La Fortuna de San Carlos has an elevation of 350 meters above sea level and is best known as the base from which to explore the magnificent and active Arenal Volcano, Arenal National Park and Lake Arenal.

Arenal Volcano

The Arenal Volcano has been active since 1968. It continuously ejects gases, water, fumaroles, and sometimes the eruptions are accompanied with powerful thunder and/or lava emissions. As the lava flows down it slowly cools off. It is possible to see the Arenal Volcano erupting from a comfortable spot in the hotel or from the hot spring’s area.
Arenal Volcano rises to approximately 1633 meters at its summit, although the exact summit height changes frequently due to the volcanic activity.
With the improvement of the road from Quesada City to La Fortuna, the number of local and foreign visitors has increased. Today, it is common to find all kinds of tourist facilities.

Arenal National Park

The Arenal National Park offers nice views of the volcano and of the actual lava flow activity because it is located on the volcano’s west side and lava is now flowing west and southwest. For more than nine years, the lava was mainly on the north face of the volcano. Note that the flow can change direction at any time – ask locals or call the Ranger’s station for an update.
Short trails (3.4 km & 2 km) go through some young secondary forests and old lava from previous eruptions. The Park Rangers keep a sharp eye on the volcanic activity and will tell you which trails or open, and will not hesitate to evacuate the Park if they feel it’s unsafe for visitors.
The park is open from 8:00 a.m. untill 4:00 p.m. and the admission fee is $7 per person. If you do not have a car, you can take the 8:00 a.m. bus from La Fortuna going to Tilarán and ask the driver to drop you off to the “Parque Nacional” from there it’s a 2 km walk to the entrance. To go back, catch the Tilarán / La Fortuna bus passing at 2:00 p.m. A taxi is $15 one way from the village, about 20 minutes. The Arenal Conservation Area stretches 200,000 hectares along the northern spine of Costa Rica. It is an area that is crucial to the Costa Rican economy.

The majestic Lake Arenal near the Tabacó Resort in Arenal Volcano, La Fortuna de San Carlos, Costa Rica

Arenal Lake

The majestic Lake Arenal is the largest in Costa Rica and offers many activities on and around it year-round: windsurfing, fishing, boat tours, boat shortcut to the Monteverde Cloud Forest, kayaking, horseback riding and mountain biking along the shore, etc. Lake Arenal was enlarged to three times its original size to form a basin for the hydroelectric project. Surrounded by rolling hills that are partly pastured and partly forested and dominated on the east side by the imposing perfect cone of the volcano.

Lake Arenal is a human enlarged lagoon that provides up to 40 percent of the country’s hydroelectric supply. Windmills catch the wind that whips along the top edge of the Tilarán mountains on the west side of the Lake Arenal.

The lake’s other claim to fame is its rainbow bass sport fishing. Locals call these fighting fish guapote, and they are one of the largest members of the cichlid family. Their sharp teeth and fighting nature make them a real challenge. Their meat is white and tasty. The best time to catch them is at sunrise or sunset.

Lake Arenal, with its unique combination of warm fresh water, steady and strong winds and spectacular scenery, now enjoys a world class reputation amongst windsurfers and sailboarders.