Arenal National Park
The area surrounding Arenal National Park is considered
an important replenishment region because its waters,
which drain into the Arenal Reserve, are used for
the protection of electricity and in fish farming
projects in the Moracia Irrigation District. The flora
is varied, with species such as the mountain guayabo,
freijo, rosewood, chicle tree, balsa and others. The
main species of fauna are the paca, baird's tapir,
white-nosed coati, sloth, deer; birds such as parrots,
parakeets, resplendent quetzals; and some snakes like
the parrot snake, fer-de-lance and boa constrictor.
These snakes can frequently be seen on the paved road
which winds through the Arenal area, as the snakes
tend to situate themselves on the pavement in the
late afternoon; the hot remains heated long after
the sun goes down.
Special
Considerations
The Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica's most active, is
best observed during the evening or early morning
hours. Heavy cloud cover is quite common throughout
the day, especially during the rainy season. Several
tour companies offer evening tours to the volcano,
usually departing around 6:00 p.m. For those with
vehicles, plenty of parking is available within
the park campgrounds. The best location to see any
lava activity is near the entrance, just off the
main road; a portion of the cone collapsed forcing
most of the lava to flow to that side. Providing
the weather permits, any activity will be clearly
visible from this vantage point. The park is open
from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and costs $6.00 US to
enter. The entrance off the main road is approximately
1-2 km ( 1 mile ) from the park entrance; signs
are clearly visible.
How
to get to Lake Arenal
There are three different routes you can take en
route to Lake Arenal (Arenal Volcano), however,
it depends on which end of the lake you are most
interested. The eastern end of the lake (La Fortuna)
provides access to the Arenal Volcano National Park
and Caño Negro Reserve, while the western
side of the lake brings you to the town of Tilarán,
which is where most of the windsurfing related hotels
and businesses are based.
Via
La Fortuna
The most direct route is via San Ramon, for which
there is a clearly marked exit sign off the auto
pista (Interamerica Highway); which departs west
of San Jose, past the airport and continues northwest
past the coastal port of Puntarenas. The exit for
San Ramon is approximately 31.5 miles or 50.5 kms
from San José. Generally speaking, the road
conditions are in very good condition, particularly
once you get off at the San Ramon exit; your trip
to La Fortuna will take between 2 1/2-3 hours. As
a second alternative, you can exit the auto-pista
just prior to the exit for San Ramon (approximately
23.5 miles or 37.5 kms from San José), at
an exit for San Carlos (Ciudad Quesada).
This route to La Fortuna will take you through the
small community of Zarcero, which has one of the
most picturesque main squares in the country. The
colorful gardens, which reside just in front of
the church, are filled with hand trimmed hedges
depicting arches, animals and other odd shapes.
Zacero provides for terrific photographic opportunities.
Once again, the road conditions are in very good
condition, and your trip to La Fortuna will require
a 3 hour drive from San José.
Regardless
of which route you take, your drive through the
northern zone of Costa Rica will be most enjoyable.
Steep inclines, twisting turning roads, lined with
small farms and green rolling hills is what you
can expect to see en route to La Fortuna. Your trip
north is perhaps one of the most scenic and enjoyable
in Costa Rica. Both routes are clearly marked with
roads signs directing you to the small community
of La Fortuna or Lake Arenal.
Via
Tilarán
For those whose prefer to visit the west end of
the lake, you can take the Panamerican Highway towards
Liberia, getting of at Cañas. There is a
large sign on the right side of the road for Cañas,
Lake Arenal and Tilarán; it is just after
the red bull ring. Take this road straight to the
end and turn left following it until it reaches
Tilarán, approximately 21 kms (12.5 miles).
You enter Tilarán at a fork, for those who
want to continue to Lake Arenal, turn left at the
fork and continue on straight. From this side of
the lake, one can easily access the famous windsurfing
spots which are concentrated on this end of the
lake.
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