La Fortuna · Nightlife

The largest of the thermal-river complexes on the road to the volcano, with pools stepped down a hot creek, the Agua Ardiente swim-up pool bar and the Ave restaurant on site. Capacity is limited and day passes should be booked ahead; under-6s are free and under-16s must be with an adult.

A small family-run hot springs on the outskirts of town, with a hard cap on numbers so it never feels crowded, pools cleaned twice a day and a farm-to-table kitchen. Entry is by reservation only — book on their site or call +506 2479 8787 before you turn up.

Twenty-five thermal pools fed by waterfalls, plus slides and swim-up bars — the loudest and most family-heavy of the three big springs, and the one people go to for a night out rather than a quiet soak. Day passes are sold through their own site.

A two-hour guided walk that starts at 6pm through frog gardens, ponds and forest trails, looking for tree frogs, snakes, caimans and sleeping birds with a guide's torch. $55.99 per adult; book ahead as the 6pm slot is the only one.

The corner restaurant and bar on the main street through town, open daily 12:00–21:30, with a bar counter facing the pavement that is the closest thing La Fortuna has to a late-evening gathering point. Kitchen and bar shut together, so this is a pre-dinner-to-nightcap stop, not an all-nighter.