Not much comes for free in La Fortuna, but happily the El Salto rope swing bucks the trend. Although the swimming hole is just below the road, it’s surprisingly lovely, with a small waterfall and blue green pool. It’s also really easy to reach, so it’s perfect for a hot day when you want to cool off without much exertion.
It is a really popular spot though and gets very crowded during peak season. However, there’s another swimming spot close by that surprisingly no one seems to go to.
We’re covering both in this guide.
Visiting the El Salto Rope Swing
The walk to get there
The walk begins on the southern side of the bridge, following the river downstream. We parked at the lay-by on the eastern side (just before the bridge if you’re driving from the centre of La Fortuna).
You’ll head down a few broken steps and then left along a dirt trail, you’ll come to the rope swing after just 20m.
If you don’t want to use the rope swing, there are two ways of getting down to the swimming hole. From the rope swing, you head left (downstream) for both.
The first way is to follow the path that hugs the river, and you’ll come to a very short scramble down a rocky dirt track. If it’s been raining a lot like it had for us, this was quite muddy and slippery - it’s better to be barefoot than in flip flops.
It’s only a few steps, but you need to be careful if it’s wet.
If you don’t like the look of it, you can continue a little further along the track, heading left and away from the river. You’ll quickly come to a staircase leading downhill and there’s a rope in place for stability.
This is a fractionally longer route, but much easier as it’s less slippery and there’s the rope if needed. At the bottom of the stairs, you’ll see the river and can start heading right towards the pool.
You’ll have to walk for a couple of minutes through the water to access the swimming hole and cascades. There are rocks in the water, but it’s not too challenging.
We used the quickest route on the way and it’s only 100m from the bridge, the second route is about a minute longer and we used this one on the way back.
The El Salto rope swing swimming hole
El Salto translates as ‘the jump’ and that’s what most people come here to do. However, lots of people arrive and then don’t actually jump - it doesn’t matter if you don’t want to, because it’s a great spot anyway.
Personally I didn’t jump, but I did go for a swim. I would say just be careful when jumping as there are a lot of rocks in the water - having said that so many people do it each day, so I guess it must be generally ok!
Depending on recent rain, the current in the pool can be really strong. We’d had quite a bit of rain before visiting (three days before the river had flooded and turned brown) and it was pretty hectic in the pool.
I could swim a bit, but not much compared to the size of the pool. It’s a big swimming hole, so in drier times it would be great for a proper swim.
Still, it was actually a much more beautiful spot than I’d imagined. I thought being so close to the road and under a bridge it wouldn’t be that nice, but the waterfall and surrounding forest were gorgeous. The water colour was also beautiful, which I hadn’t been expecting as I thought it would take more than a few days for the colour to return to normal.
The water in the pool is actually pretty cold, but if you come on a hot day it will probably feel refreshing rather than freezing! If you don’t want to swim, you can sit on top of the falls and watch people jump, which is a pretty fun pastime!
The hidden swimming spot
If you arrive at El Salto pool and it’s really busy, you can continue to a different part of the river and escape the crowds. It’s a section of river rather than a big swimming hole like the rope swing area, but it’s secluded and very beautiful. In fact the water colour was bluer and lovelier than at the main pool.
This part of the river is also backed by a craggy cliff wall and dense rainforest, and the road is well out of sight. It’s just 50m beyond the stairs that lead down to the water’s edge (the ones with the rope).
It’s a dirt track through the forest and easy to follow. It wasn’t that muddy considering all the recent rain, but I imagine it could be worse in the rainy season.
Once you’re there, accessing the water is a lot easier than the El Salto pool (if you’re not jumping) as there are only a couple of rocks to walk over. The downside is that there’s still a strong current.
If we’d been visiting during a drier period it would be perfect, as the water flow would be a lot less strong and it would be much more serene. Unfortunately for us it was pretty strong, but you could sit and have a dip (rather than a proper swim) which was still nice.
It looked like the trail continued beyond this spot, but after following it for another 80m, it got really overgrown and super muddy. There may be another swimming hole back there, but we were content with our little easy access riverside spot.
If you’re looking for another great free thing to do in La Fortuna, try heading to the El Choyin hot springs, it’s a thermal river and the perfect place to relax at the beginning or end of the day. The first part of the river is always busy, but you can follow our guide for a quieter spot.
The best time to visit the El Salto Rope Swing
As it’s public land and there’s no admission fee you can visit the area any time - a refreshing change in Costa Rica! We visited a little before 8 and it was empty. By 9am there were around 15 people there, so I assume it gets a lot busier as the day goes on.
Most places we’ve visited in the area tend to get quieter again at the very end of the day, so that’s potentially another good option if you don’t like crowds.
Weekends are always a lot busier than weekdays, so aim for a weekday if you prefer less people around.
In terms of seasons, dry season is best for less current and prettier water colour, but having said that it was super rainy when we visited in February, so it’s the luck of the draw really.
Parking for the El Salto rope swing
Although the area beside the rope swing is not private - hence why there’s no admission fee, some locals have set up a bit of a racket in which they want to charge you for parking on public land. This is not unusual in Costa Rica, and though it’s sometimes called a donation, it’s not really. Most people do end up having to pay something.
How much seems to vary, but if you are asked for a high amount, you can always try saying you have limited cash and offer something like 1000 colones (approx USD $1.80).
If you come early, this shouldn’t happen. We arrived at around 8am and the parking attendant was asleep. However, even when he woke as we were leaving, he didn’t ask us for money. Were I not to have read some Google reviews saying they were asked for money, I would have assumed it was totally free.
The other thing to note with parking is that it is very limited beside the trail head, as it’s just a lay-by. If you arrive and it’s full, you will have to use the car park a little further down the road (back in the direction of La Fortuna). It’s really very close by though, so it’s not too much of an issue.
Getting to the El Salto Rope Swing
The El Salto Rope Swing is located just outside La Fortuna town centre. From the main street, it’s only around 1.5km away, so you can walk easily enough if you don’t have a car. If not you can always use a taxi. The swing is marked on Google Maps.
Where to stay in La Fortuna
Arenal Observatory Lodge
The Arenal Observatory is a pretty special place. The lodge has incredible views of the iconic Mount Arenal - even from the rooms!
The rooms are clean, comfortable and well away from the hustle and bustle of La Fortuna town.
It’s surrounded by nearly 900 acres of privately managed rainforest, there are walking trails and even a bird sanctuary on site.
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Apartamento Equipados RyA del Volcan
For those looking for a comfortable stay in a central location, this apartment is a great choice.
Apartamento Equipados RyA del Volcan is a short walk from the centre of La Fortuna, so you don’t have to worry about finding parking or paying for a taxi every time you go out for a meal.
The rooms are stylishly furnished, clean and have a small living area and kitchen for the times you don’t fancy eating out.
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