If a movie director ever needed a setting for a cheesy Garden of Eden dream sequence, Tabacón Hot Springs would be it. Here, broad-leaf palms, rare orchids and other florid tropical blooms part to reveal a 40°C (104°F) waterfall pouring over a (fake) cliff, concealing natural-esque caves complete with camouflaged cup holders. Lounged across each well-placed stonelike substance, overheated tourists of various shapes and sizes relax.

The spa, 14km west of La Fortuna, is actually on the site where a volcanic eruption ripped through in 1975, killing one local. The former village of Tabacón was destroyed in the 1968 eruption, killing 78. Don't, ahem, sweat it. The mountain is once again dormant. For now. (Insert spooky music here.)