Costa Rica's motto is pura vida, or pure life, and the town of La Fortuna exemplifies this expression in every form. From its eco-friendly lodges to locally grown produce to handmade crafts, La Fortuna is an adventurous, nature-filled vacation spot that is fun for all ages. Welcoming tour guides and helpful locals make it a family-friendly location, while zip-lining and erupting volcanoes make it ideal for thrill-seekers. Bring your camera and your rain poncho and get ready for howling monkeys, flowing lava and the time of your life.

Arenal Volcano

Located 150 miles northwest of the capital city of San Jose, La Fortuna is a popular rainforest destination for tourists seeking both adventure and relaxation. The main attraction of this otherwise quiet area is the Arenal volcano. Presumed extinct until 1968, Arenal is again an active volcano that sits amidst 29,960 acres in the Arenal Volcano National Park. On any given day, you can watch steam rise from the open crater and hear the low rumble of lava rocks tumbling down the mountainside. 

The best view of this magnificent wonder is from the Arenal Observatory Lodge (website), located only 1.7 miles from the crater. As the closest structure to the volcano, this 100% eco-friendly lodge boasts the best nighttime viewing of lava flows and is located in its own section of rainforest. It's also the home of an observation post for the Smithsonian.

Among the many free activities offered by the lodge, the most worthwhile is the three-hour "Morning Hike" that takes visitors to a spot in the National Park with breathtaking views. Tour guides lead guests through a secondary forest filled with hundreds of species of animals and wildlife: howler and capuchin monkeys, toucans, coatis, lizards, and more. Bring your hiking boots and a set of binoculars, because this tour will take you across streams, up hills, and across lava trails from the 1968 eruption of the volcano. Spectacular views of the steaming Arenal crater and Lake Arenal greet you at the hike's halfway point. While the lodge does not charge for this tour, there is a $6 fee upon entering the National Park grounds.

The Observatory Lodge isn't the only place to take a hiking tour of the park grounds. The Arenal Volcano National Park offers a plethora of maps and information about hiking trails, canoe tours in the Arenal Lake, hot spring tours and much more. Please note that all tours within the park are subject to closure depending on volcanic activity. Park rangers keep a close eye on eruption patterns and will not hesitate to evacuate the park. According to the Arenal Observatory Lodge website (website), their 3-hour Morning Hike is "temporarily closed," most likely due to volcanic activity. It is best to check with your tour provider and/or online before embarking on activities within and around the park.