The town of Alajuela is home to a natural landmark, the active Arenal Volcano. It is the youngest volcano in Costa Rica, but often spews lava in small volumes. From the outside it looks amazing, and the main thing is that such activity is not dangerous for the population.
The volcano is part of the Arenal Volcano National Park, along with the lake of the same name. People come here to see with their own eyes an amazing sight, take cool pictures and walk around the protected area.
The crater of the volcano is often hidden in the clouds, which makes the overall picture even more picturesque.
The best way to get from the capital of San Jose is by rental car. The distance is 130 km, which is a 3-hour drive.
Guide
The territory of the national park is quite extensive. To see all the beauty here it is better to come for a couple of days. But if the time of the trip is limited to one day, the main reason to visit the national park is Arenal itself. Tourists from all over the world come to hear the noise made by the mouth of the volcano.
Today it is a safe place where those who wish can walk in the green forests, windsurf in the lake of the same name and watch Arenal erupt. And once this power wiped out an entire city and its population.
The walk to the volcano will take several hours and will be more interesting if you use a guide who will explain the features of Arenal, its history and will guide you through the most interesting and safe routes. But if you plan to admire this giant from afar, you can get by on your own.
Some tourists dare to climb to the top to look inside. But it can be dangerous, because the volcano emits a poisonous sulfur cloud and is constantly bubbling.
The park has special paths along which amazing plants and flowers grow. Huge and wild, very many varieties of orchids.
For the extreme, came up with the entertainment "kanopi" in which you can fly on ropes between the trees in the jungle. There is also the option of jumping into the abyss from a height. The adrenaline rush is guaranteed!
For relaxation choose the thermal springs at the foot of the volcano. There are a lot of them here, you can choose according to your taste. Here you will relax, swim in pools of different temperatures, go for a ride on a water slide and enjoy the beauty of artificial waterfalls.
There is a café where you can not only have a good meal but also enjoy the panoramic views of Arenal and the jungle.
Local flora and fauna
Walking around the area you can meet spider monkeys and howler monkeys, sloths, deer, hummingbirds, parrots, snakes and other animals.
Local plants and trees make the flora unique: ferns, orchids, palms, laurel and even figs. The dense jungle adds to the overall picture an atmosphere of wildness and unexplored.
