Costa Rica: Horseback ride to La Fortuna Waterfall

The famous La Fortuna waterfall is breathtaking and well worth the effort to get to it – but after a solid few days of strenuous activity, this expedition was a bit too much for our little family.

Pick up was set for early – we received a note at our hotel the night before moving it back to 7:30 am. We arrived at the stables and signed the usual waivers, then got a little instruction on what was in front of us from an English-speaking guide, before we set off with our own guide, who spoke less English than we speak Spanish. Oops! As we realized his only words were “OK” and “right” (as in turn your horse right, not left), we once again found ourselves wishing we had learned more of the local language.

The horses were reasonably calm and laid back trail hoses, though we quickly found a few personalities in the group! Justin’s horse did not like it when others passed her, and got a little competitive if she wasn’t in front, while my horse was a bit on the stubborn side and definitely preferred things her own way.

The ride up was about 20 minutes long, mostly along a gravel road. At one point we stopped and left the horses in a small meadow, then walked up the road a bit to a building that served as their base camp. It had men’s and women’s bathrooms and changing rooms, and a platform looked out over the first of a pair of beautiful waterfalls. From there, steps descended into the bush toward the base of the La Fortuna waterfall and a swimming hole.

Donning their swimsuits and carrying Bria on their shoulders, most of the family bravely set off onto the trail, the promise of a cool swim baiting them on. The path was rough and steep, and when they finally reached the observation deck where La Fortuna Waterfall came into view, they realized they may be in over their heads, and decided to turn back.

While they hiked, I hung out at the base camp. No sooner were they out of sight than the next group came up the hill – set to zip line out over the waterfall. What an amazing view that must have been!

The scenery was nothing short of incredible, and I really enjoyed a few minutes of peace and quiet once the second group set off on their own adventure (in the opposite direction the family had trekked).

Soon I heard the hoots and hollers of my brood hiking back up the hill. Sweaty and exhausted, they appeared at the top of the stairs and collapsed. They had gotten down the trail far enough to see the beauty of the waterfall, but had decided it was just too far to drag little feet in order to take a swim. (Some of them were pretty sure the hike was going to kill them, it turns out, and our 13-year-old thought it was the worst day ever.)

Once everyone was dressed and rested, we made our way back down to our horses and mounted up again. The ride back took us off the road along some side trails, which led us up a hill and found us outside a little village of thatched huts.

Our guide quietly instructed us on a greeting, and we were met at the entrance to one of the huts by a young woman in indigenous clothing. The village was representative of the Maleku people, and our host, along with a second woman, gave us a brief presentation on their culture. We were pleased at the unexpected opportunity to learn about the indigenous people of this area. They shared a drink of fermented pineapple, and showed us several symbols of their people, then offered us the opportunity to browse a large collection of crafts made by local artisans. There were masks, instruments, wall hangings, and many other items in a variety of bright colors.

Just as we were gathering our packages and heading back to the horses, we heard the zip line party arriving. Their course ended nearby, and they were headed to the village next.

The horses knew they were on the home stretch, and soon they were trotting along toward the barn. Everyone was tired and happy and filled with new knowledge. It was a great day, thanks to a family that looked on the positive side and enjoyed time together, but I’m not sure I would recommend the trek to anyone headed to the Arenal region.

As Justin put it, “It was a bit of false advertising. It was not a horse trek to a waterfall, but a horse ride up a hill, then a long ass mountain climb to the waterfall.” The ride was all along a road, not through the forest or bush.

Of course, that was just expectation. When we saw “Horseback Riding to La Fortuna Waterfall,” we didn’t expect what we got – if you decide to make this trip, be sure to do so with your eyes wide open. We never made it to the waterfall, only to the viewing platform, which was a LONG way with a herd of increasingly discouraged children in tow. We did in fact go horseback riding, and the indigenous village was a delightful surprise, but for him, not enough to save the excursion, which he called “the only disappointment on the whole vacation.”