Swimming Below La Fortuna Waterfall, Costa Rica

A swimmer floats in the turquoise pool beneath La Fortuna Waterfall in Costa Rica's tropical forest.
A swimmer floats in the turquoise pool beneath La Fortuna Waterfall in Costa Rica's tropical forest.

La Fortuna Waterfall drops roughly 70 meters into a pool fed by the Río Fortuna, near the base of Arenal Volcano in northern Costa Rica. The site sits within a privately protected reserve of tropical forest reached by a steep trail from the parking area. Swimming is permitted in the plunge pool, though park rules keep visitors a set distance back from the base of the falls due to falling rock and strong currents. The waterfall formed where the river cuts through a lava terrace tied to the Arenal volcanic system, which has shaped much of the surrounding landscape over the past several thousand years.

Taken February 2019

Photo Part Of
La Fortuna
Images from La Fortuna and nearby cloud forests: Arenal Volcano, lava trails, waterfalls and rainforest wildlife
18 photos
Map
OpenStreetMap Google Maps
More from La Fortuna
Arenal Volcano's Cone Rising Above the Rainforest
Arenal Volcano's Cone Rising Above the Rainforest
Arenal Volcano stands 1,657 meters tall in north-central Costa Rica, within Arenal Volcano National Park near the town of La…
Twilight Creek Below Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica
Twilight Creek Below Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica
Arenal Volcano stands 1,633 meters tall near La Fortuna in Costa Rica's Alajuela province. Its symmetrical cone formed through repeated…
Forest-Rimmed Lagoon on the Arenal 1968 Trail
Forest-Rimmed Lagoon on the Arenal 1968 Trail
This lagoon sits along the Arenal 1968 Trail, a network of paths at Arenal Volcano National Park that cross ground…
Dirt Road to Arenal Volcano Near La Fortuna
Dirt Road to Arenal Volcano Near La Fortuna
Arenal Volcano rises 1,633 meters above the plains of Alajuela Province in northern Costa Rica. The stratovolcano erupted almost continuously…
Sunset Light Breaks Over Arenal Volcano Near La Fortuna
Sunset Light Breaks Over Arenal Volcano Near La Fortuna
Arenal Volcano rises 1,657 meters above the plains of northern Costa Rica, near the town of La Fortuna in Alajuela…
Arenal Volcano's Cone Beneath a Shifting Sky
Arenal Volcano's Cone Beneath a Shifting Sky
Arenal Volcano stands 1,633 meters high near La Fortuna in Costa Rica's Alajuela Province. The stratovolcano entered a major eruptive…
Nearby Photos

Built in Minneapolis

Minneapolis Photographer

An ongoing archive of work.

© 1996–2026 Chad Davis