Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Visit Arenal Volcano on Your Costa Rica Vacation

If you haven't seen an active volcano, visiting Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica is really an amazing site. Arenal Volcano is the most active volcano in Costa Rica and listed as one of the top ten most active in the world. Of course, you are not guaranteed to see any lava spewing from the top, but you will certainly see activity.

The rainy season corresponds to the summer months for those in the Northern Hemisphere and the volcano's peak is often covered in clouds during the afternoon and evening, which lessens your chance of seeing the lava at night.

However, during the rainy season the mornings are often very clear, which means early risers have a good chance of seeing the lava before the clouds roll in and will have great weather for morning hikes. Keep this in mind when you are planning a trip.

Even if you don't actually see lava, you will still be able to feel and hear the volcano rumbling, as well as see smoke billowing out the top of the crater. If you have binoculars you can spot rocks expelled from the top and watch them tumble down the flanks of the volcano.

Inside Arenal Volcano National Park, travelers can take a hike, guided or solo, through the rainforest to find the 1992 lava flow. Once you reach it, you can climb up the now gray trail and see the interesting lava formations.

Travelers to the region might also be interested in going kayaking on Arenal Lake, or taking a horseback ride through the rainforest to the base of the volcano to begin a canopy tour. This canopy tour is a series of 12 platforms and 10 zip-lines. It is very safe and pretty thrilling as you zip above the forest. All of these excursions make spotting sloths, tropical birds, and monkeys very likely.

Before you plan a trip, make sure you know which side of the volcano is most active. It changes every few years and you definitely want to stay in a hotel on the most active side to have the best chance of seeing lava.

By : Challen_Clarke

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