Spa Days in Costa Rica: Our Top 13

1.Arenal Volcano and Thermal Hot Springs from San Jose

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 236 reviews · 13 hours (approx.) · from $195Our pick

Leave San Jose at about 7 a.m. for Sarchi, Arenal 1968, La Fortuna, and a thermal resort. The $195 price includes transport, lunch, dinner, guide service, water, and hot-springs entry. Guides such as Eric, Pedro, Harold, and Roberto have earned strong praise, but the day involves many hours on winding roads.

“It is a fun, long, but relaxing day. We didn't get to see much of the of Volcano, but the stops were beautiful. It was dark for dinner, so no view at all.”

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2.Baldi Hot Springs Day Pass in La Fortuna: 25 Thermal Pools

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 137 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $60

Spend up to 12 hours at Baldi Hot Springs near Arenal Volcano, moving among 25 thermal pools, water slides, swim-up bars, and a natural sauna. Add lunch, dinner, or both. You arrange your own transport, and meals require a reserved time.

“The well maintained facilities. Everything is as advertised. Very relaxing and enjoyable day. The food is good as well. Service was excellent.”

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3.La Fortuna: Mineral Hot Springs Full Day Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 135 reviews · 1 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $47Best value

Spend up to five hours at Paradise Hot Springs near La Fortuna, moving between mineral pools and hot tubs with different temperatures and massage jets. Towels, lockers, changing rooms, and showers are available. Add lunch or dinner if you wish, but transportation is not included.

“Pleasent place with excellent service. Spring pools were amazing. Accessories and devices in a very good shape, with high level of maitenance”

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4.Arenal Hanging Bridges, Guided Walk, Hot Springs Optional

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 80 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $87Top rated

Walk through Arenal’s rainforest on a 3 km guided trail with 10 fixed bridges and 6 hanging bridges. Local guides such as Andreas and Gustavo point out wildlife, while included transport, drinks, and entrance fees keep the half-day outing simple. Hot springs are optional.

“Andreas was a great tour guide! Very knowledgeable about the local flora and fauna. Didn’t hesitate to stop the group to look for animals. We saw lots of snakes and frogs!”

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5.Combo Arenal : Suspension Bridges + Hot Springs + Fortune Falls

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 79 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $249

Travel from San Jose to Arenal for a full day of rainforest scenery, a 70-meter waterfall, hanging bridges, wildlife, breakfast, lunch, and Los Lagos hot springs. Guides such as Hayro, Fernando, Leni, and Alejandro are praised for their local insight, safe driving, and personal attention.

“Beautiful rainforest and a lot of animals in the wild. Haido our guide offered us the best of Costa rica.”

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6.Mega Combo Zip Line Tour and Volcano Hot Spring

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 52 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $200

Spend about eight hours combining seven zip lines, hanging bridges, horseback riding, a fast waterslide, Costa Rican lunch, hot springs, sauna, mud bath, and shopping in Liberia. Private guides such as Carlos, Santos, Steven, and Aaron keep the day moving and help spot monkeys and toucans.

“This is a great private day tour. Steven was wonderful and full of interesting knowledge about the country, the wildlife, and the eco-park. The 7:30a pickup from Papagayo is perfect to arrive before the crowds. Make sure you are prepared to walk uphill. It's not difficult, but it is a workout. Ziplining is fun (7 lines total, varying height and length), horseback is short but enjoyable nonetheless. Lunch was a delicious buffet of traditional foods - killer rice and beans! The waterside is fun, if you don't like going fast and getting sloshed around (which I loved) ask for medium or slow speed; and listen to Steven when he tells…”

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7.Spa Luxury & Jaguar Luxury by Sensoria

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 50 reviews · 2 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $230

Walk through Sensoria’s rainforest with a local guide, swim in five volcanic mineral pools, visit waterfalls, and relax in the private Jaguar Pool with fruit, snacks, and wine or champagne. Guides such as Pablo, Paulo, Daniel, and Raymond are praised for their nature knowledge and personal service.

“Awesome experience. Our guides were amazing and extremely knowledgeable. Will definitely do this trip again.”

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8.Arenal Volcano Combination Tour: Zipline, Tubing and Hot Springs

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 48 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $176

Start with 9 zip lines, 13 platforms, a hanging bridge, and forest views at Go Adventure Arenal Park. Visit a Maleku Village, tube Arenal River rapids, then relax in hot springs. Private transport and equipment are included. Guides include Miguel, Jefferson, Arturo, and Tiger.

“Amazing experience. We did the zip lining/ rappel and tubing down the rapids plus hot springs at the end. So much fun. We have done zip lining several times in the past and these lines seemed really fast. The tour guides on both experiences were amazing. The tubing in the rapids has been the highlight of our trip so far. My group was my family of six ages, 21, 23, 24, 43, 44 and my mom 67! The compassion that was shown to my mom on the rapids is un heard of. She flipped over (which most of our group did) and one of the tour guides said “(Mama) I’m…”

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9.3 in 1 Combo: La Fortuna Waterfall, Hanging Bridges, Thermal Spa from San José

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 42 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $249

Travel from San José to Arenal for a full day of rainforest, waterfall swimming, suspension bridges, wildlife spotting, and hot springs at Los Lagos. Guides such as Hayro, Miha, Lenny, and Yorleny are praised for sharp eyes, local knowledge, and careful driving. The day is long but varied.

“This tour was my favorite of the 4 day-trip tours we did. Our tour guide Hayro was incredible. He was very knowledgeable and eager to share. I saw so much wildlife and learned a ton about Costa Rica, from nature to culture to politics to tourism. I got to swim in the La Fortuna Waterfall (after walking down 523 stairs!), then received the most informative tour of the hanging bridges park. Hayro was able to call birds and frogs over for us to see, showed us close ups on his telescope, and provide insider information that other tourists weren't able to get. We then enjoyed some time in the mineral…”

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10.Arenal Volcano Expeditions Walk with Optional Hot Springs

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 41 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $58

Walk a volcanic-rock trail near Arenal Volcano with a guide who explains local plants, wildlife, and geology. The 4-hour outing includes park fees, transport, water, and fruit. Add about three hours at a hot spring for an extra fee.

“This tour was a bit disappointing. We were actually expecting much more than what we got. It only consisted of us walking down a trail, reaching a viewpoint and returning back to the van. The price we paid was way too high for just that. We didn't even get the Hot Springs Option. Do not get me wrong... the tour guide and driver were SUPER nice and knowledgeable but I would not recommend this tour to anyone. Heads up: You can actually just pay the park entrance fee and walk the trail on your own. You do not need a guide. Once I found this out, I was upset.”

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11.ZipLine, Horseback Riding, Tubing, Hot Springs & Lunch @ Volcano National Park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 38 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $230

Leave Playa Flamingo at 6:00 am for Rincon de la Vieja National Park. Ride horses through forest, tackle river rapids, eat a Costa Rican buffet, zip across eight canopy lines, then relax in hot springs and volcanic mud. Ronny may guide your day, and hotel transport is included.

“Great day long adventure. The day will proceed as follows: 1. Horse back riding 2. Tubing in the rapids 3. Lunch 4. Zip lining the canopy 5. Hot springs and mud Some hints. You don't need your phone to capture images because they provide photographers for $45. If you deem it truly necessary, bring a waterproof case to carry your phone. Also, try carrying some extra cash with you to give tips into the tip box at the end of each portion. Fun, long day. But, well worth the day away from the beach.”

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12.Arenal Volcano Hike Expedition with Optional Hot Springs

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 35 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $57

Walk a moderate 3-kilometer route near Arenal Volcano with a local guide who explains the eruption, geology, plants, and wildlife. Hotel transport, air-conditioned travel, and bottled water are included. Tours run daily at 7:30am and 2:30pm, with optional hot springs available.

“It was a great experience. The guides were very informative and fun. Ended the tour with fruits and snacks!”

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13.Arenal Volcano Hike plus Baldi Hot Springs and Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 29 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $140

Hike old Arenal lava flows with a guide such as Miguel or Steven, look toward Arenal Lake, then spend about two hours in Baldi’s many warm pools before a buffet dinner. Hotel pickup, transport, water, and admission are included. Expect a moderate, rocky walk.

“Our guide Miguel was knowledgeable, he gave us commentary about history of volcano as we hiked to the observatory where we can view top of the volcano and Arenal lake. Please be warned it is not a soft hike. The hike has way too many rocks (it's not muddy surface, it's just a lot of rocks making it hard on your feet). It's an intermediate level hike. Even though tour description over here says "water bottle and snack included", we were not given a water bottle by the tour guide. He said originally that he has some water for us, but when we asked he pointed us to a restaurant…”

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