When it comes to choosing a vacation spot for yourself and your family, you have a nearly infinite number of options to choose from.
You have so many choices that it can often be overwhelming for most people and because of this, most people end up going to the same old boring vacation spots year after year… but why not shake things up a little bit this year and choose something a little out of the ordinary, a little exotic, and a little extraordinary?
I suggest Lake Arenal, in beautiful Costa Rica.
Lake Arenal isn’t your ordinary average Lake, in fact it’s not even a real Lake; it’s man-made. What makes this lake so extraordinary is that it sits beneath the world’s fourth most active volcano, named the Arenal Volcano.
If that wasn’t enough, this lake is located in the northern central area of sunny Costa Rica next to the very tourist friendly town of La Fortuna.
The lake and the volcano are also surrounded by a very ancient rainforest that is completely pristine in its makeup. This monkey filled jungle is a must-see tourist destination of awe-inspiring beauty.
On the Lake itself you can enjoy many things that you would on a normal lake such as world-class windsurfing. You can also fish for a wide variety of exotic fish such as the Machaca bass as well as rainbow bass.
Of course, the real draw is watching the volcano erupt right in front of you. You can actually see the lava slowly creep down the sides of the mountain and on many days you can see fire shoot from the mouth as well!
Don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe when viewed from a distance.
You can also explore the beautiful waterfall about 2 miles east of La Fortuna in the Arenal Volcano National Park and the Cano Negro Reserve. This waterfall is one of the most amazing waterfalls in all of Costa Rica so you don’t want to miss it.
If that wasn’t enough, you can also drive for about an hour south to explore the caves of Venado. These caves were created by various water currents that passed through the limestone rocks of the surrounding area. It took, scientists think, around 7 million years to form all of these caves and you can explore to your hearts content, though I recommend you pick up a tour guide for safety.
Arenal is located between Panama and Nicaragua in Central America. The absolute best time of year to go is roughly November through March. This is referred to as the “dry season” so you can imagine what the rest of the year is like!
Lake Arenal offers the best of both worlds… on one hand you can enjoy a lazy typical tropical South American beach vacation while at the same time with very little effort you can get off the beaten path and see natural wonders that most people would only dream of. This is the sort of vacation that you can talk about for years and years to come.
