Tabacon Hot Springs: What you Need to Know About Visiting!
Tabacon Hot Springs in Costa Rica is iconic! Though there is no shortage of hot springs in the Arenal area, Tabacon stands out among the rest.
The resort is nice, but its the hot springs that make it incredible. A great mix of relaxing pools, waterfalls, different temperatures of pools, adult only pools, swim up bars and more.
Here is everything you need to know including how to get there, what to expect at the hotel and the springs, is the price worth staying a night or should you day pass and more!
- Tabacon Thermal Resort and Spa: Whats so Special About it?
- Tabacon Resort: Rooms & Amenities
- The Tabacon Hot Springs
- How to Get to the Tabacon Hot Springs
- Price of Resort and Day Passes: Which Should You Do?
- Final Thoughts on Visiting the Tabacon Hot Springs
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Tabacon Thermal Resort and Spa: Whats so Special About it?
The Tabacon Thermal Resort and Spa is a luxury, 5 star resort located in Arenal, Costa Rica.
Though there are loads of resorts and hotels with hot springs in this area, Tabacon is arguably one of the the best Its popularity stems from the size of the hot springs as well as the variety of springs and the luxury of the springs.
And, though many of the other resorts thermal pools are filled by the springs from Arenal Volcano, Tabacon is one of the only ones that has a natural spring that runs directly through its property. This adds a touch of uniqueness that you can’t find any place else!
Tabacon Resort: Rooms & Amenities
Tabacon Thermal Resort and Spa is a 5 star hotel in Costa Rica; it is luxurious! The rooms are large with waterfall showers. but the best part is that many boast incredible views of the Arenal Volcano.
There are also options of honeymoon suites that include private plunge pools for those visiting Costa Rica for special occasions.
The resort is home to a spa as well. So not only can you soak in the hot springs, but they also offer full spa services. Skin treatments for the face and body, massages, couples packages plus wellness offerings such as yoga and a gym.
Additionally, there are two restaurants and 4 bars on the property as well as room service options.
The Tabacon Hot Springs
As nice as the resort is, the REAL draw to the Tabacon is the incredible hot springs! Tabacon is home to over 20 different pools of varying depths, sizes and temperatures (72 to 100 degrees F.)
The natural hot springs flow through the Tabacon property and feed the all of the pools Tabacon offers. The largest area resembles a natural creek with waterfalls that cascade from one pool to another.
Other pools are more manmade-looking, resembling more of a resort pool. These are still fed by the thermal waters, but have concrete bottoms and some even have swim-up bars.
Tabacon also has an adult-only section, Shangri-la. Here there are nice cabanas and a bar and its more tranquil than other parts of the pools. It is also known for its warmer waters; Shangri-la is located closer to the base of Arenal Volcano which gives higher temperatures than some of the pools located further downstream.
Conveniently, access to the springs also comes with a locker room to store your things as well as showers to wash off after you are done soaking!
How to Get to the Tabacon Hot Springs
Again, Tabacon Hot Springs is located at the base of the Arenal Volcano in Arenal, Costa Rica.
Arenal and the Tabacon Resort and Spa are located about 3 hours from the San Jose Airport and about 2.5 hours from the airport in Liberia, Costa Rica.
If you are trying to decide on airports, San Jose is a larger airport and bigger hub, so flights are probably going to be cheaper from here (especially international flights.)
Whichever airport you choose, there are a few ways to get to the Tabacon.
Shuttle to/From the Airport
You can pre-book airport shuttles, either private or shared with a group. A popular company to book with is Guanacaste Viajes.
The price is usually dependent on how big the shuttle is and how many people it holds.
These shuttles are typically range from $70 (4 person van) to $163 (16 person van) for a one-way shuttle.
I would book a shuttle directly with Guanacaste Viajes. You can find shuttles on Get Your Guide, but they aren’t hotel-specific for Tabacon.
Rent/Hire a Car
If you plan to just stay at the Tabacon Resort for your full time in Costa Rica, using the shuttle is probably the easiest way to get to the hotel.
However, if you plan to stay in other parts of Costa Rica OR if you plan to do some exploring off the Tabacon grounds, renting a car is the best way to get around!
You can pick up rental cars at either airport location. Though the insurance requirements to hire a car in Costa Rica can be a lot (more on that here), it is still one of the best ways to maximize your time and see the most of Costa Rica!
Zoom (Carefully 🤪) Around Costa Rica!
We only stayed one night at Tabacon and then explored more of the beautiful country, so we opted to hire a car. It was a GREAT way to get around!
Price of Resort and Day Passes: Which Should You Do?
The big question: is it worth it to stay a night at Tabacon or is it better to just do a day pass?
It can depend. The day pass price stays pretty consistent throughout the year. They are about $99-$125 when booked directly through the resort.
However, the price of a night at the hotel will vary on time of year and demand, and thus can get quite expensive.
Price Comparisons: Why We Opted for a Night at Tabacon Hot Springs
We visited Tabacon in October, which is considered rainy season and less busy (thus cheaper) than the busy months of December through about April.
The price of our night at Tabacon was about $375, which we split 3 ways ($125 per person). Day passes at the time were around $80 per person, so staying the night at Tabacon only cost us about $45 more dollars per person.
It made sense for us to go ahead and stay a night!
However, during peak season a night at the Tabacon can now cost $500-600 depending on which night of the week you want to stay.
Day passes for one day will be no less than $200-$250 for a couple, which would mean a night at Tabacon would be an additional $250-350. However, during peak season, many of the hotels (with thermal hot springs) could be near this price.
To determine if a night at Tabacon is worth it for YOU, it may take some calculations.
However, I WILL say Tabacon is an incredible experience and should be on your Costa Rica itinerary either way!
Experience a Night of Luxury!
Depending on what time of year you visit, the price of a night at Tabacon may be comparable to other nearby hotels.
I do recommend booking this in advance, though. It is popular and prices will go UP the more it books up!
Whats Included (and Not) in the Price
One thing about Costa Rica that you will find; it is a bit pricier than what you might expect.
Most things (even hiking and seeing waterfalls) costs money and it may feel like you are getting “nickel and dimed” (though much of the fees go toward conservation.)
With that being said, even with the price tag on a night at the Tabacon Resort, it is NOT all-inclusive. Breakfast IS included with the base price, but other meals and drinks are not included.
The price also does not include shuttle to/from the airport (prices mentioned before.)
However, with a stay at the Tabacon you have access to the springs from 10am to 10pm. We even had access to the springs until 10pm the day we checked out. So we got to enjoy the thermal pools twice; once during the day and again at night.
You also gain access to the Shangri-la area of the hot springs (day pass holders do not.)
Final Thoughts on Visiting the Tabacon Hot Springs
While you will definitely have to drop a little money to experience Tabacon Hot Springs, it is definitely worth it! All three of us agreed it was one of our favorite experiences (other than zip lining and white water rafting!) we did while in Costa Rica.
How to spend 8 days in Costa Rica! (or 5 days in CR if you don’t have quite that much time 😉)
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