Papayas in Arenal Region

Mighty Arenal with slight cloud cover

My Favorite National Park in Costa Rica: Arenal Volcano National Park

“My Best Acquaintances are Those With with Whom I Speak No Words”

I never tire of visiting The Arenal Volcano National park in Costa Rica. This is truly a place to reach out and touch nature, peaceful and quiet with only the sounds of the mighty Arenal huffing and puffing it’s  hot lava from it’s giant mouth. Each time I visit I learn something new and different and extremely interesting about the park and the ecosystem surrounding it.   A big question is :  why is there a cloud cover over the summit of the volcano–most of the time?   First, there is a lot of rain-all year round- in the San Carlos Valley where the volcano is located.  And also scientist say that the volcano creates it’s own ecosystem.  Constantly puffing not steam and hot lava rocks into the atmosphere.

So it is a lucky visitor who gets to see the entire volcano without the cloud cover.  The best time to see it is to get up at sunrise to see it when the cloud cover has not yet moved over it’s summit.  up until around 10 a.m. you may have a good chance of seeing it.   Also the north face of the volcano (from Lake Arenal) is a better chance of a better view.

People ask me, what month should I visit to be able to see Arenal Volcano.  March is a drier month, with less rainfall.  Although there is no dry or rainy season  around the volcano.  The lush rain forests  give testimony to the abundant rainfall…all year round.

This rainfall brings the beautiful tropical flowers and abundant crops this region is so famous for. There are papayas, pineapple, coconuts, bananas,  and platanos.  Plants grow so fast here that farms have been established to grow and export ornamental plants, many of them to the United States and Europe.

And there is the hot mineral springs that flow from deep inside the base of Arenal.  Such soothing waters!  A sure cure for the aching muscles after a long hike.

One of my favorite activities is to get up a 5:30 am as the sun is rising and go birdwatching. Early in the morning the birds are singing and flying through the trees.  I saw tow different species of Toucans.  I was hoping for a scarlet macaw but was informed that the scarlets are not normally found in this region.

And my other favorite activity is to take my digital camera and capture the Volcano, which is not an easy task.  My best photograph is from a boat on the Arenal Lake taken about 8:30 am. Lots of dark brown marine birds flew over and the volcano was in the back drop..with no clouds covering!  I got lucky.

When I visit Arenal Volcano National park,   I like to stay a least four nights or longer.  I always find interesting things to see and do.   From taking a hike inside the National park to a horseback ride on a farm near by.

Traveling to Costa Rica? I highly recommend the area of La Fortuna and Arenal Volcano National Park,  a unique place to visit!