Arenal Observatory Lodge

2 photos · 2019

2 photographs tagged Arenal Observatory Lodge, 2019.

Related: Arenal Volcano Costa Rica Guanacaste Sunset Volcano Hotel
Arenal Observatory Lodge overlooks Lake Arenal and rainforest at twilight in Costa Rica's Alajuela Province.
Arenal Observatory Lodge sits on the southern flank of Arenal Volcano, overlooking Lake Arenal in Costa Rica's Alajuela province. The lodge began in 1987 as a research station built to house volcanologists monitoring Arenal's eruptions, which continued almost continuously from 1968 until 2010. Lake Arenal itself is artificial, formed in 1979 when a dam was built for hydroelectric power and now supplying a significant share of the country's electricity. The property later converted from a scientific outpost into a hotel, with trails leading through the surrounding rainforest toward the volcano's lower lava fields.

Dusk Over Lake Arenal from Arenal Observatory Lodge

Arenal Volcano rises above dense rainforest canopy under stormy skies near La Fortuna, Costa Rica.
Arenal Volcano rises 1,657 meters above the plains of northern Costa Rica, near the town of La Fortuna in Alajuela Province. The stratovolcano stayed dormant for centuries before an eruption in 1968 destroyed the nearby village of Tabacón and reshaped its slopes with the lava flows still visible today. It erupted continuously from 1968 until activity ceased in 2010, making it one of the youngest active volcanoes in Central America during that period. The surrounding land was designated Arenal Volcano National Park in 1991, protecting the rainforest that now covers much of the mountain's lower flanks.

Sunset Light Breaks Over Arenal Volcano Near La Fortuna

Built in Minneapolis

Chad Davis

Photos and prints · Get in touch

© 1996–2026 Chad Davis