Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal

A very good place to view Arenal volcano! Entrance is $15 and you have access to the volcanic side and lake side of the park. We got to see a sloth, Armadillo ( in the parking lot) , snake. You’ll get a good view on a sunny day. For the lake side of the park, once you exit the volcanic side , take a left turn. After a few meters , you’ll find a dirt road that would continue for 1.7 kms. Lake was peaceful.

I loved this place!! Easy to hike and saw many varieties of wildlife and plants. Saw solo hikers as well as families on all the main trails. The lake trails are a bit more difficult to get to because of the road that accesses the trail. But the main park where you pay is easy and also has restrooms at the entrance. I wish I had more time to explore and just watch nature. We did not need a reservation ahead of time but this was also a slower time in June.

My son and I went for a short trip in the park. Oh what an awesome view and amazing animals. From one side the volcano, from the other side Arenal lake. The nature at it's full glory, all done to make sure humens will not interfere the wildlife. Enjoy!

Had an awesome hike! What great views, hikes, talks and more. Saw sloths with babies, monkeys, snakes, bugs, ants, lizards, birds, raccoons and more. So many cool plants along the way - which was just unbelievable 🤩 Our tour guide Jose was really awesome and even took some great photos he sent us afterwards which was super nice. We did the combo with the bridges, volcano and waterfall with lunch and we were very impressed - this was probably our favorite part!

Very accessible hikes suitable for all ages. Most parts are tree-covered so it wasn’t too hot (early June). The mountain view at the end of the longest trail is a bit of a hike up some stairs and volcanic rock, so that part will be a bit more challenging for younger or older people. The whole hiking (all trails included) should take around 2 hours at a leisurely pace.

The park was pretty underwhelming. There were a total of three trails. And the viewing platform was roped off because it had holes in the floor. And the volcano was clouded over as it usually is. I didn’t get to see about five wild Toucans so that was good.

We visited the National Park , taking the half hour or so, absolutely stunning, scenic drive to the park from La Fortuna. It was really easy to get to, even if you're not great with directions or driving in foreign countries. FYI, their roads are pretty good there, for the most part, and they drive on the right side of the road. We had a Hyundai SUV, and it was fine with everything that we did. We drove down to the very last parking lot in the park, and looked at the maps. We decided to do #4 and #5, the Ceiba Tree path, and another one. The Ceiba Tree path was an offshoot of the lass challenging path. It was a bit harder than the main one. If you're really out of shape, have hip or knee problems, I would be hesitant to do it. There were a lot of roots and loose rocks on the path. There's a volcano lookout, as well. Along the route driving up and back from La Fortuna, that's where you will find all of the hot springs spas. Tabacon, Baldi, probably 6+. Those are definitely worth checking out! There are fabulous hotels at the hotel springs, as well, or you can buy day passes. Do not miss this park!

This is a great place to hike and see amazing plants and wildlife! In the rainy season, some of the paths flood and get muddy, but it's an awesome walk through the jungle of Costa Rica.