We spent 2 days in La Fortuna, situated in the Northern Highlands of Costa Rica, about 3 hours from the San Jose’s international airport (SJO). The focal point of the town is a pretty park filled with trees and flowers. Looming over everything is the photogenic Arenal Volcano which can be seen from almost everywhere in town. The volcano has a classic cone shape and stands 5358 feet (1633 m). It had its last major eruption in 1968, doing a lot of damage and killing more than 80 people (but sparing La Fortuna).
(park at the center of town)
(brown basilisk lizard in the park)
At the center of town, as is the case in many Central American countries, is the Catholic Church, a nice structure with a simple interior.
(exterior and interior views of Iglesia de La Fortuna de San Carlos)
The town is charming and while it clearly has a tourist orientation it still has a small town feel to it. It makes an excellent base from which to explore the region.
Here is some of what we saw while wandering around La Fortuna:
(street art)
And finally, some of the signs from La Fortuna.
It’s a pleasant community. Be sure to include it in your Costa Rica itinerary.
