Nayara Gardens
Villas with a private jacuzzi and a balcony facing the volcano, set in beautiful gardens with a gourmet restaurant and a full spa.
5-starView hotel
Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna
Costa Rica's best known volcano, with hot springs at its base and rainforest trails across old lava flows. Most of our clients spend 3 nights here.
- Fly into
- LIR or SJO
- Liberia about 3 h, San José 3 to 3.5 h
- Stay
- 3 nights
- What most of our clients choose
- Best views
- Dec to Apr
- Dry season, clearest skies
- Region
- Northern Zone
- Rainforest, lowlands, Lake Arenal
- Pairs with
- Monteverde
- Taxi, boat, taxi across the lake
Why go
A perfect cone, warm rivers and the rainforest in one valley
Arenal is the volcano on every Costa Rica postcard, with the town of La Fortuna at its feet. Its last major eruption, on 29 July 1968, destroyed three villages; it has been quiet since 2010. The reason to come is everything around it: hot springs warmed by the volcano, hanging bridges through the canopy, the La Fortuna Waterfall and Lake Arenal on the far side.
Hot springsSeveral of our hotels have their own
Volcano hikesEl Silencio and the 1968 trail
AdventureCanopy, rafting, night walks
The map
Every hotel we book in Arenal
33 hotels, our favourites numbered.
Hotels we know personally
3-star and above only, chosen by our team in Costa Rica.
Hotel Arenal Kioro
Family owned, with 53 suites, each with its own terrace and big volcano views, plus its own Titokú hot springs: eight pools of different temperatures.
5-starView hotel
Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort
The famous Tabacón hot springs, a warm river running through the gardens into pools of different temperatures, with daily entrance included in your stay.
5-starView hotel
The Springs Resort & Spa
On a ridge 1,000 feet above the Arenal valley, with volcano views from every room and 28 pools, including natural hot and cold springs.
5-starView hotel
Arenal Springs Resort
Volcano views from every room, hot spring pools for adults and for kids, and quiet gardens between La Fortuna and Lake Arenal.
4-starView hotel
Los Lagos Resort
A family favourite on 600 acres: 11 hot spring pools of different temperatures, its own crocodile and caiman farm, and lakes to fish in.
3-starView hotel
Arenal Observatory Lodge
Built as a volcano research station for the Smithsonian, on 870 acres of private rainforest, with the volcano and Lake Arenal right outside the dining room's floor-to-ceiling windows.
3-starView hotel
What our clients book most in Arenal
Ranked from the trips we planned in the last 12 months.
- 01River safari float on the Peñas BlancasPrivate or shared, 4 hours
- 02Místico Hanging Bridges walkPrivate or shared, 2 ½ hours
- 03Sloth walk in the rainforestPrivate or shared, 3 hours
- 04Rafting the Balsa River, class II and IIIShared, 5 to 6 hours
- 05Sky Tram gondola and Sky Trek zip linesShared, 3 ½ hours
- 06Canopy zip lines at Ecoglide ParkShared, Half day
When to go
Clear volcano views December to April
May to November is the green season: the volcano hides in cloud more often, afternoons bring rain and the springs feel even better.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Clearest viewsGreen season, afternoon rainSemana Santa, 21 to 28 March 2027: plan early
Both airports work. You never drive.
From Liberia (LIR)about 3 hoursPrivate transfer, the route our clients take most often
From San José (SJO)3 to 3.5 hoursPrivate transfer, with a meet and greet at arrivals
The scenic way from San Josévia La PazLa Paz Waterfall Gardens: 1 to 1.5 hours there, then 2 to 2.5 hours to Arenal
Where to go next
![Hanging bridge in the Monteverde cloud forest]()
![Manuel Antonio beach and point from the air]()
![Surfer inside a wave at Tamarindo]()
![Coastline of the Gulf of Papagayo from the air]()
Where our clients go after Arenal
MonteverdeTaxi, boat, taxi across Lake Arenal, about 3.5 hoursOur most planned next stop
Manuel AntonioPrivate transfer, about 5 hoursBeaches and the national park
TamarindoPrivate transfer, about 4.5 hoursGuanacaste beaches, fly home from Liberia
PapagayoPrivate transfer, about 4 hoursResorts close to Liberia airport
Good to know
Arenal questions we answer every week
Is Arenal Volcano still active?
It is still considered active, but there has been no eruption since 2010. The last major eruption was on 29 July 1968. Today you come for the views, the trails on the old lava flows and the hot springs.
How many nights do I need in Arenal?
3 nights is what most of our clients choose: enough for a volcano hike, the hanging bridges, the waterfall and an evening in the hot springs without rushing.
Which airport is closer to Arenal?
Liberia (LIR) is about 3 hours by private transfer and San José (SJO) about 3 to 3.5 hours. Your Specialist picks the airport that suits the rest of your trip.
When can I see the volcano clearly?
December to April is the dry season and the best time to see the volcano, with clearer skies. May to November is the green season, when the summit hides in cloud more often.
How do I get from Arenal to Monteverde?
Most of our clients take the taxi, boat, taxi route across Lake Arenal, about 3.5 hours door to door.
Your Costa Rica, planned by people who live here
Tell us what you love. A Costa Rica Specialist builds a custom itinerary around it, with private transfers, hotels we know and our team on call 24/7 while you travel.
Since 2004 in Costa RicaOver 25,000 clients1,200+ five-star reviewsICT licensed, Declaratoria Turística