Arenal/Fortuna
Costa Rica's Volcanic Paradise: Arenal
By Explore Costa Rica Staff
Dec 19, 2007, 06:33

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Costa Rica's Volcanic Paradise: Arenal 

LA FORTUNA, Costa Rica: Costa Rica offers a wealth of tropical flora and fauna for visitors. No need to worry about days of hiking to take in these sites!

Arenal Volcano

A third of Costa Rica has been given the status of protected National Park or Reserve. It's no surprise that Costa Rica is one of the most popular travel destinations in eco-tourism today.

The Arenal Volcano is an active volcano, continually spewing hot lava and ash and putting on a show for spectators.

During the day, streams and boulders of lava crash down the side of the volcano. The real show is in the evening where red, orange and yellow trails stream down the mountain.

It's late in the afternoon and the thick cloud cover disperses, allowing an especially good view of the volcano. Many tourists stop their cars and take out their binoculars and get ready for the unveiling.

Costa Rica Bird Watching

Steve & I look forward to this yearly trip to the Northern Zone of Costa Rica. Steve slams on the brakes as a coati emerges from the undergrowth and walks onto the asphalt. He's looking for a treat and is quite curious. After sniffing the car, he disappears back into the jungle.

The Arenal region in the northwest is one of the best developed tourist areas in Costa Rica. The roads to are well maintained, an offers an easy scenic ride. The local Costa Rica hotels, restaurants and markets in the area still relatively cheap.

This area is known as the Switzerland of Latin America and has been attracting immigrants from Europe for years.

For bird watchers, in nearby Selvatura Park, you can see the shy Queztal bird amongst many of Costa Rica's exotic birds. Getting even a short glimpse of this long-tailed beauty is not as common as one would like. I've yet to see one in the wild myself, but keep searching.