El Choyin

Our visit to the free roadside hot springs near Arenal Volcano ended up being a 3-star experience at best. The idea of a free, natural hot spring sounds great — and it’s nice that something like this is publicly accessible. But the reality didn’t quite live up to the hype. The springs themselves are small, rocky, and somewhat difficult to access. You have to be careful walking in and out, as the rocks can be slippery and uneven. It can feel a bit unsafe if you’re not watching your footing. The water on the day we went was lukewarm and brownish, not the clear, hot soak many people probably expect. We were honestly bored within 30 minutes and didn’t feel compelled to stay longer. The bigger issue is the parking situation. The area feels overtaken by a “parking mafia” dynamic that creates unnecessary anxiety. You technically don’t have to pay, but many visitors do because they feel pressured and just want to avoid confrontation. Our parking attendant was polite and upfront — he explained that the spring is free and that payment was for helping with parking. We also arrived later in the day when things were calmer, which likely helped. I can imagine it being far more chaotic during peak hours. During busy times, the narrow, winding road with constant incoming traffic makes the whole experience feel disorganized and potentially unsafe. Local authorities should regulate the parking situation, create proper infrastructure, or formally manage access. As it stands, it doesn’t leave a great impression for international visitors. In the end, while it’s free, I’d personally rather pay for entry to a proper hot spring resort where the water is hotter, cleaner, and the environment is safer and more relaxing.

Free hot springs! Why pay when you can enjoy them for free? We visited during the day and at night, and each time was amazing. Bring some candles at night to enhance the magical vibe. Highly recommend checking it out!

Amazing place and for free! This place is quite popular but it's worth both ways and for sure you will find perfect spot for you. The water temperature is just perfect and plenty of people stay even after dark - they just bring candles. Parking - we parked on the side of the road as everybody and we paid 5000 colones to the "parking guy". Yes, most probably you can argue with them not to pay, but for us it wasn't worth it and we were sure our car is safe. On top, any other hot springs cost around 30-120$ per person, so 10$ for 4 people is almost nothing. Pro tip: Take plastic bag with you or the bag that can be dirty because you need to leave all your stuff on the ground.

This is a popular place in town where you can experience a thermal volcanic river for free. You can park next to the road, mostly up the hill. There are people in high-visibility jackets that ask for a fee/tip to watch your car. This is the parking maffia and they are unregulated. There is no fee to park here next to the road. If you want to avoid them it is best to come early in the morning, before 8AM. The entrance is at the lowest point on the southern side of the road, you will see 2 pathways down to the river. You will cross through a fence to get to the river. If you follow the path upstream there are a few good places to sit. The river has a perfect temperature and it is wonderful to relax here. Unfortunately there are a lot of people who leave their trash here. Please clean up after yourself. Later in the day it gets busier at the river and at night even more people enjoy the warm waters in the dark. It was a great experience and you should definitely try it!

Great free hot spring, not super crowded when I got there during the rainy season, but the water is really warm, feels particularly good when it rains and you are able to sit in natural warm water. Saw monkeys above us too.

By far the BEST activity on Costa Rica on a budget. They do ask for 5000C to park but they are open to bartering 😉. The Hotspring River is clean, doesn’t smell like sulphur and not slimy at all. If you go early morning or at night there is barely anyone. We also saw tons of wildlife while we soaked in the warm water. Absolutely a must see and do in Costa Rica. Don’t miss this amazing one of a kind experience.12/10 recommend

El Choyin was our most enjoyed nature activity while visiting La Fortuna. (Heads up that you will likely need a car in order to reach the hot springs. The river is approximately 15 minutes outside of city center.) We were recommended by locals to visit the free springs rather than the paid because they use the same water source. The only difference is that you have showers and lockers at the paid springs, whereas you must partake in a quick ~5 minute hike to enter El Choyin. We didn’t mind the walk and definitely felt like the experience was worth the $3 we paid locals to help us park and watch our car. We arrived early (at about 9am) on a Sunday morning and had the springs to ourselves. There were about 2 or 3 other small groups of people. If you walk a bit further down the path there are plenty of spots to enter the water, sit, and enjoy the warmth. (FYI: We were told that entering the left side of the river has deeper pools, and the right is a bit more welcoming for families who wish to enjoy shallower water.) The water was a comfortable temperature in the morning hours, and would likely feel a bit hot during the day. We highly recommend paying El Choyin a visit if you have time!

Aweome free hotspring river with public access from the road. The hotspring water mixed with river water so there are warmer and cooler parts. Not too busy in the morning. There are local (unofficial) guys who'll help you park and if you give them 2 mil, they're happy.