HeyArenal
ES My list

By car · Half a day

The far side of the volcano, El Castillo and the dam

A rural village on the lake's southern shore and the dam that formed the reservoir, on the same trip west.

Both stops are west of La Fortuna, about 23 and 17 km away. Walking around El Castillo is free, although almost every attraction in the area charges. The ICT mini-guide even suggests riding to El Castillo on a rented bicycle.

Step by step

  1. El Castillo

    Free with conditions

    El Castillo · 23 km from the central park

    Walk up the village streets to see the lake from above. Respect private property.

    View page · Directions with Google Maps

  2. Arenal Dam (Sangregado Dam)

    Free with conditions

    Dam and eastern lakeshore · 17.3 km from the central park

    Before or after, drive by the dam, which is in the same direction on Route 142, to see the reservoir from the road.

    View page · Directions with Google Maps

Before you set out

  • The road to El Castillo may have gravel stretches. Guides estimate 20 to 40 minutes of travel.
  • Coatis often cross the roads near the national park. Drive slowly.

Sources

  1. ICT — Mini guía La Fortuna (flipbook, p. 3) Official

    ict.go.cr · checked on

  2. James Kaiser — El Castillo Hotels Travel guide

    jameskaiser.com · checked on

  3. Arenal Observatory Lodge — Getting to Operator

    arenalobservatorylodge.com · checked on

  4. Enrutador FOSSGIS/OSRM sobre datos de OpenStreetMap (routing.openstreetmap.de) Map

    routing.openstreetmap.de · checked on

Text updated: