La Fortuna Scams to Avoid in 2026 (Costa Rica)

La Fortuna has 13 documented tourist-targeted scams in our database, concentrated around tour & activities (5 reports). The most consistently reported individual pattern is Quad Bike and ATV Hidden Damage Claims — ATV and quad bike rental operators on the La Fortuna tourist strip and toward the Arenal area rent vehicles without conducting a documented pre-rental inspection, then charge customers for pre-existing scratches, mechanical faults, or minor damage on return. Travellers familiar with Belize City or San Juan del Sur will recognise the broad shape of the risk environment in Central America, though the specific local variations in La Fortuna are what catch first-time visitors out.

Specific documented risk areas include ATV and quad bike rental shops on La Fortuna main tourist strip near the central park and on the road toward Arenal Volcano, including operators advertising at the Tabacon Hot Springs crossroads; Online scam targeting bookings before arrival; misrepresented properties are typically claimed to be in the Arenal Volcano National Park buffer zone, the Tabacon river area, or the rural road toward La Fortuna Waterfall; La Fortuna central park tour operator offices, hotel tour desks, roadside operator stands on the road toward Arenal. A separate but related pattern is Online Vacation Rental Fraud: Fake or grossly misrepresented vacation rental listings for La Fortuna appear on VRBO, Airbnb, and local booking sites, advertising volcano-view pools and jungle lodges that either do not exist or bear no resemblance to photos. The single most effective protection across these patterns: Insist on a written, signed pre-rental condition checklist noting every existing scratch and dent before taking the vehicle. Photograph and video the entire quad bike from all angles before departing. Use a rental operator that provides a formal rental agreement with a clear damage liability cap.