Arenal 1968 & Night Hike
Previous: Bogarin Trail & El Salto Next: Mistico Hanging Bridges
La Fortuna: Arenal 1968 & Forest Night Hike
Arenal 1968
February 21
From this point forward, the weather turned. February is considered the dry season in Costa Rica, but apparently nobody told Costa Rica that. It didn’t rain constantly over the next two days, but it rained often—and when it wasn’t raining, the air was thick with humidity. Clothes that got wet from the pool or the rain never really dried.
After breakfast at the resort, we headed out to Arenal 1968, a private reserve about 20 minutes away and close to Arenal Volcano. The reserve features simple hiking trails, lava rock, and some of the best close-up views of the volcano. I had pre-purchased tickets through GetYourGuide.
There are three trails of varying lengths, and Ann chose the shortest (green trail) while Em, Sue, and I opted for the medium-length “yellow” trail—about two miles.
The trail winds through lush forest and canopy with stretches of hardened lava rock. There are a few uphill sections, but nothing too strenuous. It rained lightly off and on, and we knew from the start we probably wouldn’t get a full view of the volcano—and we were right.
At the main viewing point—a break in the canopy over exposed lava rock—we stopped to take in the scenery. On one side stood the volcano; on the other, Lake Arenal stretched into the distance. Only about half of the volcano was visible, with clouds obscuring both its peak and the surrounding mountains. Still, it was beautiful—and honestly, a warm, cloudy day in a Costa Rican forest under a volcano beats any February day in Michigan.
About a dozen others shared the viewpoint, and after ten minutes, we continued along the loop. Near the end of the trail, the clouds lifted just enough to reveal more of the volcano, so we stopped for photos before heading to the Arenal 1968 café.
We met back up with Ann at the cafe and grabbed lunch, enjoying surprisingly great views of the volcano from there.
Afterward, we returned to the hotel. Our next adventure: a guided forest night hike.
With a few hours to spare, Em and I relaxed in the hotel’s hot springs.
While in the springs, Ann and Sue unwound before an early dinner by the pool.
All of us were quietly hoping the rain would ease up before the tour…any bets?
Guided Forest Night Hike
Ann had booked the “Night Walk Around Arenal Volcano” through Viator. The tour took place at Mirador El Silencio, about 15 minutes away. We arrived at 5:15 p.m. for the 5:30 start—and it was pouring. Let the adventure begin.
To be clear: we actually paid money to walk through a Costa Rican forest at night, in the rain, actively hoping to encounter wild snakes, spiders, and poisonous frogs. We came prepared with rain jackets, but Sue was the real genius—she brought an umbrella!
As crazy as it sounds, this is a popular activity in La Fortuna. Despite getting completely soaked, it ended up being a lot of fun. Our guide was fantastic (and notably a bit flirty with Ann), and aside from us, there were only two other people in the group—apparently everyone else got the “you will get drenched” memo.
We saw a surprising amount of wildlife. Each of us had a flashlight and were encouraged to search, though—unsurprisingly—our guide spotted most of the animals. We found snakes, spiders (I found one tucked inside a flower), poisonous frogs, lizards, and even a tiny, fuzzy bird that looked like a living Peep candy. Like most of our guided experiences, it reinforced that the guides are absolutely worth it.
By the end, we were more than ready to retreat to the dry comfort of the car. Back at the hotel, Em and I reverted to our pre-married apartment days—stringing wet clothes all over the room in a desperate attempt to dry them. With the humidity, it didn’t help much.
Off to bed.
