Costa Rica has nearly 200 volcanic formations, including the active volcanoes of Arenal, Poás, Rincón de la Vieja, Irazú, and Turrialba. As a result, there are multiple natural hot springs located around the country, which are safe enough to bathe in. Book a stay at one of the best hot spring resorts in Costa Rica with Culture Trip.
The Royal Corin Thermal Water Spa & Resort
Resort, Garden Hotel, Spa Hotel
4.8/5 (988 Reviews)
Courtesy of The Royal Corin Thermal Water Spa & Resort / Expedia
Sitting at the foot of the Arenal volcano, you’ll find the Royal Corin Thermal Water Spa & Resort tucked away among the dense rainforest. Rooms come with a view of the volcano or the hot spring pools from the terrace or balcony. You’ll want to head to the volcanic steam sauna, which has cracks in the floor to hear and smell the boiling hot spring below. The Ecotermales hot springs are a 10-minute walk away.
After a long day of hiking through the Arenal National Park, make your way through Paradise’s series of eight outdoor hot spring pools and jacuzzis. Each has its own benefits, targeting the neck, back, shoulders and feet with hydromassage. Temperatures range from a steamy 40C (104F) in the jacuzzi to 27C (81F) in the cool down pools. Inside the hotel, spacious suites offer a good night’s sleep with blackout curtains and 300 thread count sheets.
Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica is a beach getaway, surrounded by mountainous jungle on Playa El Jobo, whose sandy shores let out into the Pacific Ocean in Costa Rica’s northwestern end. The all-inclusive resort offers excursions to the Vandara hot springs and the waterfalls of Rincón de la Vieja, as well as ziplining through the Diamante Eco Adventure Park and horseback riding across the rugged Guanacaste coast.
The Rio Celeste, a teal-blue river under the Tenorio Volcano, runs along this palm-roofed resort in northern Costa Rica. Each of the 26 private casitas have outdoor showers and private patios which offer views of the forest or garden below, where you’ll find three spa tubs and a lazy river. Choose how you want to see the nearby Rio Celeste hot springs. The resort offers hiking, tubing, horseback riding and rafting excursions along the river, or rent a bicycle from the front desk and head out on your own.
Architect Jaime Mikowski’s touch can be seen throughout the Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa, from the minimalistic blonde-wood furniture in every suite to the sprawling adults-only Shangri-La Gardens, an open-air rainforest lounge. Go for a dip in the winding river springs, part of the Tabacón Hot Springs, or check into the spa for treatments like a volcanic mud wrap or orange-coffee exfoliation.
The luxurious Springs Resort in La Fortuna certainly lives up to its name. Onsite, there are three hot springs: La Lagunas, Perdido and Club Rio Springs. La Lagunas has eight pools with a swim-up bar and volcano views, while Perdido is a maze of forest trails with another seven pools to lounge in (plus a Monkey Slide for kids). While the other two have a man-made feel, Club Rio is more natural; it features tumbling waterfalls overlooking the river canyon. After day river tubing or horseback riding, where else would you rather relax?
Baldi Hot Springs Resort & Spa
Resort, Hotel
4.3/5 (506 Reviews)
Courtesy of Baldi Hot Springs Resort & Spa / Expedia
More than 25 natural spring-fed pools make up the Baldi Hot Springs resort, arguably the largest of its kind in the world. Unwind in the bubbling jacuzzi that fits 60 people, surrounded by singing tropical birds, or sweat it out in Costa Rica’s biggest sauna. Kids will be well occupied at the Baldi Kids area, packed with water slides and whirling bowls. Escape the noise of the pools and retreat to the spa for a thermo-mineral massage, using chocolate, coconut and pineapple to soften the skin.
Just ten minutes outside of La Fortuna, Hotel Arenal Kioro sits among 27 acres (11ha) of rolling countryside. Onsite, the hotel has its own hot springs to soak in, plus they offer a free shuttle and entry to the Titokú hot springs, one of the more serene thermal pools in the area. Maximum capacity is 80 people, so it’s rare that you’ll find the pools to be over-crowded. Refresh afterwards with an ice cold mojito in the bar. Alternatively, book a Bath Ritual at the hotel spa, where you can unwind in a private petal-filled tub, infused with milk and honey.
For the ultimate Costa Rican rainforest experience, book the Arenal Observatory Lodge. Here, you’ll feel truly among the treetops, overlooking 270 acres (110ha) of rainforest and the Arenal volcano. It was originally built as a scientific research station for the Smithsonian Institution. Join a daily guided tour with a naturalist guide before taking a dip in the spring-water fed pool. Just up the road is the Rio Agua Caliente, a local natural pool that’s completely free for anyone to enjoy.
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