Place Archive

La Fortuna

La Fortuna, Costa Rica, lies near Arenal Volcano, an active stratovolcano whose 1968 eruption reshaped the region’s landscape, now marked by lava fields and regenerating cloud forests. The area includes protected sites like La Fortuna Waterfall and the Arenal Observatory Lodge, supporting diverse rainforest ecosystems and endemic wildlife such as arboreal sloths.

19 photos

Photos from La Fortuna

Arenal Volcano at sunset in Costa Rica, with dramatic clouds over the conical peak and a stream in the foreground.
Arenal Volcano rises above the plains near La Fortuna, Costa Rica, at sunset. The stratovolcano is one of the country’s most active, with its last major eruption occurring in 1968.
Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica is partially covered by cloud shadows, highlighting its barren upper cone and vegetated lower slopes.
Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica rises above the surrounding forest, with cloud shadows crossing its upper slopes. The stratovolcano last erupted in 1968 and remained highly active until 2011.
Gravel road leading to Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica.
A gravel road near Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica leads through open pasture and trees toward the volcanic cone in the distance. The unpaved route is made up of compacted volcanic material and serves as access to the rural landscape around the volcano.
A person swims in the pool at the base of La Fortuna Waterfall in Costa Rica, surrounded by lush tropical rainforest.
La Fortuna Waterfall in Costa Rica drops into a pool where a swimmer is visible near the center of the basin. The waterfall near Arenal Volcano falls about 70 meters into the Río Fortuna and is accessed through a protected area in tropical forest.
Sloth with young clinging to a tree branch in Costa Rica.
A sloth with its young clings to a tree in Costa Rica. The arboreal mammal is native to the rainforests of Central and South America, where it spends most of its time in the canopy.
A mother sloth and baby cling to a tree branch in Costa Rica.
A mother sloth and her young cling to a tree in Costa Rica. The pair are among the arboreal mammals native to the country’s tropical forests, where sloths spend much of their time resting in the canopy and feeding on leaves.
Arenal Observatory Lodge at sunset, Costa Rica, overlooking Lake Arenal and lush rainforest.
Arenal Observatory Lodge in La Fortuna, Costa Rica, overlooks Lake Arenal and the surrounding rainforest. The lodge, originally established as a research station for the Carnegie Institution, is set near Arenal Volcano and operates as a hotel for visitors to the area.
Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica is visible at sunset, with lush green rainforest in the foreground.
Arenal Volcano rises above rainforest near La Fortuna, Costa Rica. The stratovolcano is part of Arenal Volcano National Park, and the surrounding slopes and forest are visible from the Arenal Observatory Lodge area.
A trail winds through the lush Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve in Costa Rica, characterized by dense vegetation and moss-covered trees.
A trail runs through the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve in Monteverde, Costa Rica. The preserve, established in 1972, protects high-elevation cloud forest habitat known for dense vegetation, including ferns, mosses, and epiphytes.
A trail winds through the Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica, a biodiverse high-altitude ecosystem.
A trail runs through the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in Costa Rica, a protected high-elevation forest in the Cordillera de Tilarán. The reserve was established in 1972 and is known for its dense vegetation, epiphytes, and network of hiking paths used for research and visitor access.
A hanging bridge crosses a misty cloud forest near the Arenal Observatory in Costa Rica.
A suspension bridge at the Arenal Observatory Lodge & Spa near Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica crosses dense rainforest canopy. The bridge is part of the property’s nature trail system, which provides access through the cloud forest surrounding the observatory.
A hiker walks on a lava trail near Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica, a stratovolcano active until 2010.
A hiker walks among solidified lava fields at the base of Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica. The cone-shaped stratovolcano rises above regenerating vegetation in the protected area, where eruptions from 1968 to 2010 shaped the surrounding terrain.
Arenal Volcano near La Fortuna, Costa Rica, rises above forest under low clouds.
Arenal Volcano near La Fortuna, Costa Rica, is a stratovolcano in the northwestern part of the country. It last erupted in 1968 and has remained dormant since 2010.
Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica, partially obscured by clouds, rises above lush green hills.
Arenal Volcano in Alajuela Province, Costa Rica, rises above forested slopes and volcanic rock near La Fortuna. The stratovolcano became active after a major eruption in 1968 and is a central feature of Arenal Volcano National Park.
Arenal Volcano lava fields in Costa Rica with a path winding through rocky terrain and vegetation.
Arenal Volcano lava fields near La Fortuna, Costa Rica, are covered by solidified black lava rock and regenerating vegetation. The volcano rises in the background, with its upper slopes partly hidden by clouds. These lava fields were formed by past eruptions, including the 1968 eruption.
Arenal 1968 Lava Field Trail in Alajuela Province, Costa Rica, features a rocky path through lush vegetation with Arenal Volcano in the background.
Arenal 1968 Lava Field Trail in Alajuela Province, Costa Rica, crosses solidified lava from the 1968 eruption of Arenal Volcano. The trail passes through vegetation that has recolonized the volcanic rock, with the volcano visible in the background.
A sun-dappled trail winds through a lush, green cloud forest in Costa Rica, near Arenal Volcano.
A trail through the Arenal 1968 Lava Flow area near Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica passes through dense cloud forest on ground formed by lava from the volcano’s 1968 eruption. The route crosses a regenerated forested landscape where volcanic rock and roots are visible along the path.
Lush cloud forest surrounds a dark lake near Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica.
A lake bordered by dense cloud forest at Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica lies beside the Arenal 1968 lava flow trails. The trails cross terrain formed by lava from the volcano’s 1968 eruption and are part of the area visited by hikers exploring the volcanic landscape.
Arenal Volcano looms over lush tropical foliage and resort buildings in Costa Rica.
Arenal Volcano rises behind the Royal Corin Thermal Water and Spa Resort near La Fortuna in Costa Rica’s Alajuela Province. The volcano is an active stratovolcano that was among the country’s most closely watched natural landmarks during its long eruptive period before becoming dormant in 2010.

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