La Fortuna Waterfall (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

for "the fortune") is in central Costa Rica, in the

Alajuela Province Alajuela () is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the north-central part of the country, bordering Nicaragua to the north. It also borders the provinces of Heredia to the east, San José to the south, Puntarenas to the southwest and ...

. In Spanish, it is known as ''Catarata Fortuna''. The waterfall drops about 70−75 meters and is at the base of the dormant

Chato volcano Chato Volcano, sometimes called "Cerro Chato" (Spanish for "Flat Hill"), is an inactive volcano in northwestern Costa Rica northwest of San José, in the province of Alajuela, canton of San Carlos, and district of La Fortuna. It is southea ...

, about 5.5 km outside of the town of La Fortuna, near the

Arenal Volcano Arenal Volcano ( es, Volcán Arenal) is an active andesitic stratovolcano in north-western Costa Rica around northwest of San José, in the province of Alajuela, canton of San Carlos, and district of La Fortuna. The Arenal volcano measures ...

. It is fed by the Fortuna River, which travels through the rain forest in the Arenal Mountain range until it plunges over the cliff, forming this waterfall. The admission is $18 for foreign adults, $9 for Costa Rican adults, and $0 for any children under 8. The paved hike down to the waterfall is over 500 steps along a staircase carved into the hillside. It takes about 10-20 minutes, and there are places to stop and sit if needed. Guests are encouraged to swim in the stream and small rapids below the falls, and there's a lifeguard on duty. There are restrooms and showers in the guest facilities atop the cliff, along with a restaurant and gift shop. It should take 10 minutes to go down and about 20 to get back up to the parking lot. Open from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm.

References

External links

* {{official site Waterfalls of Costa Rica Geography of Alajuela Province Tourist attractions in Alajuela Province