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La Fortuna…here we come!
So you ask, what’s in La Fortuna? I will be completely honest. At the time we set out from Villas Calas, I really had no idea. Friends had highly suggested we go there, however, and I had booked a white water rafting trip that we needed to get to. I was ready to find out!
Turning on the GPS as we left Villas Calas, I discovered that it was sending me back toward San Jose and then up the western side of the country, something that was a bit confusing. I always like to look at routing on a map before blindly letting Siri (or any other electronic voice) lead me and it appeared that we needed to continue north toward San Miguel. Though my son (a child of the electronic navigation era) insisted we follow the directions coming from our GPS, I decided to go with my gut…I wanted to see some new landscapes after all!
Passing La Paz Waterfall Gardens, we crossed a bridge on Highway 126 and stopped along the roadway to admire the La Paz waterfall that we had seen the day before from within the park. Continuing on, I soon discovered why GPS might have been trying to route us a different way…this was a winding road along the side of a mountain! Adapting my race car driver persona, I swallowed the lump in my throat and drove carefully, yet as fast as my little rental would allow.
Before long, the steep drop offs on the side of the road didn’t terrify me and we even pulled over a few times for some stunning photos.
About three hours later, we were pulling into La Fortuna, the small town in the northwestern part of the country which is home to Arenal Volcano National Park. Indeed, as we drove down the main street, it was apparent that the stunning volcano takes center stage.
After a quick lunch at one of the many establishments lining the main street, we walked around investigating each of the souvenir shops located in the downtown area. Finally securing a few beautiful masks for my collection and trinkets for our loved ones back home, we took a walk around Parque La Fortuna and took a quick look around the Catholic Church, La Parroquia San Juan Bosco La Fortuna. Though the church lacks the opulence and history of many of the churches I have seen throughout the world, I loved that it was the center of the town…the center of life in La Fortuna. Containing a prominent mural of Jesus Christ behind the altar, a red, black and yellow patterned floor, striped columns, and a beautiful stained glass over the front door depicting the patron saint, the church’s interior was a vibrant one. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the interior, most visitor’s enjoy the view from the outside with the stunning Arenal volcano behind.
Finally, with mid-afternoon approaching, we decided to head toward our hotel, which would be our base of operations for the next couple of days, the Arenal Lodge.
Thirty minutes later, after driving across the dam on Lake Arenal and a treacherous climb up a steep, mountain road, we chuckled at the sign greeting us. You made it! Yes, we did!
The Arenal Lodge is located on 2,000 acres and is known for its stunning views of the Arenal volcano and Lake Arenal. The rainforest surrounding it is home to exotic birds, butterflies, frogs, small animals, tropical flowers and native trees which can be viewed from the walking trails leading from the lodge or from horseback rides led on the trails throughout the day.
The Lodge is rustic and casual and offers a infinity edge pool surrounded by a hummingbird garden, two heated jacuzzis, hidden within the garden’s blossoms and greenery, a game room, an outdoor playground and a gym.
If braving the steep, jagged road back to town in the dark isn’t appealing, especially after a few drinks, the lodge offers a full service bar and restaurant, serving international and casual Costa Rican cuisine with views of the volcano and a large outdoor seating area on the deck. An extensive complimentary breakfast is also offered and rooms contain microwaves and refrigerators.
Sitting on my balcony, relaxing in the hanging swing, gazing out at the Arenal volcano, I sipped my Imperial beer, marveling that we had made it! Two days ago, we had no idea where we would be and now, I was gazing out at one of Mother Nature’s marvels.
Life is good.
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Parroquia San Juan Bosco
- Address: Alajuela Province, La Fortuna, Costa Rica
- Hours: 0800-1800, daily
- Admission: free
Aremal Lodge
- http://www.arenallodge.com/
- Address: 142, 200 meters Northwest from the dam of the Arenal Lake, Fortuna de San Carlos, Alajuela, San José, 1250, Costa Rica
- Room Rates vary by time of year and type of room requested; Economy, Garden View, Family Suites, Junior Suites, Chalet, Honeymoon Suite and Master Suite, approximately $70-200 per night. https://www.bookingplacecostarica.com/reservations/hotel/availability.aspx?hotelId=HA0416