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Arenal
National Park
Undisputedly one of Costa Rica's foremost tourist attractions, the highly
eruptive Arenal Volcano is the centerpiece of this new national park declared
in October of 1994. In addition to including in the national park system what
is currently one of the world's most active volcanoes, the area now under park
service protection encompasses the watersheds of several rivers and streams
that flow into Lake Arenal, the country's most important source of
hydroelectric power.
The imposing Arenal Volcano rises in nearly perfect conical form out of the
western end of the San Carlos plains. Its periodic eruptions of ash and molten
rock, accompanied by thundering sonic blasts, are an unforgettable experience
anytime, but become extremely spectacular after dark. When the light of day
has dimmed, the glowing red igneous rocks ejected with each eruption trace
fiery arches in the night sky before crashing down on the steep slopes and
finally extinguishing themselves.
Columns of lava also push their way down the sides of the volcano and pieces
of the advancing sections continually break off under the weight of new flows
bearing down from above. At night, these falling pieces are visible as chunks
of rolling red rocks, adding to the natural fireworks display between the
frequent eruptions.
From the 600-meter elevation where visitors are allowed to approach atop a
lava flow from the 1968 eruption, Arenal rises another 1000 meters to its
1,633-meter summit, and although the peak is still 3 kilometers away, it is
definitely "in your face!"
There is little vegetation or wildlife to be seen in the immediate area of the
main viewing site since the effects of the major devastating eruption of 1968
are only slowly being overcome. Nevertheless, this area offers a unique
opportunity to witness the early stages of lava flow colonization by a handful
of plant species adapted to the task. Farther away there are other areas which
escaped direct damage and provide better wildlife viewing in the forested
sections, however, as yet the park service does not maintain any well-marked
trails in these areas, which include the dormant Volcano Chato to the
southeast of Arenal.
Getting there: A bit of a long way from anywhere, Arenal National Park is most
quickly reached from San José by taking the PanAmerican Highway west to the
town of San Ramón and the road north through Angeles, La Tigra, and Chachagua
to La Fortuna. Driving west out of La Fortuna, the road takes you 180 degrees
around the volcano to the park ranger station.
There is public bus service from both San José and Ciudad Quesada to La
Fortuna.
An alternative, and equally scenic, route for those coming from Guanacaste is
to take the PanAmerican Highway to the town of Cañas and then drive up into
the hills to the town of Tilarán and follow Lake Arenal around its northern
shore to the base of the volcano.
Fishing:
Climate: Being under the influence of Caribbean slope weather patterns, Arenal
Volcano receives anywhere from 3.5 to 5 meters of rain per year. Even when it
isn't raining, clouds often gather around the volcano's peak, obliterating a
full view of the mountain. At lower elevations within the park (e.g., the
viewing area at the volcano's western base), the temperatures are warm during
the day, but can get chilly at night, especially if there is a breeze.
History: The settlers that colonized this region in the early part of the 20th
century referred to Arenal Volcano as "the mountain" and apparently,
despite its conical shape, did not realize it for what it is. Thus, when the
quiescent volcano exploded on July 29, 1968, producing a cloud of hot volcanic
gases and covering several square kilometers with lava, some 87 people living
in the areas of Tabacón and Pueblo Nuevo lost their lives.
Since this tragic eruption (the first following at least 300 years of
inactivity, according to some geologists), Arenal has remained active, but
fortunately at a level posing little threat to visitors.
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