From Central Valley (San Jose) to Nuevo Arenal:

There are two different routes to get to HOTEL LAGO ARENAL, NUEVO ARENAL:

The recommended road is via San Ramon. By night please take the road over Ciudad Quesada.

From the airport, head to the West, the Pan American road is very busy in rush hours. About 50 min drive take the entrance to San Ramon. Cross the town straight on, at the end of the street turn left, and at the next traffic lights turn to the right (1 block), heading North. You will pass the San Ramon Hospital, from now on you will be crossing the mountain road with nearly no traffic.

The road is in excellent condition just be aware there are some dangerous curves of 90°, drive slow !

It takes about 90 min from San Ramon to La Fortuna Town.

If arriving from Liberia Airport and the North Pacific Coast:

There is only one road from Liberia, Cañas, Tilarán to Nuevo Arenal Takes about 3 hours from the Liberia Airport to Nuevo Arenal, and 4 hours from Guanacaste Beaches. It takes approx 90 min from Cañas to Nuevo Arenal.

If arriving from Manuel Antonio, Quepos or Jaco:

Drive to the north via Parrita, Caldera, Cañas, Tilarán, Nuevo Arenal. It takes approx 5 hours from Manuel Antonio. Please drive carefully, in Costa Rica drivers tend to be careless. If you need help, you can ask the local people: they like to help foreign. We recommend do not drive at night. Try to plan to arrive at the hotel before 5 pm. Don´t miss the sunset !.

Flying to La Fortuna Town:

There are convenient flights with Sansa or Nature Air to the landing strip of La Fortuna. It takes about 50 minutes by taxi to get to the HOTEL LAGO ARENAL

Driving times and distances:

Distance from San Jose to Nuevo Arenal: 160 kilometers respectively 109.1 miles. Travel time from San Jose to Nuevo Arenal: 3.30 hours. Distance from Liberia to Nuevo Arenal: 97.4 kilometers respectively 60.5 miles.

Acknowledged for its amazing natural beauty, the Arenal region of Costa Rica is a tourist hotspot with millions of visitors coming here every year. Located near the base of the Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica’s most active volcano, the tiny town of Nuevo Arenal is a must visit when exploring this region. A picturesque and quaint town with close proximity to the beautiful Lake Arenal, this town is known for its breathtaking vistas and superb mountain and volcano views.

Lying some 30 minutes from the town of Tilarán on the north east side of Lake Arenal, Nuevo Arenal can also be easily accessed from the town of La Fortuna de San Carlos as well. The best way to get here is to either fly to San Jose International Airport or to the Liberia International Airport, and then drive out to Nuevo Arenal. Located at an altitude of 620 meters above sea level, the weather here is great as the climate remains cool and fresh all year long. Created in 1973 when a dam was built in the region, Nuevo Arenal or New Arenal came into existence when the waters of the lake rose and the former town of Arenal disappeared underwater. Built on higher safer ground, Nuevo Arenal is a small town with all the basic necessities that one needs.

Found in town are a number of banking services, a health clinic, grocery stores, mini- markets, a gas station, restaurants, hotels, resorts, bars and plenty of souvenir shops. The nightlife in Nuevo Arenal is quite active as well. When in town, do remember to stop at the German bakery for some delicious local delicacies and snacks.

For those who enjoy the outdoors, the fishing in Lake Arenal is very good, as there are plenty of Rainbow Bass and other fresh water fish found here. For the more daring, windsurfing in the lake is a great way to spend the day. With strong winds lasting from November to April, Lake Arenal attracts world class windsurfers from all over the globe. If you like, you can also take some lovely nature hikes around the lake area where you will get the chance to see various birds and animals, such as the Howler Monkeys, toucans, White Hawks and Chachalacas.

On the way out of town, do visit the lovely butterfly farm and Arenal Botanical Gardens, some 4 km east of the Nuevo Arenal. Home to a wide variety of butterflies and birds, this botanical garden has over 1200 species of tropical and rare Costa Rican plants on display including some beautiful ferns, roses and orchids.