Tabacón is the flagship hot spring resort near La Fortuna, located 12 km northwest of town on the road toward Nuevo Arenal and the volcano. Thermal pools fed by geothermally heated water range from warm to near-scalding, winding through tropical gardens with the Arenal cone visible on the hillside above when the clouds cooperate. The resort complex has multiple pools at different temperatures, natural waterfalls, waterslides, and a swimup bar.
Entry is expensive — among the highest day admissions in Costa Rica — but includes pool access and a meal credit. Evening hours are most atmospheric, with the pools lit and the volcano visible in the darkness. Several cheaper alternatives exist along the same road: Baldi Hot Springs is 7 km from town at lower cost, and the free public hot springs in the Río Chollin are accessible by turning left before the Tabacón gate. The free springs are basic — nothing but warm river water — but they are genuine geothermal hot springs, the same water that fills Tabacón's pools.