Arenal Volcano National Park is one of the most most visited national parks in Costa Rica with several hiking trails and view points, making it a great outdoor activity from La Fortuna. It’s definitely a must do when you are in La Fortuna or the surrounding areas.
Below is our guide to Arenal Volcano National Park to help you plan your trip.
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Arenal Volcano National Park
There are two sectors of the national park: the Sector Peninsula and Volcano Sector which is the main visitor center.
Both sectors are very close to one another, just a few minutes drive away.
Entrance Fee and Hours
The Arenal Volcano National Park entrance fee is $15 + tax USD for adult foreigners and $5 USD + tax for children.
The main visitor center is open daily from 8 AM to 4 PM.
The Peninsula sector is open daily from 8 AM to 5 PM, last entry is at 4 PM.
Park tickets are for one time entrance only so if you want to visit both sectors, you will have to visit both in one day. Just show your park ticket to the office.
If you visit one sector one day and the other sector the next day, you will have to buy two national park tickets.
Payment for park tickets are by credit card only – no cash payment accepted. You can buy tickets at the door.
How to Get to Arenal Volcano National Park
The closest town to Arenal Volcano National Park is La Fortuna, about a 30 minute drive away. La Fortuna is the main town and tourism hub of the area.
Arenal Volcano is 148 kilometers (92 miles) northwest of San Jose.
Driving
Driving is the best way to get to Arenal Volcano National Park due to lack of a direct public bus. Parking is free with your entrance and the trailhead is right at the parking lot.
There are no bathrooms in the parking lot, they are only at the main entrance.
The two different sectors are a 11 minute drive apart or a 35 minute walk. There are no shuttles or buses that go between both sectors.
Main Visitor Center
The drive from La Fortuna to Arenal Volcano National Park (main lava flow trails) is about 30 minutes. You don’t need a 4×4 for Arenal Volcano National Park for the visitor center parking lot.
You can set your GPS or navigation device destination as “Arenal Volcano National Park Visitor Center” which will lead you to the main parking lot of the lava flow trail sector.
**Although a 4×4 is not required to get to this parking lot, if you want to drive the “Vehicle Trail”, a 4×4 will then be required. If you do not have a 4×4, you can walk the trail. More details below.**
Sector Peninsula
To get to the Peninsula Sector, you need to set your navigation device destination as “Volcan Arenal Sector Peninsula National Park.”
This will lead you to the office of the Peninsula sector which is in a completely different area than the main visitor center.
It is about a 35 minute drive from La Fortuna. Although this road is not fully paved, a 4×4 is not necessary.
Public Bus
Unfortunately there isn’t a bus that goes all the way to either park entrances.
To get to the main visitor center of the park, the closest the bus can take you is at the intersection off the main road and then you will need to walk or hitch a ride the rest of the way.
The walk from this intersection to the visitor center is around 30 minutes (2.1 km or 1.3 miles). To get back, you will have to walk back out to this intersection and wait for the bus that goes to La Fortuna.
This is the same for the peninsula sector, you can ask the bus driver to drop you off at the same intersection.
However, the peninsula trail sector is further away at 4.3 km (2.7 miles) and will take an hour.
We do not really recommend doing this as there are not frequent buses to take back to La Fortuna.
If it’s the rainier months like September or October, it may be pouring rain. If you don’t have a car, we recommend to book a tour or call an Uber or taxi.
We have seen several people walk though, just be prepared to walk under the hot sun and you may have to wait a bit at the bus stop.
From the bus stop, you can check again to see if there are any Ubers around if you weren’t able to call any from the national park entrance.
Taxi/Uber
There are some Ubers in La Fortuna and around the national park. For official red taxis, there are many in the main park of La Fortuna. It can cost approximately $10 USD per way for Uber.
I saw a couple Ubers nearby last time we were at the national park in August 2024, however, I don’t know how long it will take though, as I only saw 2 nearby.
Depending on your provider, there may not be cell phone service or data at the national park entrance. You may have to walk out onto the main road for a bit to get servie.
Arenal Volcano National Park Volcano Visitor Center Trails
There are 4 different trails in the Volcano Visitor Center Sector. None of them are super long or strenuous.
Below is the Arenal Volcano National Park Visitor Center Trails map.
They do not give you a paper map. Signage although some are old and worn out, is well marked and the trails are marked by numbers. Just follow the signs and do NOT stray off the path!
Heliconias Trail (600 meters/.37 miles) Trail 3: This trail goes from the main entrance to the parking lot. Flat. If you’re driving to the national park, you will drive this trail so it’s not necessary to go back and walk it.
Vehicle Trail (1.3 km/.8 miles) Trail 6: You can drive (4×4 ONLY) or walk. This goes to a viewpoint and rest area. Must exit out the same path. Around 45 minutes.
Las Coladas (2 km/1.4 miles) Trail 4: Easy, mostly flat. Short section up some steps and bridge through the lava fields. 1 hour total. Go back out the same way.
El Ceibo (3 km/1.86 miles) Trail 5: Easy/moderate. This trail branches off the Las Coladas at the viewpoint. Goes through secondary forest and passes a 30 meter (80 foot), 400 year old Ceiba tree which sadly has fallen, but you can see the trunk. This is a loop.
Las Coladas Trail
We did this trail in August 2024. You can watch our video of it below or keep reading to see photos.
This trail is mostly flat. It can get quite muddy if it has raining. It doesn’t feel that hot when you’re walking in this trail as you’re under a lot of trees for most of it. This trail is Number 4, so follow the signs.
Why is it called “Las Coladas?”
Las coladas are the lava rocks leftover from one of the most tremendous natural disasters in Costa Rica. In 1968, the Arenal Volcano eruption destroyed the towns of Tabacon and Pueblo Nuevo.
Nowadays, visitors can hike through the leftover lava rocks of the eruption which is the “Las Coladas” trail in the national park.
Arenal Volcano Facts: There are 2 volcanoes in this national park – Arenal and Cerro Chato. Cerro Chato is completely dormant. Arenal Volcano is still active, although it is now only smoking. Before 2010, it used to spew lava and rocks.
After you go up the stairs, you will begin walking through a field of lava rocks. After some minutes, you will come to a clearing of lava rocks where you will get a spectacular view of the volcano.
If it’s a clear day, you can see it in all its glory! It took us about 20 minutes to get to this viewpoint.
Tip: If the volcano is covered in clouds, wait at least 15-20 minutes.
Right before this photo was taken, the volcano was nowhere to be seen so we waited for 30 minutes and the clouds went away for a few minutes, allowing us to see Volcan Arenal.
After you rest here and take some photos, continue onto the bridge to see the second observation platform.
This bridge also connects you to the El Ceibo trail, if you want to walk a bit more.
Observation Platform
The bridge has some steps but the next observation platform is only about a 5-10 minute walk away through more lava rocks.
The observation platform is really nice. It gives you full views of Arenal Volcano, Lake Arenal and the surrounding mountains and valleys. Gorgeous!
Once you are done here, you can connect to the El Ceibo trail or go back the same trail to go to the parking lot.
El Ceibo Trail
Unfortunately, the tree fell over during a huge storm in 2023. You can only see the trunk and remaining roots now.
Still a nice walk though.
Vehicle Trail
Once at the parking lot, we highly recommend to visit the Vehicle Trail (1.3 km/.8 miles). You can walk this trail if you don’t have a car.
If you drive, it is 4×4 ONLY. There are some DEEP holes on this trail.
You don’t need to be in super great shape to hike the national park as the trails aren’t very long or steep.
There is a short section up to the lava rocks where it is a little steep and you need to be careful walking around the rocks so if you have bad ankles/knees or have a lot of trouble walking on rocks or on uneven surfaces, we don’t recommend it.
Pro tip: Always bring a rainjacket, no matter what time of year you are visiting. This area is proper rainforest! Also we highly recommend closed toed shoes like sneakers, comfortable walking shoes, trail running shoes, light hiking shoes.
Get our Costa Rica packing list for more tips.
Arenal Volcano National Park Sector Peninsula
There is another sector of the national park that has breathtaking views of Lake Arenal and Arenal Volcano. It has two well marked, flat trails with viewpoints to enjoy.
As these trails do not go through any lava flow or rocks, they are better for those who may not be able to walk for long periods of time on uneven surfaces.
It is less crowded than the main visitor center and has an observation tower with spectacular views of the volcano and lake.
The Los Miradores trail is 1.2 km (.7 miles) and El Tororoi trail is 600 meters (.4 miles) one way. You can easily do both!
Can You Visit Arenal Volcano On Your Own?
Yes! You can visit the Arenal Volcano National Park on your own – you do not have to go with a guide.
However, if you want to learn more about the volcano, the surrounding rainforest and the area, having a guide is wonderful. They will also point out wildlife and share interesting facts about the area.
Our partner offers a tour of the Peninsula Sector for views of Lake Arenal combined with a boat ride to see a close view of Arenal Volcano.
Want to book this tour? Book it here with our La Fortuna tours discount!
You can also watch our video below on the Lake Arenal boat + Peninsula trail tour!
Hiring a Guide to Arenal Volcano National Park (no transportation)
There are no guides at the ranger station to hire so if you want a guide, you will need to find one beforehand.
If you have a car and want to hire a guide (no transportation), you can hire a guide from any of the tour companies in La Fortuna.
Generally how it works is that you will pick them up at their office in your rental car, they’ll go with you to the places you want to go for the guided activity and then you will drop them off back in town.
Depending on the company and the guide, it costs around $70-90 USD for a half day and $140 USD for a full day. You also need to purchase park tickets for your group and the guide.
*If you want to book a tour or hire a guide, contact us! *
Wildlife
You can see some birds like toucans, parrots and oropendolas in the national park.
We saw a lot of coatis on the Coladas trail, we saw a huge family of about 25 of them! Many of them were babies!
The Peninsula Sector has a lot of wildlife as it is a mature secondary rainforest.
There are more possibilities to see animals like monkeys, agoutis, peccaries and birds. We saw a big family of peccaries here.
Arenal Volcano National Park Weather
This area experiences typical tropical weather with a rainy and dry season. Dry season is roughly December to April, rainy season is May to November.
However, as this area is proper rainforest in the Northern Lowlands, it can rain any time of the year, even in the dry season.
When it comes to seeing the volcano clearly, it’s a bit of luck but it is possible to see it clear anytime of the year.
When we visited last July, it rained almost 3 days straight but we got a few minutes of the volcano 100% clear! Midday is a great time for best chances to see the volcano completely clear.
If you’re visiting during rainy season, make sure to pack properly for rainy season!
Arenal Hotels
Here are some of our recommendations in La Fortuna and near Arenal Volcano.
- Arenal Observatory Lodge: Closest hotel to the volcano and only one actually in the national park.
- Arenal History Inn: A very nice mid range option located close to town. Has 10 standalone bungalows and gardens, includes hot breakfast.
- Arenal Kioro: Luxury hotel with a spa, private springs and a jacuzzi in each room. Located extremely close to the volcano.
- El Secreto Fortuna – Cute budget friendly family run hotel in La Fortuna town.
- Nayara Gardens: Gorgeous luxury hotel with nice pools, spa and lots of wildlife on the property. Stay at the adult only Nayara Springs for an ultra private and romantic getaway.
You can also check Airbnb and VRBO for vacation rentals, homes and alternative options.
Tips
If you are a short on time or if you only want to do one hike, we recommend the Las Coladas/El Ceibo trail in the Main Visitor Volcano Center. It’s very family friendly, we saw a ton of families with kids of all ages.
Going slow, it can take you around 1.5 hours.
The national park is not stroller friendly so any babies/toddlers will need to be in a carrier.
We do not recommend it for seniors or anyone with ankles/knees that prevent them from walking up the stairs/lava rocks.
If you want to visit both sectors, go in the morning first to the Main Visitor Volcano Center and then the Peninsula Trail sector.
Wear good walking shoes. I do not recommend sandals, flip flops or water shoes.
More Costa Rica national park guides here.
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Tereza says
Hello,
we want to get from La Fortuna to the visitors centre of Arenal National Park, but we dont have a car. Would you know, the number of the bus/route or from where does the bus leave from La Fortuna (the one that stops at the intersection of the main road)?
Thank you in advance for the answer!
Sammi says
We don’t really have bus route numbers here, they just go by destination so you want the one that goes to Tilaran and ask the driver to stop you at the national park cruce, if you want to take the bus back, it’ll be the same bus but I believe there are only like 3 a day…it will probably be better to walk back out to the intersection and try to find an Uber
Kerry Cowley says
Thanks for your informative posts. Are there only bathrooms at the main visitor center?. I read that the massive Ceibo tree was recently toppled over in a storm. Can you verify that this is the case? If yes, we’ll skip the El Ceibo Trail. If we don’t do this trail, about how long will it take to see both sectors if hiking with a 4-year-old? I want to book a tubing trip on the Rio Celeste for that afternoon and am trying to figure out what time to book it for since it’s about a 1 hr 40 min drive. Do you have any tubing companies you can recommend?
Sammi says
Yes there are only bathrooms at the main visitor center and parking lot, there aren’t bathrooms inside the park. For both sectors, it depends on which trails you do but if you do just like one main trail in each sector, I would aim for a couple of hours. Unfortunately we don’t work with any tubing companies based in Bijagua but you can check Onca TOurs, they’re one of the main operators in the area.
Sharon Edwards says
Can we buy tickets ahead of time? We will be in Costa Rica from December 26, 2024 to January 3, 2025
Sammi says
They don’t sell tickets beforehand, just at the door.