La Fortuna

Arenal Volcano's near-perfect cone shape dominates La Fortuna's skyline, a landmark whose modern fame traces to a single sudden explosion in 1968 that caught the surrounding area completely by surprise after centuries of dormancy. What followed was over four decades of near-continuous activity — lava flows, ash, and glowing rock visible at night — that made Arenal one of the most consistently active volcanoes in the world until it unexpectedly went quiet again in 2010.

The hot springs that built the town's tourism economy are a direct product of that volcanic activity, not a separate attraction. Geothermally heated water still flows from underground, ranging from simple free access points along the road to elaborate multi-pool resort complexes built specifically around the springs.

La Fortuna Waterfall, a short drive from town, drops into a swimmable pool at the bottom of a steep canyon reached by several hundred stairs — a genuinely demanding climb back up in the heat, but one of the more reliably scenic swimming spots in the region.

The area's rainforest canopy has also become a hub for adventure tourism distinct from the volcano itself — hanging bridge walks let visitors move through the forest canopy at treetop level without climbing, while zip-line courses and canyoning tours down waterfall faces draw a more adrenaline-focused crowd.

La Fortuna sits at the edge of Lake Arenal as well, Costa Rica's largest artificial lake, created by a hydroelectric dam project in the 1970s that also reshaped the volcano's immediate surroundings — windsurfing and fishing on the lake give visitors a quieter alternative to the town's adventure-sport reputation.