La Fortuna de San Carlos and the Arenal volcano make up the most visited destination in Costa Rica. This corner of the northern lowlands combines a near-perfect volcanic cone, natural hot springs, spectacular waterfalls and remarkable biodiversity.
Arenal: the sleeping giant
Arenal rises 1,670 metres and is considered one of the most perfectly shaped volcanoes in the world thanks to its almost symmetrical cone. It entered a resting phase in 2010 after more than forty years of continuous activity, but it remains Costa Rica’s defining image.
The volcano sits inside Arenal Volcano National Park, established in 1991, protecting 12,124 hectares of tropical rainforest. The park holds more than 850 plant species, 500 bird species and mammals including monkeys, sloths and — rarely seen — jaguars.
The park trails
- Las Coladas: 2 km across solidified lava flows from the 1992 eruption.
- El Ceibo: 1.5 km to a 400-year-old ceiba tree.
- Los Heliconias: an easy 1 km loop with abundant plant life.
- Los Miradores: panoramic views of the volcano and Lake Arenal.
Park entry is $15 USD for foreign adults. It opens at 8:00 and closes at 16:00, with last entry at 14:30.
La Fortuna as a base
The town has gone from a small farming community to a busy tourism centre without entirely losing its character. It sits 7 km from the base of the volcano and has everything you need.
La Fortuna waterfall
A 70-metre fall reached by descending around 500 steps into a gorge — which is the easy part; coming back up is the work. There is a pool at the bottom where you can swim, and the water is cold.
Hot springs
Geothermally heated water from the volcano feeds dozens of options, from elaborate resort complexes with swim-up bars to free public stretches of the Río Chollín, where locals sit in the river beside the road. The free option is genuinely good and costs nothing but a towel.
Hanging bridges
Suspension bridges through the rainforest canopy on the flank of the volcano. The best time is early morning, when the wildlife is active and the volcano is most likely to be clear of cloud.
Adventure
- Zip lines over the forest, some of the longest in the country.
- Rafting on the Balsa and Toro rivers, classes II to IV.
- Canyoning down waterfalls on ropes.
- Lake Arenal for kayaking, paddleboarding and windsurfing — the wind here is reliable.
- Caño Negro wetlands, a boat trip for birds, caimans and sloths.
Seeing the volcano clear
This is the thing nobody warns you about: Arenal spends a lot of time wrapped in cloud. Your best chance is first thing in the morning, before the day heats up. If you only have one night, plan your volcano viewing for dawn rather than the afternoon.
Getting there
About 133 km from San José, roughly three hours by road. Tourist shuttles run door to door; public buses are cheaper and slower. From Monteverde there is the jeep–boat–jeep transfer across Lake Arenal, which takes around three hours and is far more pleasant than driving round.
Practical advice
- Two or three nights is right — there is more to do here than anywhere else in the country.
- It rains in any month. Bring a rain jacket rather than an umbrella.
- Book activities directly with operators rather than through your hotel for better prices.
- Mosquito repellent for the wetland trips.
