One of the many cool things to do in the Arenal Volcano vicinity is to visit the Tenorio Volcano National Park.
To get there you have to drive directly north from La Fortuna, the little town that sits at the foot of the Arenal Volcano. You will pass through some beautiful country, including the Maleku Indigenous Reserve. I highly recommend a stop there to get a taste of their ancient culture (literally, as they will gladly offer you a sip of home-made chicha).
They also offer for sale a multitude of Costa Rican Arts and Crafts for Sale, all of which are colorfully decorated with ceremonial scenes and indigenous names for their natural surroundings. Oh and make sure to use the greeting “kapi kapi”, which means hello in their language. You are also supposed to lightly tap the other person on the shoulder as you say it…try that as well if you are brave enough. Don’t worry, they will really appreciate the attempt.
Once you leave the reserve, you will keep heading north to the town of Guatuso. Another 20 minutes or so past Guatuso you will see the entrance to the park. You will have to take a dirt road for another 10 kilometers or so. Along this road make sure to stop and check out the Arbol de la Paz, which was given its name by former Nobel Prize winning President Oscar Arias in 1989. It is an enormous tree, both in width and height…truly impressive (check it out in the video below).
Shortly thereafter you will arrive to the park ranger station. You will have to pay an entrance fee ($10 for foreigners). Then you can hike in. Your hike will take you to the Rio Celeste waterfall. Rio Celeste is one of Costa Rica’s 7 Natural Wonders because chemicals from the now dormant volcano mix to tint the water an intensely sky-blue hue. You must go during the dry season, however, because the rains tend to muddy the waters and wash away the blue. The waterfall is gorgeous and you can certainly go for a swim (no, the chemicals won’t burn you alive)…although it is cold.
After the hike you can have lunch at the ranger station before heading back to La Fortuna. This is one of the best day tours you can take from the La Fortuna area. You can either do it with a group, or if you have a car, do it yourself.
Oh and if you want to stay a night or two in this area, we recommend the Rio Celeste Mountain Lodge. Other cool things to see in the area are the Miravalles Volcano and the charming little village of Bijagua.
This off the beaten path Costa Rica – Rio Celeste recommendation is one you should definitely enjoy if you are in the Arenal area in the dry (summer) season (January through April). In the green season, it can still be beautiful and worthwhile, but not blue (unless you happen to catch it during a dry snap…which would be rare).
Video of Arbol de la Paz and the Rio Celeste Waterfall (that’s the Llanos de Cortes fall at the beginning)…
Hey do you know all 7 of Costa Rica’s natural wonders (this list was compiled via a national vote that took place a few years ago)? They are as follows…
#1 Isla del Coco
#2 Volcán Arenal
#3 Cerro Chirripó
#4 Río Celeste
#5 Tortuguero
#6 Volcán Poás
#7 Monteverde
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