Costa Rica's "WOW" factor is in overdrive in the La Fortuna area.

Located 90 kilometers Northwest of San José in the Alejuela Province on the boarder of the Guanacaste Province, La Fortuna is a literal tourist Mecca featuring; the Arenal National Park home of the "constantly active" Arenal Volcano (Volcán Arenal), Lake Arenal - Costa Rica's largest body of water, the Tabacón Hot Springs, the impressive 230 foot La Fortuna Waterfall as well as an endless amount of organized adventures. 

So popular is this in-land destination that we were reunited with two separate families we had met just two days previously in Tortuguero on the Caribbean coast (déjà vu - Costa Rica style :o)

The "constantly active" Arenal Volcano (Volcán Arenal) - La Fortuna, Costa Rica

There are no shortages of choices in the La Fortuna area when it comes to activities, restaurants and hotels.  Canopy tours, zip line activities, mountain and waterfall rappelling, horseback riding, ATV tours, lake boat tours, jungle trail hiking, hot springs, swimming and of course - nature watching from all points high and low.

When making plans for our visit, the priority was ensuring we had a view of the Arenal Volcano lava flow from our hotel - so that our nighttime sights would be memorable.  Hotels surround the Arenal Volcano but at the time of our visit lava was only flowing down the Southwest side of the mountain.  Hotel Linda Vista was our hotel of choice and the views were spectacular ... both during the day and throughout the night.

Junior demonstrates his enthusiasm for our hotel room view of Volcán Arenal

Dining and deck views of Volcán Arenal and Laguna de Arenal - Hotel Linda Vista

As spectacular as the daytime views were, the nighttime view of the active Arenal Volcano was truly indescribable.  The peak of the volcano glowed with red gases while the lava sparked and streamed as molten magma broke free from crusted flows.  Unfortunately my camera could not capture any pictures worth posting due to distance, darkness and lack of light strength coming from the lava.  So if you want to see it, you'll have to experience it for yourself :o)

Of all the great physical activities offered in the La Fortuna area, waterfall rappelling sounded like the most fun to both me and my 13 year old daughter.  Unfortunately, we found that most activities occur at pre-determined intervals and our timing was not good.  Be sure to book your tours in advance if you plan on participating!

However, all was not lost.  The La Fortuna Waterfall located just west of the downtown is a 'come-as-you-please' attraction ... and it did not disappoint.  After a short walk into the park there is a sturdy raised platform for viewing the waterfall. 

The La Fortuna Waterfall in Alajuela Province, Costa Rica ... West of the Arenal Volcano

Access to the base of the waterfall via an almost vertical trail is not for the faint of heart or those that are not in reasonable shape.  Do not attempt the descent if there is any possibility you think the climb back up is beyond your physical capacity ... I witnessed several individuals that struggled immensely to get out of the canyon.

But if you do make the trip down to the waterfall's base, you will not be disappointed:

The base of the La Fortuna Waterfall (La Cascada de la La Fortuna) is spectacular but physically hard to get to.

For more pictures of our La Fortuna adventures, feel free to visit the "Costa Rica Destinations" album of our picture site at BienvenidosCostaRica.com.

¡Pura Diversión!

Resource: Arenal Volcano Lava Flow Map