Rio Chollin
Rio Chollin, La Fortuna de San Carlos: Address, Rio Chollin Reviews: 4.5/5
Rio Chollin
Rio Chollin
4.5
About
If you talk with the locals they will tell you to go to Scratch River or the Free hot springs. This is perfect if you are travelling on a shoestring budget as it is FREE! To get there go to the yellow gate next to Tabacon Springs. You can park on the road shoulder and you will definitely see it. Walk down the path behind the gate and in a very short walk you will arrive at a bubbling hot creek. You can go 24 hrs a day but keep your items in your site. Leave your valuables at the hotel and just bring a towel and prepare to relax.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,100 reviews
Excellent
721
Very good
269
Average
81
Poor
13
Terrible
16
DLTT2015
London, UK654 contributions
Oct 2019 • Friends
Rio Chollin is a river which I believe feeds in to the local spa hotels. This is a naturally heated river and free to visit. It is situated text to the Tabacon spa hotel.
A taxi dropped us off on the road and you make you way down a slight slope. This can become very muddy and therefor slippery so be careful. You enter through a fence that has obviously been pulled back to allow public access. The area had been fenced off most probably because the hotels probably don’t want you going in for free when they have $40 packages you could buy from them!
The river is very warm and it is lovely to relax in. There were only a few tourists and locals chatting. The river is not huge so could get very crowded if you were visiting in peak season. The river is shallow and kids could sit safely. There are areas you can sit in front off which make its feel like you are in a jacuzzi. Delightful! Here we also saw a family of monkeys swinging around the trees above us which was beautiful.
I would recommend having water shoes as it is very rocky when walking up the river. I had flip flops on and could of easily lost these to the current!
We visited late afternoon. I was recommend to go around 2pm latest. It is important to leave before it gets dark as you have to leave via the slope. It is best to be able to see where you going to ensure you don’t hurt yourself. We stayed until it was getting dark and a torrential down pour started. I would recommend you leave when there is heavy rain as the river begins to rise and the current becomes strong.
A taxi dropped us off on the road and you make you way down a slight slope. This can become very muddy and therefor slippery so be careful. You enter through a fence that has obviously been pulled back to allow public access. The area had been fenced off most probably because the hotels probably don’t want you going in for free when they have $40 packages you could buy from them!
The river is very warm and it is lovely to relax in. There were only a few tourists and locals chatting. The river is not huge so could get very crowded if you were visiting in peak season. The river is shallow and kids could sit safely. There are areas you can sit in front off which make its feel like you are in a jacuzzi. Delightful! Here we also saw a family of monkeys swinging around the trees above us which was beautiful.
I would recommend having water shoes as it is very rocky when walking up the river. I had flip flops on and could of easily lost these to the current!
We visited late afternoon. I was recommend to go around 2pm latest. It is important to leave before it gets dark as you have to leave via the slope. It is best to be able to see where you going to ensure you don’t hurt yourself. We stayed until it was getting dark and a torrential down pour started. I would recommend you leave when there is heavy rain as the river begins to rise and the current becomes strong.
Written January 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Paul Jackson
Preston, UK39 contributions
Dec 2019 • Couples
We went here on our first morning in La Fortuna and was so glad we did. It’s out of town, opposite the Tabacon Hot Springs resort, so you’ll need transport to get there. It’s free as it is a public river, all you need to pay is 2000 Colones to the parking attendant on the main road; they make sure all vehicles are safe. The water is lovely and warm and we spent about 1 hour relaxing and taking photos. Don’t waste $70 each at Tabacon unless you really want half a day of luxury and a meal included.
Written January 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Ken C
3 contributions
Dec 2020
This was an amazing experience for sure. All the prior reviews are accurate.
I need to add... be careful. Like a fool I lost my wedding ring which I think it was pulled off my finger in the strong current. It has never fallen off my finger and was a tight fit necessitating soap and water usually to get it on and off. Leave Your Jewelry At Your Residence or hide it in the car. Those guys on the road are making sure no one breaks in. Don’t be a putz like me! There are spots where it is calm and spots where the current is VERY strong. Possibly due to last night’s rain. I took off a star cuz my experience suffered from the loss. Purely subjective.
I need to add... be careful. Like a fool I lost my wedding ring which I think it was pulled off my finger in the strong current. It has never fallen off my finger and was a tight fit necessitating soap and water usually to get it on and off. Leave Your Jewelry At Your Residence or hide it in the car. Those guys on the road are making sure no one breaks in. Don’t be a putz like me! There are spots where it is calm and spots where the current is VERY strong. Possibly due to last night’s rain. I took off a star cuz my experience suffered from the loss. Purely subjective.
Written December 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
_Wheres_Baldo
Copenhagen, Denmark95 contributions
Feb 2022
The Rio Chollin is legit! We've driven there twice and just soaked in the warm water as it pours over us. We parked on the side of the road and gave a few thousand colones to park. It's not a bad deal, especially considering the steep day pass prices for Tabacon. We've always gone to the bottom of the trail and walked right and the water was comfortable I've since read that the water is warmer if you turn left and walk up the stream a bit.
If you drive, do not leave anything visible in your car or it won't likely be there when you get back. We pack a backpack and carry everything with us. Wear water shoes (or shoes you don't mind getting wet) and you can find a place to stash your bag close to where you soak and you can keep an eye on it.
If you drive, do not leave anything visible in your car or it won't likely be there when you get back. We pack a backpack and carry everything with us. Wear water shoes (or shoes you don't mind getting wet) and you can find a place to stash your bag close to where you soak and you can keep an eye on it.
Written February 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Vanski
Ottawa, Canada134 contributions
Mar 2020
You park in front of Tabacon Hot Spring and pay a fee to the parking attendants to look after your car. Sitting in the hot springs is free. It can tend to get busy, being free though it wasn't bad when we were there and we had our own little pool to sit in.
Written March 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
PanicDawg
Lexington, KY29 contributions
Mar 2019 • Couples
Great alternative to the pricey hot spring resort prices! Lots of locals in the river which made it more appealing to us. It was fun watching all the kids slide down under the bridge. It was free other than paying the tico a few bucks to watch our vehicle. Wasn’t sure if this was legit, but I figured putting the rental car at risk if I didn’t pay wasn’t worth the $4-$5 we paid him.
Written February 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Sb50
Exmouth, UK126 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
Don’t be put off by the cars parked at the side of the road or the self appointed “car park attendants.” Park up and pay then 2000 and then walk under the road. Best to wear some form of waterproof shoes or trainers that you don’t mind getting wet. You have to walk along the river bed under the road for a short distance and it is rocky. You then pick your own spot and lie back and relax in the hot water with trees all around. It is a wonderful way to spend a few hours. There are no toilets or changing facilities. One of the best things that we did in Costa Rica and the cheapest.
Written April 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Joanna M
Kedzierzyn Kozle, Poland23 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
We spent two hours in the warm rivering splasing, chatting and making friends with some other travellers. The wayer was clean and pleasantly warm. The bank was a little muddy since it was raining but it wasn't a problem for us. We came back there the next evening to take part in sort of a party with candles and regional drinks. What fun!
Written March 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Saskia D
13 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
We were planning to do the hotspring im a resort. But finally decided to the local spot. It is amazing..the river is nice warm. For me sitting in nature and spotting all kind of animals was much more worth then a resort.
Written February 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
VALKLERE
HOUSTON15 contributions
Dec 2021
This was such a great place to visit. I don't know what I expected to be honest, but it much better than I thought. No entrance free but we had to pay some guy to keep our car "safe". He asked for $5, I gave him $2. I don't think there any other public parking - at least I didn't see any.
Written December 17, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Anne
1 contribution
Bonjour, pouvez-vous m'indiquer où trouver précisément cette source ? J'en avais trouvé une il y a un certain nombre d'années mais je n'ai plus souvenir de l'endroit. A côté de quel village ou endroit se trouve Rio Chollin ?
Merci
sgaitanro
San Jose, Costa Rica1 contribution
Me gustaría comentar lo encantador que es pasar un día en el Rio Chollin, se ríe , se disfruta, se comenta y si les toca que llueva es divertidisimo xq sumerges todo el cuerpo y permaneces caliente bajo un aguacero y pudiendo conversar con quienes tienes a tu alrededor y las pertenencias las pones en un lugar donde las puedas estar viendo y pasas un día maravilloso, digo el dia xq si te quieres quedarte hasta la noche es sorprendente, cada quien prende su vela en el lugar donde se encuentre y el anochecer se vuelve espectacular con ese montón de velas. "Si vives el hoy, mañana no te arrepentirás", pero si sos de los que le encuentras a cualquier piedra del camino obstáculo,no sos de los que vivimos para vivir........ recomendación 100%
✌️
Happy Camper
Escondido, CA3 contributions
Where exactly was this? What city, area?
Jaime P
Cypress, TX80 contributions
Hi. It is in La Fortuna adjacent to Tabacon Hot Springs.
Are there any toilets or showers nearby you can use to bath and change afterwards ?
KatStam
Montclair, NJ398 contributions
Not that I could see...
Diana G
Cape Coral, FL
Is there anything else to do like atv and Zipline. I'm in CR about everything is far away from where I'm am staying. Bummed out
Jaime P
Cypress, TX80 contributions
There is a lot to do in this area. There are the Hanging Bridges, Coffee and chocolate tours, hiking in Arenal National Park,any thermal spas, horseback riding, boating on Lake Arenal, the Cloud Forest. So much!
Lorena G
Mar del Plata, Argentina507 contributions
Hola, gracias x tu comentario! Podrias indicarme como llegar a esas termas?
Lorena G
Mar del Plata, Argentina507 contributions
Hola, gracias x tu comentario! Podrias indicarme como llegar a esas termas?
What is the walk down to the hot springs like? My mother has a bad knee and I'm trying to find a hot spring she can get to.
Meganaroundtheworld
Seattle, WA33 contributions
It's steep and slippery, there is a small wall you have to climb over as well.
Eleanor43323
Minneapolis, MN14 contributions
where is it located?
Michiganaki
United States57 contributions
It's right across the road from Tabacon Resort. You can park at Tabacon (costs $2) and walk down to the river.
moniquebarber33
North Carolina3 contributions
Are there other free hot springs in the arenal, Guanacaste or Monteverde area?
Thank you!
CalderonPR
Carolina, Puerto Rico21 contributions
I don't think so. Most of them are in the ground of private hotels.
But why would you want others? These are really nice and free.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rio Chollin
- We recommend booking Rio Chollin tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 3 Rio Chollin tours on Tripadvisor
- Hotels near Rio Chollin:
- (0.10 mi) Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa
- (0.87 mi) Arenal Kioro Suites & Spa
- (1.94 mi) Hotel Amor Arenal
- (0.51 mi) Erupciones Inn
- (2.66 mi) Nayara Gardens
- Restaurants near Rio Chollin:
- (0.20 mi) Tucanes
- (0.70 mi) El Novillo del Arenal
- (0.58 mi) Awumaki Sushi
- (2.55 mi) Que Rico Arenal
- (2.71 mi) Altamira Restaurant