La Fortuna (meaning lucky!)… a good name for a village lying around a well awaken Volcano. You can’t miss … it dominates all the surroundings from wherever you are. Majestic and apparently quiet, but if you look closer (a binocular will be very useful) you’ll see him breading… a small line of smoke coming out the top.
Some nights you can see the “lava” on the top, hot red…I weren’t that lucky.
One of the days was foggy in the morning, and it made Arenal disappear completely … like magic. I hear a newcomer asking: “where is the Vulcano?”. Hard to believe you can make invisible such a powerful and big nature construction. The fog went away, and there he was, strong and powerful.
I stayed at Villas Vista Arenal , and the name says it all.
I could see the Volcano from our bed, as it was there only for us. Amazing view and location, nice pool to refresh and all exterior in a well-taken care of like a garden. Behind the houses is a “small forest” where you can see beautiful birds without having to move, namely hummingbirds. The rooms are comfortable and clean, but missing details of decoration/utilities. Basic breakfast included. Doesn’t serve meals, but is quite close to the center, with a lot of offer. I would repeat it.
Don’t leave Arenal without trying the HotSprings … natural hot water to dream awaken. Several hotels offer pools and programs (full-day, half-day, with dinner,…) but you can enjoy it for free, in nature, directly from the source.
It’s used mainly by locals, but I like to explore every “hole” :). It’s amazingly indulgent: a hot river in the forest … the more you go up to the spring, the hotter it gets. You can go anytime, but when it’s not so hot outside works out better! Find your way through and enjoy the pleasures of nature!
Also, the unique opportunity is to fly (really!) above the forest with a view of the Volcano.
The Sky Adventures Arenal Park Canopy is a striking experience – I felt safe every time: good equipment, nice and well-trained team. It cost us 80$/each but it worth every cent!
To close the “Arenal experience” I visited the Ecological Reserve Fortuna Waterfall – breathtaking view …and stairs!!! So many I lose count of it! Beautiful and very cold water, for braves to try. And a nice river with superb view to have some fresh rest…also some pedestrian trails for the ones that like to explore more.
Getting from Arenal to Monteverde was certainly the worse piece of travelling of my life! Roads are really bad – I only realized what bad road means by this moment, honestly.
But it paid! Monteverde is an amazing natural reserve – cloud forest – where I got to connect with nature and watch wildlife, especially birds – did I mention I love them?
I was happy to have a guide (just for us, luckily – because I got late … sometimes you get surprised by the flow of destiny).
With him, I was able to see a lot of animals and know more about Costa Rica, nature and biodiversity. I could see the quetzal – a bird only exists here – which made my day!
The bridge inside the forest doesn’t disappoint – it’s just a bridge, but it makes you feel free and connected.
About Monteverde: a small village that grew around the natural reserve and the tourist passing by, without losing its soul. Some good vibes places, like the treehouse café.
If the travel would have only 3 days, I would be happy, as the experience was diverse and fulfilling!