In March, the mornings in La Fortuna start with the smell of fresh coffee and corn tortillas drifting from the sodas around the main square, while the cone of Arenal Volcano sits above the rooftops, sometimes sharp against a blue sky and sometimes wrapped in a scarf of cloud. Frogs and cicadas keep up the evening chorus, and steam rises from the river where hot water meets cool. Travelers planning a March trip to the town at the foot of the volcano will find the springs, the waterfall, the bridges in the forest and the rhythm of a month that leans toward sunshine.
What is the weather like in La Fortuna in March?
March is warm, bright and fairly dry for the northern lowlands, with sunny mornings, pleasant afternoons and only a few days of real rain.
| Month | Average high (°F) | Average low (°F) | Rain days |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 79.4 | 66.9 | 8.1 |
| March | 81.7 | 67.7 | 6.8 |
| April | 83.8 | 69.5 | 7.2 |
Mornings are the best hours for anything outdoors. The air is soft, the light is clear, and the volcano is most likely to show itself before the clouds build over the lake. By midday it is warm enough that a swim or a shaded walk feels right, and the forest trails stay comfortable because the canopy takes the edge off the sun.
Rain does not disappear, because this is a place at the foot of a volcano with moisture coming off the Caribbean side. When it comes in March, it is usually a brief shower or a gray, drizzly spell that rolls in from the east, often in the afternoon, and then moves on.
Showers can last long enough to soak a hiker, so a light rain jacket earns its place in the bag. Never count on a clear summit, though. Clouds can sit on the cone for days even in a sunny month.
Evenings are mild and a little cooler, comfortable in a T-shirt on a restaurant terrace and just right for a long soak in warm water. Daylight is generous, a bit over twelve hours around mid-month, so there is time to fit in a trail in the morning and the springs at dusk.
What to do in La Fortuna in March
What to do here is mostly about water and forest, and March suits both. With fewer rainy days than the month before, trails are less muddy, the hot rivers feel good at the end of a bright day, and the hours of sun make a morning outing easy to plan. It is the kind of month when you stay outside from breakfast until dark, then give in to a very long dinner.
The big festival of the month is not in town. The Dia del Boyero, a parade of painted oxcarts in Escazu near San Jose, is held on the second Sunday of March and honors the oxcart drivers who once carried coffee to the coast. The Dia del Boyero is best treated as an option for a trip that also includes the San Jose area.
Food is a pleasure of its own. Seek out a casado, the typical midday meal at every little eatery, featuring rice, beans, plantains, salad, and your pick of chicken, fish, or beef.
Breakfast is gallo pinto, the rice and bean mix, with eggs, sour cream and fried plantain. This is dairy and cattle country, so fresh cheese, hot tortillas and cold fruit drinks, such as a blended pineapple or a cas, taste especially good after a hike.
Lake Arenal is a gentler option for a free half day. The shoreline has quiet viewpoints, small cafés and breezy stretches that bring cooler air in the afternoon. Birders and wildlife watchers often do best with an early start and a guide, since monkeys, toucans and sometimes sloths are chances rather than promises, and the guided walks on the quieter trails are how most visitors spot them.
The La Fortuna Waterfall
Outside town, the waterfall plunges into a green basin, and a long staircase descending through the trees is how you get there. The walk down is the easy part.
The way back up is a workout in the heat of the day, so many visitors go early, when the air is cooler and the light filters nicely through the leaves. The roar gets louder with every turn of the stairs, and the spray reaches the viewing area.
Swimming in the pool at the bottom is a popular stop. In March the water is usually clear and cool, a welcome shock after the climb. The place suits people who like stairs, photography and a short outing that leaves the afternoon free for something slow.
Hot springs after a day outside
The hot springs around La Fortuna are the signature evening plan. Volcanic heat warms rivers and constructed pools, from lavish resort complexes with swim-up bars to simpler spots where a stream runs steaming through the garden. Choose a hot-springs setting that matches the evening you want, whether quiet and romantic or lively.
March evenings are ideal for it. The air cools just enough to make the warm water feel luxurious, and with fewer showers, the stars sometimes come out over the pool. It suits couples, groups of friends and anyone with sore legs from the waterfall stairs. Go after sunset for a calmer atmosphere and save the late afternoon for a nap, since the pools can be busy as the day tour groups arrive.
Hanging bridges and forest trails
Walkways and hanging bridges thread through the rainforest near Arenal, giving a view of the canopy that ground-level trails cannot. You cross steel suspension bridges above ravines, pass big strangler figs and listen for howler monkeys, which carry far through the trees. Guides are good at spotting what you would miss, such as a camouflaged frog or a bird tucked in the branches.
Go in the morning, when the animals are most active and the forest is cool. The surfaces can still be slippery after a shower, so closed shoes with grip make a difference.
This outing suits anyone who wants a close look at the forest from above. Some trails also give long views of the volcano on clear mornings, though the summit may be hidden.
A two-day itinerary for La Fortuna in March
Day 1 begins early at the waterfall, because the staircase is kinder before the sun climbs and the pool at the bottom is quieter. Be back in town by late morning for a long lunch at a family soda, where a casado and a cold fruit drink restore your legs. Spend the early afternoon resting, wandering the main square and browsing the craft stalls for painted oxcarts, wood carvings and coffee.
By late afternoon, head to the hot springs, timing your arrival so you are in the water as the light fades. Daylight lasts a little over twelve hours this month, so dusk comes at a comfortable hour, and a soak followed by dinner at the springs or back in town makes a complete evening. If rain sets in, the pools are still lovely in a drizzle, and a covered terrace with a hot drink is a good plan B.
Day 2 belongs to Arenal, with a morning on the volcano area’s forest and old-lava trails. Begin with a guided stroll over the hanging bridges, at the hour when birds and monkeys are busiest and the air feels coolest. The trails also give the best chance of a volcano view before the clouds build. Be back by midday for lunch at a restaurant with a view, a good time to try fresh river fish or a plate of local cheese and tortillas.
Spend the afternoon at Lake Arenal, with a stop at a lakeside café and a stroll along a viewpoint, or just a slow drive with open windows. If the weather turns gray, swap the lake for a coffee or chocolate tasting, a cooking class or a long lunch, all indoor options around town. End with an early dinner and a quiet walk through the square, where families gather as the evening cools.
Is La Fortuna busy in March?
La Fortuna is lively in March, with a steady flow of visitors, but it rarely feels overwhelming outside the holiday weeks.
The month falls in the dry-leaning part of the year, which draws vacationers from North America and Europe, and U.S. spring breaks put families and groups on the trails and in the pools. Holy Week, which falls in March in some years and April in others, brings Costa Rican families on vacation as well, and the town gets noticeably busier. Weekends are more crowded with domestic travelers, while weekdays feel calmer.
The most popular hot springs and the waterfall see the largest groups in the late morning and the late afternoon. Going early or late avoids most of it. Quieter spots, such as lakeside cafés, smaller forest trails and family-run sodas, stay relaxed throughout the month.
Consider booking your priorities early when your dates touch spring break or Holy Week. Rooms with volcano views and the best hot springs packages go first, and a rental car is easier to secure ahead of time. Guided walks and evening tours also fill up in busy weeks, so arrange the ones you care most about before you arrive.
What to pack for La Fortuna in March
Pack for warm, bright days, a few showers and a lot of time in and around water.
- A light rain jacket, because showers can arrive in the afternoon and in the forest.
- For the stairs at the waterfall and the wet bridges, bring closed shoes that grip well.
- Sandals or water shoes for the springs and the pool at the bottom of the falls.
- A swimsuit and a quick-dry towel, since you will likely swim more than once.
- Sunscreen and a hat for the open stretches on sunny mornings.
- Insect repellent for the forest and the evenings by the river.
- A light sweater for cooler evenings after the springs.
Good to know before you go
The U.S. State Department rates Costa Rica Level 2, ‘Exercise increased caution,’ due to crime; it says petty crime is common throughout Costa Rica and that violent crime also affects tourists, including armed robbery, homicide and sexual assault.
March falls during the drier stretch of the year, yet the volcano generates its own conditions, so schedule outdoor activities for the morning and leave the afternoon open. Many of the area’s sights lie outside town, so plan how you will reach them before you arrive.
Book the hot springs, the guided walks and the rooms you care about first, since those are the ones that fill up. The Dia del Boyero parade takes place in Escazu, not in La Fortuna, so treat it as a separate trip.
La Fortuna in March vs February and April
Moving the trip four weeks earlier brings February, which is a touch cooler and has more rain days. The forest is lush and the trails can be muddier, but the crowds are often lighter outside school breaks, and the mornings can feel crisp. The hot springs feel even better on a cooler evening, so travelers who care more about soaking than about sun will not be disappointed.
Moving four weeks later brings April, which is warmer, with a bit less rain overall. Afternoons feel hotter on the stairs and the trails, and Holy Week often falls in this month, so the town can be busy with domestic travelers. The days are bright, and anyone who likes heat and long swims will enjoy it.
March sits comfortably between the two, with the fewest rain days of the three and warm but not heavy afternoons. Choose February if you prefer cooler air and a quieter town, April if you want the warmest days, and March if you want the balance of sun, comfortable hiking and a lively but manageable atmosphere.
Is March a good time to visit La Fortuna?
For travelers eager for sunshine, hikes through the forest and hot springs, March works wonderfully, and it helps if they don’t mind reserving the sought-after activities in advance.
It will suit hikers, families with older children, couples looking for a soak under the stars and anyone who wants to see the rainforest in comfortable weather. It is less ideal for those who want total quiet, since spring break and Holy Week bring crowds, or for travelers who need a guaranteed volcano view, because clouds can hide the cone in any month.
On arrival, settle in, walk through the town square and decide which one outing matters most, whether the waterfall at first light or the hot springs at dusk. Reserve that first, then fill in the rest around it. Keep a morning free for the forest and one evening for a slow dinner under the stars. What makes March special here is the light on the green slopes in the early morning, the steam rising from the river at dusk and a volcano that, on the right day, shows its whole outline above the town.
Sources
- Open-Meteo / ECMWF ERA5, normals 1991-2020 computed for the grid cell at 10.4679N 84.6427W, checked October 8, 2026
- sunrise-sunset.org, sunrise and sunset calculated for the 15th of the month, checked October 8, 2026
- U.S. Department of State, Costa Rica Travel Advisory, issued April 1, 2026 (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/costa-rica-travel-advisory.html), read via the State Department open data API on October 8, 2026
To plan your stay
- Things to Do in La Fortuna: Arenal Volcano, Hot Springs, the Waterfall and Day Trips
- Where to Stay in La Fortuna: Town Center, Volcano Road, Hot Springs Strip and Lake Arenal
- La Fortuna vs Monteverde: Hot Springs, Cloud Forest, Weather and Which to Choose
- Day Trips from La Fortuna: Rio Celeste, Arenal Volcano Park, Monteverde and Hot Springs