A first soak at a hot springs resort in La Fortuna rarely looks like what people picture beforehand. Here’s what the pools, the pace, and the evening actually feel like once you’re in the water.

It’s calmer than most people expect

If your mental image of hot springs comes from a crowded water park, La Fortuna will surprise you. Most hot springs resorts here, Arenal Manoa included, are built around a series of linked pools set into gardens or forest, each one a slightly different temperature, with quiet corners meant for sitting rather than swimming laps. Stone paths wind between pools shaded by palms and tropical foliage, and the overall feel leans closer to a botanical garden than a typical hotel pool deck.

The pace is slow by design. People move between pools, sit on submerged stone benches, and talk in low voices. It’s closer to a long bath than a pool party, which is worth knowing going in so you can plan your evening accordingly and adjust your expectations if you were picturing waterslides and loud music.

What to bring

A swimsuit and a pair of water sandals are the essentials, since some pool floors are natural stone rather than smooth tile, and bare feet can find the uneven surface uncomfortable after a while. A change of clothes for afterward is useful too, since hot spring water is mineral rich, often carrying trace sulfur and dissolved minerals, and can leave a faint smell or film if you don’t rinse off before getting dressed.

Sunscreen matters even in the late afternoon, since La Fortuna sits close to the equator, around 10 degrees north, and the sun is strong right up until it sets around 5:30 or 6 p.m. year-round. If you’re staying at Arenal Manoa, you can walk straight from your room to the pools, so there’s no need to pack a bag the way you would for an off-site visit, though a small waterproof pouch for your phone is still a smart idea if you want photos.

How the pools are usually arranged

Most hot springs resorts step the pools from hottest to coolest, letting you ease in gradually rather than jumping straight into the warmest water. Temperatures typically range from around 90°F up to the low 100s Fahrenheit (32°C to about 39°C), with a cold plunge pool often available nearby for contrast, which many visitors find surprisingly refreshing after ten or fifteen minutes in the hottest pool.

Lighting after dark is usually soft and low, often just string lights or lanterns along the paths, since many people prefer an evening soak once the day’s heat has dropped and the volcano, when visible, is lit against the night sky. Steam rising off the water in the cooler evening air is part of the appeal and something daytime visitors miss entirely.

A few etiquette basics worth knowing

Keep voices down, especially in the evening, since a big part of the appeal is the quiet. Most hotels ask guests to shower before entering the pools, and some restrict glass containers near the water for safety reasons. None of this is strict or unusual, just the normal rhythm of a spa environment rather than a pool party, and staff are generally relaxed about enforcing it as long as guests are reasonably considerate of others.

Pacing your first visit

First-timers often make the mistake of staying in the hottest pool the longest, which tends to backfire. A better approach is to start in a moderate pool, move to the hottest one for a short stretch, then cool down in a lower-temperature pool or the plunge pool before repeating the cycle. This kind of contrast bathing is both more comfortable and more in line with how the pools are actually designed to be used, rather than treating the hottest pool as the destination.