My boys (9,13) had an absolute blast sliding around with the current. Though you may have in mind that is not a "privacy & piece and quiet" place. 2h 30 min Contact Next to Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort, Arenal Volcano National Park, La Fortuna de San Carlos Costa Rica Create a full itinerary - for free! The majority of these hot springs are in expensive resorts that have tapped into the underground river to create a variety of mineral rich soaking pools. The area had been fenced off most probably because the hotels probably dont want you going in for free when they have $40 packages you could buy from them! Is there anything else to do like atv and Zipline. Best Historical Site If you plan to visit a hot springs property that charges a fee for towel rentals (or requires a security deposit for towel use that you dont want to pay), bring your own towel to the hot springs. Things to do in Arenal, Costa Rica - Map Made Memories This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. Specifically, the Baldi Hot Springs, the Springs Resort Hot Springs,the Paradise Hot Springs, the EcoTermales Hot Springs, the Kalambu Hot Springs, the Los Lagos Hot Springs, the Titoku Hot Springs, the Los Laureles Hot Springs, the Termalitas del Arenal Hot Springs, and the Termo Arenal Hot Springs all pump water from the volcano into their property. This is used by locals and gringos alike, and is a relaxing and cheap alternative to the Tabacon and Baldi hot springs. Read our. No arguments on my end. It is important to leave before it gets dark as you have to leave via the slope. One would usually have to stay in one of the main resorts that provide access to the hot springs. It is in La Fortuna adjacent to Tabacon Hot Springs. Click here to listen to podcast interviews weve been featured on! Some hot springs, including the Baldi Hot Springs, the Springs Resort Hot Springs, the Kalambu Hot Springs, the Los Laureles Hot Springs, the Los Lagos Hot Springs, the Tabacon Hot Springs, the Termalitas del Arenal Hot Springs, and the Termo Arenal Hot Springs have one or more waterslides to help pass the time. Definitely recommend. Its about nourishment and learning. eh? Later a few people came in, but not closely to the same numbers as in the evening. There will be locals who will guide you or talk to you. Bring water shoes. It is called " Free Natural Hot Springs River " and it is right across the street from the Tabacon Resort. All hot springs properties in the Arenal area are accessible by car and have parking on-site, with the exception of the Rio Chollin Hot Springs (limited street parking is your only option). This is a wonderful place to visit. La Fortuna Free Swimming Holes: El Choyin and El Salto - MytanFeet This was a great stop for 1-1.5 hours. Delightful! One caveat:Though the numerous expat, traveller, and local guides love to describe these "secret"hot springs, a trip to the beautiful creek reveals that this may be the worst kept secret in Costa Rica. It was free other than paying the tico a few bucks to watch our vehicle. Best Place For Black Sand Rio Chollin 4.5 1,121 reviews #6 of 49 things to do in La Fortuna de San Carlos Hot Springs & Geysers Write a review About If you talk with the locals they will tell you to go to Scratch River or the Free hot springs. not quite free (parking mafia = best paid job in CR for zero actual work), and not that hot. gorgeous, lush, jungle setting with idyllic thermal stream coursing along; water temperature tepid at best. Chollin is located just after Tabacon (if you come from La Fortuna). If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. Want to show your appreciation for her free article below? The hot spring river was beautiful and refreshing. Recommend wearing water shoes since it's very rocky. Youll know what Im talking about, your car could be tilted to the right. You can park at Tabacon (costs $2) and walk down to the river. It is a powerful fo, Twelve weeks today (September 26th, 2023), the thi, Hey Instagram! But he told us about the place that locals go. Easy access after parking the car on the side of the road (current "parking fee" of the type "official inofficial": 2000 colones ). Hey, Costa Rica Travel Blog reader, thank you for visiting and reading our blog! I hear there are some nice reports in La Fortuna but if you are on a shoestring budget then this could be perfect! Merci, Me gustara comentar lo encantador que es pasar un da en el Rio Chollin, se re , se disfruta, se comenta y si les toca que llueva es divertidisimo xq sumerges todo el cuerpo y permaneces caliente bajo un aguacero y pudiendo conversar con quienes tienes a tu alrededor y las pertenencias las pones en un lugar donde las puedas estar viendo y pasas un da maravilloso, digo el dia xq si te quieres quedarte hasta la noche es sorprendente, cada quien prende su vela en el lugar donde se encuentre y el anochecer se vuelve espectacular con ese montn de velas. Wearing some type of foot covering is definitely suggested. To ensure you're aware of and okay with this and our other privacy-related practices, please review ourPrivacy Policy, then click the button below to accept it. My family visited the free hot springs one day after our excursions. Since we lived in La Fortuna, built our business from La Fortuna, and have spent time at all of La Fortunas hot spring properties, we are qualifiedand happyto answer your Costa Rica hot springs questions. That night, the parking was crazy, but this was all arranged for us. Most are also run by themes, plugins, and other add-ons to our website that we do not and cannot control, which means the cookies you receive are mainly provided by third parties. We visited late afternoon. Pure magic. I have to say, its one of the most magical experiences Ive had, but not sure we could ever recreate it without a locals help. I saw a wheelchair. You will find guys asking to be paid to keep your car safe. For me sitting in nature and spotting all kind of animals was much more worth then a resort. We fell in love. Must-Try Fruit (Cooked) Im becoming empty nested next month and would like your suggestion to a safe area for a single female (preferably withIn walking distance of outdoor markets) where I could daily walk and enjoy a hot spring and unwind and reflect ( and maybe stay for 90 days at a time ) thx, If youre interested in the hot springs, youll want to stick to the La Fortuna area. To reach it, its down a steep hill, there is a rope to help guide you down, but this is not a lit path, so a headlamp was super helpful. Great way to spend a few hours. Yes. Best Cultural Tour It is situated text to the Tabacon spa hotel. It was very rocky though so I do agree with wearing water shoes. If you plan to visit a hot springs attraction while in Costa Rica, we recommend knowing the following information first. We went here on our first morning in La Fortuna and was so glad we did. Read our Anti-Hate, Anti-Racism, Anti-Xenophobia, Anti-Inequality, Anti-Discrimination Statement. 96% of travellers recommend this experience. Alternatively, you can bring your own towel to any hot springs property. Browse our Costa Rica blogs to learn everything you need to know about spending money in Costa Rica, including Costa Rica payment policies, Costa Rica currency exchange, using USD in Costa Rica, tipping information, and more. Its still very dark down there, and can be unsafe if you arent wearing shoes and have your own light source. Bonjour, pouvez-vous m'indiquer o trouver prcisment cette source ? It's right off the road across from Tabacon. Best View Of The Arenal Volcano El Chollin - the free one! - Review of Rio Chollin, La Fortuna de San The La Fortuna area in northern Costa Rica has an abundance of natural and drilled hot springs piped into resortsthat aregenerally geared for the moneyed tourists looking to soakup the area's recently-exploding and over-developed tourism economy;however, free access to a hot creek remains just downstream from the soaking pools at Tabacon Resortfor those willing to put in a small effort to access it. Ro Cholln Free Hot Springs We appreciate your interest, preference, time, and visit. Yes. A taxi dropped us off on the road and you make you way down a slight slope. READ THIS FIRST! Have updates, photos, alerts, or just want to leave a comment? Walk down the path behind the gate and in a very short walk you will arrive at a bubbling hot creek. Where exactly was this? The buffet dinner was really good too. (If you cannot see the PayPal button above, click here.) Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure. Be sure to bring a dry change of clothes with you to wear when youre ready to dine. Not only don't you have to pay the (small) parking fee, but ,mostly we were totally alone! General admission is $24 for a self guided tour.This easy hike is only 1.9 miles long and consists of 16 bridges, 6 of which are hanging bridges. Thank you! We were very pleased with the hot springs. The river is very warm and it is lovely to relax in. I'm in CR about everything is far away from where I'm am staying. Definitely recommend. The Outbound works best with JavaScript enabled. DIY Costa Rica provides 100+ unique experience recommendations, each written as a chapter in a book, complete with photo galleries, Costa Rica field notes, experience details, Spanish pronunciation help, links to additional resources, and maps. Learn more and access the tool on our sister site, DIY Costa Rica, here. Browse our Costa Rica blogs to learn everything you need to know about saving money in Costa Rica, and to access free discounts for Costa Rica tours, hotels, car rentals, and shuttle services. Do you know that your spam-free reading experience is most important to us? We, Eye ancient ruins! You do not need a 44 vehicle to reach any of the hot springs attractions discussed in this post. If you were coming from La Fortuna town, Tabacon is about a 15 minute drive. We brought some beers down and there were a few other groups there. Here we also saw a family of monkeys swinging around the trees above us which was beautiful. . Rincon de la Vieja National Park is $15. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Smaller properties have capacity limits. Water was great! There were a lot of families next to the bridge so I walked upstream a bit to have more solitude. Most Likely Beach Companion Rio Chollin: Hot Springs - See 1,121 traveler reviews, 301 candid photos, and great deals for La Fortuna de San Carlos, Costa Rica, at Tripadvisor. eh? Review of Rio Chollin. From our two visits, the section to the left was more crowded, and required more climbing. The best times to visit the creek would be in the early mornings, when there are fewer others to contend with. 5,272 feet (1,607 m) and resides in Park County, Montana, in Paradise Hot springs [ edit ] The hot springs are associated with a deep fracture zone, it is not clear if they related to the nearby Yellowstone Hot Spot. Most Erroneous Costa Rica Travel Myth, Best Way To Get Into The Costa Rican Spirit This is perfect if you are travelling on a shoestring budget as it is FREE! Maybe we didn't hike far enough up the trail. Do it. Best Holiday Celebration The water is naturally warm and soothing to muscle aches. Walk Volcanic Trails & Soak in Hot Springs Volcano Hike & Hot Springs #4. If you leave the Strictly Necessary Cookie disabled, we will not be able to save your preference. ADVERTISER DISCLOSURE: DaddyTravelsNow is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as MileValue.com This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. Best Place To See Coatis Where exactly was this? Most Addictive Local Pastime, Best Donation Item To Bring From Home Best Late Night Restaurant The river is shallow and kids could sit safely. You park in front of Tabacon Hot Spring and pay a fee to the parking attendants to look after your car. One of La Fortuna's hot secrets - Review of Rio Chollin, La Fortuna de Most Convenient Waterfall To Visit, Best Airport In contrast, the Tabacon Hot Springs provides several man-made pools like other hot spring properties do but it also has a free-flowing hot spring river that runs through its property. for an explanation of Costa Ricas high, low, peak, and shoulder seasons and how these seasons correspond with busy and non-busy times. For other general favorites of ours (including other hot spring properties and hotels), please see our Costa Rica guidebooks, Moon Costa Rica and Moon Best of Costa Rica (both are published through Moon Travel Guides). 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My mother has a bad knee and I'm trying to find a hot spring she can get to. Visit Rio Chollin on your trip to La Fortuna de San Carlos - Klarna Trips We loved relaxing at this free hot spring! Rio Chollin: HOT SPRINGS!!!! The only negative was the parking experience, which cost us 5,000 colones. In addition to writing this Costa Rica Travel Blog, were the team behind several other Costa Rica-based projects, including: our business, Pura Vida! What city, area? We saw a little trail and just followed that trail for a minute or two. We brought some beers down and there were a few other groups there. These modes of transportation are documented in our related blog post: Costa Rica Transportation: 12 Ways To Get Around Costa Rica. Some beaches in #, Try traditional, handmade Costa Rican cuisine! Most of the land surrounding this 9 hectares lot has been cleared for farming or development. Sitting in the hot springs is free. Many locals opt to visit this site for their own personal hot springs use. Definitely worth it. Chico Hot Springs is located at el. Each hot springs property sets its own operating times. These limits can limit availability, especially during the high season. I found this place overrated. Pure magic. Yes. It is amazing..the river is nice warm. While standing at the parking lot we've noticed a man walking in his swim suite under the road 's bridge and another man going out wet from that very same place. 75 photos that will make you want to go to Costa Rica ASAP! eh? Browse our Costa Rica blogs to read our responses to some of the most common questions we receive about Costa Rica, including questions about white-water rafting in Costa Rica, questions about zip-lining in Costa Rica, questions about visiting the hot springs in Costa Rica, and more! Most Dangerous Roadway Bridge Crossing Being able to swim will likely help you feel more comfortable in and around water, though, and that level of comfort may heighten your overall hot springs experience regardless of which property you choose to visit. So make sure you to park in a way that still allows you to go forward or reverse. Local Free Hot Springs In La Fortuna / Arenal. While families with younger children tend to stick to the shallower areas just after the wall, it's possible to hike through the water andfurther upriver to warmer pools thatf are usually cobbled together from the small boulders along the river and some carried-in sandbags. How to Get to the La Fortuna Free Hot Spring (El Choyin) For the first of the La Fortuna free swimming holes is El Choyin, the local name of the river spot. Wondering if we can go skinny dipping at Baldi hot springs or Tabacon hot spring? The bank was a little muddy since it was raining but it wasn't a problem for us. Delightful! Entrance is free, but just be cautious. Are there any toilets or showers nearby you can use to bath and change afterwards ? Best Extreme Hike Also near Tabacon is a river fed by the hot springs which is free. Best Swimming Lagoon, Most Common Dining Expression Best View Of The Central Valley Best Breakfast Menu Item (Traditional) Off the road, go up the small 5 ft hill. Wild and a bit unsafe it was more beautiful than anything money could buy us, in the nearby five star Tabacon springs. Best Semana Santa (Easter Week) Tradition No admission tickets, but prepare to pay for parking On our first day, one local asked for 2000 colones ($4 USD) for parking. It was exciting as we wanted to get to experience local culture. 98% of travellers recommend this experience. Click here to read our full bio and see pics of our Costa Rica travels! Best Place To Feed Pigeons Beautiful little hot springs river. Best View Overlooking The Town Of La Fortuna Inc.(Costa Rica Discounts), and the author of the guidebooksMoon Costa Rica(2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 editions) and Moon Best of Costa Rica (2022 edition) from Moon Travel Guides. If we have never been to Costa Rica before, which hot springs would be your favorite? During busy periods, large hot springs properties provide an advantage: additional pool space to spread out in so you dont feel like youre sharing the place with other people. If youre just setting out on this journey, review our introductory Costa Rica trip-planning resources first. Rio Chollin - Natural Hot Spring River - Good Knight Times It's right across the road from Tabacon Resort. We strive for quality, not quantity, and we never stuff our blog with general information about Costa Rica that is widely available elsewhere. We loved relaxing at this free hot spring! We all had our bathing suits and water shoes on (you MUST wear these for comfort) and a big cooler of beer. Bummed out. It was disappointing to see some soda cans that were left by others. One of my friends lost her flipflop shoe in the current!! This is a naturally heated river and free to visit. Footwear you can go barefoot, sandals, water shoes, or regular shoes. Ricky's so happy to be visiting Costa Rica's longe, The #forest is my friend. 15 minutters krsel fra centrum af La Fortuna. The water is so warm but moves fast. Families looking to enjoy the hot springs without the expense should check out the Rio Chollin (a free, public hot spring near the Tabacon Thermal Resort). Soaking in hot pools really is among the best things to do in Costa Rica. This can become very muddy and therefor slippery so be careful. Do it. --milestone-bg-color: #ffffff; All of the opinions, recommendations, and advice expressed on Costa Rica Travel Blog are our own. Yes. Explore different ways to experience this place. Best Nature Tour Operator We walked up a little and found some nice pools and places where we spent a couple of hours. We stayed until it was getting dark and a torrential down pour started. Best View Of The Guanacaste Plains We went at night with a group of 14 and a locals help. Ro Celeste Nature Hike and Swimming experience at the blue river, Skip the Line: Mineral Hot Springs Full Day Ticket w/ Optional Lunch or Dinner, Full-Day Rio Celeste Tour From La Fortuna, Pure Trek Canyoning and Waterfall Rappelling Tour in La Fortuna, Skip-the-Line La Fortuna Waterfall Admission Ticket, Full day Arenal Volcano, La Fortuna Waterfall and Hotsprings, Monteverde Cloud Forest GUIDED Walk and hummingbird Sanctuary, Canyoning Waterfall Rappeling Maquique Adventure Near To Arenal Volcano, Baldi Hot Springs Day Pass with lunch or dinner included, Morning Volcano Hike, Lunch & Hot Springs River, Sloths Watching Tour through Sloth's Territory, Venado Caves Underground Experience from La Fortuna. Best Aerial Tram Ride You will find guys asking to be paid to keep your car safe. Tripadvisor gives a Travellers Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor. more, This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Meet us, learn about our Costa Rica experience, and learn how we help Costa Rica travelers! Our website uses cookies. Rio Chollin is a river which I believe feeds in to the local spa hotels. So much! The river is very warm and it is lovely to relax in. First of all, heres why it was quite a big deal to get to this hot springs. Very unique place that you would never see anywhere else. Theres certain, Snap photos from incredible viewpoints! Merci, Me gustara comentar lo encantador que es pasar un da en el Rio Chollin, se re , se disfruta, se comenta y si les toca que llueva es divertidisimo xq sumerges todo el cuerpo y permaneces caliente bajo un aguacero y pudiendo conversar con quienes tienes a tu alrededor y las pertenencias las pones en un lugar donde las puedas estar viendo y pasas un da maravilloso, digo el dia xq si te quieres quedarte hasta la noche es sorprendente, cada quien prende su vela en el lugar donde se encuentre y el anochecer se vuelve espectacular con ese montn de velas.