Arenal Volcano 1968 Eruption Site Lookout Point Guided Hike
Highlights
- View the summit of Arenal Volcano & Massive Waters of Lake Arenal – if clear day
- Los Patos Lagoon
- Molten Lava Rocks
Facts
- Tour Hours : 8 a.m. 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 12m. (noon), 1 p.m. 2 p.m.
- Entrance fee : $17 per person
- Business hours : 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Time length : 2.5 hours
- Trail length : two stacked loop trail system
- Lookout points : 2, one to Arenal Volcano and another one to Lake Arenal
- Maximum altitude point : 80 meters (262 feet) from the volcano base
Arenal Volcano 1968 Eruption Site Lookout Point is a great place to visit on a clear day to see the base of Arenal Volcano, enjoy the view of Lake Arenal and do the 2-hour day hike around the Los Patos Lagoon exploring the trails with molten lava rock.
read more closeThe Arenal Volcano 1968 Eruption Site Lookout Point features a primary loop trail and a connecting or side trail:
Lava Flow Loop Trail ("Sendero Coladas 1968") – Primary Loop Trail
The Lava Flow Loop Trail ("Sendero Coladas 1968"), locally known as 1968 trail, is the primary loop trail. It is 2.9 miles (4.7 km) long. The trail winds out of the parking lot, past the volcano lookout view point, continues through a gigantic rocks and small lakes, climbs gradually up the volcano skirts up to 2,215 feet (675 m) above sea level with a premium site of molten rocks and Lake Arenal lookout site and loops back to the parking lot on an easy to moderately challenging trail.
The Forest 1968 Connecting Trail ("Sendero Bosque 1968")
The Forest connecting trail is 1.2 miles (2 km) long. It forks from the Lava Flow Trail at the volcano base carving along the shore of Los Patos Lagoon with overgrown vegetation and a few open spots to see parts of the lagoon, continues a gradual climb up under dense vegetation intertwined with lava molten rocks covered with lichens and overgrown vegetation and finally reconnecting with the Lava Flow Loop Trail half way at the top of the hill.
Recommendations
To best experience 1968 Arenal Volcano Trails, start early morning and do a loop including the Forest 1968 Connecting Trail, which will give you an insightful feeling of the volcano landscape. It will take you about 2 hours a total of 3.72 miles (6 km).
Weather is unpredictable! On a clear day, head first to the Arenal Volcano lookout view point by the parking lot, take your selfie with the volcano backdrop. Turn around and get another selfie with Lake Arenal.
After your photo session is completed, follow the "Sendero Coladas 1968" trail signs until you find the fork and the trailhead of "Sendero El Bosque 1968", continue around the lagoon and ascend to the main lava molten rock site and lookout view. Descend at your leisure!
Facilities
Café is open from There is a parking lot
Getting There
From La Fortuna drive west toward Tabacon Resort and continue 2.6 miles until you see a sign for the 1968 Arenal Volcano Trails. Turn left as route 142 forks on the hard-packed dirt road, and then follow the signs to the site, which will be on the left.
A taxi costs approximately $60-70 round-trip from La Fortuna to the western part of the volcano. Buses are available twice a day, 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., cost $5.50, and leave from the La Fortuna bus station.
What To Bring
Bug repellent
Camera
Binoculars
Closed-toe shoes like hiking or tennis shoes
Rain gear
Hat
Comfortable Clothes
Background
Giant clouds of ash, lava and flaming rocks spurred out of Arenal Volcano on Monday, July 29, 1968 at 7:30 a.m. and remained active and dangerous for several days.
More than 87 people dead after Arenal Volcano swallowed almost 89 square miles (232 sq. km) of land and destroyed about six square miles (15 sq. km.) including the villages of Tabacon, Pueblo Nuevo and San Luis, spewed out at 1,968.5 feet per second (600 meters per second) more than 7 billion gallons (25.6 million cubic meters) of volcanic material including giant molten rocks about a mile away from the base weighting several tons and measuring 31 feet high, 20 feet diameter and 13 feet in depth (10mX6 diameter X4m), and created new craters and lakes.
Property damages, rice fields and other crops were destroyed, and livestock killed. It meant a difficult time for area and a new beginning.