6 Things to Do Near Arenal Volcano
Arenal Volcano is the youngest stratovolcano in Costa Rica and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Its last major eruption was in 1968, after which the volcano remained highly active for the next four decades, spewing lava and sending up explosions to the awe of visitors. Although the lava flows ceased in 2010, the area continues to appeal to vacationers, offering a variety of activities against the stunning backdrop of the volcano. From hiking to sightseeing to adventure sports, there are dozens of things to do during a visit. Here are six of the top Arenal-area activities we tried during our Costa Rica vacation last summer.
1. Hike Around Arenal Volcano
Although visitors aren’t permitted to hike up Arenal Volcano, there are a couple of options for hiking near the volcano’s base. The choices include trailheads at Arenal Volcano National Park, Arenal Observatory Lodge and Arenal 1968 Reserve.
We chose Arenal 1968 Reserve because of its positive online reviews. The reserve has a gravel parking lot and a well-maintained ticket booth and restrooms, and offers two different trails, the Forest 1968 trail and the Lava Flow 1968 trail.
The Lava Flow trail winds through lava fields created by the 1968 eruption that destroyed three towns. The trail is a 2.5-kilometer loop that takes about an hour. The Forest trail includes most of the Lava Flow trail and follows a path around Los Patos lake and through the rain forest, for a total hike of 4.5 kilometers. It takes about two-and-a-half hours to complete.
I opted for the Forest trail because we’re frequent hikers, but my kids ended up being a little unhappy with me because of the high humidity during our June visit. In hindsight, although I enjoyed seeing the different terrain on the Forest trail, the shorter route would have been better to avoid some whining from the rest of the family.
Although they didn’t love the heat, the kids did enjoy seeing the cool wildlife along the way. One of the staff members showed us an eyelash viper that was hanging in a tree near the entrance of the reserve. We were also fascinated by the lines of leaf cutter ants that carried pieces of leaves twice their size back to their nests.
2. Swim in the Hot Springs
Because of its proximity to the volcano, the Arenal area boasts numerous hot springs. Popular hot springs include Tabacón, Baldi, Ecotermales, The Springs, and Kalambu. The hot springs vary in size and quality, with the largest and most well-known commanding steep admission prices.
We tried Tabacón and The Springs during our visit and enjoyed both. I agree with most reviewers that Tabacón is not to be missed. Visitors can swim in the thermal river that flows through the lushly landscaped resort and over a series of picturesque waterfalls. We spent several hours exploring Tabacón’s various springs and pools, which range in temperature, from 77 to 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
We purchased a one-day pass that included lunch at Tabacón’s onsite restaurant. For my four family members, tickets ran $340. Having the included lunch was convenient, as we were able to spend time in the springs before and after our meal.
The kids’ only negative comment about Tabacón was that the springs were hot and we had just finished a hike that was hot (see activity #1 above). This is when a mother throws up her hands and mutters something like, “It’s a geothermal spring next to a volcano!” If you don’t want to hear similar complaints from your family, consider an evening pass to enjoy the springs during the cooler part of the day.
3. Take a Night Tour
Another popular thing to do in Arenal is to take a night tour of the rain forest. We did the Arenal Oasis Reserve Frog Tour, which leads visitors through the woods and past the frog ponds of the 13-acre reserve.
Arenal Oasis Reserve is home to 28 species of frogs. During our visit, we saw blue jeans poison dart frogs, red-eyed tree frogs, hourglass tree frogs, and masked tree frogs, among others. Our guide also showed us a tree trunk covered with bullet ants, which have an extremely painful sting, and pointed out the most dangerous snake in Costa Rica, a fer-de-lance, hidden in a fallen log off a boardwalk path. Our guide was very excited about finding the fer-de-lance, while I found the idea of being so close to a deadly pit viper a little disturbing. But at no time did I think we were in any real danger.
The best part of the night tour was being able to experience the sounds of the rain forest. As we walked, we were surrounded by the chirping of the frogs and the patter of rain on the leaves.
4. Visit Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park
Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park is another private rain forest reserve in the Arenal area, with a series of seven suspension bridges along an interpretative trail. The park offers a variety of guided tour experiences, including a natural history tour, a bird-watching tour and a night walk.
We did the natural history tour with a guide, though self-guided tours are also available. With every activity in Costa Rica, we faced the question, “Should we pay for the tour guide or go on our own?” We were concerned if we didn’t opt for a guide, we’d miss seeing animals and learning interesting information. But Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park was one of the places where in hindsight, a self-guided tour would have been enough.
For one thing, the animals we spotted were ones we’d already seen on other tours in Costa Rica (another eyelash pit viper on a fallen log, a mot-mot on a tree limb) or were obvious to the naked eye (vibrant blue morpho butterflies floating next to a waterfall). For another, we’d already heard much of the information from other guides.
If Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park is the only rain forest hike you plan on doing on your trip, then I recommend paying for the guided tour. But if you’ve already taken a guided hike or two—in our case, Manuel Antonio National Park and Arenal Oasis Reserve (see activity #3 above)—then consider saving your money. Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park is still worth a self-guided visit for its easy walk on a paved path and its spectacular views of Arenal Volcano.
5. See La Fortuna Waterfall
Another top attraction in the Arenal Volcano area is La Fortuna Waterfall. The powerful waterfall has a massive 75-meter drop over the edge of a cliff. To reach the waterfall, visitors descend almost 500 steps to the bottom of the waterfall’s pool.
My family ventured into the pool, and my husband even swam out toward the waterfall’s cascade, which was a little terrifying because the waterfall is so strong. Afterwards, we walked to a nearby calm water area, where we waded and watched schools of fish swim by our legs. My younger son thought he might be able to catch a fish or two with his hands if he tried hard enough. He was wrong.
To ensure a great visit, bring water shoes and your patience. La Fortuna Waterfall is said to be the most visited waterfall in Costa Rica, and the number of people there during our visit reflected it.
6. Go Horseback Riding
The Arenal Volcano area offers all sorts of adventure activities, including zip lining, rappelling, rock climbing, ATV driving, and horseback riding. Because we’d already done an off-road buggy tour during our stay on the Central Pacific coast, and at least one member of our family is a no-go on any activities that involve dangling yourself from unnatural heights, horseback riding was the adventure of choice for our stay in Arenal.
The Arenal area has numerous stables with tours of varying lengths. We booked a horseback tour at Club Rio at The Springs Resort & Spa because we were spending a night at the hotel there. Our tour was short—only about 45 minutes of actual riding—but we loved getting to ride our horses through the river, which we’d never done before.
The horseback ride was one of my family’s favorite activities of the trip. But if you’re an inexperienced or nervous horseback rider, this tour might not be for you, as the horses were not always at a walk and were sometimes very close together. At the same time, the horses were some of the best-behaved trail horses I’ve ever seen, so if you’ve done some horseback riding in the past, you’re sure to have a great time.
Need more advice about Costa Rica? Check out my itinerary for the Central Pacific coast near Jaco. You might also like these posts on where to stay in the Arenal area, how to pack for your Costa Rica trip, and when to go!
