Arenal Volcano facts Costa Rica

The amazing Arenal Volcano. Located in La Fortuna, a unique town in the North plains of Costa Rica, one of the best places in Costa Rica for relaxing and have fun, serves as the principal gateway for visiting  Volcán Arenal National Park, and it’s one of the top destinations for travelers in Costa Rica.

The Arenal Volcano is one of the most notable natural features of the country. This impressive volcano is located within the 29,960-acre Arenal Volcano National Park. Arenal Volcano is a conical stratovolcano, a 1,633 meter (5,300 feet) high mountain, which is perfectly conically shaped with a crater of 140 meters. Arenal Volcano is geologically considered a young volcano and its age is estimated to be less than 3,000 years.

The volcano was asleep for hundreds of years and exhibited a single crater at its summit, with minor fumaroles activity, covered by dense vegetation.It began its last and current period of activity in 1968, on July 29 at 7:30. From that date it emits steady gases and vapors of water, with some explosions with emission of pyroclastic materials and sometimes strong rumbles.

In general, between 1995 and 2008, the Arenal presented important activity both eruptive and seismic, although with a tendency to decrease.

Geologically it belongs to the Sierra de Tilarán and the nearby volcano Chato is considered as its brother

Arenal Volcano National Park Biodiversity.

The Arenal Volcano National Park covers four different life zones and it’s habitat of a big variety of flora and fauna. In fact, nearly 75% of the total 850 species of birds that have been identified in Costa Rica can be found here. Other species include sloths, white-faced capuchin monkeys, coati, deer and frogs.  The Chato Volcano (Volcán Chato), is located right next to the Arenal. This volcano, which has a height of 3,740 ft (1,140 m), has been inactive for some 3,500 years and has a crater that’s filled with aqua-green water.

Arenal Volcano National Park Schedule and La Fortuna facts:

• The park has trails and is open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
• The entrance fee is $6.
•  The are a lot of activities to do in La Fortuna. Horseback rides, tubing, ATV, zipline, tubing.  Inland diversions include hiking and waterfall repelling, as well as canopy and hanging bridge tours.
• Arenal Volcano Weather:  The temperature varies between 16 degrees Celsius (60.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in higher altitudes to 24 degrees Celsius (75.2 degrees Fahrenheit) in the lower altitudes and the annually rainfall is around 5,000 mm (195 inches).
• For a scenic hiking trail and views of the volcano, you can visit the Arenal Eco Park. You will enjoy an amazing experience swimming in a volcanic lagoon and exploring the old lava trails.
• La Fortuna  is very tourist friendly, is the nearest town to the Arenal Volcano. In this town you will find ATMs, supermarkets, a post office. You can also find restaurants and souvenir to buy a travel memory.
• La Fortuna downtown is 4 miles (6.4 km) from the Arenal Volcano. It’s 75 miles (120 km) from Juan Santamaría International Airport and from 70 miles (110 km) from Liberia.

How to get the Arenal Volcano 

From San José: The most popular route heads out of San José along the Inter-American Highway (Hwy 1) to the town of San Ramón, where you turn off into the hills, passing through La Tigra on the way to La Fortuna. Even without a map, La Fortuna is easy to find. Once you reach La Fortuna, continue through town toward Tabacón Hot Springs, Lake Arenal and the Arenal Volcano National Park. Just before reaching Lake Arenal, you will come to a police station on the right and a marked turn-off on the left for the National Park entrance.

From Liberia: Turn off the Inter-American Highway (Hwy 1) at Cañas, heading toward Tilarán. Continue around Lake Arenal, passing through the town of Nuevo Arenal, heading toward La Fortuna. After you pass the lake dam, you will come to a police station on the left and a marked turn-off on the right for the Arenal Volcano National Park.

           Read also :  Arenal Volcano mud bath benefits .