Tabacón Hot Springs

Tabacón Hot Springs Spa & Resort is certainly top quality as hot springs resorts go, even when put up against the other quality hot springs destinations in La Fortuna. (Go to our Hot Springs Comparison Chart to figure out which hot springs are right for your Costa Rica vacation)

Tabacón Hot Springs Overview

The greatest part of Tabacón is the marriage between the beauty of tropical hot springs and all of the comfortable opulence of a modern luxury resort. Tabacón is tops for hot springs in Costa Rica, and is the only hot springs place that functions as a full-service luxury hot springs resort. Aside from the eden-like hot springs gardens that are worked into the natural flow of the Tabacón River, the resort also has a fancy-shmancy hotel and a spa that features all sorts of massage treatments with all the fixin's. (Well, maybe not all the fixin's :::wink:::)

Tabacón Advantages

• Top Quality for Hot Springs. Natural running thermo-mineral hot spring rivers at temperatures ranging from 27°C to 42°C (81°F to 108°F). Most sitting areas have gorgeous, soothing hot springs cascade that give you a wonderful massage.
• Top Quality Facilities. The resort has a swim-up bar and a number of fancy dining areas. The gardens are pleasantly landscaped and nicely kept. It is quite obvious from the second you arrive that there was a lot of care (and capital!) put into building this little piece of paradise.
• Wide range of services. At the Tabacón spa you can enjoy any number of different therapy techniques, from aromatherapy to shiatsu and volcanic hot stone therapy. They also offer yoga classes.
• Natural look and feel. Since the hot spring baths blend into the natural Tabacón River, these hot springs separate themselves from the more man-made feel of Eco Termales Hot Springs and Baldí Hot Springs.

Tabacón Disadvantages

• Price. Tabacón is high quality and you have to pay for it. The entrance fee in 2007 is $45, or $70 with either lunch or dinner. Baldí Hot Springs are high quality and is only $17 when you pre-pay at a travel agency or hotel.
• Crowds. Tabacón sometimes has to pay for its popularity. During high season the place can get pretty full, which may take from the attentiveness of service. When I was there, I had to wait twenty minutes past my scheduled dinner time to get seated.
• Uncomfortable rocks. There are small, somewhat sharp rocks that line the bottom of the hot springs pools. I have pretty sensitive feet and had to walk gingerly.
• Far from La Fortuna. Tabacón is farther from La Fortuna than the other two hot springs resorts. Tabacón recently got rid of its free shuttle service, so to get there you may have to take a taxi, costing you about $10 each way.

You should note, however, that you can enhance your Tabacón visit and cut some of these costs by purchasing a package tour through your hotel. These package tours include a guided tour through local tropical forest with a great variety of birds. Then, they take you to your hot springs for a few hours of evening hot springs followed by a delicious dinner buffet. All transportation is included. If you buy straight from the travel agencies in La Fortuna you'll pay more. The agencies give discounts to people who make their reservations through a hotel. Some hotels charge a large commission on top of that discounted rate. The best rate I've seen for the Tabacón tour is $64 from Posada Roca Virgen (rocavirgenfortuna@costarricense.cr, (506) 479-9363).

Tabacón Videos

Enjoy these videos of the Tabacón Hot Springs Resort. These are the best videos I could find that show a variety of different views of Tabacón in both daylight and at night.

Tabacón Pictures

Enjoy these pictures of Tabacón, and then visit their web site to learn more.