Hiking
Dendrobates Rainforest Reserve Hike
This private reserve is the best example of primary forest we can visit in the vicinity of Arenal Volcano, only 5 minutes from La Fortuna. Owned by the Association of Neighbors from the nearby village of El Bosque, this land was almost lost when squatters illegally tried to turn it into a banana plantation a decade ago. Today it preserves over 300 hectares of forest where we can find many 50 meter high Ceiba (Ceiba pentandra) and Javillo (Hura crepitans) trees as well as other species of endangered hardwood trees.
We hike on a narrow but well maintained trail that starts on the flat land but soon ascends to the area where the oldest trees are found. We’ll need to cross a small stream twice before looping back to the trail head.On this tour we’ll appreciate what an old undisturbed forest looks like and we’ll learn about the balance of life found in it.
Difficulty: Moderate – two shallow stream crossings, some steep up and downs
Departs: 7:00 a.m. and 2 p.m. Returns: 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Includes: transportation, bilingual guide, snack, water, entrance fee to the private reserve
Cerro Chato Hike
Intense hike to the top of Cerro Chato, a dormant volcano located right next to Arenal, whose crater is now a beautiful lake surrounded by forest. We start hiking through the Arenal Observatory Lode grounds to the base of the mountain and then ascend on a trail through lush rainforest all the way up to the crater rim. We hike down the opposite side of the mountain, enjoying great vistas of the flatlands in front of us until we reach the magnificent Fortuna Waterfall. Here we continue hiking all the way down to the base of the falls where can go for a swim in the river.
This tour includes approximately 2 hrs of climbing y 1.5 hours of descent on steep trails and one hour stop at the Fortuna waterfall where you can swim
Difficulty: HARD – Recommended only for EXPERT fitness levels
Departs: 7:00 a.m. Returns: 4:00 p.m.
Includes: transportation, bilingual guide, box lunch, entrance fee to the trail and La Fortuna Waterfall
Celeste River Hike: Tenorio Volcano National Park
“Celeste” in Spanish means celestial, paradisiacal and also the light blue color of the clear sky.
Such adjectives describe perfectly the area we’ll visit on this tour.On the flanks of Tenorio Volcano National Park this 7 km hike takes us to the point in the river where Mother Nature magically mixes the water of two crystal-clear streams, changing its color to the beautiful light-blue we call Celeste.
We continue to “las ollas” (the cooking pots), depressions on the ground full of clay with alleged therapeutic properties and the Tenorio Volcano thermal springs.
The trail continues through the forest to reach the stunningly colored Rio Celeste Waterfall.All this time the surrounding rainforest is full of amazing life forms, smells and sounds.
Difficulty: Hard – 4+ hours of hiking, several steep sections.
Departs: 7:00 a.m.Returns: 5:30 p.m.
Includes: Bilingual guide, transportation, National Park entrance fee and lunch
