La Fortuna

We stopped in La Fortuna to see the amazing waterfall which is one of the most well known Landmarks for Costa Rica. La Fortuna Waterfall is fed by the Fortuna River and falls more than 200 feet. The rocks and cliffs around it come from an older volcano nearby, which explains why everything feels steep and sharp edged. You can tell the area has been protected for a long time because the forest closes in tight around the pool.

We actually started at the top of the cliff and had to walk down more than 500 steps to get to the base. The steps are concrete and there are handrails, benches, and water stations along the way so its easy going if a little foreshadowing of the needs for rest on the way back up! The climb down was fine, just a lot of steps. There are even cute motivational signs along the way to help you!

Several of the staircases are long and there are metal bridges as well as you wind down the cliff. The trail drops fast, and you can’t see the falls at first, just hear the rumble through the trees. When the path finally opened up, the water was spilling into a pool that looked almost emerald green. The color doesn’t look real. Everywhere you look you see green - moss, ferns, trees, and the water itself. 

The bottom feels cooler and the air is full of mist. Some of the kids went down to the lower pool below the falls area and waded in the shallow water. Meanwhile, some of our cross country runners and athletes decided to run the steps again and went up 500, down 500, and back up 500 again. Coach Clark should be happy…

The climb back up was the real challenge. It’s just stairs, but there are a lot of them and after rafting this morning our muscles were already sore. Some kids went up then Rocky style, and there’s the adults who definitely were on a different pace. The burn of it had legs feeling like jelly. Everyone took their time and made it out, a little sweaty but in good spirits.

At the top the kids had sometimes to shop, including finding some fun sloth shirts, and a few grabbed coffee, ice cream, or slushies. We boarded the bus again, tired but happy, and headed off to the hotel. We are definitely wearing the kids out but they are having the time of their lives!