Best Arenal Hotels, Costa Rica • James Kaiser

Best hotels and lodges near Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

Some of the best hotels in Costa Rica are located near Arenal Volcano. Although Costa Rica is home to over a dozen volcanoes, Arenal, which towers above the town of La Fortuna, is the most famous by far. Few volcanos in the world claim such a perfect conical shape, and few have delighted so many visitors.

It all started in 1968, when Arenal erupted after lying dormant for nearly 500 years. For the next four decades the volcano spewed out a steady stream of lava and hot rocks, attracting a steady stream of tourists who watched the glowing eruptions safely from afar.

Then, in 2010, Arenal went quiet. The eruptions stopped, and as of this writing it’s officially considered “inactive.” According to scientists, the last time Arenal stayed inactive for this long, it stayed inactive for several hundred years. Is the party over? Not necessarily. The volcano could rumble back to life at any moment.

Learn more about Arenal Volcano National Park