Volcán Arenal y La Fortuna

This weekend was the excursion to Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna Waterfall.

Arenal Volcano

My Roommates for the weekend: Kinsey, Sarah, and Jessie

I absolutely loved this area! For me, it completely blew Playa Tamarindo out of the water. The first night we arrived we relaxed in the hot springs at our hotel, which was right at the base of the active volcano. 

The natural hot springs are heated by rocks that have been warmed by the volcano's internal magma. There is an incredible energy about the area--flashes of lightning high in the sky, distant rumblings of the volcano, and sounds of the jungle all around you.

Sometimes I would take a moment to let it soak in, and couldn't believe a place like this exists.

The next morning we woke up at 5:30 to get a good view of the volcano, which was definitely worth it.

After a delicious breakfast at the hotel, Sarah, Jessie, and I went on a hike to a viewpoint of the volcano.

Sarah and Jessie

Getting ready for some heavy-duty hiking

At the park a guide showed us a snake he had found:

A hog-nosed pit viper

The Costa Rican Blue Jay

It was a really cool hike that took us through some dense jungle and up to some volcanic rock.

After our hike, we explored our hotel, which had butterfly and frog gardens, lots of flowers, and a crocodile exhibit.

So CUTE!

Crocodiles are creepy.

Our last morning there, we hopped on a bus and hiked down to La Fortuna, the waterfall, where we took a swim in the cold water.

I can hardly wait for my family to come visit in December; they're going to love it.