La Fortuna Town

The community of La Fortuna, also known as Villa Fortuna or Villa Burio, is located in the valley of the volcano Arenal, bordering to the Rio Burio. It is the closest town to the Arenal volcano.

The town belongs to the district of La Fortuna of San Carlos, in the Province Alajuela and is situated at an altitude of 300 meters above sea level. The climate is mostly warm and humid and the temperature is usually between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius, supported by a pleasuring moderate breeze.

During the months of November to January it is a little cooler and the temperature varies between 23 and 25 degrees.

The region of La Fortuna is very fertile and allows the nature to appear in lush green. This makes it possible to grow a variety of crops, such as papaya, ginger root, oranges, pineapples, sugar cane, beans and cassava root that are being exported to the United States and Europe. Agriculture, milk and meat production are important sources of income besides the growing tourism industry.

Something very special and unique about La Fortuna is that the Arenal Volcano is visible from everywhere in the village. You can see lava and gases coming out without being in danger of an eruption, since the volcano is constantly observed by the Smithsonian Institute.

The spectacle is especially interesting at night when you can see the lava explosions.
In La Fortuna you will find all kinds of facilities such as post office, banks, ATM and Internet services.

The area is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Costa Rica and has a wide selection of good hotels as well as a great number of restaurants serving both traditional and international food.

About Arenal / National Park / Places of interest