Arenal Volcano National Park Visitor Center

A Disappointment The Arenal Volcano is one of Costa Rica's most popular tourist attractions. With its imposing conical silhouette, the volcano is a symbol of the country and draws visitors from around the world.

However, my experience at the Arenal Volcano was a disappointment. The volcano was inactive during my visit, which meant there were no eruptions or lava to see. Additionally, the area around the volcano was crowded with tourists, making it difficult to appreciate the natural beauty of the place.

Here are some reasons why I wouldn't return to visit the Arenal Volcano:
- The volcano was inactive: The primary reason for my visit to the Arenal Volcano was to witness an eruption. However, the volcano was inactive during my visit, which left me very disappointed.
- The area was crowded with tourists: The area around the Arenal Volcano was teeming with tourists. This made it difficult to appreciate the natural beauty of the location and take photos without people in the way.
- Activities were expensive: The activities offered at the Arenal Volcano were costly. For example, a boat tour on Lake Arenal cost around $50.

In summary, my experience at the Arenal Volcano was a letdown. If you're looking for a unique and memorable natural attraction, I recommend visiting another place.

Here are some suggestions for natural attractions in Costa Rica worth visiting:
- Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja is The best
-Tortuguero National Park: This park is home to one of the world's largest populations of sea turtles.
- Corcovado National Park: This park is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including jaguars, tapirs, and monkeys.

There are several hiking routes accessible including a wider gravel road to a lookout place. The lookout is to the volcano and cars can even drive up there (could be important for anyone who cannot hike). The hikes to the old lava flow are all in a heavy brush so you won't see the vulcano while on the way, only when you pop out in the end. Be careful that even though you can hike into the afternoon, but you are allowed to enter only up until 2:30pm (if I recall it correctly).

Amazing park with beautiful views, plants, and wildlife. Easy hiking. Arrive early to beat the crowds. Bring plenty of water and sunscreen!

Got in early - it is a public holiday - and parked at the lowest car park. This meant the hikes were a little long (600m in each direction) and we walked about 7.5km in total. Saw plenty of wildlife including monkeys, a very hard to see sloth and birds galore. Weather was fantastic and the views of the volcano, whilst few, were excellent.

By the time we left (1pm) there were cars queuing to enter and the car parks were full

We toured the El Ceibo trail to see the 400 year old tree, spectacular experience and a really great hike. Go early if you want to avoid the crowds, we had the trail to ourselves for the first 1.5hr

We hiked the trails starting above the second trail at #4. Moving for a bit the trail turned from quite wide to more like a hiking trail with a few muddy spots. Upon reaching the ‘Y’ we chose to take a right on El Celbo. This trail went gradually down and quickly became an adventure. The once reliable trail became increasingly muddy and quite challenging but the payoff was amazing. The tree in the middle of this section was amazing and worthy of the effort. After that we climbed slowly out of this area though the mud seemed to subside a tad. After that we encountered a metal staircase to the lava flows which gave great views of Lake Arenal and supposedly of the Volcano. Our day was cloaked in fog, mist, rain and sometimes downpour. The walk back on 4 was quite easy and quick.

Nice trails for a short day hike. Trails are easy to moderate. Lots of wildlife and plant life to see. Animals are abundant.