The Arenal Volcano is located 90Km to the northeast of San Jose. It forms part of the Sierra Volcanica of Guanacaste and is located at 10 degrees 29’ north latitude ad 84 degrees 43’ longitude. It is 1657 meters above sea level.
Before 1968, the Arenal Volcano was a strata volcano with an almost perfect cone shape constructed by alternate layers of volcanic ash and angular lapilli. Today a leaning cone is elevated from the west side to give the appearance of twin volcanoes when you see it from the north or the south. On its east side you can make out the Cerro Chato, a decapitated volcano that is home to a beautiful meteoric lagoon that can be visited by tourists. |
| After 500 years, Arenal Volcano left its dormant state and woke up in July of 1968 to one of the saddest chapters in our recent history dealing with natural disasters. The formation of 4 lateral craters produced a series of explosions that were directed to destroy kilometers of virgin forest and a couple of milking and agriculture communities that were in the area affected by the activity. Some 90 people died and the material loss was not able to be calculated. This activity has maintained since then. Periods of moving lava contrast with periods of eruptions charged with gases, vapors and ashes.
Arenal Volcano is without a doubt one of the most visited tourist sights in Costa Rica in the last 25 years. They say that 80% of the tourists that come into the country visit Arenal Volcano. |
Actually this volcano offers a wide variety of eruptive nature that can be observed from different sides with distinct environments. In one ordinary day you can observe the descent of lava, the eroding of materials from the peak, explosions of gas and ash to the spectacular detonations of incandescent charged lava bombs.
Chronological Activity
- 1968 the Arenal Volcano started activity with a violent eruption on its west side. On this side were three open craters that exploded: Crater A of 1050m high (July 1968 explosion), crater B of 1175m high and crater C with a height of 1460m. In addition to these three open craters during 1968, exists crater D, with a height of 1633m that existed before the start of this eruptive period.
- 1973 Effusive activity ( Presence of lava trails)
- 975 Piroclastic flow came from the northeast side toward the valley from Tabacón River.
- 1984-2006 Estromboleana Activity. Lava trails and presence of piroclastic flows (incandescent rock avalanches) mainly since 1993 to the present year in which 5 big flows have occurred that have come down the north, northeast and southeast sides.
From the rooms of Arenal Springs Resort you can observe the activity of Arenal Volcano. At night the best place to see the spectacular red color of flowing lava is from your balcony. In some months during the year, the lava trails can only be seen from the west and southwest sides. However from Arenal Springs Resort you can take a walking tour through the National Arenal Volcano Park coming to the already dried lava trails and ending at a point to observe the new lava trails.
There are hikes in the morning and in the afternoon, with the ones in the afternoon more interesting because of the lava trails.
Schedule 8:00am to 11:00am/ 3:00pm a 7:00pm. We recommend you take walking shoes, long pants, hat, extra clothes, binoculars, and a camera. |
The Arenal Volcano 
