Near the central valley of Costa Rica is the Irazu Volcano . The capital city of San Jose sits in it’s shadow.  It had a major eruption in 1963 when it covered the central valley, esp San Jose in a blanket of ash.  At this moment it is quiet.  It is also a big tourist attraction and an easy day trip  from San Jose .

East of San Jose is the Turrialba Volcano which lately has been spraying ash for miles around its base.  It is off the beaten path and not many tourist go there because it is not easy to get to.

The there is the Poas Volcano, the volcano which draws the most tourist as well as Costa Rica visitors.  It is only one hour from San Jose by car and the drive up to is is just gorgeous.  Coffee plantations dot the sides of the mountains and dairy cows are seen grazing the deep green grass in the higher altitudes.  Lately it has been quite active spraying hot water and gasses high into the sky, almost one kilometer.

Costa Rica is a country filled with natural phenomenons.  Volcano eruptions, earthquakes, floods, but luckily Costa Rica does not get hurricanes.  If you would like to see the big eruption of 1958 of the Poas Volcano on video you can do just that.  Go to the top of our home page and click on “buy our video”  Also you will see on the video the mighty Arenal Volcano is action, as well as the Poas Volcano.

Ken and Ann at the Poas Volcano

Areanl Volcano in the late afternoon with it's perfect cone

If you are flying into the central valley of Costa Rica to the Juan Santa Maria International Airport, than by car you are three and one half hours from the Arenal Volcano.  If you fly into the Liberia International Airport in the northern zone of Costa Rica,  by car you are three  to three and one half hours from the Arenal Volcano.

Let’s say you have  two  full days to stay in this area and want to experience the activities that are the most fun.  First, I recommend the sky tram and canopy tour and do it first thing in the morning when the weather is usually best. This is offered by a company called Sky Trek and you can purchase it right at your hotel tour desk.   Or purchase it from  Sunset Tour Company in La Fortuna  located right on the town square.  Arrangements can be made for you to be picked up and delivered back  to  your hotel  by a shuttle service offered by Sky Trek tour company or by Sunset tours.

What exactly do I do on the Sky Tram & Sky Trek Tour?   You will be transported on a Sky Tram Gondola  on a smooth ride through the rain forest up to an observation deck high above the rain forest canopy. Along the way you have a gorgeous view of Lake Arenal.  Also you may see howler monkeys and a flock of colorful toucans.  At the top, from the observation deck,  the view to the south face of Arenal Volcano is magnificant!  It’s almost like you can reach out and touch the volcano.  You can hear is roaring and see the  hot molten rocks and fiery boulders shooting from it’s summit.

From the observation deck,  you can take a well marked path which leads you into the rain forest and hike for around 45 minutes.  The vegetation here is unique due to the high altitude.  One of the most interesting is the giant fern tree which grows to around eight fee tall.  Imagine a fern that size in your living room!

You can ride the Sky Tram gondola back down OR  you can take the more exciting route down, the zip line cables,  called the Sky Trek. It will definitely get your adrenalin going.  Once strapped into the safety gear,  you just zip from tree top platform to tree top platform.  It’s up and over the top of the rain forest canopy.  A beautiful experience!  Just like Tarzan and Jane!

If you are hungry after this great adventure, there is a small cafe right there on the grounds.  Also you can spend an extra thirty minutes and walk through the butterfly garden,  where blue morpho butterflies fly freely surrounded by a very large net.  Very interesting for butterfly lovers.

This tour takes approximately one-half day, and I highly recommend it.

Children have to be at least eight years of age to take the Sky Trek Zip Line Portion of the Tour.

The costs when I took it in 2009 was $65 per person.  Plus $8 if I wanted to be transported by the shuttle to and from my hotel.

What should I wear? Comfortable walking shoes like tennis or light weight hiking boots.  Temperature is cool because you are at a high altitude.  You will need a light weight rain proof jacket because rains frequently.  Take your money etc. in a pouch because if you take the zip line, it’s hard to handle a backpack.

costaricalearn.com   strives to help you make your vacation to Costa Rica more fun and more meaningful!   Ken and Ann Creed are the authors and videographer.  You can read more about Ken and Ann by clicking on “about us” at the top of page one.

The town is bustling with tourists, here to see the mightly Arenal Volcano’s eruptions and experience the many adventure outdoor activities.

Best place to catch one of these tours is Sunset Tours conveniently located on the town square.
You can pick from horseback riding, river rafting, hiking around the base of the volcano, rainforest expeditions, canopy tours, sky tram, visit a self sustaining organic farm, visit an indigenous indian village, bird watching, river floats to view allegators, monkeys, and water fowl. And much much more. Plus it is a photographers paradise.

How many days should a tourist stay in this area of La Fortuna? I recommend a minimum of 3 nights. I stayed seven nights and did not run out of things to see and do.

La Fortuna offers small hotels that are for the budget minded. And local restaurants offering typical Costa Rican dishes, lots of small shops to pick up local souvenirs and T shirts.