La Fortuna Costa Rica
The bustling but charming town of La Fortuna is just 4 miles (6.4 km) away from the Arenal Volcano and is the entrance point to road that connects the Arenal Volcano area to Lake Arenal and the road to Guanacaste. On a clear day the majestic Volcano looms over the peaceful town of La Fortuna.
Pictured above: the park in the center of La Fortuna, (see map) with the church and volcano arenal in the background.
The history of La Fortuna and the Arenal Volcano have been intertwined since the Arenal Volcano awoke in 1968 with the largest eruptions in its recent history. Arenal Volcano erupted violently on the morning of July 29th 1968 and proceeded to spew ash, rocks and gas for 3 consecutive days, when the smoke cleared the villages of Tabacon, Pueblo Nuevo and San Luis were buried under debris and 87 people lost their lives. Out of this catastrophic tragedy La Fortuna (The Fortune) was born as the town center and village for the Arenal Volcano area.
La Fortuna is situated 16 miles (26 km) from Ciudad Quesada and 75 miles (120 km) from San Jose. From San Jose the drive is about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, however there are a couple of convenient side trips worth exploring should you have a few extra hours such as Poas Volcano and La Paz Waterfall Gardens. There are many hotels in the La Fortuna town to choose from should you wish to be close to many restaurants, internet cafes and the town center. The hotels around the Arenal Volcano area are more expensive but offer great volcano views and more amenities than the hotels around the town center.
In the La Fortuna and Arenal area many activities are offered including relaxing in the La Fortuna Waterfall or the various hot-springs, horse-back riding and white-water rafting, Waterfall Rappelling, Hiking, Canopy Tours, Cave explorations and more. The La Fortuna and Arenal area is the Adventure Center of Costa Rica and it is difficult to get the full experience in less than 3 days.
See the map of La Fortuna here. Also of interest is the La Fortuna Waterfall.
