This page is written by an independent comparison catalog, not by the resort. We explain what Arenal Manoa Hot Springs Resort offers to overnight guests, then compare the six ticketed hot spring experiences you can actually book around La Fortuna. Each listing is broken down by price, format, inclusions and rating so you can see where your money goes. A resort stay and a day pass are different products with very different price tags. Our comparison covers everything from a $29 river ticket to the $95 flagship day tour, all drawn from verified bookings on the booking platforms.
Yes, there are hot springs at Arenal Manoa. The resort sits in La Fortuna with its own natural thermal pools and ponds, and those springs are part of staying there as an overnight guest. The resort's official website publishes no day-pass price, so day visitors should book one of the six ticketed experiences in this catalog instead. Entry starts at $29 for the Pura Vida thermal river pass and tops out at $95 for the full waterfall, volcano and springs day tour. Most listings carry free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience.
Key takeaways
We currently compare every bookable hot spring experiences around La Fortuna. The from-price shown for each is the lowest adult rate on the listing at the time we captured it. Ratings and review counts are the booking platforms' own verified-booking figures, not numbers we generated. The fine print is stated once here so each listing block stays clean: five of the listings compared here carry free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience. The exception is the Zip Line & Thermal Pools Combo, which holds a stricter 48-hour rule and issues no refunds inside that window. Read that as your planning constraint, then compare on price, format and rating in the table below.
USD 29 for all-day access to a real thermal river and pool at a 4.8 rating — under half the price of every resort day pass in this comparison
The cheapest real hot-spring water in this comparison: all-day access to a steaming thermal river plus a warm pool, with towels, lockers and parking included. Come in the evening: reviewers swear by it.
The one-day answer to "what is there to do here": waterfall swim, Maleku village lunch, lava-field hike, then 90 minutes in hot spring pools with a cocktail. Nearly 4,000 verified reviews back it.
The shortest guided route to both icons: half a day, hotel pickup, a real volcano-base hike and a warm-river soak with volcanic mud. Choose the morning departure if you want lunch included.
The quiet one: capped entry, shaded pools at 99–106°F, paved rainforest trails and a waterfall corner. Towels, lockers and parking included; the meal option gets consistently strong reviews.
The full resort day: 25 pools, waterslides, a huge sauna and the longest opening hours in this comparison, close to the volcano. Pick the pools-only ticket if you plan to eat elsewhere: reviewers rate the buffet below the pools.
The half-adrenaline, half-thermal day: 7 cables over the river canyon, an optional 50-metre rappel, then the Montaña de Fuego thermal pools and volcanic mud at no extra cost. Book an early slot: pools close at 5 PM.
Every experience in this comparison in one table, with the figures that decide a booking: the listed per-person price, the time commitment, the platform's verified rating and the format each ticket delivers. Experience names link to our full page on each listing. Figures current for Q3 2026.
| Experience | Listed | Length | Rating | The difference | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Fortuna Waterfall, Volcano & Hot Springs Day Tour | $95 | 10 hours | 4.8 (3,848) | Guided day: waterfall, village lunch, volcano, soak | Check Availability Details |
| Our pick Pura Vida Thermal River & Thermal Pool Pass | $29 | Valid 1 day from first activation | 4.8 (131) | Wild thermal river, self-drive, cheapest entry | Check Availability Details |
| Arenal Volcano Hike & Thermal River Tour | $54 | 4 hours | 4.5 (55) | Half-day hike plus 40 minutes in the river | Check Availability Details |
| Ecotermales Rainforest Hot Springs Day Pass | $81 | 6 hours (daytime pass 10 AM–4 PM) | 4.8 (78) | Capped quiet garden, meal ticket option | Check Availability Details |
| Baldi Hot Springs Day Pass | $60 | Full day (resort closes 10 PM) | 4.5 (219) | 25 pools, slides, sauna, open to 10 PM | Check Availability Details |
| Zip Line & Thermal Pools Combo | $65 | About 2 hours of lines, plus pool access until 5 PM | 4.7 (377) | Zip lines first, thermal pools after | Check Availability Details |
Arenal Manoa Hot Springs Resort sits in La Fortuna, Costa Rica, with Arenal Volcano directly in view. It is a working resort with its own thermal water on the property, and it is the reason this catalog exists. Before we compare the day passes, it helps to know what the property itself actually is.
One disclosure, stated once: this site is an independent comparison catalog and is not affiliated with the resort. The resort's official website is arenalmanoa.com, and anything about rooms, rates or guest access should be confirmed there.
The resort describes its water like this: 'Our natural hot springs pools and ponds are fed by mineral-rich thermal waters known for their therapeutic properties.' That is the core of the product. The springs are part of staying at the resort. The official site publishes no day-pass price, so if you are not sleeping there, your realistic route into warm water is one of the ticketed experiences in this catalog rather than a walk-in ticket at the gate.
The official site lists six room categories: Junior Rooms, Junior Rooms Plus, Superior Rooms, Premium Rooms, Chato Rooms and Luxury Villas. The range runs from straightforward rooms for couples and families up to standalone villa accommodation. Guest commentary about the resort praises the volcano views, the peaceful grounds and the staff, and notes that junior suites may have the best volcano views on the property.
If a volcano view from bed is the point of your trip, that comment is the one to weigh.
The property runs two restaurants. La Saca serves Costa Rican and international food. Ohashi is the Japanese option.
A spa sits on the banks of the river that runs through the property, so treatments happen within earshot of running water. Breakfast is a buffet taken with the volcano in front of you, which guests mention often and which is a genuine differentiator against properties without the sightline.
No. The resort is not an all-inclusive property. Rates are room-based, with breakfast plans available. Lunch and dinner are paid separately at the two restaurants.
If you want a resort where every meal and drink is bundled, this is not that property, and the day-pass experiences in this catalog work on the same logic: entry covers the water, food is a separate ticket or a separate bill.
Yes, clearly. The resort has natural thermal pools and ponds fed by mineral-rich water on its own grounds. The honest limitation is access: the springs are a guest amenity, and no published day-pass price exists.
Day visitors should book the ticketed experiences in this catalog, several of which deliver the same volcanic water in settings you can buy into for a day. For the access question in detail, see the day-pass guide.
The volcano-side garden country the area's resorts are built into. Illustrative image.
The calendar below is the flagship's live availability: the ten-hour waterfall, volcano and hot springs tour, updated in real time on the booking platform. Pick your date, then check the cancellation line before you commit.
Switch experience: Thermal river + pool pass · Volcano hike + river soak · Ecotermales quiet pools · Baldi resort day pass · Zip line + pools
Six experiences cover very different trips. The fastest routing is by traveller type. Match yourself to one line below, then read each experience's full listing before you pay.
Prices range from $29 to $95, and the formats differ as much as the prices do, so the cheapest option is not automatically the best fit.
The quiet Ecotermales day pass is the pick. Entry is capped per session, pools sit between 99 and 106 F, and reviewers specifically praise the calm and the food. At $81 it costs more than a river ticket, but you are paying for shade, paved trails and nobody shouting.
Bring biodegradable sunscreen, because Ecotermales requires it.
The Baldi resort day pass wins on sheer scale. Baldi claims 25 thermal pools, waterslides, Costa Rica's largest sauna and a 60-person jacuzzi, and it stays open until 10 PM. Children under 5 go free.
The listed catch is a $20 per-person security locker charge, so budget for it. For a head-to-head on the two big resorts, see the Tabacon vs Baldi comparison.
The Pura Vida thermal river pass at $29 is the entry point. It is a self-drive ticket to the Choyin thermal river plus a main pool, with parking, lockers and towels included. The river is rocky with a current, and reviewers say go in the evening when it empties out.
The volcano hike and river soak pairs a 2.5-hour walk at the volcano base with about 40 minutes in the thermal river and a volcanic mud mask, all in a 4-hour half day at $54. Pickup is from the La Fortuna zone. It is the option for people who want to earn the soak.
The waterfall, volcano and springs day tour is the flagship at $95 and the most booked listing in the catalog, with a 4.8 rating across 3,848 reviews. Ten hours, hotel pickup, park fees, lunch, drinks and a cocktail in the springs. If you have one day and no car, this is the default.
The zip line and pools combo runs 7 zip lines across 9 platforms with an optional 50 m rappel, then hands you thermal pools and volcanic mud at the Montana de Fuego hotel until 5 PM. At $65 it is the adventure pick, but note the stricter 48-hour cancellation rule and the weight and age limits.
The table below is the core of this catalog. It puts every listing side by side on the two things that matter most: what you pay and what the rate actually covers. Every price is the lowest adult rate on the listing, and every rating comes from the platforms' own verified bookings.
Read the last column before you book, because that is where each listing hides its catch.
| Experience | From-price | Format | The rate covers | The catch | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Fortuna Waterfall, Volcano & Hot Springs Day Tour | $95 (not stated in local figure) | Guided day combo, 10 hours | Hotel pickup, guide, park fees, resort fee, lunch, drinks, cocktail, 1 hour at the waterfall pool, 1.5-hour soak | Longest day and highest price, so it needs your whole day | Book it if you have one day and no car |
| Pura Vida Thermal River & Thermal Pool Pass | $29 (not stated in local figure) | Self-drive day-pass ticket, valid 1 day from activation | Thermal river access, main pool, parking, lockers, towels | No transport, rocky river with a current, better in the evening | Book it for the cheapest real soak |
| Arenal Volcano Hike & Thermal River Tour | $54 (not stated in local figure) | Guided half-day combo, 4 hours | La Fortuna pickup, bilingual guide, park entrance, towel, photos, 2.5-hour hike, 40 minutes in the river with a mud mask | Lunch only on the 10:30 AM option, and the soak is short | Book it to earn your soak on foot |
| Ecotermales Rainforest Hot Springs Day Pass | $81 (not stated in local figure) | Quiet resort day pass, 6 hours (10 AM to 4 PM) | Pools at 99-106 F, rainforest trails, towels, lockers, free parking, optional meal ticket | No transport, capped entry, drink prices run high, $10 water in one review | Book it for quiet, couples and food |
| Baldi Hot Springs Day Pass | $60 (not stated in local figure) | Big resort day pass, full day until 10 PM | 25 pools, largest sauna in Costa Rica, 60-person jacuzzi, waterslides, four ticket versions, under-5s free | Listing states a $20 per-person security locker charge, buffet rated below the pools | Book it for families and evening soaking |
| Zip Line & Thermal Pools Combo | $65 (not stated in local figure) | Adventure combo, about 2 hours of lines plus pools until 5 PM | 7 zip lines, 9 platforms, optional 50 m rappel, Maleku culture stop, thermal pools and volcanic mud, free La Fortuna pickup | No refunds inside 48 hours, not for under-6s, pregnant travellers or over 110 kg, pools close 5 PM | Book it for adrenaline with a warm finish |
Three patterns are worth naming. First, the $29 river pass and the $95 flagship bracket the market, and the listings between them split along the transport line: guided tours pick you up, day passes expect you to drive. Second, the two cheapest entries both use the Choyin thermal river, so the raw water is the same and you are paying the flagship for logistics, food and time.
Third, cancellation terms are identical on five listings and stricter on one, so the zip line combo should be booked last in any flexible itinerary.
Almost every warm soak around La Fortuna traces back to the same source. Arenal Volcano entered its eruptive phase with the 1968 eruption and went quiet into a resting phase in 2010. There is no lava to see today, but the volcanic system below still heats the groundwater, and that heated, mineral-loaded water is what feeds every pool, river and pond in this catalog.
The water is warm because the volcano is resting, not extinct in the everyday sense of the ground going cold.
Most area resorts pipe real volcanic water into engineered pools of controlled depth and temperature. Baldi claims 25 of them plus Costa Rica's largest sauna and a 60-person jacuzzi. Ecotermales keeps its shaded pools between 99 and 106 F and caps entry so they never feel crowded.
This is the predictable option: lifeguards, changing rooms, restaurants and defined temperatures. What you give up is the feeling of being in a river.
Tabacón Hot Springs sits on a genuine above-ground thermal river, which is the exception in the area. The water flows over open ground through the resort grounds rather than arriving in a pipe. It is the benchmark the engineered pools imitate.
This catalog does not currently carry a standalone Tabacón listing, which is why the comparison table does not include it, but you should know it exists when comparing resorts.
The Choyin thermal river is the wild-water option you can buy into. It runs above 100 F and two listings in this catalog use it: the Pura Vida Thermal River & Thermal Pool Pass and the Arenal Volcano Hike & Thermal River Tour. Expect a rocky bed and a current, towels and lockers on the pass, and a volcanic mud mask on the hike tour.
Reviewers on the pass say go in the evening when the crowds thin.
Locals soak for free in the Chollín river. Access is customary, not a formal facility, so there are no changing rooms, no lockers and no staff. Treat it as wild water: check conditions yourself, keep valuables out of sight and leave no trace.
It costs nothing and delivers real volcanic water, but you accept the risks that paid venues manage for you. For access details and etiquette, see the free hot springs guide.
The practical summary: engineered pools buy you comfort and facilities, the Choyin river sells you wild water with basic services, and the Chollín river gives the same water for free with none. The Arenal Manoa springs sit in the first category, piped and managed on the resort's own grounds, reserved for guests.
A thermal river in the forest: the format half of this catalog books. Illustrative image.
The volcano that heats every pool in this comparison. Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
La Fortuna is the base for everything in this catalog. The town sits at about 400 m elevation below the volcano, and daytime highs hold near 27 to 29 C all year. Every spring in the comparison sits close enough to town that the drive is measured in minutes, not hours, though the exact times are not stated on the listings and we will not invent them.
What the listings do state is which experiences include pickup and which expect you to drive.
Three listings collect you. The La Fortuna Waterfall, Volcano & Hot Springs Day Tour includes hotel pickup for its 10-hour day. The Arenal Volcano Hike & Thermal River Tour includes pickup in the La Fortuna zone.
The Zip Line & Thermal Pools Combo includes free La Fortuna town pickup. If you arrive without a car or you would rather not drive on unfamiliar roads, these three are the safe picks, and that convenience is a real part of what the higher prices buy.
Three listings are self-drive with free parking on site. The Pura Vida Thermal River & Thermal Pool Pass includes parking, and its meeting point is the Choyin Rio Termal entrance. The Ecotermales Rainforest Hot Springs Day Pass includes free parking.
The Baldi Hot Springs Day Pass likewise expects you to arrive by car, with parking handled on site. A rental car or taxi covers these easily given the short distances from town.
The decision rule is simple. No car, or no confidence driving in Costa Rica: book one of the guided pickup options and pay for the convenience. Car available: the day passes cost less partly because transport is on you, and a short drive is a small price for saving $30 to $60 per person.
For seasonal driving and weather context, see the best-time guide.
A hot springs day rewards light packing and punishes forgotten items. The listings differ slightly in what they provide, but the core kit below covers all six experiences in the catalog. Pack it the night before, because most of these days start early or end after dark.
Two additions worth considering. A quick-dry towel saves you from relying on venue towels, though the Pura Vida pass, the volcano hike and the Ecotermales pass all include towels. And if you plan the evening soak that reviewers recommend on the Pura Vida river, pack a warm layer for after, because the air cools faster than the water does.
For a fuller packing rundown, see the what-to-bring guide.
Average afternoon highs in La Fortuna across the year. The town sits high enough that heat never becomes the story. The seasons write themselves in rain instead, and open-air water feels best when you stop fighting the weather.
The flagship listing, the La Fortuna Waterfall, Volcano & Hot Springs Day Tour, is the most booked experience in this catalog with a 4.8 rating across 3,848 verified reviews. Its listed structure makes the best model for a full day around the volcano, and the timeline below follows its stated inclusions: hotel pickup, a national park visit, an hour at the waterfall pool, lunch, and a 1.5-hour soak that ends with a cocktail in the springs. Ten hours, one booking.
The tour includes hotel pickup, so the day starts at your door rather than at a meeting point. Ten hours are booked, and the guide sets the pace from here. Eat a solid breakfast, because lunch comes midday and the schedule does not wait.
The tour covers national park entry fees and runs with a guide through the park on the volcano's flank. The 1968 eruption shaped this landscape, and the volcano has rested since 2010, so what you see is forest reclaiming old lava country rather than any live activity. Guides carry the stories the trails do not.
The listed format gives one hour at the waterfall pool. The descent, the swim and the climb back up all fit inside it, so move with intent. This is the cold-water contrast that makes the afternoon soak land harder.
Lunch and drinks are included in the $95 rate, which is one of the reasons the flagship costs more than the self-drive passes. Eat properly, because the 1.5-hour soak ahead is the kind of immersion that empties a stomach quietly.
The day ends at a hot spring resort with the resort fee already covered. One and a half hours in the thermal pools, long enough to work through several temperatures. Reviews put a cocktail in the pool as the finish, included in the rate, and it is the detail guests mention most.
Hotel drop-off closes the booking, with the free-cancellation window having passed hours earlier. If the soak convinced you to go deeper, the quiet Ecotermales pass or the evening Choyin river ticket are the natural second nights, both bookable from this catalog.
Three videos of the area's springs and rivers, filmed by travellers on real trips. We did not shoot them and have no relationship with the creators: video flatters less than photos, and moving water is exactly what a listing photo cannot show.
The day was honestly incredible, the food was great and the guides are very knowledgeable and friendly.
We loved it! Well organized place, with showers, towels and parking included in the price.
Excellent day out beautifully done surroundings with many pools of different types and heats.
The experience was amazing. The guides were super super friendly and I laughed a lot.
Please go here at night. It is so magical and empty!!
A great day out and very complete! And to finish cocktails in the thermal pool was the icing on the cake!
Yes. The resort's grounds hold thermal pools and ponds fed by mineral-rich hot water, plus a riverside spa, and guests use them as part of a stay. The practical detail for day visitors is on our day-pass guide: the resort publishes no walk-in price, so bookable soaks start in the comparison above.
From $29 for the thermal river day pass to $95 for the ten-hour waterfall, volcano and springs tour, with resort passes between $60 and $81. The comparison table lines them up with ratings and lengths.
No. Rates are room-based, usually with a breakfast buffet, and the property's restaurants, La Saca and Ohashi, are pay as you go. All-inclusive plans are not the norm among La Fortuna's springs resorts.
The Baldi resort day pass is the family play: 25 pools graded by heat, waterslides, a children's area, wheelchair access and children under 5 free. Go midweek if you can, the pools fill on weekends.
Yes, in the free hot springs guide we map the roadside stretch of thermal river locals use, plus what free access costs you in facilities and safety trade-offs.
Any month, honestly: the water is hot all year. The drier season from December to April clears the skies, and the green season trades afternoons' rain for thinner crowds. The best-time guide covers hours and moonlight-style planning for soakers.
The capped venues and the guided days sell first in dry season, so book ahead. Every listing here carries reserve now, pay later, so the booking costs nothing today. Free cancellation up to 24 hours applies on five of the listings compared here.
No. This is an independent comparison guide with no affiliation to the resort, and the resort's official website is arenalmanoa.com. We read listings and published information, we never sell anything ourselves.
Everything the comparison above assumes you already know, written out properly.
Arenal Manoa Hot Springs
