Arenal Volcano National Park, National park with active volcano in Alajuela Province, Costa Rica

Arenal Volcano National Park protects the landscape around an active volcano in Costa Rica, encompassing multiple types of forests and habitats at different elevations. The terrain transitions from dense rainforests to higher mountain forests that encircle the volcanic cone.

The volcano lay dormant for roughly 4 centuries before erupting in 1968 in one of Costa Rica's most powerful explosions. This event reshaped the landscape and led to the park's creation to protect the region and its recovering ecosystems.

Before 1968 the volcano was known as Cerro Arenal and was not even confirmed as a volcano. Its 29 July 1968 eruption destroyed the villages of Tabacón and Pueblo Nuevo, and the hot springs near Tabacón now draw bathers. The park is reached mainly from La Fortuna, and the Museum of Volcanicity inside it explains the eruptions.

The park is best explored through a network of hiking trails starting from different points nearby, offering various difficulty levels and lengths. Arriving early in the day improves your chances of clear views of the volcano, particularly during the dry season.

Within the park sits a second volcano called Chato, which is dormant and has a crater lake inside it. This quiet crater creates a striking contrast to the active volcano, showing two different chapters of volcanic life in one place.