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La Fortuna Waterfall | Mistico Hanging Bridges | Canyoneering & Waterfall Rappelling
Celeste Blue Waterfall | Wildlife Safari Boat Caño Negro
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Adventure Capital of Costa Rica

People assume that it’s the volcano that puts Arenal on the list of the best places in Costa Rica but the perfect cone has always just been a backdrop for the amazing array of things to do.

People came to see the volcano but after about twenty minutes of ohhhing and ahhhing they looked around and said, “okay now what do we do?”

Of course with the lake and all of the rivers and rainforest around it wasn’t hard to come up with some things to try.

White Water Rafting & Waterfall Rappelling

There are half a dozen different raft trips available from La Fortuna and the Arenal region.  They range from class I/II float trips on the Peñas Blancas and Sarapiquí rivers to class III/IV on the Balsa, Toro, Tenorio and other sections of the Sarapiquí.

When the landscape gets too steep for rafting canyoneering courses have been set up so you can climb, scramble slide and rappel down the river canyons and waterfalls.  The best canyoning course in Costa Rica for the fastest growing new adventure activity is just south of La Fortuna.

Canopy Ziplines & Hanging Bridges

Longest, fastest, highest and best – Arenal has candidates in each category for canopy zip-lines.  You can ride to the top of the mountain next to the volcano in a gondola then fly across the canyons and back down towards the lake on cables approaching a kilometer long and more than a football field high.

Slower paced walking tours of the rainforest canopy cross suspension bridges in the treetops allowing visitors to relax and enjoy the wildlife, spot birds that rarely come to the ground and get a different perspective on one of the most unique habitats of Costa Rica.

Luxury Resorts, Spas and Hot Springs

After a long day on the river (or as some people prefer instead of the river) there’s nothing like a massage, volcanic mud bath, hot rock rubdown or just an old fashioned soak in a mineral hot-spring to relax.  The Springs, Tabácon Gran Thermae and several others offer all of this plus swim up bars, hot waterfalls and more.

What is Not in the Arenal Volcano Region

Knowing what not to expect is as important as knowing what you can see and do around Arenal and recently one of the things you should not expect is fiery eruptions like the one pictured below.  To read more about the quiet phase of the volcano and what not to expect in Arenal click here to read more…