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La Fortuna · Hotel shortlist

Cheap hotels near the cathedral in La Fortuna

Britt Sorensen

Britt Sorensen India and the Himalaya

Updated 1 September 2026 · 6 La Fortuna hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in La Fortuna, out of the 6 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.7 down to 4.2.

Every one comes in under $130 a night, and the one I would book first is $30.

Viajero La Fortuna Hostel

Highest rated of the five

Viajero La Fortuna Hostel

★★★★★4.7 from 136 reviews

Viajero La Fortuna Hostel comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.7 from 136 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is found under city centre and around $30 a night on the dates we checked.

6 hotels in La Fortuna qualified for this list and five made it. Blackout Party Hostel and Experiences is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Poolsomewhere to cool off between walks
  • Spatreatment rooms on site, no booking a taxi for it
  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Restaurantdinner downstairs on the night you land
  • Bara drink without going back out

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All five, ranked

  1. Viajero La Fortuna Hostel1

    Viajero La Fortuna Hostel

    ★★★★★4.7 from 136 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kitchen

    Check rates Read more

  2. Blackout Party Hostel and Experiences2

    Blackout Party Hostel and Experiences

    ★★★★★4.5 from 45 reviews

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    • Ceiba Eco Hostel3

      Ceiba Eco Hostel

      ★★★★★4.5 from 95 reviews

      • Parking
      • Kitchen
      • Air conditioning
      • Airport shuttle

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    • Arenal Backpackers Resort4

      Arenal Backpackers Resort

      ★★★★★4.2 from 692 reviews

      • Pool
      • Spa
      • Restaurant
      • Bar
      • Parking
      • Air conditioning

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    • Le Petit Hôtel Costa Rica5

      Le Petit Hôtel Costa Rica

      ★★★★★4.6 from 41 reviews

      • Pool
      • Parking
      • Air conditioning

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    How this list was put together

    6 La Fortuna hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

    Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

    The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

    What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

    Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

    Britt Sorensen

    Britt Sorensen India and the Himalaya

    Her work season is winter, leaving whole summers free for mountains in the other hemisphere or trekking at altitude in Nepal and Peru. Carries the lightest pack of anyone she travels with.

    Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.