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La Fortuna Costa Rica

To get to La Fortuna you must pass west of San Carlos. At this town you leave the province of alajuela and enter Guanacaste. La Fortuna has an elevation of 350 feet above sea level and is best known as the base from which to explore the magnificent Arenal Volcano and national park nearby. The active volcano has made it a famous place in Costa Rica and La Fortuna travel has become a highlight of many a vacation. Throughout the years the growth of this Arenal town, La Fortuna, has become a destination for a luxury family vacation La Fortuna hotels, lakes, canopy tours, hot springs, natural reserves and much more awaits you for a lot of enjoyment. There are plenty of La Fortuna hotels, lodges and resorts all over the area. Also, due to the booming tourist industry, English is spoken almost everywhere. Excellent meal choices, drugstores, bars, churches and first aid services are available as well. La Fortuna is just a 3 ½ hour ride from San Jose on a pleasantly paved road. You can also drive to the Arenal area from Monteverde and other Guanacaste areas. Both roads offer a rough ride but are still splendid with the landscape of vast pasturelands. By staying at one of La Fortuna hotels, use the town as starting point when planning to visit Arenal Volcano the most active volcano in Costa Rica, Lake Arenal, where you can try your hand at some fishing Cano Negro wildlife refuge, go horseback riding to the Fortuna Waterfalls or explore the Venado Caves.

La Fortuna tourist industry growth and development is directly associated with the Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal. After the Arenal Volcano began showing constant activity in 1981, visitors sought this town as a place to rest and enjoy the magnificent natural spectacle. This picturesque town has inspired many photographers and painters as they capture the splendid mountain activity in Fortuna, Costa Rica. Drawings and pictures are inspired by this typical small rural town with it's majestic volcanic mountain as a backdrop. Stay at one of the hotels and resorts, out of the city lights and on clear day, and you will be able to see gleaming lava flowing down the crater. Take a dip into La Fortuna falls to various dining options in this quaint Costa Rican town. They range from “sodas” (small typical restaurants) to real Italian pizzerias and sushi restaurants. If you are in Arenal Costa Rica during a holiday or during a festival date you might even have the chance to see a parade, with horseback riders and other typical events such as masqueraders. Ticos like to gather together on national festivals or after soccer games to revel on the streets. You can arrange to take part in this tradition!

To explore the most active volcano in Costa Rica up close, you can take the Arenal National Park guided walk. After a brisk walk around this famous site of Costa Rica you can head to the lookout at sunset, and view the volcano’s pyrotechnical spectacle under the night sky. Your guide will not only lead you to the best view points but also will provide you along the way with information about the flora and fauna surrounding the La Fortuna Arenal. Some tours include a stop at the hot springs before heading back to the hotel the perfect end to a perfect day. Because of the Caribbean influence, the dry season in this area doesn’t coincide with the rest of Costa Rica’s Pacific seasons: dry season in Arenal begins in April and ends in November. The greatest volcano viewing chances are during September and October, when the dry spell or small summer arrives in the Atlantic Littoral. Browse through the rest of the site to view hotels, activities and maps of this area and if you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask our travel agents, they can help you arrange every detail of your trip.