Volcano Arenal Costa Rica Vacations
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Arenal Volcano National Park
Listed among the top ten most active volcanoes in the world, Arenal has not had a major eruption since July 29th, 1968. That eruption was preceded by an earthquake and two villages were completely wiped out. The blast was felt as far away as Boulder, Colorado! Nowadays the volcanic activity is limited to amazing lava emissions and smoldering cinder-blocks. The volcano’s active vent is on the west side, but explosions and eruptions can be seen from any vantage point. Some days the volcano can blow several times in an hour, but it does vary. The best time to view activity is in the early morning before the clouds roll in and in the dry season. Park officials will close the park down if they feel that conditions are becoming too dangerous. The other volcano at this park is the dormant, Chato, which boasts an amazing collapsed crater that is now a beautiful lagoon surrounded by forest.
Arenal volcano was sacred to the pre-Columbian tribes and it is not hard to imagine sacrifices occurring regularly. Now it is one of Costa Rica’s jewels in their national park system, with tourists from around the world coming to enjoy outstanding views of the volcano, but also the other attractions available for visitors. There is a very interesting Museum of Vulcanicity at the Arenal Observatory lodge as well as a larger visitor’s center with museum that is currently under construction, but should be open soon.
Besides the amazing volcanic activity that can be seen, Arenal is also home for over 650 different species of birds, nearly three quarters of all the species found in Costa Rica! The highly endangered Resplendent Quetzal can be seen here as well making this park very popular with birders from all over the world. There is also a nice diversified animal population to be seen as well, including jaguars, white face monkeys and many others. Arenal National Park is a place where one can enjoy incredible hiking, horseback riding, magnificent views and a plethora of other experiences in a well maintained 30,000 acre setting.
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Arenal Volcano National Park
No visit to Costa Rica would be complete without a trip to the amazing Arenal Volcano.
Arenal Volcano has been constantly active since it woke up after 400 years in 1968, changing the area forever.
There are a wide variety of hotels near the Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica. Just because you are in the rain forest doesn't mean you have to compromise on comfort and luxury! Some resorts feature their own thermal hot springs as well as fantastic volcano views.