La Fortuna waterfall

Luna Valderrama

The La Fortuna Waterfall was personally my favorite part of the trip. The beauty of this place was unbeatable. The walk down was about 530 steps according to the website, but the view from further down was extraordinary. The waterfall of the Rio Fortuna (Fortune River) is about 70 meters high, or about 230 feet, so the pressure from the falling water made the current a bit strong. There were some parts we couldn’t swim in. 

On this particular day, we had previously gone to the Mistico Arenal Hanging bridges and the Arenal Volcano, so the swim was a great end to the day. The water was very cold and a bit rocky, so it was more like an obstacle course. It was definitely a team building activity to attempt to walk together. It really did take a team, or at least a partner, to go to certain areas of the stream. There were particular areas where the rocks were more jagged or slippery, and we must’ve looked like little ants marching to the people from above.

The entire waterfall was closed off in a way that almost made it feel like we were in a cave without a ceiling. I would recommend this activity to anyone who enjoys experiencing nature first-hand while getting some steps in. This was by far one of the most beautiful moments of the trip.