Top 4 Volcano Hikes and Treks in Costa Rica

1.Miravalles Volcano: Hike Secondary Crater & Hot Springs Jungle

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 91 reviews · 7 to 9 hours (approx.) · from $176Our pick

Start near Liberia with a swim at Llanos de Cortes, then hike rainforest trails and two hanging bridges to Las Hornillas. See fumaroles, boiling mud pools, and sulfuric rocks before a volcanic-mud treatment and hot-spring soak. Guides such as Andy also add photos, lunch, and help along the way.

“Absolutely amazing experience!! Guide was phenomenal... kept everyone engaged and provided some knowledge as well!”

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2.Full Day Tour with Safari Float, Waterfall and Volcano Hike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 89 reviews · 9 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $210

Start with a peaceful safari float on the Peñas Blancas River, then visit La Fortuna Waterfall, eat lunch at a local family ranch, and hike old lava trails near Arenal Volcano. Guides such as Tony, Pepe, Oscar, and Francisco add wildlife knowledge and local context. Hotel transport and park fees are included.

“Tony and Jaime were awesome. All 3 experiences were great. Tony was very knowledgeable and kind. Food was excellent. I would do it again.”

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3.Arenal Volcano Hike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 76 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $73

Walk Arenal’s old lava fields with Callidryas Tours on a roughly three-hour guided outing from La Fortuna. Guides such as Byron, Diego, Aaron, and Ricardo explain the 1968 eruption, plants, and wildlife. Expect uneven lava rock, volcano and lake views, transport, and fresh fruit at the end.

“It was a great experience our guide Aaron was excellent. He was very knowledgeable and professional but very personable as well. The driver was nice and did a nice job setting up the snacks. It was a great experience.”

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4.Arenal Hanging Bridges Hiking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 69 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $66Best value

From La Fortuna, you’ll explore 243 hectares of protected rainforest on a 3.1-kilometer circuit with 15 bridges. Guides such as Andres, Minor, and Jasmine use scopes and laser pointers to find monkeys, snakes, frogs, birds, and other forest life. Transport, snacks, water, and admission are included.

“Our tour guide for our Hanging Bridges tour was excellent. He was very dynamic and enthusiastic about sharing his knowledge about the rain forest we were walking through. Having a guide is a very different experience from walking through the forest on your own. He explained so many details about the various trees, visitors could not possibly have gathered the information on their own. It was very fascinating. It was also very interesting walking along the various suspension bridges across the very deep gullies. Some were longer and swayed more than others and some relatively short. They provided a beautiful view of the forest. Though the walk was not especially…”

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