Costa Rica's Most Active Volcano: Arenal Volcano

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Costa Rica's Most Active Volcano: Arenal Volcano

The Arenal volcano is a 1,633 meter high mountain with a perfect conic shape and a crater of 140 meters. 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", "Ro Fro Volcano" or "The Guatusos Peak". It is located in the northern region of the country.

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.

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

The park is part of the Arenal Tilaran Conservation Area that protects 16 reserves in Costa Rica. Arenal Volcano is actually part of this National park. Here you will also find a second volcano called Cerro Chato, which has been inactive for around 3500 years.

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 can be reached by a 5.5 kilometer gravel road. You can go on foot it will take about an hour to get there, but you can also visit it by horse or by car, there are many great tour companies to choose from in the area. 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 3rd most popular excursion in the area. Bird watching is also very popular in this area because of the wide eco-diversity is has.

The Arenal Hanging Bridges

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

The Venado Caves

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. 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. During the rainy season the tunnels can get filled with water. This is the reason access by visitors is forbidden in this season.

Cao 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 Cao 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.

The Rio Frio flows through it and during the wet season it becomes an 800 hectare lake. There are trails and paths, but the easiest way to access it is by boat. The reserve is especially popular among birdwatchers and sport fishers.

About the Author

Marina K. Villatoro, lives in Central America - Costa Rica and Guatemala for the past decade. She has traveled all over these areas with her family and now she loves to organize vacations to Costa Rica and Guatemala. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!