Arenal, Hotel Los Lagos

Upon leaving La Carolina Lodge, we knew we had a quite different experience coming, we just didn’t know how very different! We landed in the middle of a hotel village (Hotel Los Lagos cannot be described simply as a hotel, therefore the term village is a suitable description for what met us here)at the foot of Volcano Arenal. As you might gather from the map below, there are several housing units with several rooms in each. In addition to that it has its own crocodile- and butterfly farm, a tortoise pond, waterpark and horse ranch…. From the map everything seems to be close and easily accessible, but the first afternoon when we got there, Erik and I decided to go for a run. We might as well have brought climbing-gear, the incline was incredible! We’re talking getting close to Kitzbuehl-steepness! Anyway, we walked/ran/(I)threw an angry fit on the way up out of sheer frustration, but when we reached the observatory – it really was worth it. I mean – standing on the outskirts of the volcano (looking at the place where the previous hotel had once been before its last eruption in 2010…) looking up on this massive sight! Before getting back from the run, we did understand why, in addition to all the other things offered here, they of course have their own bus that drives around the premises on a time table – to bring the guests living further up towards the base of the volcano down to the pool and restaurant area- and up again without experiencing heart attacks or even altitude sickness:)

Volcano Arenal is a stratovolcano, and its most recent eruptive period began in 1968 with an explosion that buried 3 small adjacent villages and left short of 100 people dead (it had at that time been resting between years 1500-1900 leading the people to think it was dead). We were told that the people weren’t really killed by the lava, but by the lavafumes travelling faster with the winds than they could flee. In the days before, there were several little earthquakes, and the rivers and water around became so hot you cold cook food – quite amusing to the people living there. This, however, didn´t warn them off, simply because they didn’t know then what these signs were indicating. So when they did realize that an eruption was coming, it was too late, they couldn´t escape the fumes.. Up until July 2010 the eruptions were constant, although much less severe. You could see effusions of smoke and lava almost on a daily basis. Since 2010 the volcanos seismicity, explosions and lava flow have decreased significantly, it is however still alive, but resting.

Sky tram and trek with zip-lining through the canopy at the base of Volcano Arenal. We rode a tram up the Arenal mountain, and got off to ride all together 7 zip lines of up to 200m hight and 750m in length – height and speed up to 70km/h – just breathtaking, and sheer fear rapidly being exchanged for adrenaline rush and astonishment for the beauty surrounding us. The tour began with hearts pounding over fear and ended with our hearts pounding with complete excitement. Cooling off in the Los Lagos pools with shooting waterslides afterwards, made even the grownups childlike. But the day had just merely begun…

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We continued with horseback riding up to the observatory along Arenal base, through fields and forests and steep mountainsides – a real adventure! Luckily the Costa Rican horses are more sensible-sized than the big horses back home in Norway, so even though some of us (me) are scared of (huge size)horses, this 3 hr trip went quite well. Mama riding Rhumba, Noah Valentino.

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Mariposas (butterfly garden) at Los Lagos:

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After a long and adventurous day, a good nights sleep was so called for! I crashed around 8pm and the rest around 8.30… (yes, that’s how we live here, go to bed with the sun and get up with the sun – really good for the body and mind!). Anyway, I was probably in real deep sleep, therefore not quite knowing reality from dreams. I woke up, the whole room was shaking, the windows making a really weird clanging sound and it felt like being on a rollercoaster, only not moving forward. I somehow figured it must either be an earthquake or the start of an eruption (probably not a far fetched thought in half-dreamy state, since we were sleeping at a volcanos base). I tried to wake up Erik to get him and the kids under a table or in a doorway, as taught from other earthquakes. but couldnt wake him up. The movements must have stopped almost as fast as they begum, and I guess I must have fallen right back to sleep. The next morning, the experience was merely a faint dream, but still I remembered it as though it was real. Erik brushed it off as my imagination running wild (as often times) – however this time it wasn’t . … at 8.40 pm the night before an earthquake of 5,2 strength hit us,numbering up to the 3rd earthquake we’ve experienced so far here in CR.

Triple adventure day – Walk over hanging bridges meeting a yellow Viper face to face, swimming in La Fortuna waterfall and walking the 1968 trail along the Arenal base.

Lake areal is situated by the base of Arenal volcano, and its an artificial lake. The building of the dam making the lake started in 1974 and was completed in 1979. It is important for hydroelectric power production in the Guancaste region, and further down stream the water is used for fruit and vegetable production. The other means of power production in Guancaste region is geothermic power generated by the Miravalles volcano and wind power from the mills situated on the surrounding hills.

A guided tour the length of a little more then 3 km through the rainforest crossing 14 bridges – 8 stationary and 6 in suspension – happened in the pouring rain. The bridges ranging in 8-98 meters length and from 2-60 meters high – nevertheless, a really cool (on this particular day in all senses of the word) experience, especially due to our knowledgeable guide.

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Hiking up and down almost 500 stairs in the jungle to la Fortuna waterfall with a cooling swim in the middle as the reward. Central Costa Rica’s famous La Fortuna waterfall is located on the outskirts of La Fortunas Village in Arenal Volcano National park. Meaning ‘the fortune’ in Spanish, the waterfall and ecological reserve is the area’s best-kept secret. The crystalline water of the Arenal River tumbles from a height of 70–75 meters over the cliff to form this beautiful waterfall. Located on the slopes of the dormant Arenal volcano, La Fortuna carries waters from the rainforests of the Arenal Mountain ranges.

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Hiking round the 1968 trail in Arenal National park – a nice stroll through secondary rainforest (due to destruction by the lava in 1968) with a view of the primary rainforest (that wasn’t damaged by the lava) walking on volcanic grounds – giving the feel of being part of history. Lots of wildlife to see and hear – a really nice end to a long and adventuresome day. We came to see as much of this area as possible in 2-3 days, and that’s what we did!

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“And at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair messy and your eyes sparkling”.