Arenal Volcano & Wandering La Fortuna

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Located in the northern part of Costa Rica, La Fortuna is considered the adventure capital of Costa Rica. You can go rappelling down waterfalls and narrow canyons in the jungle. Go white water rafting. Swim in a waterfall. But most people come to La Fortuna to hike Arenal Volcano.

Getting to La Fortuna

Renting a car is the best way to get around Costa Rica. But finding a route or way to go across Lake Arenal on your way to La Fortuna is worth it.

We didn’t rent a car and were coming from Monteverde, which is southwest of La Fortuna. The most efficient way is to book through a private company a bus-boat-bus route to La Fortuna. We took a 1.5 hour drive from our hotel in Monteverde to Rio Chiquito. Next we took a 30-40 min boat ride through Lake Arenal. We were there during COVID so we were the only ones on the buses and boats. It felt like a VIP experience.

Waiting for the boat to cross Lake Arenal

Fun Fact: Lake Arenal supplies 12 percent of the country’s hydroelectric energy.

From the dam of Arenal Lake, it was about a 20-25 min drive to our hotel – Hotel Lomas del Volcan in La Fortuna.

Getting Around La Fortuna

The area is easy to navigate if you have your own car. Taxis and Ubers are also readily available. You can also rent scooters for about $30 USD per 24 hours.

Arenal Volcano

Arenal Volcano is an active volcano about 1,633 meters (5,358 ft) high. Arenal is considered a young volcano, estimated to be about 7,500 years old. The volcano was dormant for hundreds of years and is covered by dense vegetation. In 1968 it erupted unexpectedly, destroying the small town of Tabacón. Since 2010, Arenal has been dormant.

Arenal is one of seven historically active Costa Rican volcanoes and was Costa Rica’s most active volcano until 2010, and one of the ten most active volcanoes in the world. It has been studied by seismologists for many years.

The volcano is located at the center of Arenal Volcano National Park.

Getting There

Find your way to the visitor’s center. There is a nice parking area with a map and clear trail sign. Within the national park, short trails pass through grassy, forested areas, a 400-year-old tree, and lava fields from previous eruptions.

Hiking Trails

The Arenal National Park has trails around the volcano and gets you as close as possible. You can see scary huge spiders, a 400-year-old Ciebo Tree, walk through lava fields and the jungle.

The map at the Lake Arenal visitor’s center. Remember to snap a pic!

Hike #1: LOS HELICONIAS

The Los Heliconias trail is a good, easy intro to hiking in Arenal Volcano National Park. This narrow trail starts across from the ranger station and leads you through tall grass and newer vegetation that has grown since the major eruption in 1968. After less than a mile, it connects to the Las Coladas trail and also crosses with the Main Lookout path.

Hike #2: LAS COLADAS

Las Coladas starts where the Los Heliconias trail ends. This is one of the top hiking trails in Arenal because it gets you up close and personal with an active volcano.

A Jesus Lizard, named because it can walk on water.

This hour-long trail passes through the jungle and ends at the base of the volcano, where you can walk over old lava fields. Viewing is limited to 20 minutes on the lava fields and due to the weather in the area, it can often be covered by clouds.

Hike #3: EL CEIBO TRAIL

On your way back from the lava fields, go further into the forest and take the looped 1.5 hour El Ceibo trail. Take your time to appreciate the wildlife and plants found here. Towards the middle of the loop, you’ll see the trail’s namesake – a massive Ceibo tree over 400 years old.

La Fortuna Waterfall

Just outside La Fortuna, this 200-ft waterfall is a great place to picnic or swim. The falls emerge from a thick jungle before plummeting into an emerald green pool below. The fall can be arrived at by foot or on horseback. The trail runs through pasture and rainforest, offering up chances to spot toucans, monkeys, and other tropical creatures. It takes about 15 minutes to hike down the stairs to the waterfall.

Bogarin Trail

This easy 2 kilometer (1/2 miles) Bogarin trail is the best place to see sloths in La Fortuna. It’s right in town and used to be a cattle farm until a local decided to grow it back into a rainforest.

Hot Springs

LA Fortuna is full of hot springs. An easy google search will show you the hot springs, but for a free hot spring, check out Rio Tabacon. Head west from La Fortuna and after you pass Tabacon look for the marked spaces. Walk downhill to the river and go left once you hit the bridge. After a short hike you will hit the free hot springs. It won’t be hard to find because there are always locals and foreigners alike taking advantage of the perfect natural springs. Just don’t bring any valuables with you or leave in the car.