Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
From the Arenal 1968 ticket office, the forest trail heads north through forest that has grown up on the lava of 1968 and swings round a small lagoon at its northern end. It then climbs south-east through older trees to the highest part of the loop, where gaps in the forest look up at the cone of Arenal and out over Lake Arenal, before dropping back past the reserve's lava-flow viewpoints to the start.
It is 4.7 km round with 111 m of ascent; allow about 1½ hours. The grade is Easy: a rough natural path with short steep climbs and descents, loose volcanic rock in places and mud after rain.
This is private land beside the national park, so the reserve sets its own opening hours and charges for entry: check both on its website before you go. Keep to the marked trail; climbing the volcano itself is forbidden. There is no water on the way, so carry plenty, with a hat and sun cream for the open stretches.
The reserve lies on the road to the national park entrance, about 16 km from La Fortuna. Leave nothing of value in the car.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- Arenal 1968 is a private reserve on the edge of the national park, crossed by the lava that poured from Arenal after its 1968 eruption
- The forest trail climbs over old lava and through forest that has grown back since, with open views of the volcano and Lake Arenal
- Lake Arenal, Costa Rica's largest lake, was enlarged by a hydroelectric dam finished in 1979
- The reserve has three trails of different lengths, one of them out across the bare 1968 lava
Getting there
Start: Arenal 1968 entrance. 10.46621, -84.73621
Directions to the start
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Arenal: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.