Arenal Volcano National Park

Arenal Volcano is the most active volcano in the western hemisphere and its presence dominates the northern town of La Fortuna. If Poas and Irazu have only whetted your appetite for volcanoeas, Arenal will make you drool. The farmland around is a deep green, primary and secondary forests blanket the midlands, and towering above it all is classically cone-shaped Arenal - smoking, rumbling, spewing car-sized boulders and spitting red-hot lava that lights up the night sky.

Famous for ist nightime lava fireworks, Arenal Volcano towers above a lovely lake of the same name. The are has plenty of natural activities, eco-adventures, and the lake is particularly popular with fishermen and windsurfers. The thermal springs at the base of the mountain offer a refreshing dip any tome of the day. The Volcano itself rumbles frequently and, if not socked in by clouds, is very impressive and just a tad exciting.

Things to do in Arenal Volcano

Liquid Lava Tour & Hot Springs at Tabacon Resort.

To start the famous Liquid Lava tour, your naturalist guide will pick you up from your hotel and then drive to the El Silencio private reserve, right at the edge of the Arenal Volcano National Park. Along this informative, beautiful walk, you’ll learn about the behemoth Arenal Volcano, the secondary and primary tropical forest surrounding it and the interesting wildlife of the area. Once we finish the walk, we’ll head to the active side to see if we can spot some of the bright red, molten rock falling from the volcano. And it's here you can partake in sharing some Liquid Lava (a mix of local "fire water" and natural drink.) We always say: "If you can't see the lava, at least you'll be able to feel it...

Price per person: USD$99.00

Departures at: 4pm, Duration: 6 hours.

Caño Negro Wilidlife Refuge

Near the border of Nicaragua, Caño Negro is one of the hardest places in Costa Rica to travel independently. At the height of dry season, there are some hiking and horse trails along the river, but most of the time, boats are the only way to explore. To visit this unique locale, it is worth joining a Caño Negro day tour. Most tours begin on Río Frío, where visitors glide through green river canyons toward lake Caño Negro, an area similar to the Florida Everglades in its appearance. In the case of this tour, getting there is half the fun. There are literally thousands of birds, plants, fish, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. (If you are lucky, the fin of a freshwater shark may slice the water surface.)

Price per person: USD$63.00

Departures at: 7:30am, Duration: 8hours

Rio Celeste, the magic-blue river

Our journey begins with an early morning scenic drive through rural Costa Rica to Tenorio Volcano National Park.
From there, we'll begin our 4-hour intermediate hike (approximately 7km) through the surrounding tropical rainforest. We then arrive to "Los Teñíderos" where two rivers come together to form the celestial turquoise blue water color that gives the river its name. We'll return back through the national park to the "ollas" mud baths and take a moment to relax in the natural hot springs. We then arrive at the spectacular Río Celeste waterfall - the perfect place to take photos. We finish off with a delicious local lunch as we head back to La Fortuna.

Price per person: USD$105.00

Depature at: 07:00am, Duration: 8 hours

Venado Caves

The amazing Venado Caves feature wonderful limestone rocks, stalactites, stalagmites, and corals. Whimsical stone formations are shaped by the forces of an underground river.

The caves first formed during the Miocene Period, about 15 to 20 million years ago. After their formation, the caves remained below sea level for an extended period of time before tectonic movements brought them to the surface. At this time, the Guatuzos aborigines became the first people to stumble upon their discovery.

On the Venado Cave Tour, we walk through the river and waterfalls at the upper portion of the cave. Then we will make our way into the dark caves and seek to discover interesting marine fossils, bats, spider, crickets, and other insects. The tour is led by a bilingual guide (English-Spanish,) and it runs for about 1.5 hours.