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| Arenal Volcano with the smoke spewing striaght up on a calm day |
At present, this volcano has gone into a resting phase in 2010 meaning that its eruption have paused but it is still a stunning site. This impressive volcano resides in the 29,960 acre Arenal Volcano National Park. Visitors can enjoy exploring the park’s hiking trails, white-water rafting, horseback riding, searching for wildlife in the area, and more activites.
Arenal Volcano National Park is located in north-western Costa Rica about 90 km northwest of San Jose in the province of Alajuela.
When you think of great volcanoes in the world, you probably think of places such as Mount Vesuvius in Italy, Mount Fuji in Japan, or the most visited volcano among all the volcanoes in the world, Kilauea in The Big Island of Hawaii. If you visit Costa Rica, Arenal Volcano is an area that you “must see”. Not that I know that much about volcanoes but for those interested, it is a stratovolcano which is a large, symmetrical volcano that’s built upon layers of ash, rock and lava. Towering 5,437 feet above the rest of the countryside, it looms large and ominous over the pastured green hills that surround its base.
Tucked at the base of the volcano is a small bustling town called La Fortuna Village. On a clear day, the majestic volcano can be seen looming over this attractive little town.
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| La Fortuna Village |
Within La Fortuna, there are many hotels, restaurants and bars, colourful streets and quaint shops. Close by about four miles away, the La Fortuna waterfall can be found by visiting it by foot or by horseback. It you are brave and adventurous, you can swim in the chilly water below the fall.
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| This water is cold! |
Arenal can be reached by driving from San Jose in two different routes. One runs through San Ramon and takes about three and a half hours to get there. The other route takes the more cultural route passing through the village of Sarchi which is the country’s handicraft capital.
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| My family at World's Largest Ox Cart in Sarchi Photo courtesy of Muriel MacRae |
This latter route takes about four hours. I would recommend that you do not drive at night as the roads in Costa Rica are often in poor condition and windy. Furthermore, you will miss all of the beautiful scenery!
There are numerous hot springs in the area. These springs originate in a geothermally heated underground rives .Another must see is The Springs Resort and Spa, a luxurious hotel with three separate hot spring areas - Los Peridos Springs ( The Lost Springs), Las Lagunas (The Lagoons), and the hot/cold springs along the Arenal River.
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| Los Peridos Springs |
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| The Springs Resort and Spa ABC's The Bachelor:Costa Rica 2011 was filmed at this beautiful resort. |
In addition, Lake Arenal sits at the base of the Arenal Volcano. It is the country’s largest land locked lakes, with inspiring views pastured hills and forested land beyond its shores.
Regardless of where you are at Arenal, it is a photographer’s dream. Make sure that you take you camera so that you take lots of pictures to enjoy when you return home!
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| View of Arenal Volcano from Lake Arenal |
All photos courtesy of arenal.net unless otherwise indicated.
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