Cerro Chato ANC Park & Gardens
Cerro Chato ANC Park & Gardens
4.5
About
Green Lagoon Arenal Nature Conservancy Park & Gardens is a private park, trails & gardens preserve within its 400 acre property. It is the closest property to the extinct Cerro Chato Volcano, its crater's green lagoon and the Fortuna Waterfall. There is a $10 fee charge at the Green Lagoon Info Center or at the Green Lagoon Lodge to take this hiking tour. Parking facilities at no cost are available at the lodge. The trails also lead to the Wildlife and Rainforest Preserve within the 400 acre private property. You will have magnificent views to mountains, Arenal Volcano and the Valley of San Carlos here. If you decide to hike to the summit of Cerro Chato, the lagoon or to the view point of Arenal Volcano at the summit, you will do it under your own risk and responsibility.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingWhat is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
222 within 3 miles
Attractions
46 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
354 reviews
Excellent
210
Very good
99
Average
29
Poor
13
Terrible
3
TXtourst
Austin, TX347 contributions
Nov 2012 • Friends
This is a great hike through some amazing cloud forest terrain. I read a lot of incorrect information on here so I'll set of the "myths" straight. I should note that we hiked the trail from the waterfall side.
1. It's not near as difficult as people make it out to be. If you can do 30-45 minutes on a stair climber (actually climbing the stairs with your legs, not leaning half your body weight on the rails like you so often see) then you will have no problems.
2.There is a well marked path so you don't need a guide unless you hope to see hidden wildlife. You can not possibly get lost.
3. You don't need hiking shoes. My friend and I both wore every day sneakers.
4. It's not muddy. It rained non stop for two days before we did the hike and yes there were several large sections of deep mud. Simply walk around those
It was overcast most of the time we were in La Fortuna so visibility for this hike was very poor and the laguna at the top was grey and shrouded in mist but that was a fun experience too. It just different than seeing the nice green color in all the pictures. Hope this helped!
1. It's not near as difficult as people make it out to be. If you can do 30-45 minutes on a stair climber (actually climbing the stairs with your legs, not leaning half your body weight on the rails like you so often see) then you will have no problems.
2.There is a well marked path so you don't need a guide unless you hope to see hidden wildlife. You can not possibly get lost.
3. You don't need hiking shoes. My friend and I both wore every day sneakers.
4. It's not muddy. It rained non stop for two days before we did the hike and yes there were several large sections of deep mud. Simply walk around those
It was overcast most of the time we were in La Fortuna so visibility for this hike was very poor and the laguna at the top was grey and shrouded in mist but that was a fun experience too. It just different than seeing the nice green color in all the pictures. Hope this helped!
Written 28 December 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Spooky1988
Derby, UK27 contributions
Jun 2016 • Friends
I climbed cerro chato solo at the beginning if June while my friends rested in la fortuna. So glad I decided to make the effort!
As mentioned in other posts there are 2 routes to the crater, one via the observatory and one via green lagoon.
I decided to walk from la fortuna via the green lagoon simply to avoid the cost of travelling to and from the observatory (located on the far side of volcan arenal).
Be prepared, if you do decide to be 'economical' and walk from la fortuna youre in for a long day. I left around 11am and returned at half 5 with about an hour and a half resting at the crater lake.
The walk from the town to green lagoon took around 1 hour 15 minutes and involves walking along an unspectacular road up a progressively steep incline. If you want to avoid this arduous effort I'd strongly recommend taking a taxi and starting the hike fresh from green lagoon.
From the main car park for the waterfall you need to turn right up a track towards the resort. Theres a sign that directs you to a hut where you pay to enter the reserve. I paid $12 for the pleasure (a guy I met on the way up apparently paid $10 so you could possibly haggle - I was exhausted by this point so I probably seemed like an easy target).
From the hut you follow a well established, steep track through the jungle to the summit. This again took approximately 1 and a half hours. The trail itself, although established, is quite technical in places with large steps and several obstacles along the way. I was lucky as it was fairly dry when I went - I imagine it would be very difficult and muddy in the wet.
At the top you will be greeted with a sign pointing to the left saying 'observatory' it is here you need to take the trail to the right to an amazing view point looking across the crater lake towards volcan arenal.
There is a trail that decends down to the lake from here which is even more steep, muddy and technical than the climb up.
The lake itself is incredible! Make sure you pack things to swim.
On the return I was tempted to decend towards the observatory but I am unsure whether you can do this without paying the $8-10 fee at the other side. In the end I decided to return back the same way as it was getting late.
Overall a well worth challenging hike that you can easily do without a guide.
As mentioned in other posts there are 2 routes to the crater, one via the observatory and one via green lagoon.
I decided to walk from la fortuna via the green lagoon simply to avoid the cost of travelling to and from the observatory (located on the far side of volcan arenal).
Be prepared, if you do decide to be 'economical' and walk from la fortuna youre in for a long day. I left around 11am and returned at half 5 with about an hour and a half resting at the crater lake.
The walk from the town to green lagoon took around 1 hour 15 minutes and involves walking along an unspectacular road up a progressively steep incline. If you want to avoid this arduous effort I'd strongly recommend taking a taxi and starting the hike fresh from green lagoon.
From the main car park for the waterfall you need to turn right up a track towards the resort. Theres a sign that directs you to a hut where you pay to enter the reserve. I paid $12 for the pleasure (a guy I met on the way up apparently paid $10 so you could possibly haggle - I was exhausted by this point so I probably seemed like an easy target).
From the hut you follow a well established, steep track through the jungle to the summit. This again took approximately 1 and a half hours. The trail itself, although established, is quite technical in places with large steps and several obstacles along the way. I was lucky as it was fairly dry when I went - I imagine it would be very difficult and muddy in the wet.
At the top you will be greeted with a sign pointing to the left saying 'observatory' it is here you need to take the trail to the right to an amazing view point looking across the crater lake towards volcan arenal.
There is a trail that decends down to the lake from here which is even more steep, muddy and technical than the climb up.
The lake itself is incredible! Make sure you pack things to swim.
On the return I was tempted to decend towards the observatory but I am unsure whether you can do this without paying the $8-10 fee at the other side. In the end I decided to return back the same way as it was getting late.
Overall a well worth challenging hike that you can easily do without a guide.
Written 19 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kelly D
Gilbert, AZ10 contributions
Jun 2014 • Friends
I, like many others, researched this hike before I went to Costa Rica. My cousins all did it years ago and assured me I wouldn't regret it, so I added it to my must-do list. My husband and I are both in decent shape and experienced hikers, but we were traveling with our friends who are not in great shape, nor experienced hikers, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was confused where this trail actually started, so we just asked the cab driver to take us to the Cerro Chato hike and he drove us to the Green Lagoon hotel. This seemed like the "official" trail head- there was a reception area with maps, snacks and where we paid the $10 entrance fee. A lady (a guide?) also told us about the hike and took us to the start of the trail. It's pretty well-marked with blue and yellow signs, so once you find the first one, you're set. Luckily we went on a dry day and it was intense- it is steep and it is muddy. Once you get into the jungle (about a mile into it) It gets pretty technical- you have to watch where you step all the time. But it was so cool!! It felt like we were hiking in Jurassic park! Once you finally reach the top, you have to climb down another 20 minutes/ 1000 feet to get to the lagoon. And when I say "climb" I mean you are literally scaling roots, limbs and rocks down to the bottom. The lagoon was cool, we didn't swim but plenty of people were. There's also a great view of the volcano. All said and done, it took us 3 hours up, 2 hours back, BUT, if my husband and I were to have done this alone, I would say 2 hours up, 1 back. And when everyone talks about needing lots of water- they aren't lying! We had 5 nalgenes for 4 people, plus we bought 3 Powerades at the trailhead and we still ran out about 1/3 of the way down. All in all, this hike was probably my favorite part of the trip and a very unique experience you can't get anywhere else.
Written 7 July 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RoserS
2 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
Hi, I see now my review about our experience in August 2016 It's not in. The young Lady at the reception informed us this was a proper trail for a 8 year and 14 year old boys, and It's not, at all. When we came back and told her answer was really disgusting. Unprofessional staff at that time in the entrance desk, I hope they're improving t'he selection and she's not on there anymore. Bé sure to get t'he proper info if you think to go with kids
Written 6 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jyna M
Baltimore, MD9 contributions
May 2014 • Solo
Hiked Cerro Chato last week of May, during Rain Season.
FYI: During Rain season, it WILL rain almost everyday, but sporadically, a couple of hours a day, and IT WILL be a downpour during the time it does rain. I was there for 10 days, it was like that every day. La Fortuna was sunny and bright for a couple of hours, then gloomy and raining for another, and then back to being sunny and bright.
SO, Cerro Chato takes about 2.5 hours to hike one way ($10-15 entrance fee), so a minimum of 5 hours both ways for people who are used to hiking. LONGER, if you are not that active.
THIS HIKE WILL TIRE YOU. It is a sharp incline the WHOLE way up. The trail is mud, wooden branches for stairs (sometimes). You will be sweating, tired, and gasping for air. And you WILL have to take a break from time to time. I am a in my mid-twenties and go to the gym once a week, and I took a break every 20 steps. The trail is very doable for anyone who is relatively healthy. If you are on crutches, had recent surgery, 8.5 months pregnant, cannot be without a bathroom for more than 2 hours, did not bring water, wearing flip flops, etc then this might not be the best hike for you.
There is a lake at the top of mountain and because it was raining, it was extremely foggy and I couldn't see beyond 20 ft of me. The water did not seem clear and it was pretty gloomy, but you can swim in it safely. I'm sure during dry season, it is beautiful, but I unfortunately didn't get to see that beauty due to weather.
If you make it up this trail and back, you will feel so accomplished, no other trail will compare, and your self confidence in your physical abilities will guarantee be extremely high. So, you do feel better about yourself once you're done.
HOWEVER, if it is pouring rain on your way down, you will slip, slid, and fall into mud, because there are no stones or grass to prevent the mud from falling underneath you. I fell, slid, and shivered through the path down and my legs were shaking like crazy.
So please try to go during dry season. Bring water. Bring athletic shoes with a good grip. Wear a poncho for rain season, and a hat for dry season.
FYI: During Rain season, it WILL rain almost everyday, but sporadically, a couple of hours a day, and IT WILL be a downpour during the time it does rain. I was there for 10 days, it was like that every day. La Fortuna was sunny and bright for a couple of hours, then gloomy and raining for another, and then back to being sunny and bright.
SO, Cerro Chato takes about 2.5 hours to hike one way ($10-15 entrance fee), so a minimum of 5 hours both ways for people who are used to hiking. LONGER, if you are not that active.
THIS HIKE WILL TIRE YOU. It is a sharp incline the WHOLE way up. The trail is mud, wooden branches for stairs (sometimes). You will be sweating, tired, and gasping for air. And you WILL have to take a break from time to time. I am a in my mid-twenties and go to the gym once a week, and I took a break every 20 steps. The trail is very doable for anyone who is relatively healthy. If you are on crutches, had recent surgery, 8.5 months pregnant, cannot be without a bathroom for more than 2 hours, did not bring water, wearing flip flops, etc then this might not be the best hike for you.
There is a lake at the top of mountain and because it was raining, it was extremely foggy and I couldn't see beyond 20 ft of me. The water did not seem clear and it was pretty gloomy, but you can swim in it safely. I'm sure during dry season, it is beautiful, but I unfortunately didn't get to see that beauty due to weather.
If you make it up this trail and back, you will feel so accomplished, no other trail will compare, and your self confidence in your physical abilities will guarantee be extremely high. So, you do feel better about yourself once you're done.
HOWEVER, if it is pouring rain on your way down, you will slip, slid, and fall into mud, because there are no stones or grass to prevent the mud from falling underneath you. I fell, slid, and shivered through the path down and my legs were shaking like crazy.
So please try to go during dry season. Bring water. Bring athletic shoes with a good grip. Wear a poncho for rain season, and a hat for dry season.
Written 2 July 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
leahnm
Austin, TX13 contributions
Mar 2012 • Couples
We booked this tour b/c I told my travel agent I wanted to see the volcano and the waterfall. She said the hike was intense, but not bad. My husband and I are both in good shape and work out 4-5 times a week. Had it been a dry, sunny day this hike would have been extreme. Being that it was a torrential downpour, it was more like a suicide mission. My shoes were literally covered in blood by the end of it. I dont blame them for the rain, but since it was such a foggy, dark day, they should have told us we would see NOTHING when we reached the top of the mountain. I guess if you are in it for the hike itself, then you are crazy and go for it. The waterfall at the end was the best part of the tour. The tour guide himself was very good, but it did not change the fact that I lost the will to live somewhere around the 4th hour. I would strongly recommend visiting the waterfall on your own and skipping this hike. This was not a vacation!
Written 12 March 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Daniel Corrales
La Fortuna de San Carlos, Costa Rica105 contributions
Apr 2011
To hike up to the Cerro Chato Crater Lagoon its challenging, its like 4km uphill, very steep. Its all worth it thou, it took me around 2.5 hours. You get to a look out point the closest ive been to the volcano, great views of the volcano (if its not cloudy) and great views of Fortuna and the San Carlos lowlands. Once at the look out point, you hike down 120 meters to the green lagoon, cold water! nice and refreshing to swim in. Theres no water along the way, so make sure you buy or bring enough for the whole hike. I would recommend taking a blow up mattress or something to float on the lagoon!
Cerro Chato one the top attractions in Arenal!
Cerro Chato one the top attractions in Arenal!
Written 17 April 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
c_strella
Santa Barbara, Carpinteria300 contributions
Jun 2016 • Friends
We were only staying in la Fortuna for 2 days. So besides looking at Arenal volcano, we wanted to do something else. We knew there were hikes and waterfalls, but when we heard about this hike, we agreed, we had to do it. The reward of swimming in a crater is priceless!
How hards can this be? Oh Lord! this is one of the most insane hikes I have done, and I have my share of hikes that I have done in parts of northern Norway. I am not an avid hiker and hiking is not one of the things that I think first thing in the morning and makes me happy. I rather sleep, travel or dance (in that order).
The park ranger tells you where to go and all, but once you are there is a total difference monster. We left past noon. The hike takes about 4 to 4.5 hours depending how long you take swimming in the crater (most 10-20 minutes). The water is cold, but it is a good reward. And if you get a clear view, and the mist lifts up. it is amazing!
In my opinion, nobody should do the hike past noon. If when darkness falls, and you don't have a flashlights or cells phones (cause they could get water damaged from the rain), you would get stuck there till next morning. And people have gotten stuck, people get injured easily cause there parts you have to climb and jump, and it is muddy. So wear proper gear and take flash lights and mosquito repellent (higher than 15 DEET cause if not the mosquitos just laugh at you). The last departure is at 2pm, but only do it if you are Batman!
When we were coming down out of the hike, it was getting dark. It took us about 5 hours with no injury but very very soared muscles.
How hards can this be? Oh Lord! this is one of the most insane hikes I have done, and I have my share of hikes that I have done in parts of northern Norway. I am not an avid hiker and hiking is not one of the things that I think first thing in the morning and makes me happy. I rather sleep, travel or dance (in that order).
The park ranger tells you where to go and all, but once you are there is a total difference monster. We left past noon. The hike takes about 4 to 4.5 hours depending how long you take swimming in the crater (most 10-20 minutes). The water is cold, but it is a good reward. And if you get a clear view, and the mist lifts up. it is amazing!
In my opinion, nobody should do the hike past noon. If when darkness falls, and you don't have a flashlights or cells phones (cause they could get water damaged from the rain), you would get stuck there till next morning. And people have gotten stuck, people get injured easily cause there parts you have to climb and jump, and it is muddy. So wear proper gear and take flash lights and mosquito repellent (higher than 15 DEET cause if not the mosquitos just laugh at you). The last departure is at 2pm, but only do it if you are Batman!
When we were coming down out of the hike, it was getting dark. It took us about 5 hours with no injury but very very soared muscles.
Written 21 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mark g
Castro Valley, CA47 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
Trailhead was a bit tough to find, but once on the trail, it's easy to follow. But that is the only aspect of easy for this hike. Although a hike, it approaches a scramble at times as you claw your way up the mountain. My wife and I did the hike with our 3 daughters, all experienced backpackers in great shape. The hike was grueling and we didn't make it to the lake. We got to the rim of the volcano and the sky unleashed a massive thunderstorm. The trail down to the lake seemed almost vertical and with the huge rain and no ropes, we decided the risk was not worth the reward. We hiked back down to the trailhead in a big rain which was quite fun. If you go in the rainy season, bring water, good shoes, plan to get dirty and expect a big workout.
Written 9 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tahua B.
60 contributions
Jan 2019 • Couples
The jungle is beautiful, as everywhere in Costa Rica. A highlight is the crater lake, especially if you dare to climb down and take a swim. But the trails are in horrible condition and very steep. There are trails from the Green Lagoon Hotel (near the waterfall) and from the Observatory Lodge (maybe closed these days), and they are equally strenous. If you choose the first option, go for dinner at the Green Lagoon. They welcome you no matter how muddy you are and food is exceptional.
Written 11 February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How for is this Pub from the Marriott Heathrow Hotel
Written 29 August 2015
Which is the best side to start at? Going in May. What time should we start? Is there transportation to the entrance from and back to town? Thanks
Written 18 December 2014
We climbed Cerro Chato about a month ago, and started on the Arenal Observatory side before coming down the La Fortuna waterfall side. To get to either starting point you'll probably want a car/taxi - you can walk to the waterfall side starting point from town, but it's about 4-6km and given that you're just about to climb a big hill, you probably want to save your energy :)
From what we saw/climbed, I would say the Observatory side was harder as it is steeper on that side, and at times it's more of a "scramble" holding onto tree roots etc than it is a "climb". Also, the waterfall side has rough steps cut into the ground for a lot of the walk which makes things easier - no such assistance on the observatory side.
We got a taxi to take us to the Arenal Observatory Lodge, which is where the walk starts from on that side - I think it cost about $25. You then need to pay to go through the lodge grounds - $8 maybe? We then went up the observatory side, down into the crater, back out of the crater, down the waterfall side, and then walked to the waterfall and spent some time there before walking back into town. In total, it probably took us about 7 hours, but if you just did a straight climb up and then down it would be a lot quicker.
I'd advise starting fairly early in the morning, as the weather tends to be better then, and whichever side you start from, I would not advise climbing if it is forecasted to rain - the paths on both side are made of mud, and if it rains it will become much much harder to climb - and probably slightly dangerous.
Written 18 December 2014
Showing results 1-3 of 3
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing