Tabacon Day Pass Review: It’s Worth It (Luxury Hot Springs)
If you’re looking for a luxurious escape in the heart of Costa Rica, Tabacon Hot Springs should definitely be on your list.
This breathtaking resort is situated at the base of Arenal Volcano, surrounded by lush rainforest and natural hot springs.
In this Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa review post, I will dive into the details of a Tabacon day pass & what to expect on this stunning property!
You will not have trouble finding a hot spring when you are visiting Arenal, Costa Rica, primarily due to Arenal Volcano.
The natural hot springs in Costa Rica are formed from the heat produced by their volcanoes, geothermal heat and probably something else (that I don’t understand, lol).
I love to mix my trips with adventure and relaxation, which made it a no brainer to have a full relaxation day at Tabacon hot springs.
This blog post details what is included in a Tabacon day pass, my personal review and how to enjoy yourself at Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa.
Some links in this Tabacon hot springs day pass post are affiliate, if you click on them I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Is a Tabacon Day Pass worth it?
Short answer is: YES!! Keep reading for my full report.
When planning our Costa Rica itinerary, I knew we had to plan a full day of relaxing at a hot springs.
That being said, when figuring out which hot spring to visit, there were so many to choose from, I was getting quite overwhelmed.
I try to simplify the Arenal hot springs, however, you may just have to head to each hot spring yourself (haha, good luck).
My Tabacon Day Pass Ratings
Experience & Vibe: 10/10
Relaxation: 9/10
Noise levels: 3/10 (the lower the better, in my opinion)
Service: 9/10
Food at Ave del Paraiso: 7/10
Tabacon Hot Springs Costa Rica Review: What Tabacon has to offer
Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa is a luxurious resort nestled in the heart of Costa Rica’s rainforest, at the base of Arenal Volcano.
The resort offers a wide range of amenities and activities to suit every traveller’s interests, whether seeking adventure or relaxation!
The highlight of this resort is their natural hot springs, which provide a tranquil and rejuvenating escape for its guests.
Tabacon Day Pass Packages
Prices updated October 2024
Tabacon Resort is an expensive accommodation in Arenal, Costa Rica. It is for the luxurious traveller, and for most, is outside of budget!
With that in mind, there are options for the mid-range traveler to still enjoy their gorgeous amenities!
Purchasing a Tabacon day pass is a great way to be able to immerse yourself in the opulence of this resort.
In order to access the resort with a day pass, you must book well in advance.
Tabacon Day Pass Entrance Fee: $89 (adult), $47 (child)
Tabacon Day Pass + 1 Meal (Lunch or Dinner): $158 (adult), $82 (child)
Hours of Operation: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Important Tabacon Day Pass Tips
- Reservations are required
- Welcome drink included!
- Towels & lockers available, temporary deposit required
- Access to 20 hot springs & pools with temperatures ranging from 72 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit
- ONLY hotel guests can access the Shangri-La Gardens (adults only)
- 2 restaurants (1 at the hot springs), 4 bars (2 at the hot springs)
If you are visiting Tabacon from Guanacaste province and need transportation, check out this tour that offers transportation, entry tickets & lunch!
Tabacon Resort
If you have the budget, and want to stay overnight, opt to stay overnight at their resort. My family stayed here (without me, rude), and still speak about it years later.
Check out their hotel prices here!
The room views are extraordinary and look out onto Arenal Volcano.
Additionally, hotel guests have complimentary access to the hot springs daily, including a shuttle transport to & from the hot springs!
How we chose Tabacon
Tabacon was one of my top choices, but the way our trip lined up, Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa kind of “fell” into our laps.
We had to cancel our initial Costa Rica trip and change around some details.
The only hot springs available when we went to change our travel plans happened to be Tabacon Hot Spring, and I am here to say, we were VERY happy.
We could not afford to stay at the resort, which can cost up to $600.00 USD per night. If you are able to afford this (check out updated prices here)!
Therefore, we opted for a day pass that included one meal (lunch or dinner), which now costs $158 USD per person (adult).
The pass without the meal is $89 per adult.
We were happy to spend the latter half of the day at Tabacon, as we booked a couple’s massage in La Fortuna for the morning.
Tabacon Hot Springs Booking Process
I recommend reserving online here at least a couple of weeks ahead of time, to be more flexible with your vacation schedule.
We booked our day pass online three weeks in advance, for our last full day in the Arenal region. I advise you book ahead of time.
You will never be able to guess the weather, so do not try to book around weather forecasts, they are most likely not accurate anyway.
When booking a few weeks ahead, we had no issues with availability. We did however, have to change the date about two weeks ahead of time due to trip changes.
The Tabacon customer service was impeccable! They answered us within one day and helped us to rebook to another date that ended up working out better by changing the booking details on their end.
No extra work for us, which we loved.
Once booked, you are emailed your confirmation, bring this in with you, and you are good to go!
Parking at Tabacon
If you have purchased a day pass, you are most likely driving in. We had no trouble finding the parking lot for Tabacon.
If you are driving in from La Fortuna, ensure you pass the first Tabacon building, this is the hotel.
The hot springs are past the second building, located on the left. Not to worry, if you end up at the hotel they will direct you down to the hot springs (this is what happened to us).
Everyone was extremely friendly and helpful!
The parking lot is right across the street from the hot springs entrance. There are multiple staff members helping with parking. We arrived at around 11:30 AM and had no trouble finding parking spots.
Parking is free, as long as you have a Tabacon day pass reservation.
If you are a hotel guest, the hotel offers a free shuttle service to and from the hot springs that runs multiple times on the hour.
Tabacon On Arrival
Upon arrival, we were greeted and checked in. They provide you with your towel card & locker. You must provide a deposit of $20 USD.
The change rooms (located right outside the hot springs), toilets & showers were kept clean. We did not have any complaints in this department.
The Hot Springs
Finding a place to sit was not difficult for us arriving at around 12:00 PM. We were lucky enough to get one of the last two secluded cabanas to ourselves for the rest of the day.
If you are coming later in the day, your chances of getting a cabana are low.
We spent the rest of the day trying out the many hot springs and pools.
I found the hot springs to be HOT.
Honestly, I should have known this, but for the HOT weather, the springs being hot was a lot of hot in one day, haha.
I would have loved it even more if the weather outside was on the chillier side. This was my only “complaint…” which is not even a complaint.
The hot springs are luxurious, we felt like we were in paradise.
The main pool has a swim up bar that sells snacks & drinks. We loved the cocktails they served, especially the beautiful drinks in fruit.
I had to order the watermelon daiquiri (pictured here), it was large enough to share, it was also a bit pricey at around $35.00 USD.
We spent the rest of this wonderful day relaxing in our cabana and going out to all of the hot springs. It was truly amazing.
Dinner at Ave
Dinner was included within our Tabacon day pass package. Tabacon has two restaurants, however, only Ave is located at the hot springs (the other restaurant is at the hotel).
The meal included in the pass is a three course fixed menu. We had seafood ceviche for an appetizer and their burger and fries for the main course.
I found the burger to be really delicious & juicy.
The service at the restaurant and overall throughout the day was fabulous. The Costa Rican people speak English at this resort and communication was great.
Ending the day with dinner was a nice way to wrap up the day. I am happy that we chose to have dinner instead of lunch, as it was filling and I probably would’ve been bloated running around the hot springs after.
My Tabacon Thermal Resort Recommendations
- Bring water shoes or shoes that you can wear in the hot springs (even if they look ugly). I assure you it is difficult to walk along these rocks in bare feet.
- Add them to your Central America packing list!
- The hot springs were the busiest around 4:00-5:00 PM. If you want to avoid the crowds, I would arrive around opening time ~10:00 AM.
- The Day Pass with one meal is amazing value for money, your choice on if you want to do lunch or dinner. I would not recommend two meals as there are so many places to eat in La Fortuna.
- Lastly, I think Tabacon is 100% worth it and I recommend Tabacon Hot Springs for your Arenal hot springs day!
Don’t want to forget? Pin the Tabacon Day Pass for later!
Need help with personal travel planning?
I create custom itineraries and activity guides starting at $25.00 CAD per day!
Final Thoughts on Tabacon Day Pass
The hot springs in Costa Rica are something you should not miss while visiting Arenal, Costa Rica! Tabacon takes the cake for one of the most luxurious experiences of my life.
If you are on a budget and cannot afford to stay at the resort, the day pass is the way to go! It is of great value and you are sure to have a wonderfully tranquil day.
Spend the day before or after Tabacon visiting the Arenal hanging bridges.
Make sure to continue on your Costa Rica travels by visiting Monteverde or heading down to Manuel Antonio (my personal fav).
Happy relaxing!
