Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

Great national park- a must see in Costa Rica and the Arenal area! I hiked on the red trail (the longest one) and it took about an hour. Had great views from the base of the volcano over the lake. Passed through lots of lush rainforest and big trees. Saw some coatis, lizards, frogs, iguanas.

Not very special. The trail leads to a lava flow from a recent eruption. But everything is covered by young trees and plants. The park is ok but that can be said for any random jungle area. We did not see any animals apart from the spider on the picture.