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Costa Rica is known for its volcanoes and the most famous is the most active: the Arenal Volcano.
Get to La Fortuna
You can get to the Arenal Volcano by bus that leaves every hour from San José at the Atlantico Norte station on Calle 12 (Calle 12). You want the bus to go to San Carlos. If you’ve rented a car, it’s a beautiful drive from San Jose. And you will pass through two excellent lateral hot spots: Zarcero and San Carlos.
If you are driving, from San José take the Inter-American Highway towards Puntarenas. Take the Naranjo-Ciudad Quesada exit. Zarcero is about a 90-minute drive from San José. Zarcero is a small and picturesque town located in the mountains, 1,700 meters above sea level. You will find the best cheese in Zarcero so be sure to stop in and buy some white cheese, it is my favorite cheese. Zarcero is very green with lots of vegetation and farms. A popular stop is a sculpted garden in the city. This guy makes beautiful giant bush sculptures. Then you will see rabbits, bullock carts and more, all carved out of these huge bushes.
I recommend you eat at Doña Chila’s, they serve typical Costa Rican food and it is delicious! It is located just before reaching Zarcero. Here you will also see many vendors selling fruit and cheese in their little stalls, don’t forget to buy some white cheese.
Now leave Zarcero towards San Carlos. Ciudiad Quesada is the commercial center of the San Carlos plain in the central province of Alajuela. This is the center of the North Zone. Depending on how much time you have, there is a nice reserve in Forrest called Termales del Bosque. Admission is $ 8. Nice hiking and they have thermal pools that are great hot spring pools. From Ciudiad Quesada you will see signs for La Fortuna and Aerenal Volcano. Just follow the signs. Total travel time from San José is approximately 3-1 / 2 hours.
Arenal Volvano, La Fortuna Travel Tips
The Arenal Volcano has been active since 1968. It has a perfectly shaped cone that rises from the hills of Alajuela. You can hear loud explosions and gray mushroom clouds rising from the top of the volcano. You can also see rocks ejected by the volcano and thrown down the slopes. At night you can see a good lava show. However, this did not always happen and many times there are fogs and clouds that block its visibility. So sometimes you can’t even see the volcano so I call one of the hotels in the area and ask about visibility.
Note that there is a chance that you will not see anything due to the clouds. The chances are even worse during the rainy season. So even during the dry season, clouds can block your view, it’s your best chance to see lava flows and red-hot blasted rocks. I’ve been there many times and only two got the great show. But going to La Fortuna is still worth it, even if your chances of seeing a lava show are 50/50.
To maximize your chances, stay in one of the “observatories” that were built to give you the best views of the volcano. Late at night or in the early hours of sunrise is your best option to see a lava show.
Next to the observatory hostel there are many hiking trails in this area. From the ranger station at the entrance of the park, you can choose two trails, one of which leads to a You can hike the Chato volcano, which is extinct. It has collapsed on itself and now has a lake in the crater surrounded by a forest. It can be accessed by a hiking trail near the Arenalmirador (obeservatory) where you can see the lava flow. There is a beautiful waterfall where you can swim, called La Fortuna Waterfall, which in Spanish means La Fortuna waterfall.
Other activities include horseback riding and canopy tours. The thermal pools are the best. These are hot springs. The Tabacón hostel is a great place to relax in the hot springs of hot springs. You can get a day pass to hit their pools that are built around the hot springs. So you are swimming in these naturally warm waters of the volcano. You can also get a view of the volcano cone from here. They have five natural mineral pools at different temperatures, one with a swim-up bar, a waterslide and a waterfall. They also have a Tico food restaurant and a couple of bars. The cost is around $ 30 for a day pass.
The Rio Fortuna Waterfalls are a must see. It is a beautiful waterfall located in the tropical jungle near the edge of the Arenal Volcano National Park. It is $ 1.50 to participate. You have to walk through a canyon which can be challenging, but the reward is the views of the beautiful waterfall and taking a dip in the natural pool. The average temperature in this area is 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Another nice place in this area is Lake Arenal, which is a large man-made lake at the foot of the volcano along the Guancaste hills. Many people like to go boating and fishing on the lake. Windsurfing is very popular here; you can rent windsurfing equipment if you wish.
Beneath the lake is the old Arenal, a city that submerged in the 1970s after it was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in the 1960s. The worst recent eruption was in 1968. Two towns were destroyed and more than 80 Dead people. There has been some recent activity in recent years, but nothing like 1968. Before 1968, the volcano had been dormant for 400 years.
The La Fortuna area is one of my favorite attractions in Costa Rica.