Photos of Natural Hotsprings in Costa Rica

What do you get when you mix a couple of feet of rain with volcanoes and geothermal activity? Natural hot springs of course. There are hot water mineral springs all over Costa Rica but the majority are concentrated in the northern central zone along the continental backbone of volcanoes.

Many of the hot springs in Costa Rica are too hot to handle. The water comes out of the ground under pressure and actually hotter than the boiling point instantly converting to steam when it escapes. Several of the natural springs in Tenorio National Park are signed because they can be quite dangerous. Please respect all park regulations. If you come across unmarked springs while hiking anywhere be extremely cautious because surges of very hot water can easily scald you.

There are thousands of websites that have pricing, reservation information and professional photographs of the commercial hot springs resorts in Costa Rica so we haven’t bothered to duplicate that. Instead these are some of the hot springs we’ve hiked to or small family or community developed springs found off the beaten path.

Click on the thumbnails for a more detailed description, location and larger images.

Sue crossing the Rio Agua Caliente in 1993. The hotsprings on the west bank of the river just up from the bridge before you turn left uphill towards the Arenal Observatory Lodge are still relatively unknown and easy to reach.

Miravalles Mineral Hotsprings - Crystal clear, warm, wild, natural, undeveloped and utterly secret — Miravalles Mineral Hotsprings – Crystal clear, warm, wild, natural, undeveloped and utterly secret

It's not quite as fancy as Tabacon but then again the family that owns the farm where it's located only charges ¢1,200 ($2) to get in instead of $85 and they probably get as many visitors in a year as Tabacon get in the first fifteen minutes after they open each day. — Tierras Morenas – It’s not quite as fancy as Tabacon but then again the family that owns the farm where it’s located only charges ¢1,200 ($2) to get in instead of $85 and they probably get as many visitors in a year as Tabacon get in the first fifteen minutes after they open each day.

"Tabaconcito" is the antithetic free version of Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort. It's a little industrial up near the bridge, but as you move downstream the jungle closes in over the terraced pools and mini-waterfalls. — “Tabaconcito” is the antithetic free version of Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort. It’s a little industrial up near the bridge, but as you move downstream the jungle closes in over the terraced pools and mini-waterfalls.

Natural hot springs pool between Lake Arenal and Bijagua north of Tierras Morenas

Natural hotsprings north of Tierras Morenas down a challenging 4WD track but worth a vist.

Fumarolas in the Childrens Eternal Rainforest Poco Sol sector south of Arenal Volcano – way to hot to swim but you could cook your lunch in these springs

Public pool Orosi – Public natural thermal swiming pools (Balneario Termal) are available right next to the Orosí Lodge (a few hundred colones admission).

Fila Tigre Hot Spring, Costa Rica — Fila Tigre hot spring is on the southern Pacific near San Vito almost to the Panama border. Two hour drive on an unpaved road then hike in.

From the riverside wood fired hot pool to the fireplace in the outdoor breakfast nook La Carolina is a truly unique rustic lodge set in a 170 acre private reserve north of Tenorio Volcano National Park

Chirripo Hot Springs. Somewhere I have an old black and white photo of Sue and I in this spring decades before they added the road in and cement pond. It was probably the most beautiful and relaxing spot in Costa Rica and you're at a high enough elevation that it's cold enough at night that the hot water feels good. — Chirripo Hot Springs – Chirripo Hot Springs. Somewhere I have an old black and white photo of Sue and I in this spring decades before they added the road in and cement pond. It was probably the most beautiful and relaxing spot in Costa Rica and you’re at a high enough elevation that it’s cold enough at night that the hot water feels good.

Thermales del Bosque has several small rock walled pools beside the river, and yes David Byrne that is my beautiful wife looking for a mot mot one of the other guests pointed out. — Thermales del Bosque has several small rock walled pools beside the river (and yes David Byrne that is my beautiful wife). Sue looking for a mot mot one of the other guests pointed out.

Termales de Bosque natural hot springs six km west of Aguas Zarcas in the northern lowlands

Las Hornillas near La Union north of Bagaces, Guanacaste Costa Rica

The water in the pools at La Fumarolas in the Childrens Eternal Rainforest Poco Sol sector is boiling when it comes out of the ground. Many hot springs resorts were developed by drilling a well at a site like this and then mixing the geothermal water with tap water to fill the pools at a reasonable temperature.

The pools around the Ranger Station at Las Pailas in Rincon de la Vieja are much to hot to swim in. In fact there are local ledgends that the vaqueros used to use them for cooking when riding the range because it was easier than building a fire.

Natural mineral hotsprings on the Rincon de la Vieja Lodge property. There are a number of undeveloped hot springs where you can still soak in solitude under the canopy midway through a hike in the rainforest. If you want vehicle access and a few more amenities with your pool both Hacienda Guachipelin and Canyon de la Vieja Lodge have outdoor rustic spas with massage and mud bath treatments available. Another step up the lavishness scale Anáhuac Spa at Borinquen Mountain Resort aspires to Zen tranquility. North of Rincon the Blue River Resort is a favorite with Guanacaste beach goers and Rio Perdido one volcano over on the slopes of Miravalles near Fortuna de Bagaces is the latest luxury resort developed around a hot water river.

Hot springs pool a the Blue River Resort northwest of Rincon de la Vieja

The Rio Aguacaliente flows south eight kilometers from La Fortuna de Bagaces to where it joins the Rio Blanca. From above you can see the small clear stream entering between the trees on the left side to mix with the milky waters of the White River. This is a different La Fortuna and different Rio Aguacaliente than the ones 70 km (as the crow flies, it's about 130 km on the road) to the east near Arenal Volcano. — Aguacaliente joins Blanca – The Rio Aguacaliente flows south eight kilometers from La Fortuna de Bagaces to where it joins the Rio Blanca. From above you can see the small clear stream entering between the trees on the left side to mix with the milky waters of the White River. This is a different La Fortuna and different Rio Aguacaliente than the ones 70 km (as the crow flies, it’s about 130 km on the road) to the east near Arenal Volcano.

The last kilometer of the Rio Aguacaliente has been renamed "Rio Perdido" for marketing purposes and the small resort built in 2012 maintains a trail along the banks and charges addmission to cross the private property. — The last kilometer of the Rio Aguacaliente has been renamed “Rio Perdido” for marketing purposes and the small resort built in 2012 maintains a trail along the banks and charges addmission to cross the private property.

Seriously? On your phone in the hot water river? Rio Aguacaliente north of Bagaces Guanacaste

Clear hot pool on the Rio Aguacaliente near La Fortuna de Bagaces south of Miravalles Volcano — Clear hot pool – Rio Perdido

There were dozens of private pools along the Río Agua Caliente (Río Perdido) where we could enjoy the natural hot mineral waters...for about five minutes...the air temperature was in the nineties and cold water was much more desirable! — There were dozens of private pools along the Río Agua Caliente (Río Perdido) where we could enjoy the natural hot mineral waters…for about five minutes…the air temperature was in the nineties and cold water was much more desirable!

Rio Celeste – In the hot springs along the Rio Celeste in the rain. Tenorio national park northern Guanacaste Costa Rica

In the natural hot springs in the rain - alongside the Rio Celeste in Volcan Tenorio National Park — Natural hotsprings Tenorio

Tabaconcito – Gaps in the barbed wire near either end of the bridge open to small trails down to the banks of the steaming Río Tabacón.

The parking area has been gated and the changing rooms and other small buildings demolished leaving the bizarre monument to the erstwhile resort expansion "Las Fuentes" to be reclaimed by the jungle. — Tabaconcito – The parking area has been gated and the changing rooms and other small buildings demolished leaving the bizarre monument to the erstwhile resort expansion “Las Fuentes” to be reclaimed by the jungle.

Tenorio Crater – One small and half a dozen tiny lakes dot the bottom of the main crater of volcan Tenorio. Some of the pools are heated by the geothermal activity

Warm Crater Lake – The lakes in the crater of Tenorio Volcano are all heated to some degree by the geothermal activity below. The largest is almost ambient temperature but some of the smaller ones feel quite warm. Natural hot spring fans need to get special permission from the park service (hard to come by) and a registered guide to make the climb.

We also have a geocoded list of places we’ve smelled sulfur while hiking or driving on 4WD routes (seriously) or that local have told us there are springs. We’ll check them out at some point and update here if we find anything worth sharing. One of them this weird real estate sales and housing development called Hot Springs Lodge that’s up a 4WD road from Manuel Antonio that we just have to see because on their website there isn’t a single photo of a hot spring and soaking in a natural pool isn’t even listed on their “activities” list.

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