I was up and exploring La Fortuna way before dawn as we had a 7:30 PM pick up for a day trip with Desafio Adventure Company.
After a quick coffee and a sandwich from the bakery, I joined all the “Avacados” on the Arenal Highlights Combo: Hanging Bridges, Volcano Hike & La Fortuna Waterfall tour that was scheduled to last 9 hours with Francisco our guide and Roy the driver.
First stop was the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park where we spent a couple of hours exploring the 3.2 kilometre (2 mile) dense jungle walk, on well-maintained paved pathways and hanging bridges, some of which were a hundred meters up in the canopy of the rain forest.
A short 20 minute drive and we were at Arenal Volcano National Park, which last erupted in 1968 with devastating effect. The 2 kilometre (1¼ mile) walk to the 1992 lava flow was a whole lot less strenuous than the Pacaya Volcano walk in Guatemala and you are reward with views of steam billowing from the top, but no lava flows.
Lunch was a near vegetarian affaire at the tour company’s facilities in the city, where took the time to walk next door to the local waterfalls of El Salto.
Our final stop of the day was 75 metre (250 foot) La Fortuna Waterfall, located at the base of the dormant Chato volcano, about 5½ kilometres (3½ miles) outside of La Fortuna. I was a leisurely 15 minute, 500 step walk to the base of the waterfall. I spent the best part of an hour exploring both swimming pools before deciding the head back up the stairs. I’ll be first to admit that I struggled on the ½ hour return accent and thought to myself that carrying an extra 14 kilogram backpack full of camera gear, is probably not the best decision I’ve made in a while.
We grabbed a feed at the Lava Rocks Café who charge you 50 Costa Rican Colones per US Dollar they give you back in your local currency change – good work if you can get it.
From there it was up to the La Fortuna Pub for a few sherbets and a couple rounds of house brick Jenga before calling it a night.
