Escape the Crowds at Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa

When Everyone Else Heads to Arenal in December, the Savviest Travelers Are Already Soaking in Its Secret

There’s a moment that seasoned Costa Rica travelers know well: you’ve booked the dream trip to Arenal Volcano, you’ve imagined yourself floating in volcanic thermal pools amid jungle greenery — and then you arrive to find three tour buses idling in the parking lot and a queue for the waterfalls. High season at one of Central America’s most iconic destinations can feel, at times, like a well-organized theme park. But there’s a better way in, and it involves rethinking the calendar entirely.

Costa Rica’s green season, which runs from May through November, draws far fewer tourists than the dry season months of December through April — and for those in the know, that’s precisely the point. Nowhere does this seasonal swap pay off more richly than at Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa, the legendary five-star retreat nestled at the foot of Arenal Volcano near La Fortuna. The resort has long been considered one of the premier thermal spa experiences in the Americas, and during the summer months — June, July, and August in particular — it offers something increasingly rare in the world of high-end travel: genuine solitude.

The Green Season Advantage at Arenal

The green season doesn’t mean constant downpours. In most of Costa Rica, mornings are sunny and clear, with rain arriving in the afternoon or evening — sometimes a soft drizzle, sometimes a dramatic tropical thunderstorm that clears as quickly as it came. For guests at Tabacón, that rhythm is a gift. Mornings are ideal for exploring the surrounding rainforest, and afternoons — when the skies open briefly — are perfect for settling into one of the resort’s 18 naturally flowing thermal pools, the warmth of volcanic water now complemented by the sound of rainfall through the jungle canopy.

July and August bring what locals call the veranillo — a “little summer” — with noticeably reduced rainfall, particularly in the Northern Zone where Arenal is located. It is arguably the sweet spot of the green season, and Tabacón’s summer experience reflects that. Popular spots like Arenal Volcano that see heavy foot traffic in dry season become wonderfully tranquil during the green season, and even famously crowded trails have stretches where they feel almost private.

A New Trail Through a Pristine Reserve

Tabacón sits on more than 900 acres of verdant rainforest reserve, the vast majority of which has never been open to guests — until now. The resort has recently unveiled a private Hiking Trail that cuts through this previously unexplored territory, guided by expert naturalists who know the reserve’s flora and fauna intimately.

This isn’t a tourist trail with laminated information signs. This is old-growth rainforest, dense with biodiversity and alive with the kind of wildlife — howler monkeys, toucans, scarlet macaws — that thrives during the wet season when human footfall is minimal. Quieter trails mean wildlife is less likely to be scared away, and during the green season, birdwatching reaches a peak as migratory species arrive from North America throughout August and beyond. Having an expert naturalist alongside isn’t just a luxury; in terrain this rich and complex, it’s the difference between a walk in the woods and a genuine encounter with one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth.

The Science of Soaking: Balneotherapy at Its Finest

Thermal pools are Tabacón’s signature offering, and they are unlike anything replicated elsewhere in the region. The resort’s thermal springs are almost entirely rain-based, with water entering the earth through volcanic fissures before being heated by magma deep underground. Three springs surface naturally on the property at temperatures around 50°C (122°F), generating a total flow of roughly 80 liters per second — completely natural, untreated, and constantly self-renewing.

What elevates the Tabacón experience this summer is the addition of a dedicated Balneotherapy Concierge — a specialist whose role is to help guests move through the resort’s 18 pools with intention rather than wandering. Balneotherapy, the therapeutic use of mineral-rich water, has deep roots in European wellness culture and is gaining serious ground in the luxury travel market. With guidance on water temperatures, soaking duration, and mineral benefits, guests can craft a truly restorative itinerary across the pools rather than simply drifting from one to the next.

The thermal river at Tabacón flows through tropical gardens, forming waterfalls and pools ranging from 22 to 38°C (72 to 100°F) — a carefully graduated temperature range that lends itself perfectly to the kind of contrast hydrotherapy at the heart of balneotherapy practice. Adults also have exclusive access to the Shangri-La Gardens, a quieter, members-only thermal hideaway away from the main pools, with dedicated lounging areas and its own bar.

Sustainability, Certification, and a Different Kind of Luxury

Part of what makes a summer visit to Tabacón feel meaningful is the resort’s track record on sustainability. The property has earned a five-leaf rating from the Costa Rican Tourism Board — the highest possible certification in the country’s sustainability program. It is also a carbon-neutral resort, a designation that aligns seamlessly with the values of a growing segment of luxury travelers for whom environmental responsibility is no longer a bonus feature but a baseline expectation.

Traveling during the green season also supports sustainable tourism more broadly, helping distribute visitor flow across the year, reducing strain on ecosystems during peak months, and providing vital income to local guides and small businesses during a slower period. At Tabacón, which operates as a key employer in the La Fortuna area and engages with local indigenous communities, that economic continuity matters.

Planning Your Summer Visit

Tabacón sits approximately 13 kilometers west of La Fortuna, just outside Arenal Volcano National Park. The resort is accessible by car from both San José’s Juan Santamaría International Airport (approximately 3.5 hours) and Liberia’s Daniel Oduber International Airport (roughly 2.5 hours). Costa Rica’s tourism board notes that the green season sees fewer international arrivals overall, which translates to lower hotel rates and reduced pressure at major sites. Booking summer stays at a property like Tabacón — which commands premium pricing year-round — can represent meaningful savings without any compromise in the quality of experience.

The practical advice for green season travel is straightforward: plan active excursions, including the new naturalist-guided hiking trail, in the morning hours. Reserve the afternoons for thermal pool immersion, a spa treatment in one of Tabacón’s open-air rainforest bungalows, or a slow lunch at the resort’s Ave del Paraíso restaurant overlooking the gardens. When the rain comes — and it will, briefly and dramatically — lean into it.

The travel world has been slow to recalibrate its relationship with the wet season in Central America, but the tide is turning. The green season is Costa Rica in its truest form: untamed, fertile, and fully alive. At Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa, that vitality is visible in every detail — the deeper green of the rainforest reserve, the fuller cascade of the thermal river, the quieter pools, and now, a brand-new trail through 900 acres of wilderness that most guests have never set foot in.

For travelers who measure a trip not by how many other people were there, but by how deeply they connected with a place, summer at Tabacón isn’t a compromise. It’s the whole point.

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