Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal is a national park in Costa Rica.
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history
landscape
Flora and fauna
climate
getting there
Fees / permits
Admission: $ 6
mobility
Tourist Attractions
Arenal volcano
The Arenal in Costa Rica is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Lava flows regularly on the slopes down to the valley and repeatedly it throws glowing boulders up to 7.5 m in diameter 300 meters into the sky. At the foot of the volcano lies the town of La Fortuna on the one hand, and the largest inland lake in the country, the Arenal Lake, on the other.
On July 29, 1968, during its last major eruption, it destroyed the villages of Pueblo Nuevo and Tabacon, the remains can still be visited today. 87 people were killed in this major outbreak.
Until its first ascent in 1937, no one even believed in a volcanic origin of the 1633 m high mountain, as it was completely overgrown at that time. It is believed that the Arenal has been active before, but has shown no activity for about 400 years. Every year the volcano grows several meters as the lava piles up around the crater.
The best way to see the lava is at night, from the viewpoint about 2 km away. Guided tours can be booked in La Fortuna.
