Arenal Volcano, incredibly attractive and frightening at the same time, rises out of cloudiness near the city of Alajuela.  It is not dormant unlike many volcanoes in Costa Rica. It is considered to be one of the ten most active volcanoes in the world. Its eruptions occur constantly, every 15 minutes.

There are about seven major volcanoes in the country along with Arenal Volcano being the most popular among them. It is perfectly triangle-shaped and has a crater with a diameter of 140 meters. By geological standards, the volcano is quite young: it is only seven and a half thousand years old. Despite its age, Arenal Volcano has a rich history and is known by many names, such as "Pan de Asucar", "Canaste", "Costa Rican Volcano", "Rio Frio Volcan" and "Guatusos Peak".

The volcano had been dormant for hundreds of years. After making sure that the densely overgrown crater on its top would not scatter lava, people established a settlement at the foot of the mountain. However, in 1968, the volcano suddenly erupted, destroying the small town of Tabacon. Due to the volcanic eruption, three more craters were formed on the western slopes. After the volcano activation, nearby forests and settlements have repeatedly suffered from lava flows. The last major disaster occurred in November 2006. However, after a few years, three of the four craters ceased to be active.

The volcano is located in the center of Arenal Volcano National Park forming the Arenal-Tilaran conservation area. Arenal Volcano neighbors upon the largest lake in the region of the same name and Chato Volcano, the second dormant volcano. In the crater of its "little brother", there is a lagoon, a hot mountain lake where you can swim.

The natural wonders are hidden in the haze of dark green rainforests and are popular among rare exotic birds which are over 850 species. You can meet one of the most elusive and beautiful birds of the country, the endangered resplendent quetzal. The park is a home for white-faced capuchin monkeys, jaguars, deer, foxes, and snakes even such as fer-de-lans and parrot snakes. Vegetation is also quite diverse there: orchids wrapping around tree trunks like lianas, heliconias, ferns, mosses, laurels, cirri, palm trees, bromeliads, and figs.