The Springs Resort & Spa

What to expect

The Springs is the most resort-like of the Arenal hot springs: a five-star hotel on a 165-acre (67 ha) hillside property north of Route 142, with a direct view of Arenal Volcano. It has 21 room categories, five restaurants, six bars and a large spa, and it sells a hot springs pass to non-guests. The pools are spread across three areas, and they differ a lot.

Las Lagunas sits right below the reception building and is the one in the photos. Twelve pools with waterfalls step down two acres of terraces, with a swim-up bar and the volcano straight ahead. Eight of the pools are fed by the hot springs. The other four are chlorinated and heated, for people who want a cooler swim on a hot day. The pools run from 86 to 103°F30 to 39°C.

Perdido Springs (Lost Springs) is a 100 m walk below Las Lagunas, in a forest canyon. It has seven spring-fed pools at 91 to 104°F33 to 40°C, two bars and the Monkey Slide, a water flume open from 12:30pm to 8pm.

Club Río is down at the Arenal River, reached by the resort shuttle. Here the hot springs come up beside the river along a mile of forested bank, and trails lead between pools a few steps from the water. The Ojo de Agua spring has clear blue water and bubbles coming up through the bottom. This is the most natural soaking at the resort.

The resort gives an overall range of 83 to 104°F28 to 40°C. It says the water is high in bicarbonate and chlorides and low in sulphur, and that some pools look cloudier than others as minerals come out of the water when it cools.

Getting there

The Springs gives its location as 9 km west and 3.5 km north of La Fortuna centre. From La Fortuna, drive west on Route 142 toward the volcano and turn north up the signed road to the resort (Calle Arenal Springs). Allow about 20 minutes from town.

• From San José (SJO): about 3 hours to La Fortuna via San Ramón, then the short drive west.
• From Liberia (LIR): about 2.5 to 3 hours via Cañas, Tilarán and Lake Arenal, or via the northern lowlands.

From reception, shuttles go down to Club Río about every 30 minutes from 8:45am to 3:45pm, and come back until about 5pm. Bring the shuttle times with you, because the river area closes at 4pm.

When to go

The pass covers 8am to 10pm, but the pool areas keep their own hours:

• Las Lagunas and Perdido Springs: 10am to 10pm.
• Club Río springs: 10am to 4pm. The riverside restaurant runs 11am to 4pm.

Use the two-day pass to split it. Spend a morning at the river springs, then come back after dark the next day for Las Lagunas under the lights. Low season (most of the May to November green season) is cheaper and quieter. The resort’s peak weeks are Christmas and New Year, mid-February and the weeks around Easter.

Prices and booking

The Springs sells its pass online through its Club Río booking page. In 2026 it lists:

• Low season: US$110 per person plus taxes.
• High season: US$125 per person plus taxes.
• Peak season: US$150 per person plus taxes, one day only.

The booking page lists one price per person, with no separate child rate. Peak periods are December 17 to January 6, February 14 to 21 and March 7 to April 10, when the pass covers one day and space is limited. The resort’s day-pass page says passes are not offered at Christmas, Presidents’ Day week and the weeks around Easter, so check before you count on a peak date.

What the pass includes and the rules:

• Two consecutive days, 8am to 10pm, with free re-entry (one day in peak season).
• Towels, lockers and changing rooms are free.
• Meals and drinks are extra. You can use the five restaurants and six bars.
• Water shoes rent for US$4.52 a pair.
• Bring ID for check-in.
• Hotel guests should not buy the pass, since a stay includes all the pools.
• Extras: tubing, kayaking, horseback riding, rock climbing and the wildlife rescue centre tour cost more. Tubing is for ages 8 and up.

Wear a cheap, dark swimsuit. The resort warns that the minerals can stain fabric and the rocks can snag it.

Where to stay nearby

• The Springs itself has rooms from 84 m² (915 sq ft) volcano-view rooms to multi-bedroom suites and villas.
• Tabacón, a few kilometres southwest on Route 142, is built on a natural hot river; see Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa.
• La Fortuna town has budget and mid-range hotels about 20 minutes’ drive east.

Safety notes

• No lifeguards: the resort says plainly that no lifeguard is on duty at Club Río. Children 16 and under must be with an adult at all times there.
• The river: the Arenal River and its banks can be dangerous. Do not let children who cannot swim well into the river pools.
• Heat: pools reach 104°F40°C. The resort lists conditions, including pregnancy and serious heart problems, for which you should not use the hot springs without medical advice.
• Footing: wear water shoes on the river rocks and at night on the terraces.

Nearby stops worth adding

Club Río runs a rescue centre for confiscated and injured wildlife, in partnership with Costa Rica’s environment ministry, with tours every hour. Arenal Volcano National Park is a short drive west. For more hot springs on the same trip, Baldi and EcoTermales are on Route 142 closer to La Fortuna.