Tabacón Hot Springs

If a movie director ever needed a setting for the Garden of Eden sequence in Genesis, Tabacón Hot Springs would be it. Enter through the gratuitously opulent ticket counter, flanked by an outrageous buffet on one side and glittering gift shop on the other. Then, with a thundering announcement, rare orchids and more florid tropical blooms part to reveal, oh yes, a 40°C (104°F) waterfall pouring over a cliff, concealing natural-looking caves complete with camouflaged cup holders. Lounged across each well-placed stone, in various stages of sweat-induced exhaustion, relax reddening tourists all enjoying what could be called a hot date.

This hedonism comes at a price – on top of the exorbitant admission fee, that is. The spa, 14km west of La Fortuna, is actually on the site where a volcanic eruption ripped through in pretouristed 1975, killing one local. The former village of Tabacón was destroyed in the 1968 eruption, killing 78. Chances are you’ll be fine, but remember that as an active volcano, Arenal always poses the risk of unpredictably acting up. That said, if you have time and money to visit only one hot spring in Costa Rica, make it Tabacón.