Little Explorer Trips

La Fortuna Recap: Rain, Hot Springs, and a Very Happy Five-Year-Old

We drove down the mountain on Friday morning in awful weather. Regardless, we had things to do and places to see, so Slade and I hopped in the car and hit the road.

Getting There: The Long Way Around (On Purpose)

While the drive from Monteverde to La Fortuna is about 3 hours long, we took the scenic (longer) route around Lake Arenal instead of the short route. The reason for this is the danger that the short route can be during the rainy season (flooded or slid sections) – and having a five-year-old back seat passenger, we skipped the risks and opted to go around the lake.

Our first stop on the ride was Restaurante El Establo – a local soda (think family restaurants) that the locals eat at. Coming from Texas, I had to try the smoked meat. They served the fajitas (we only ordered the meat) with the tortillas being a separate charge, so order accordingly to how much you would like your food served! The meat itself was incredible. As it was still raining, we got coffee & hot chocolate for the road, both being incredibly good that we stopped on the return to Monteverde trip to have them again. Tell us about another local place that’s worth a repeat visit please!

The remainder of the drive into La Fortuna was easy. The roads are well maintained – there are potholes, of course (we’re in Costa Rica), but they come up on Waze frequently to be mindful of.

First Stop in Town: Sloothy Coffee

We couldn’t arrive in La Fortuna without popping into the iconic Sloothy Coffee and, yes – it was a worthy stop! I had a vanilla latte on my first visit, and Slade had another hot chocolate (a theme of the trip), and we shared a strawberry croissant – all of which were delicious. By the time we had gotten to La Fortuna, it had stopped raining a bit, so we headed over to the Airbnb.

The Airbnb: A Tiny House, On Purpose

We booked a tiny house Airbnb over a hotel this trip – it was easier to travel to with a dog. It was in a gated community (still construction going on around it), and the security was amazing – a huge relief, really, for our 3-night stay.

Slade wasted no time getting in the hot tub before I could unload the car. We rested for about two hours before dinner, and Slade requested Open Kitchen – his favorite restaurant in Monteverde. My fault again – I told him that La Fortuna also had an Open Kitchen, and there was no convincing me otherwise. Night one was simple, and that’s how it should be.

Day Two: Baldi Hot Springs Ruined Me For Other Hot Springs

Never a chance at sleep with Slade around, so we forgoe sleeping in and take a walk around the neighborhood (Slade was able to run wild at the neighborhood playground – there’s also a pool that we’ll take advantage of next time).

We headed over to the Baldi Hot Springs and, truthfully – I’ve already booked our second trip! We weren’t really prepared for how awesome it was – it felt unreal to be walking in. There are 14 different hot springs, varying temperatures, and we had no desire to leave! We ate both lunch and dinner there – pizza at the swim-up pool bar for lunch and pasta at the main restaurant at dinner – because we wanted to stay and enjoy that magical place!

The hot springs are open from 9 am until 10 pm – we specifically want to try to go to one in the evening (we did at night and it was not disappointing). Next time, we plan to arrive later in the day and stay through the evening (Slade fell asleep poolside for two hours at one of the hottest spring areas, so it was convenient for him to be right there!). I enjoyed my own beverage for an adult, reading a few chapters, and relaxing in between! Then it started raining – sitting in the steaming hot spring pools with raindrops falling on your face may be one of the best feelings known to a human – I wouldn’t know how to explain it better!

Day Three: A So-So Sloth Tour and a Coffee Tour That Redeemed the Day

We did a sloth walking tour and, honestly – it was okay. We meandered up a backyard and took turns peeping through the guide’s telescope – maybe they’re all that way, but neither Slade nor I walked away impressed. The highlight was the downpour that hit partway through the tour – Slade was soaked, but he was running through the puddles and having a blast! Also, for the record – our rain jackets aren’t 100% waterproof. Take note for the next trip!

We pushed through the soaked due to the coffee and chocolate tour that we have booked right after – that was interesting! Tours around La Fortuna of coffee and chocolate walks typically go from plant to cup (or pod to bar) – with plenty of stops along the way. We were able to see how the coffee and cacao pods are grown and harvested (we even got to roast, grind, and taste the bean!), along with tasting the raw cacao and the finished product. Slade and I both left with the fresh coffee and incredibly delicious cocoa, which turned out to be a great pairing with the rainy and low-key energy of the day.

We had a full day of adventures to unwind in the evening, showered, and got ready to go out. We dined at Kenko Bar & Grill – the street tacos with fresh pineapple on top were not disappointing, and the Cantinio drink took the edge off. Our original plan was Volcano Steakhouse (Slade asked for steak – if you know, you know!), but my parking skills aren’t my strong suit and the traffic was heavy, so we opted for a bigger restaurant on the edge of town where parking wouldn’t be a headache. Truth be told – I’m grateful we did that! Kenko was delicious, and we wrapped up the night with a brownie dessert before heading back to the Airbnb.

Day Four: A Grocery Run Disguised as an Adventure

We woke up late on day four and headed towards San Carlos – living in Monteverde, everything is expensive and we had to run to the PriceSmart store to stock up on stuff. The San Carlos PriceSmart store has only been open for about a month – it’s the newest PriceSmart in Costa Rica and is the first they’ve opened in the Northern Zone that far! Everything was clean, organized, and exciting to be in – I stocked up on food and snacks for almost the entire month – minus the fruits and veggies which we still get locally!

From there, we headed back towards La Fortuna and made our loop back towards the lake on the way home. We got back to Monteverde around 5:30 pm – a perfect time considering I wouldn’t want to be on the dark mountain on my way back.

Overall

We had an incredible weekend with just the two of us. It won’t be long before we’re back – Slade already put in his request: Baldi Hot Springs, for his birthday in November.