Costa Rica Arenal and the north

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The thick forests of this conservation area, overlooked by the conical volcano Arenal, contain half the known species of birds, mammals and reptiles in the country.

Overview

The pleasingly conical volcano Arenal rises from a skirt of thick forest and the waters of Lake Arenal. Once famous for its eruptions of molten lava, it erupts infrequently nowadays (nothing since 2010) The landscape here is ruggedly beautiful and comprises one of Costa Rica’s many conservation areas, protecting a territory of amazing biodiversity which contains half the known species of birds, mammals and reptiles in the country. It is also popular among adventure-activities enthusiasts, and visits are serviced in the formerly dozy town of La Fortuna. Cloud forest, waterfalls, caves and thermal pools – this is a diverse and captivating region.

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Holidays Arenal and the north

Discover our range of holidays taking in the Arenal volcano in Costa Rica. Book now with Journey Latin America.

Private Journeys

Costa Rica

Costa Rica Wildlife Discovery

13 days from £4,550pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

Private Journeys

Costa Rica

Explore and Relax in Costa Rica: Volcanoes to the beach

11 days from £3,925pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

Things to do

Enjoy soaking in hot springs, riding on horseback or following a nature trail at the Arenal volcano in Costa Rica. Book now with Journey Latin America.

Costa Rican waterfall abseiling

Cycle around Arenal

Hike up to Arenal crater lake

Horse riding to La Fortuna Falls

Accommodation

Discover our range of accommodation near Costa Rica’s breath-taking Arenal volcano. Book now with Journey Latin America.

Arenal and the north Arenal Manoa

Arenal and the north Arenal Nayara spa and gardens

Arenal and the north Hacienda Guachipelin

Arenal and the north Nayara Springs

Where to go when - our guide to Arenal and the north

The weather in Arenal and the north is wide and varied

Situated three hours north from the capital is this region of lush cloud forest, sparkling lakes and gushing waterfalls, overlooked by the pleasingly conical volcano Arenal. Although this area sits at 1,000m above sea level, its temperatures remain high all year round, with highs of 32°C.

View our Arenal and the north weather guide

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Carrie Gallagher - Travel Expert

A former JLA tour leader, Carrie brings a wealth of on-the-ground experience to our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours department.
Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert

After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!
Heloise Buxton - Travel Expert

Heloise started her Latin American journey as an exchange student in Santiago, Chile. With extended summer holidays this was the perfect opportunity to backpack through Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Brazil.
Lina Fuller - Travel Expert

Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba (Argentina) to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.
Chris Rendell-Dunn - Travel Expert

Anglo-Peruvian Chris grew up in Lima and spent much of his adult life in between London and Cusco as a tour leader, before settling permanently in our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours sales team.
Maggie Wilson - Travel Expert

Maggie visited Latin America on her first backpacking trip when she was 19. Since then, she has taken every opportunity to travel, and has managed to explore a lot of the region in subsequent trips.