Las Hornillas Volcano Hot Springs — Hotel in La Fortuna

That was a huge letdown.

It may be partly my fault. I didn't know you needed reservations for the horse ride up the mountain and the hanging bridges. We arrived in the morning and asked if we could have the bridge tour later that afternoon, but they said no because it was raining. It stopped raining just a short while later. The "volcano" tour is maybe a couple hundred feet walking path around the"mud bath" area and up a hill where there is one large hole belching sulferous stream, a few very small bubbling pools and rocks. The mud bath is just hot muddy water less than a foot deep. The hot springs are OK. There are three, one super hot, one hot and one COLD.

Definitely not worth the drive or the $30 fee.

It was about 2:30 when we were all changed and ready to head out. We hadn't eaten lunch, so we're hoping to eat at the restaurant, but it was all locked up. That was actually a blessing.

We found a little hidden gem of a burger place just a short drive away. Check out Ruta Burger. It's a short drive, and it was...

We had an enjoyable afternoon here after visiting the Rio Celeste. The park had a rustic charm to it and was quieter than expected which was a plus and we often had a hot pool to ourselves. We missed the restaurant so the ticket price was $25pp without lunch but if you have lunch it is $35(the restaurant shut 2pm the day we were there).

The mud bath was fun though you apply the mud to yourself rather than soak in mud(maybe that's standard, I don't mud bath often!). We then enjoyed soaking in the various different hot pools and found it very relaxing. There are ice creams and cold drinks available at reception.

I've only knocked a star off as we missed using the 250m long slide which opening times aren't clear and closed...

A very unique experience, as it’s quite cool to be able to walk inside a volcano vein.

That said, the place definitely needs remodeling. I visited a couple of years ago, and it looks unchanged since then, as if no maintenance has been done to keep it up to date. There’s huge potential here, but the facilities really need work, as it currently feels like it’s on the verge of shutting down.

Practical notes: the website doesn’t work and the phone number is incorrect, so we weren’t sure if they were even open until we showed up (hours are 8 am to 5 pm). The Hornillas hike is very easy, and the mud bath is a nice touch. Prices are reasonable, but the hot springs are not worth it, as there are better options...