Arenal Volcano And Other Attractions Of The Area - Costa Rica

Arenal volcano is a 1,633 meter high mountain with a perfect conic shape and a crater of 140 meters. It was asleep for hundreds of years and had a single crater with minor fumaroles covered by dense vegetation.

In 1968 it had an eruption that created three more craters on the western flanks but only one of them exists today. It is geologically considered a young volcano and its age is estimated to be less than 3,000 years.

The locals also know it as "Arenal Peak" , "Pan de Azcar", "The Canaste Volcano", "The Costa Rica", "Rio Frio Volcano" or "The Guatusos Peak". It is located in the northern region of the country. Arenal is considered to be Costa Rica's most active volcano and almost every night the crater offers a spectacular show of lights with its explosive eruptions, creating the most amazing views.

Although the main attraction is the Arenal Volcano, the area offers much more:

Arenal Volcano National Park

Arenal Volcano is actually part of this National park. There is also a second volcano called Cerro Chato, which has been inactive for around 3500 years. The park is part of the Arenal Tilaran Conservation Area that protects 16 reserves in the region between the Guanacaste and Tilarn mountain ranges including Lake Arenal.

Lake Arenal

Lake Arenal was originally a small lagoon, but in 1973 the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity built a dam and within three years, this became the biggest lake in Costa Rica with a surface of 88 square kilometers. It is a wonderful place to windsurf or do some sport fishing.

La Fortuna Waterfall

The waterfall is reached by a 5.5 kilometer gravel road. On foot it takes about an hour to get there, but you can also visit it by horse or by car. Once you have reached the waterfall, you can take a trail that will lead you to a natural pool where you can go for a swim. This is the most popular excursion in the area, after Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal. Bird watching is also very popular in this area.

The Arenal Hanging Bridges

From there you will have a great view of both the Arenal Volcano and the lake. Here you will find eight bridges measuring between 8 and 22 meters and six hanging bridges that vary between 48 and 98 meters. Some of the most popular activities here are the natural history walk, early morning tour, bird watching and night walks.

The Venado Caves

The Venado Caves are located in the village with the same name, about an hour by car from La Fortuna, to the north of Arenal Volcano. Water is what formed the caves throughout the years. In the present, the caves consist of limestone rocks, stalactites, stalagmites and corals. It has a total length of approximately 2.5 kilometers with 10 large quarters. During the rainy season the tunnels can get filled with water. This is the reason access by visitors is forbidden in this season.

Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge

It was created to protect plant species and the watershed of the rivers Ciruelas and Barranca. The 10,000-hectare reserve of Cano Negro has the most biological diversity in Costa Rica. The river canyons were formed millions of years ago when Central America was covered by the sea and unicellular algae that built up deposits and transformed into chalk like stone.