Arenal/La Fortuna: Costa Rica's Ultimate Destination

[Danny Solano Alvarez]

In Costa Rica you can find a big number of places to visit, those are usually divided by tourist regions; among the most popular can be found Monteverde, Manuel Antonio and La Fortuna. This time let´s focus on La Fortuna – Arenal area.

The history of the area began around the 1930´s, when the first inhabitants came to these lands. At the beginning this village was part of the district of ¨Los Angeles de San Ramon¨, but after 1950 the locals decided to be part of San Carlos´ canton, being declared district number seven of San Carlos. Thanks to the quality of the lands the name was established as ¨La Fortuna¨. In 1968, Arenal Volcano erupted, causing many damages to the area and their inhabitants, after this many people left the place.

The transformation began during the 80´s decade when the town started to change the agricultural activities for tourism, which by today is one of the main industries in this area.

As I mentioned before La Fortuna is a district of San Carlos located 46 kilometers north Ciudad Quesada with an area of 225 square kilometers and a population of around 5000 people. Getting there is easy; it takes around 3 hours from San Jose and can be reach by either car or public transportation. The town is very close to the grand Arenal volcano, causing the popularity among tourists around the world.

Because of this La Fortuna has become a very popular and touristy town that gives to its visitors amazing views of the active volcano, with a big range of accommodations of many types fitting all preferences. Another highlight of the area is the natural hot springs located in some of the most popular resorts, which usually comes with different options on spa services.

There are also other tourist attractions close to the area, for example La Fortuna Waterfall, a breathtaking waterfall surrounded by beautiful nature, the Arenal Lake and the well known adventure tours, which are offer to the visitors by the tour operators in the area. Tours like white water rafting, horseback riding, canopy tours, hanging bridges, bungee jumping and canyoneering, among others.

Even though Arenal Volcano has been resting since 2010, this town hasn´t lost its charm neither the increasing number of tourists that visit it every year. This beautiful region gives to its visitors an unforgettable experience.

The luxury resorts and hot springs are an important part of the popularity of the area, many tourists enjoy relaxing and resting on these hotels while they enjoy the stunning views of the volcano.


The focus of La Fortuna has been the amazing and panoramic views brought by the majestic Arenal Volcano, the hot springs in luxury resorts and the adventure tours in the area, having the volcano the undisputed first place.

Planning a visit to Costa Rica? Don´t forget to visit Arenal – La Fortuna area, is a must do while you are here.

By Maricel/