Hiking Cerro Chato in Costa Rica

Cerro Chato is a challenging but very rewarding hike in a small town called La Fortuna. People visit La Fortuna for all the outdoor activities found. One of the main attractions is the Arenal Volcano National Park, where most people are mesmerized by views of the dormant Arenal Volcano.

Just next to Volcan Arenal is a less popular dormant volcano. It’s called Cerro Chato, meaning Flat Hill. It sits 3,740 ft tall, and the climb is not to be underestimated. It’s a bit strenuous.

The trail starts with a steep ascent. This trail leads to the crater and has rewarding views of a lagoon that you can take a swim in. The scenery is beautiful!

See that lagoon crater below next to Volcan Arenal? That’s Cerro Chato!

How to Get There

There are different options if you want to hike to the top of Cerro Chato. One way begins at Arenal Observatory, which is a short 15-minute distance from La Fortuna by car. You can arrive by public transportation and get dropped off at the observatory or drive yourself there if you have a car rental.

At Arenal Observatory, you need to pay a $10 entrance fee that includes parking. You can also start the hike at the resort near La Fortuna waterfall for a shorter but more challenging trek.

You can do the hike yourself or with a tour. We took the tour option, and we’re glad we did since the path isn’t clearly marked.

With the tour, we got picked up and dropped off at our hotel, stopped at a waterfall, passed suspension bridges, explored Arenal Observatory, lounged in a hot spring, had lunch included, hiked to the crater of Cerro Chato, and the obvious-a tour guide with expertise on the trail.

Preparing for the Hike

This hike is quite strenuous. Like I mentioned earlier, it was a tough one. So, you’ll want to come prepared in every way possible. The hike and activities in the tour took all day. So, we recommend packing snacks and plenty of water. It can take about 5 hours round trip for Cerro Chato itself, and all day if you do the whole day tour with a guide.

Since you’ll be in the rain forest, expect mosquitos and possible rain. Bring your insect repellent and rain jacket. The terrain will be muddy and slippery, so good hiking shoes are the best option. You’ll also want to bring your camera to take many pictures.

There are two options on where to start. One is at the Arenal Observatory resort property, where you follow signs towards Cerro Chato. To get to the base of Cerro Chato, you’ll walk nearly 2km through the forest.

The other starting point is on the opposite side near La Fortuna Waterfall. Our trek began here.

Hiking Cerro Chato

Now the fun begins! This hike will make you sweat because it’s not a simple trail! You need a decent amount of physical fitness. I wasn’t too fit at the time and had a bit of a hard time.

Hiking Cerro Chato was not easy! The climb is steep, and the trail is not clearly marked. In addition, much of it involves following a path of tree roots rather than of soil. As a result, there’s a possibility of slipping, and you will come out muddy! Luckily, neither of us took a fall, but a couple of members of our tour group did.

At some points, we had to pull ourselves up from branches to climb up and down. It was fun, but it was a workout! We always had to watch our step because it was muddy and slippery. There is also wildlife, such as centipedes and snakes. So, you have to watch where you put your hand. We saw two snakes on our path.

Luckily for us, we also spotted a jaguar that our tour guide pointed out. Unfortunately, chances of seeing one are slim in Costa Rica since it’s a threatened species due to illegal hunting and habitat loss. So, we felt lucky to have spotted one.

Arrival at Cerro Chato’s Summit

It took nearly 3 hours to get to the summit, with a few breaks in between. Though our day started sunny, the clouds eventually rolled in and it drizzled. Unfortunately, it was enough rain to make the trail more slippery.

At the top of Cerro Chato, the view was incredible. We got to see an emerald-colored lagoon.

After the summit, it took about half-hour down to the lagoon. My legs are short, so getting down all the roots and rocks was a bit challenging.

After a tough hike and a muddy trail down, we got to the best part. The lagoon is stunning! We stopped here to enjoy the view and to have the lunch provided by the tour company. The lunch included water, fruit, a sandwich, an energy bar, and a small dessert. We recommend taking more snacks to refuel because you’ll be hiking all day.

A few brave people took a dip in the cold water. I had read it wasn’t recommended due to high mineral concentration, but I skipped out because the lagoon was too cold for my liking.

If you hike on your own, you can go back the same way, which will be just as challenging when you go back up to the summit. Your other option is to finish on the other side towards the waterfall. Returning or going taking the alternate route will take another 2-3 hours.

We worked our way to the Arenal Volcano Observatory on our tour since we started near the waterfall. In total, it took us nearly 5 hours to complete the Cerro Chato hike.

At the exact point we finished, the light rain turned into a storm. We took cover at the end of the trail but still got soaked. Finally, after about 20 minutes, it calmed a bit, and we continued.

The Rest of the Tour

I’m not sure how we had the energy to continue after a long hike, but we did. After completing Cerro Chato, our tour guide led us to Arenal Volcano Observatory, where we saw a waterfall, suspension bridges, and a lot more wildlife.

We first passed what looked like a farm area, where we saw zebu cows. Then, the trail continued and led us towards a 20-foot waterfall (not La Fortuna Waterfall) after ascending some stairs. It was a glorious view surrounded by a beautiful lush green forest. This waterfall is only a 20-minute walk from the Observatory.

Our venture around the area also led us to the Danta Hanging Bridge and another one. Finally, we made a stop at a small pond where we got to see these bright frogs!

Once we toured the area, we finally made it to the Arenal Observatory. There, we spotted spider monkeys. Our hike ended here at the Observatory. Unfortunately, the storm brought a lot of fog, so we didn’t have the clearest view of Arenal Volcano.

Arenal Hot Springs

At the end of the tour, they take you to the hot springs across Tabacon Resort. Hot springs help muscles relax. I was so ready to jump into the water! However, it started to rain hard upon arrival, and we had to leave after five minutes.

Back on the bus, the tour guide had drinks prepared, and we all had a toast for a beautiful day of hiking. About half-hour later we were dropped off at our hotel.

We recommend this whole day tour so much! Just be ready to work out a lot and to be exhausted!

Oh, and because we loved the 5 minutes in the hot spring so much, we returned the next day and spent about two hours sitting in the warm waters

Reminder Tips for Hiking:

Take good hiking shoes and rain gear if you go during the rainy season. Don’t forget protection for your electronics and a backpack with plenty of water and snacks. Be prepared mentally and physically and give yourself enough time to get back out of the forest before sunset if you hike independently. Know that if it rains, you will be walking and slipping in the mud and might end up very dirty.