Arenal
One of Costa Rica’s most popular tourist attractions is the Arenal volcano. Arenal is Costa Rica’s most active volcano and one of the ten most active in the world. As long as it’s not cloudy, you can usually see a red glow oozes down the sides of the mountain. Most of the tourist activities in this area center around the national park with bird watching tours and trekking being particularly good here. Many visitors to the Arenal Volcano National Park stay in nearby La Fortuna as the accommodation is cheaper than the hotels at the foot of the volcano.
Buying a Travel Backpack
Finding Cheap Accommodation
Buying Travel Insurance
Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast
Getting Lost in a Jungle
Cahuita National Park (Video)
Costs in Arenal
- Hostel Prices: Accommodation is expensive in this area because of all the tourists. Expect to pay around $10 USD for a dorm and $25 USD for a private room.
- Budget Hotel Prices: Rooms at budget hotels begin around $25 USD for a private room with a bathroom.
- Average Cost of Food: Main courses in budget restaurants in the area will cost $6 USD on average, while soda restaurants (cheap local food) starts around $3 USD.
- Cost of Internet: Most hotels and hostels have wifi or free internet, otherwise you can get online in an internet café for $1 USD per hour.
- Transportation Costs: The public bus from San José takes 3.5 hours and costs 1750 Colones. The bus from La Fortuna to Arenal costs around 780 Colones with a taxi coming in at 2075 Colones.
Things to do in Arenal
- Volcán Arenal National Park. Chances are if you’re thinking of heading to Arenal, it’s because of its volcano. This is a great national park with amazing trails, lots of wildlife to see, and a great view of the sunset from the rocks overlooking the lake. At night, if the weather is good, you can see lava drip down the sides.
- Hot springs. Spend an evening lounging in one of the hot springs at the base of Arenal for a great view of the lava trickling down the mountainside and relaxation after a long day of hiking. There are a lot of hot springs in the area.
- Bungee Jumping. Not for the fainthearted, bungee jumping is sure to set your pulse racing. Aside from the usual crazy jumping, you can do water touchdowns, catapulting and harness swinging all with terrific views of Arenal in the distance. The experience is better at night with the city lights below you and Arenal putting on its own display.
- ATV Riding. Explore the beauty of Arenal through the back roads and hidden trails only accessible via an ATV. These trips usually last about three hours and take in a few waterfalls too.
- Fiestas del la Fortuna. This festival takes place in nearby La Fortuna every February and includes bullfights (Costa Ricans don’t harm the bulls after a bull fight so don’t feel bad about going), craft fairs, horse shows, live music, discos and lots of local food.
- Hanging bridges. Get incredibly close to the crater of Arenal by taking a tour via the hanging bridges. See what life is like up in the rainforest canopy as you negotiate through the lush vegetation, taking in the sights and sounds of the rainforest.
- Birdwatching. The early morning bird watching tour will have you up at 5am ready to catch site of the rainforest’s winged inhabitants right before the crowds descend in the Arenal National Park. Chances are you’ll see toucans, parrots, woodpeckers and parakeets.
- Safari Float Trip. Travel down the Penas Blancas River where you’ll have the opportunity to observe various species of bird, crocodiles, sloths, iguanas and tortoises. The trip is fairly leisurely and takes half a day so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to take photographs of the scenery and wildlife.
- Caving. There are very good cave systems near by the area that provide excellent opportunities to get underground. One of my favorite activities here was putting on a headlamp and heading below ground to explore caves and underground rivers.
- Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge. Consider taking a boat tour to the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge, north of Arenal. Day tours here take people wildlife watching, swimming, and rafting. You’ll get up early in the morning and come back late at night so you get good value for your money.
Budget Tips for Arenal
- Travel off-season. Late April through November is considered the rainy season in Costa Rica and as a result, prices tend to be less expensive (except June – August) and beaches less crowded.
- Sodas. These are small family run restaurants which specialize in inexpensive meals, usually costing around $2 USD including a drink, eat here to save on restaurant prices.
- Avoid Activities. There are a lot of great but expensive activities and tours in Arenal. Skip them and do the free tours like hiking and going to La Fortuna waterfall. There’s plenty to keep you doing here for free.
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Once, I waited over an hour for a bus that didn't exist because information in a guidebook was out of date. After that, I never wanted out of date travel information to exist. After traveling the world for over five years, I know exactly what type of information travelers want. I update this guide section every six months so you never have to go through what I did. 
