La Fortuna, Hot Springs, Nature | Costa Rica 2026

After several storm-filled nights at Arenal Observatory Lodge, we made the short journey to La Fortuna. The distance is not great, but the atmosphere changes. The town gathers people from every direction, each carrying an itinerary, each hoping to make good use of the days they have. There are lists of waterfalls to visit, hot springs to soak in, birds to find, bridges to cross. Travel has a way of encouraging us to measure experience by what can be checked off before it slips away.

We had imagined this part of our journey differently. We thought we might simply settle into the warmth of the hot springs and allow the days to unfold without much intention. There is wisdom in lingering, especially after moving through landscapes that ask so much of your attention.

But places have their own ideas about how you will spend your time.

Soon enough we found ourselves walking among the hanging bridges suspended above the forest canopy, drifting silently down tropical rivers on rafts, and following guides into the darkness where frogs, snakes, and insects emerged as the daylight withdrew. Even the hours we thought would remain unplanned seemed to gather their own quiet momentum.

Looking back, I realize we arrived hoping to escape the burden of a checklist. We left with something altogether different. Not a record of accomplishments or attractions, but a collection of moments that had settled into memory almost without our noticing. The warmth of mineral water as rain began to fall. The sound of the river carrying us around another bend. The stillness of the forest after sunset. The brief appearance of a creature whose name we may one day forget, but whose presence will remain.

Perhaps that is the better measure of a journey—not the things we set out to find, but the memories that quietly assemble themselves while we are paying attention to something else.