One of the best places to watch a volcano in the nation is the Arenal Volcano National Park, in the untamed Cordillera de Tilarán. The Arenal Volcano, a cone-shaped mountain with massive ash columns frequently spilling from the crater, is the main draw here.
Arenal was quiescent from AD 1500 until a large eruption on July 29, 1968, killed 82 people and damaged two communities. Since then, there has been consistent activity, and depending on the day or week, visitors can expect to see anything from an ash cloud to bright red lava flowing down the mountain.
With over half of all Costa Rican birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals located inside its borders, the park is also renowned for its extensive biodiversity.
The only lodge inside the confines of Arenal Volcano National Park is the Arenal Observatory Lodge, which was first built in 1987 as a private observatory. It can be found on a macadamia nut farm on the volcano’s southern flank. View the magnificent views of Arenal Lake and the volcano in the opposite way from the lodge. There are several hiking paths in the area, many of which lead to waterfalls and current and old lava flows.
The national park is the finest place to go hiking and observe the lava trails and volcanoes. Sendero Colada 1968 and Tucanes are two very short trails that travel through secondary forest and lava fields, measuring 3.4 and 2 kilometers (2.1 and 1.2 miles), respectively.