In this post, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about visiting El Choyin, the free hot springs in La Fortuna. Including what time to visit to skip the crowds, maximise your chance of seeing wildlife and avoid the parking mafia.
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What are the free hot springs?
La Fortuna is full of mineral-rich thermal waters, thanks to Volcan Arenal.
This geothermal activity has resulted in hundreds of man-made hot springs and spas around town.
Ranging from luxury resorts where a soak in the springs costs you upwards of $80 USD, to budget-friendly, but crowded options, still charging at least $15 USD.
But La Fortuna has a not-so-secret FREE hot spring – El Choyin.
Also referred to as El Chollin, Rio Chollin, or simply the free hot springs, El Choyin is actually a hot river!
While all the established hot springs in the area are using naturally occurring thermal waters, they’re being channelled into man-made pools. Some are nicer than others, but it’s still not necessarily a natural experience.
At El Choyin, you don’t have to pay a cent and you get to soak in a completely natural, free-flowing hot river, with forest and wildlife all around you.
It can be a mystical forest experience if you go at the right time, and it’s definitely one of the best free things to do in La Fortuna.
Keep reading to find out how to visit the free hot springs in La Fortuna, and use our tips to be sure your experience is magic, and not crowded and disappointing.
Where is El Choyin?
The Rio Chollin (aka El Choyin) is inconspicuously located on the side of the road outside La Fortuna.
It takes 15 – 20 minutes to drive here from town, along Route 142 which is the road that leads to the different volcano hikes.
The road runs across a bridge directly over the top of the hot river. You’ll find the free springs just past the entrance to the fancy Tabacon Hot Springs.
👙 Looking for another free swimming hole in La Fortuna? Try El Salto!
How to get to the free hot springs La Fortuna
There are a couple of different ways to get here, depending on how you’re travelling around La Fortuna.
🚗 DRIVING TO EL CHOYIN
Having your own car is the easiest way to get to the springs.
As I mentioned, it’s about 15 – 20 minutes drive from La Fortuna along Route 142. Once you’ve passed Tabacon, you’ll know you’re close.
The river runs below the road, so from the car, you can’t really see it. But if you use this location, you’ll see areas to park on the side of the road.
It can get very busy here at peak times (more on that below), so chances are you’ll find it difficult to park. It’s actually quite dangerous with so many cars all over the side of a main road.
Basically, you’re just trying to pull in as close to the bridge as possible. There is a shoulder on either side of the road, so just try your luck depending on how busy the springs are.
Be aware that there is the ‘parking mafia’ situation to deal with here.
It’s common in Costa Rica to be charged to park your car. Not at official parking lots, just by random local guys in high-vis shirts with no official capacity. They do this under the guise of watching your car while you’re gone and helping you reverse out when leaving.
Whether it’s right or wrong is irrelevant, it’s something that happens in CR so best to accept it and not let it bother you. They’re just trying to make a buck, and I’m sure they cash in from tourists.
They can be helpful, and car break-ins are actually quite common in Costa Rica, so it’s peace of mind knowing someone is watching your car while you’re gone. They can also help you to get in and out of the spot, which is handy on this busy road.
You might be able to give a ‘tip’ where you choose the amount, but sometimes they can get pushy and demand a certain amount. It depends on your level of Spanish and negotiation. Budget for at least 3,000 Colones / $5 USD. I wouldn’t give them any more than that.
If you visit first thing in the morning or the evening, you can avoid this situation altogether as they won’t be around.
🚐 TAKING THE EASYHOP SHUTTLE
If you don’t have a rental car, I think this is the best way to get around in La Fortuna. EasyHop is like a hop-on-hop-off service that runs a route to different tourist attractions in the area, including the free hot springs.
🚕 BY TAXI
You can take a taxi from town to the springs but expect to pay at least $20 USD one way.
Given the busy location on the side of the road, there aren’t usually taxis hanging around waiting for when you’re done. You could get lucky and find one dropping someone else off, but I would suggest getting the number of your driver on the way there, so you can call when you’re done to come and pick you up.
There is Uber in La Fortuna but it can be really inconsistent and hard to find a driver, even when ordering from town. There is no phone reception at the hot springs, so don’t plan on being able to order an Uber to get back.
Walking to the springs
Once you’ve parked your car or been dropped off, you can follow the trail down next to the bridge.
If you’ve driven over the bridge, and are standing on the road looking back to La Fortuna, the main path is down to the right.
Once you get below the road, you’ve got two options.
You can follow the path to the right, which passes through a wire fence. As you’ll see, there is a large opening to walk through. The fence is there to stop you from getting into the resorts on either side of the river, not from accessing the river (it’s public and truly free, you’re not trespassing).
From there, there is a natural trail along the river, and you can basically just find a spot you like the look of. We walked upstream for a few minutes and found a deep-looking section with some mini waterfalls. We were very close to the boundary of the Tabacon Hot Springs, where we wouldn’t have been able to walk any further.
Alternatively, when you first see the big wire fence, you can follow the path round to the left, which will lead you under the bridge and to the other side. From what I’ve read, this side usually gets a lot busier during peak periods.
On this side, you can walk as far upstream as you’d like. There is less of a path, and more wading/hopping across the rocks in this section.
When to visit
The free hot springs in La Fortuna are public and open 24 hours a day, so you can visit whenever you’d like.
However, they are a very popular attraction, and they can get extremely busy and crowded.
The weekends and afternoons are generally the busiest.
It’s a popular spot for locals to come, and many will spend the entire afternoon and evening drinking and hanging out. Not very tranquil.
You can also come in the evening when it’s dark.
This is still quite a popular thing to do, so you won’t have it to yourself, but it should be a little less busy. People come with candles to light up the pools and it’s quite atmospheric.
But the absolute BEST time to visit the hot springs is first thing in the morning.
Why morning is the best time to go
I wanted to expand on this a little more as we had a truly magic time at El Chollin, and it’s because we came earlier.
If you’re okay with waking up early, you can have this mystical place all to yourself. The earlier the better.
We arrived at 6 am, and there was no one else in sight. When we left at 7:30 am there was still no one else around, so I think if you could get there anytime before 8 am, you would be able to find a quiet and private section of the river.
It is so much more peaceful and relaxing without hordes of people. It was the perfect way to start another day of exploring in La Fortuna.
If you go in the morning, you also won’t have to contend with the parking mafia either. They hadn’t clocked on for the day when we were there.
I’m not sure exactly what time they usually arrive, but if you’ve already parked before they get there, you don’t need to tip them.
There is also a better chance of seeing wildlife in the morning before the river is disturbed and becomes noisy with other people.
We watched a Jesus Christ lizard running across the water and some pretty birds singing away in the trees. I know other visitors have spotted herds of coatis coming down for a drink, and even sloths up in the trees.
Morning = less people = less noise = more animals.
Plus, it’s better to visit in the morning before the sun comes out. Even in winter, La Fortuna can get pretty warm, and soaking in hot springs in the heat of the day isn’t much fun.
🌁 Another activity worth waking up early for is the Mistico Hanging Bridges
What to bring
Bring as little as possible, you don’t need much for your visit.
There isn’t anywhere dry to store your belongings, as it’s quite damp on the riverbank. I would recommend using a waterproof bag to leave on the side of the river.
I was comfortable carrying my phone in my hand above the water and I found a dry rock to rest it on.
Come dressed in your swimmers, as there aren’t any bathrooms or changing rooms here.
What we packed:
- 👙 Swimwear (wearing it)
- 🩴 Water shoes or sandals (not necessary, but the rocks can be sharp)
- 🧖🏽♀️ Towels
- ☕️ Coffee (in reusable cups, we visited in the early AM)
- 💧 Reusable water bottle
- 📱 Phone or GoPro for photos
Whatever you bring, please take it out with you!
Because El Choyin is so popular and crowded, there is rubbish around. Don’t litter, and do one better, and pick up someone else’s litter too.
Where to stay near the free hot springs La Fortuna
The El Choyin hot springs are easily accessible from accommodations in the town of La Fortuna, and those spread out around the volcano.
We stayed at Sangregado Lodge, and the springs were the halfway point between our accommodation and La Fortuna, so we only had a 15-minute drive when we got up at 5:30 am!
Here are some of our top picks for La Fortuna:
💰 BUDGET
- SantaFe Hostel
- La Choza Inn (I believe they offer a free shuttle to El Choyin)
- Casa Torre Eco Lodge
💰💰 MID-RANGE
💰💰💰 BOUTIQUE
I hope you love the free hot springs in La Fortuna as much as we did. Set that alarm and wake up to the sounds of the forest with a peaceful soak in these natural thermal waters. I promise El Choyin will be worth the early wake-up call!
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