Costa Rica · Arenal Volcano & La Fortuna
The rainforest foothills of Arenal Volcano above La Fortuna, where Amor Arenal keeps thirty-one casitas on the edge of a forest canyon.
Now in Arenal
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Costa Rica · Arenal Volcano & La Fortuna
Arenal Volcano rises alone above the northern plains of Costa Rica, a cone of almost perfect symmetry wrapped in rainforest, and quiet since 2010 after four decades of activity. The national park that bears its name keeps old lava flows and forest trails; Lake Arenal lies to the west, and the town of La Fortuna gathers at the volcano’s eastern foot, with hot springs, rivers and waterfalls all around.
Seven kilometers west of town, on the road to the park, Amor Arenal sets thirty-one freestanding hardwood casitas on the edge of a virgin forest canyon, each with a deck and a heated mineral-water plunge pool facing the volcano. We hold Arenal for travelers who want the wild close at hand and the evenings unhurried.
The estate runs to 106 acres, and its trails leave from below the casitas for streams and waterfalls in the canyon, with a guided hike on the Nancitón trail each day. Yoga, meditation or sound therapy begin at eight on a deck above the stream; the Rainforest Spa keeps three treatment rooms wrapped in vegetation; and the warm mineral spring pools have a swim-up bar for the late afternoon. Dinner is at El Rancho, with the volcano in view, or six courses in La Cava, the wine cellar.
Why visit
The film
Amor Arenal’s own film of the volcano, the rainforest and the house. Sound on.
Featured properties
Your advisor arranges the stay directly with Amor Arenal and shapes the days beyond the gate, from hanging bridges and river safaris to the blue water of Río Celeste.
Foothills of Arenal Volcano, 7 km west of La Fortuna · Alajuela, Costa Rica: thirty-one freestanding Canyon Casitas
Thirty-one hardwood casitas on the edge of a rainforest canyon in the foothills of Arenal Volcano, each with its own deck and a heated mineral-water plunge pool turned toward the volcano.
Arenal Volcano National Park · Costa Rica: twenty nine tents, six family tents and two private residences on a replanted rainforest hillside facing the volcano
Safari style tents on stilts in a replanted rainforest facing Arenal Volcano, each with its own plunge pool fed by mineral hot springs, the first tented camp in Central America.
The house
A first reading of the stay: rooms, light, and the quiet between them. Each still is a note, not a catalogue.
When and how
Each season keeps its own calendar. We plan the transfer around it.
Best time to visit
Arenal is green all year, with mild temperatures of roughly 18 to 29°C (65 to 85°F) and breezes that draw you outdoors. January to April, July to mid-August and mid-November to mid-December are the busiest weeks.
Seasonality
May and June, then mid-August to mid-November, are the green season, when the rains return, the forest is at its fullest and the roads are quieter. Festive weeks around Christmas and New Year fill first. Your advisor confirms Amor Arenal’s dates when you inquire.
Airport / logistics
Arrive through San José (SJO) or Liberia (LIR) and continue by road, about two and a half to three hours, or by domestic flight to La Fortuna (FON). Amor Arenal runs a shuttle into La Fortuna through the day.
Month by month
Seasons follow the notes above. Average daily high and monthly rainfall for 2015 to 2024 from ERA5 reanalysis, via Open-Meteo.
Luxury experiences
Ways of traveling
Begin with the collection that holds these houses and shores.
Collection
The most romantic stays we know: water villas in the Maldives, honeymoon tents in the Maasai Mara, a hot spring pool below Arenal and a suite that looks onto the Duomo.
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Blue water, clear rivers and the far edge of the map: marlin off Fiji, trout on the Ahuriri, bonefish on South Andros, salmon by helicopter in Alaska and roped days on the Antarctic ice.
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Weddings, vow renewals, milestones, reunions and retreats at the houses we know best: a forest wedding in Phuket, a Tuscan hamlet, a lodge beneath the aurora, or an island with no other guests.
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Stays where wellbeing is the reason for the journey: Ayurveda in the Himalaya, onsen above Ago Bay, a desert spa in Utah, three spa floors in Manhattan and healing traditions from Bali to Phuket.
Open the collectionRelated destinations
Landscapes that sit well beside this one.
Destination
Costa Rica’s green north, where Amor Arenal keeps thirty-one hardwood casitas on a forest canyon in the foothills of Arenal Volcano.
Destination
Belize’s Ambergris Caye corridor and a true private island: Cayo Espanto, a handful of villas off San Pedro.
Destination
The Caribbean’s Nature Island: rainforest, 365 rivers, the world’s second-largest boiling lake and a UNESCO World Heritage site, with Secret Bay’s clifftop villas on its coast.
Plan My Trip
Tell us the season, the company, and the feeling you want to keep. We will write back with a considered path, not a link to a search.
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