The Everyday Travel Guide to Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
by Rebecca Hollman
updated July 9, 2018
Introduction to Arenal Volcano National Park:
Arenal Volcano National Park covers 30,000 acres and is located in the bigger 504,000 acre Arenal Conservation Area. This conservation area protects 8 of Costa Rica's 12 "life zones" and 16 protected reserves. It is known for its two volcanoes- Arenal, the most active volcano in Costa Rica, and Chato, an inactive collapsed crater. Lake Arenal, at the base of the Arenal Volcano, provides Costa Rica with 12% of its hydroelectric energy through the Lake Arenal Dam. The park is popular with bird watchers because 850 species of Costa Rica's birds can be found in the national park- including the elusive resplendent quetzal.
About the Volcano
The national park contains two volcanoes- Arenal Volcano and Chato Volcano. The Cerro Chato is 1,140 meters and is completely inactive, with a collapsed crater containing a green lagoon. Arenal is the taller of the two, at 1,633 meters and is the most active volcano in Costa Rica and one of the top ten most active volcanoes in the world. Its lava flows are consistent and the most recent devastating eruption was in 1968, when three craters burst open and spread toxic gas and rocks up to 12km away from the volcano. The lava rock flow from this eruption is still extremely pronounced on the hiking trails and in the areas surrounding the park. The 1968 eruption killed 78 people and destroyed the nearby towns of Pueblo Nuevo and Tabacón. A different crater, "Crater C", remains active to this day and lava flows and smoke plumes are still a common sight.
Hiking Arenal Volcano National Park
Trails inside the Park (Volcano Sector):
1. Las Helicopias
Distance: 1 km one way
Difficulty: Easy
Why you should do it: Leads through a tall grass field and through some secondary forests. Gives a feel for the flora and fauna of the surrounding area and of the park.
2. Las Coladas
Distance: 2 km one way
Difficulty: Easy
Why you should do it: Leads through dense forest and jungle to a lookout point of the volcano and the surrounding area, including views of Lake Arenal and the lava flow rocks from the 1968 eruption.
3. El Ceibo
Distance: 1.8 km one way
Difficulty: Easy
Why you should do it: Brings you through jungle and past a 400 year old tree (El Ceibo). This tree is massive, old and extremely impressive.
Pro tip: Past El Ceibo, there is an unmarked turnoff to your right that has some steps made out of stone. It is pretty much a natural staircase that goes straight up and is a narrow trail. Follow this trail up and then along the lava flow rocks for additional lookout points that are not marked on the trail. Once you reach a lookout point with a brown sign warning you not to go any farther, you have reached the end. Turn around here and head back to the marked trail to continue on.
4. Mirador
Distance: 1.3 km one way (it is also possible to drive along this road and drive straight up to this lookout point)
Difficulty: Easy
Why you should do it: Easily accessible viewpoint if you don't want to/can't walk along the trails.
Trails inside the Park (Peninsula Sector):
1. La Peninsula
Distance: 1.2 km one way
Difficulty: Easy
Why you should do it: Leads past tower lookouts and through jungle to a viewpoint of Lake Arenal. The viewpoint at the end is a well formed dock with benches for sitting. It gives an amazing view of Lake Arenal with the volcano dominating in the background.
Pro tip: The price of admission covers both sectors of the park so you don't need to pay an additional fee to park for this trail.
Getting There
"From San Jose to Arenal (and from the south) :
The most used route is travel along the Inter-American highway heading out of San Jose and turning right at the exit for the small town of San Ramon (well-sign posted). You will pass through La Tigra on the way to La Fortuna.
From Guanacaste (northern Costa Rica and the Beaches) to Arenal:
Take the Inter-American Highway and turn off the exit to Cañas. From Cañas follow the signs to Tilaran and then take the beautiful route along Arenal Lake.
From Monteverde to Arenal:
Drive from Santa Elena (main village in Monteverde) to Tilaran and then head towards Nuevo Arenal following the fully paved road along Arenal Lake. The route to La Fortuna is sign posted." [1]
Park Entrance and Fees
Fee: $15 USD for foreigners- this covers the entrance to both the Volcano and the Peninsula sectors
Hours: 8 AM - 4 PM every day
Other Activities Close to Arenal National Park
1. La Fortuna Waterfall- A common activity added in combination to a day spent hiking at Arenal Volcano is a dip in the La Fortuna Waterfall. Wake up early to beat some of the crowd and head down to the waterfall. It's a short 10 minute walk from the entrance to the falls. Take a dip in the freezing cold water if you feel up to it but be careful not to get to close to the actual falls themselves because the fast falling water is very dangerous. Lounge around on the boulders in the sun after a refreshing early morning swim and then head from here to the national park for a full day of activities.
Hours: Open 7 AM - 5 PM every day
Entrance Fee: $15 USD
2. The town of La Fortuna- Spend a few hours or a half day walking around the town of La Fortuna. La Fortuna is a backpacker town and is the pit stop for people on their way to Arenal. It is a small town with a few good cafes, restaurants, hotels and an amazing town square. Spend some time walking around, meeting fellow travelers, and stocking up on supplies/good food.
3. Kayaking/SUP in Lake Arenal- Lake Arenal is stunning and no trip to this area would be complete without a paddle out into this lake. Choose either a kayak or a SUP depending on how you're feeling and head out for a few hours. Some of the well-known rental places are listed below but there are always tons of places to rent or guys along the side of the road renting equipment.
4. 1968 Hiking Trails- Besides the actual Arenal Volcano National Park, there are also hiking trails at Arenal 1968 Trails. This area features two trails, one shorter trail and one longer trail that goes through jungle, over lava flow, and gives lookout points of the volcano and Lake Arenal. These trails are similar to the trails in the national park but just provide a different viewpoint. The entrance to these trailheads are only about 3/4 mile farther down the road past the national park entrance. The area is well-marked so you can't miss it.
Entrance Fee: $15 USD for self-guided, guided tours are available for roughly $60 per person
Hours: 8 AM - 6 PM every day
Trails: (1) The Bosque 1986 Trail- this is the longer and more difficult of the trails and is 4.7 km long (2) The Colada 1968 Trail- this is the shorter of the trails at 4 km long but is still moderately difficult
Learn more about the Arenal 1968 Trails HERE
5. Mistico Hanging Bridges- Mistico Park is located close to the town of La Fortuna and is known for its unique hanging bridge trail that allows you to walk through the canopies of the surrounding jungle. The trail is 3.2 km long and offers views of the surrounding canopy and of a waterfall. Mistico Park also offers other hiking trails that aren't on hanging bridges, but are just as nice views of the landscape. You can either do a self-guided walk or the park offers multiple tour options- (1) a Natural History Walk tour (2) a birding/bird watching tour and (3) a Mistico Night Walk tour. Mistico Park also offers tours outside the park, including an Arenal Volcano hiking tour, a canyoning tour in Spider Canyon and a horseback riding tour with Paco's Horses.
Entrance fees: $26 USD for self-guided tour and $38-$49 for a guided tour
Hours: 7:30 AM - 3:50 PM (last entrance) every day
Suggested duration: 2-3 hours
**Reservations are required**
Learn more about the Mistico Hanging Bridges and Mistico Park HERE
6. Free Hot Springs- There are numerous hot springs locations around La Fortuna thanks to Arenal and its volcanic geothermal activity. What kind of experience you want to have while at the hot springs is up to you and will determine whether you should go to the free hot springs or pay the entrance fee for a resort. The free hot springs are great for people traveling on a budget but they can be dangerous, and tricky to get to. If you aren't on a budget and would rather have a "hot springs experience", if you are a couple that wants a romantic moment, if you are a family with kids, etc. I would suggest going to a resort hot springs (see below). If you don't care about an experience and just want to soak in a hot river for free after a long day- keep reading. The river that runs through the Tabacon Resort continues on to this site and offers a hot river experience that is usually filled with locals and backpackers. Although the hot springs are nice, this are IS NOT SAFE- especially at night time. Please do not bring anything with you, including your phone, camera or other valuables! I would also suggest wearing only your bathing suit and water shoes (there are tons of sharp rocks you have to walk on and it can be slippery) and bringing nothing with you- except for maybe a towel (or a pack of cards like me and my travel buddy always do). Once it gets dark, there is absolutely no light here and it gets extremely sketchy trying to find your way back out. I would suggest not staying here after sunset (sunset is a common time for people to come down here), and always make sure there are a good amount of people around when you go.
Getting there: Follow directions to the Tabacon Resort which is about a 10 minute drive outside the town of La Fortuna. Either take a taxi to Tabacon or if you have your own rental car, follow google maps to the Tabacon Resort. From La Fortuna, you will pass the Tabacon Resort Hotel entrance on your right. Keep going until you see the Tabacon Resort Hot Springs entrance on your left just around the bend in the road. On the other side of the Tabacon Resort Hot Springs entrance is a gravel lot- either park here or anywhere on the side of the road near the Tabacon Hot Springs entrance. There is usually a guy watching cars in the gravel lot so if it makes you feel more comfortable, you can tip him to watch your car. From the gravel lot, there is a paved drainage way/road/path that leads down- walk down this until you reach the river edge where the river goes under and through a concrete tunnel. Either pick left or right and start walking- the farther you walk along the river the more privacy you will get.
Safety information: As said before, don't bring anything with you! Leaving a pile of stuff on the river edge is just a giant red flag for it to get stolen. Also, you really really shouldn't stay here after dark. Try to go during the day when there are lots of people also in the hot springs.
7. Tabacon or Baldi Hot Springs- As mentioned before, the La Fortuna area has a plentitude of hot springs to choose from. There are many hot springs in the area- including Ecotermales, Springs Resort, Los Perdidos, Paradise, Los Lagos, Titoku, Los Laureles and more. However, Tabacon and Baldi are the two highest rated so I will mention them here. Each resort has their own vibe and experience so pick which one suits your needs the most. Both Tabacon and Baldi offer day passes for use of the hot springs, and also offer spa services for an additional price and onsite restaurants. You could also stay at either resort and both are high-end hotels as well as spas.
Tabacon:
Hours: 10 AM - 10 PM for day visitors and from 8 AM - 10 PM for hotel guests every day
Entrance fee: Complimentary for hotel guests, $105 USD for a full day entrance including two meals, $85 USD for a day pass with one meal, $70 USD for either a "night pass" or a "morning pass" with one meal, each with limited hours you can enter.
Learn more about the Tabacon Hot Springs and Resort HERE
Baldi:
Hours: 9 AM - 10 PM every day
Entrance fee: Complimentary for hotel guests, $35 USD for a day pass, $57 USD for a day pass with one meal, $79 USD for a day pass with two meals
Learn more about the Baldi Hot Springs and Resort HERE
8. Hike to Cerro Chato- As mentioned before, Arenal Volcano National Park actually hosts two volcanoes- Arenal and Cerro Chato! Cerro Chato is much smaller of the two and has a collapsed crater, so makes a much less pretty picture than the perfectly conical Arenal Volcano. However, the hike up to the green lagoon at the top of Cerro Chato is just as rewarding. One of the hardest hikes in the area, the trail is steep, narrow, slippery and covered in roots and rocks that are easy to trip on. This hike is strenuous and takes about 2 hours each way. Once you reach the highest point, you will have a bit farther to go to reach the crater. From there, its a 20 minute scramble down slippery rocks to the lagoon- where you can swim and enjoy. This final section is the hardest part of the trail and is essentially rock climbing to get back out.
Getting there: The trailhead starts at the Arenal Observatory, which is about 45 minutes from La Fortuna. Park at the observatory (entrance is $10 USD per person). People are still using the trail at the Observatory even though the hike is OFFICIALLY CLOSED.
Important information: The hike has been closed by the Costa Rican government since July 2017 because of rain/mud but people are still hiking the trail at their own risk. Apparently there is a $200 fine for getting caught on the trail but you can still see about 15-20 hikers per day on the trail, even now. I am not advocating nor discouraging anyone to take this trail- it is up to personal discretion whether you think it is wise to do this trail even with the hike closure.
9. Canyoning- Because of the abundance of rivers, hot springs and waterfalls near La Fortuna, canyoning is a common day adventure trip. Most tours involve a hike through the area surrounding Arenal and then repelling down a waterfall. All repelling/climbing gear is provided by the tour companies. There are many tour companies in the area so my suggestion is to either do your own research on line about the best tour or ask locals! A good place to start would be to ask the people working at the hotel/hostel/guesthouse you are staying at- they will likely know the best (and cheapest) tour or have connections to help you get a deal. Some of the tour companies in the area are listed below, but again this is only a handful of all the companies in the area.
Aventuras Arenal
Desafio
Pure Trek Canyoning
Jacamar Naturalist Tours
Gravity Falls Waterfall Jumping
Mistico Spider Monkey Canyon
10. Horseback Riding Tour- A common half day excursion to do in La Fortuna is a horseback riding tour that will lead you to waterfalls, through the surrounding area and up to Arenal Volcano. There are tons of companies in the area that do tours- including companies that will book the tour from another company for you. Again, my suggestion is to either do your own research on line about the best tour or ask locals! A good place to start would be to ask the people working at the hotel/hostel/guesthouse you are staying at- they will likely know the best (and cheapest) tour or have connections to help you get a deal. Some of the tour companies in the area are listed below, but again this is only a handful of all the companies in the area.
Centaura
Caribe Fun Tours
Alberto's Horses
Arenal Wilberth Stable
Cabalgata Don Tobias
Paco's Horses
Desafio