the rain forest canopy on hanging bridges, swim at the base of mystical La Fortuna Waterfall, hike the Lava Slides trail at Arenal Volcano National Park, and soak in Arenal’s famous volcanic hot springs. Take your pick of activities, or do them all for a full day of adventure and relaxation. Optional lunch and dinner add-ons provide a taste of authentic Costa Rican cuisine. Hotel pickup and drop-off included.

Soak up the beauty and biodiversity of Arenal by horseback on a ride through the family-owned nature reserve at Mistico Park. Known for its hanging bridges, the thoughtfully developed park also features a new riding trail that winds up to hilltop pastures boasting fantastic views of Arenal Volcano and Lake. The slow and natural pace of a horse allows you to appreciate the surrounding flora and look for native wildlife on this relaxed and memorable tour.

Get a close look at Costa Rica’s coffee- and chocolate-making traditions at a family farm near La Fortuna. See a cacao and sugar cane plantation, and learn how cacao is made into chocolate. You’ll get to sample fresh coffee and chocolate from the farm with a small-group tour limited to eight people.

Observe Costa Rica's bountiful wildlife from the hanging bridges of Mistico Park in Arenal. Trek along ground-level forest trails and suspended walkways in this private, family-owned nature reserve that’s home to a vast array of birdlife, monkeys, reptiles, and tropical plants. Learn about the area’s rich biodiversity from a naturalist guide as you explore different levels of the rain forest, from floor to canopy, and enjoy commanding views of Arenal Volcano.

Slip beneath the ground on a 4-hour tour through the Venado caves from La Fortuna, and follow underground trails into a series of remarkable grottoes and chambers. Gear up and follow your flashlight along an ancient seabed as you explore the caves with your guide. Get wet and get dirty on your way to fantastic rock formations and bristling stalactites and stalagmites, visit a bat colony that thrives in the cool, dark cave system, then return to the surface to enjoy a snack of tropical fruits.

Two popular Costa Rica adventures come together into one adventure-packed day with this white-water rafting and canyoning tour from La Fortuna. During the canyoning portion, rock climb, rappel down a waterfall, and zipline—all under the watchful eye of your guide. Then, head down to the Balsa River for a 2-hour white-water rafting tour with class II to III rapids. When to action ends, wind down with a typical Costa Rican lunch.

Enjoy a thrilling close encounter with Costa Rica’s wildlife on this 4-hour tour to the Mistico Hanging Bridges Park from La Fortuna, in the shadows of the Arenal Volcano. Journey to the heart of the rainforest on a 2-mile (3.2km) circuit of 15 hanging bridges and have chance to spot up to 350 species of bird, including hummingbirds, bell birds, toucans and the majestic Tucancito Esmeralda.

Explore the rain forest of Arenal at three different speeds with a combo tour that has something for everyone. Get a good view of exotic birds and waterfalls on the Sky Walk suspended bridges, and glide up a mountain reserve on the Sky Tram gondola. There, the real fun begins as you fly back down on a thrilling Sky Trek zipline course. In between bursts of adrenaline, enjoy fantastic views over the treetops of Arenal Volcano and Lake.

The rainforest of this area has a special altitude for bird watching, both those that live permanently and those that migrate to other areas. Arenal Oasis is also a bird sanctuary, here they live protected in a forest that provides them with food and home, it is easy to observe them in the morning dazzling with their bright colors and amazing souds. Walk a small and easy path with our specialist guide who will give you important information.

Thrill-seekers will love white-water rafting on the class III and IV rapids on the Arenal River. Suitable for adventurous beginners and those who have been rafting before, the 8-mile (13-kilometer) stretch of river offers plenty of chances to paddle hard, get wet, and enjoy views of the surrounding jungle. Refuel after with lunch at a monkey park.

Soar through the rain forest of Arenal on a thrilling zipline tour, one of Costa Rica’s must-do adventures. Cross different levels of the canopy on nine cables for a high-speed journey that also allows time to observe native wildlife and the beauty of the forest from treetop platforms. Back on the ground, reward your muscles with a relaxing soak in volcanic hot springs at an eco resort.

Get your adrenaline pumping and explore the rain forests of Costa Rica as you embark on this adventure tour. Head to a reserve and start your adventure walking across a series of hanging bridges, with some dangling from 200 feet (60 meters) high. Then, enjoy a heart-pumping zipline tour across several cables and platforms.

This incredible one-hour walking tour will challenge your senses as you see these beautiful mammals camouflaging themselves wisely in the trees. You will find them sleeping, moving slowly or eating guarumo shoots, and you may even see their curious, seemingly smiling faces. Our expert tour guides will teach you everything you need to know about sloths and help you find the perfect pictures so you will always remember this wonderful experience with nature.

Set your sights on a huge variety of Costa Rican birdlife with a morning birdwatching tour at Mundo Aventura Natural Park near Arenal, where half of all the country’s native species can be found. Get an early start to catch the birds’ most active time of day, and trek through diverse habitats like grasslands, forest, and streams to see birds including hawks, kingbird flycatchers, and great kiskadees. If you're looking for a specific bird, let the guides know and they can recommend the best place in the area to watch for it.

Start your day as you hike across the 2 mile Arenal Hanging Bridges and see the jungle from high above the forest. Your naturalist guide will teach you about Costa Rican culture, history, while you experience what we like to call "nature therapy." Immerse yourself in nature while you try to spot different species of plants, animals, and birds for approx. 2.5 hrs along the way. Appreciate 15 different bridges, 6 are hanging. After, head to the Arenal Volcano Reserve. Hike through amazing forest and breath-taking lava flow. We’ll head through easy trails that skirt the base of the Arenal Volcano. You'll love our fresh, amazing meal in one of La Fortuna's secret hangout at El Salto waterfall park. Finish the day at the stunning La Fortuna Waterfall. This is sure to be a good workout as there are 500 steps to get to the down and get back up! Have an opportunity to take lots of pictures and swim in the cool waters of one of the largest and most breathtaking waterfalls in Arenal!

A unique adventure for Nature lovers and animal lovers alike. After enjoy the mistic hike at the hanging bridges, we will visit a volcanic lagoon and the Arenal Volcano viewpoint, this tour mix two of the most impressive attractions of the area. From the viewpoint, you can take breath-taking pictures upon your horse with the volcano as your backdrop.

La Fortuna area is a privileged location to spot birds, not only in Costa Rica but in the Americas. Due to its topography, surrounded by mountains, rivers, lakes and different kinds of forests in such a small area, turn La Fortuna and Arenal Volcano in a paradise for those who love birds. Birds are more active early in the morning and in the late afternoon, as the day cools into evening. Join us for a guided walk into our Park for an amazing display of tropical birds. You will have the opportunity to see toucans, parrots, oropendolas, wild turkeys, colorful tanagers, parakeets and many more species in their natural environment. For the more experienced birdwatcher, we can focus on those special treasures and uncommon species. We will tailor the tour for you. We will wrap up the tour by listing and discussing the birds we have seen.