It has been active, ever since... regular eruptions of lava and
ash... providing fiery displays that draw curious onlookers... from all parts of the world. Arenal's constant activity... has covered the two lower craters on the western, rocky
slope. Its two remaining craters appear as twin peaks...
spewing ash and rock.

Very close to the volcano... is a private observatory lodge...
featuring the best views over Arenal Lake and the volcano. 
This lodge was built... in 1987, by the Smithsonian Institution 
and the University of Costa Rica, if you call ahead... this place,
is a fantastic place to stay, to get close-up photos of the
volcano. Arenal Volcano was and is sacred to Costa Rica
Indian Tribes. 

Whenever you are hiking around the rainforest terrain... around
Volcano Arenal... be very cautious, wear hiking boots and keep
your eyes open along the trails... there are numerous
"Fer de Lance" serpents, (one of the deadliest snakes in the
world).  They really blend in with the leafy compost ground,
and are difficult to see.  There have been numerous snake bites...
on hikers who are unaware that they are being "watched by
a serpent".

Their snake bite, attacks the nervous system... and can put you
in a coma for 3 weeks.  It can partially blind and paralyze you...
atrophy your muscles or kill you, if not sent to the hospital
immediately.

Mystical Lake Arenal & Reservoir
Nuevo Arenal & Lake Cote

The Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal... is actually part of the
Arenal Volcano National Park, established in 1991. This volcano
feeds Lake Arenal and is a center of natural energy projects in
the region. When it exploded in 1968 after lying dormant for
400 years and destroyed three villages at its base, communities
have since kept a safe distance from the Arenal Volcano Costa
Rica.

Since then... three active craters continually spew hot ash,
steam and lava in to the air. Although its eruption caused losses,
it has given this area a new lease on life, with Eco-Tourism...
becoming a main source of revenue for the area, which has always been dependent on agriculture... as a means of living.

10 hours before its 1968 explosion, there were 10 hours of
earthquakes in the area, so the residents here... remember this
and don't panic when there is a small eruption.

There have been major events in El Arenal, some as recent as
2000. Areas around the volcano are evacuated and extreme precautions are taken. This area is carefully monitored to avoid
the catastrophe that occurred in 1968.

The emerald green Lake Arenal... appeared about two or three 
million years ago, when tectonic movements... created a 
depression in the land... that became filled with water.  In 1973, the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity...  enlarged the
lake... to the eastern end of the valley, raising the lagoon level and creating this 32-kilometer-long reservoir... for a hydroelectric project. It is said... that there are great archaeological  sites... 
at the bottom of the lake.

The mystical Arenal Lake & Reservoir... creates an eerie atmosphere...
against the setting of this ancient volcano... with supernatural
spirits of the Shaman Indian tribes... rising from the lagoon.

There have been unusual cases... of missing people reports on the
Lake... missing from their fishing boats.  And this area attracts wild
electrical storms.  Many UFOs have been sighted over the volcano
and lake, as well as nearby Lake Cote.

The Arenal lake is stocked full of big beautiful Rainbow Trout... so
it is a favorite place to fish.  And the volcanic winds... make it an
ideal place for sailing and windsurfing. 

The closest small village to the lake, is Nuevo Arenal. It was
created in 1973,when the construction of the reservoir... flooded
the original settlement. From here fishing tours are directed. Five kilometers northwest... kind of off the beaten path... is Notorious
Lake Cote, (where UFOs have been seen entering the lake).

There is a hotel on this lake, Coter Lake Private Biological Reserve...
where you can stay and visit the Maleku Indian tribe.  they have
built a little Palenque... in the pathway, representing their culture
and history... along with some really nice Indian arts and crafts.

The Village of La Fortuna

Village of La Fortuna...
Right Below Volcano Arenal

On the way to Volcano Arenal... you will see a huge wind farm...
with dozens of windmills, spinning wildly in the volcanic winds.

In the shadow of the towering Arenal Volcano... is the Village of La Fortuna, nearby is the 230 - foot La Fortuna Waterfall... where a hike down a very steep trail... ends at the base of the
falls and a small sandy beach.

There are things to do... within the village itself, so its worth
exploring... for a couple days before you set off to the adventures further west and to the south, to the Monteverde Cloud Forest.

Next to the bullring, there is a farmers market every Friday
afternoon. This indoor market place… is where locals come… to
buy herbs, meat, cheeses, baked goods and fresh fruits and vegetables. The Village of La Fortuna… is a relaxed friendly town,
with a growing Artist Colony. You can buy some fantastic paintings,
from the local artisans... and there are shops where you can
buy souvenirs and arts and crafts... from the local Indian tribes.

They have "Cabayero" Horse Parades and a two week festival in
February.

La Fortuna Village is at the heart of some of Costa Rica's most
rugged and scenic terrain. You could easily arrive with no plans...
yet suddenly find yourself overwhelmed at the possibilities,
which lie in every direction.

A road runs from the village of La Fortuna... past a lookout point
facing the northern side of El Arenal and continues around the
lake and down to the Monteverde Cloud Forest.  On the road to
the lake, is a really nice German Restaurant, where you can
enjoy lunch and buy German Delicacies.

Tabacon Hot Springs & Water Fall
Baldi Hot Springs & Pools

Tabacon  Hot  Springs
 

Tabacon Hot Springs & Water Fall Resort, has channeled part of 
the river's flow into several pools and a manicured, tropical 
garden. This forms Tabacon Hot Springs and Falls.

Next to the hot springs, in the main lodge, all of the rooms face
the volcano. Visitors just arriving... will be thrilled at the loud
booms and the accompanying lava and steam, running to their
windows... to witness the glowing red streaks in the night. Early evening and the nighttime... is the best time to soak in the
Tabacon hot springs. You are quite literally... in the middle of
nowhere, so wade over to one of the four bars and order a
Pina Colada!

The Tabacon River begins inside Arenal Volcano. The magma
heats the water to 101 degrees, which then flows through the
base of the volcano down about 3/4 mile to Tabacon Hot
Springs.

From here the river splits into several smaller rivers, joining with
cool water from a different river, to make dozens of pools of
varying temperatures, shapes and sizes. These hot spring rivers meander through acres of verdant tropical gardens, creating a
mystical and magic atmosphere.

At the main part of the springs is this spectacular waterfall,
where you can sit under the falls and let the hot water
massage your neck and shoulders. Soak in the large main pool
with a swim-up bar, or choose a number of other smaller pools
with built-in lounges, little waterfalls, and cozy tubs hidden in
the gardens.

Surprisingly, there are very few mosquitoes and insects!
Probably because of the abundance of Fruit Bats in this area.
Kids and adults alike... will love the small waterslide. The
restaurant overlooks the main pool and falls, with views of
the volcano.

Iskandria Spa offers massages, mud facials, aromatherapy,
and many other services in a private section of the hot
springs.

You really need to spend a couple nights in the Arenal Volcano
area... to properly experience Tabacon Hot Springs. You will
probably want to come back each night you are there. The
best time to visit the hot springs is mid-afternoon to evening.
The temperature is cool, the water is hot, and the lava flow is
best seen at night!

Where else can you watch an erupting volcano... while sitting in
a hot springs drinking a Piña Colada? There is no other place
like it on earth!

Baldi Hot Springs and Pools across the street from Tabacon Hot
Springs Resort (which is more affordable), offers changing rooms,
a restaurant, bar, and massage services.

Venado Caves
Near Arenal Volcano

The Venado Caverns are an experience for anyone looking
for that extra special Volcanic experience.  Wherever there are
volcanoes there are caves.  Another life exists underground
and if you do not like bats... then stay clear of this tour. The
caves are said to be... Costa Rica's most famous spelunking destination.

Venado Caves, north of the lake offer the adventurous
an exciting journey underground. Visitors crawl, wade and
climb through this dark, sometimes narrow, 1.5-mile system 
of caves.

Explore Earth’s inner depths during a 2-hour trek through
underground waterfalls and smooth, stone-passage ways. Bats, stalactites, and stalagmites will tantalize and astonish the true explorer, who is looking for that extra thrill of adrenaline!

You will get very wet as you wade through the subterranean
rivers and swim under rocks... to the other side of the caves.

The Venado caves, south of La Fortuna, Costa Rica should
always be explored with a guide, even though you are free to
enter them alone.

The Cave Tour includes: Bilingual guide, entrance fees, and transportation.  What to bring: Old shorts and a t-shirt, NO
jewelry, bring cotton socks, a change of clothing, towel &
soap – cameras not allowed in the caves.  Flashlights, and
cave helmet lights. Wear protective tennis shoes.  Must be
athletically fit to take this tour.
$30 per person. 

The guide will take you through narrow passages and incredible labyrinths and chambers, where you will see the famous rock
formation, named "La Papaya," and other stalactites and
stalagmites.

The cool temperatures are created by the lack of sunlight,
combined with the ever-present water that flows through
them.

Bats and scorpion spiders live in the caves, but these are
negligible hazards, compared to the high waters... that fill the
caves... during the rainy season... when visitors should avoid
the caves altogether.

Take a one-hour drive south of La Fortuna and you will reach
the small village of Venado, about 7km south of La Fortuna.
Follow the signs to the caves, which are located on private
property. Obtain permission and pay a small entrance fee to
be admitted to the caves.

On the cave tour you cross a field, to where a stream...
flows out of the mountain side and into a makeshift, cement
doorway.  Then when you have been through knee-deep water, everything goes "pitch black" almost immediately! 

Then you are led to a large room with bats and guano...
The guide will hoist you up to a narrow, peeping crawlway,
that opens 4 feet off the ground.  Once through the crevice,
you will experience the darkness again.  The guide will shine
his light down a slippery hole... that drops about 20 feet
straight down. There are footholds... where you descend,
one by one into the pit.

When you get to the bottom... you will walk thru a damp,
narrow crevice... but do not run your hands along the walls!
because of gigantic Scorpion Spiders... that live along the walls
of the cave.  Pretty creepy looking! 

Then you will wander down the crevice... to an apparent
dead-end.  But don't be afraid yet!  There is a tiny hidden
crevice about a foot tall, at the bottom of one wall. 

This is called the "Birth Canal".  The guide will ask you to leave
your flashlights behind, lie down in the dirt, on your back,
and "shimmy" down the canal.  He suggests that the smallest
person... goes down first. Now you know why hard hats are
imperative.

Once everyone is through, you will descend some more and
pass through an underground waterfall... with a rare head of
subterranean fresh water coral. Next, you will enter a small
passage and fight through "waist-deep" rushing water.  At one
point, the guide will ask you to jump, to avoid an alleged 10 foot
deep hole... which, in the rushing water... could take you to
a watery death. 

From there, the path narrows to a triangular crevice, and the
speed of rushing water increases.  At one point, you will have
to turn your head, sideways and dip down to your chin, to
get through a very narrow portion of the crevice. It seems,
that each time, you think you have seen the worst, you will
embark on an even harder endeavor.

After about 2 hours trekking underground, you will be relieved,
to come to a room, with a crack of sunlight at the top, covered
in vines. about 30 feet of slimy muddy rock, to get to the top! 
But not to worry... the guide will lead you to an exit route... far
ahead, a muddy, rocky, bat-filled, steep and dangerous chamber.
With considerable effort, the guide will shimmy himself up on the
ledge, to a point where he can get a grip hold.

He will craft a makeshift rope... from his tattered shirt, and
incredibly hoist you up, ledge by ledge, one at a time.  When you
finally do get out... you will feel a great relief to have made it.

At the end of the cave tour... a shower and beer is waiting!