Arenal Volcano in North Central Costa Rica

THE HISTORY OF ARENAL VOLCANO IN NORTH CENTRAL COSTA RICA COSTA RICA

Arenal Volcano National Park is one of the most visited national parks in Costa Rica for many reasons.
Tourist come here to experience Nature at its fullest. In a small area around this mighty volcano, one can do so many things related to the natural surroundings.  The volcano  seems to emit positive energy and one can rejuvenate in spirit and body.

All the outdoor nature activities would more than fill this page. So I am going to mention my favorite ones.  Natural hot springs- Tabacon Hot Springs, Eco Thermales Hot Springs, and Baldi Hot Springs,   Paradise Hot Springs--Relax and have a therapeutic massage!

Sky Trek Zip line is great! As well as Mundo Adventura zip line.  Sky Trek takes you to the top of the mountain in a glass gondola and Mundo Adventura rides you up in a trailor pulled by a tractor and then you have to walk up further to get to the first platform of zip line.

Desafio Tour company is located on the town square of La Fortuna and offers a wide range of out door activities.

Arenal Volcano was dormant  until 1968 when it suddenly and violently erupted towards it western face, throwing rock sup to one ton plus hot steam and lava.  The lasted for several days and destroyed crops, livestock, and three small villages- Tabacon,  Pueblo Neuvo  and San Luis.  Before it was all over eighty one people were killed.  The volcano continued to attract viewers and curious people and  became the largest tourist attraction in Costa Rica.

It had violent eruptions again in 1975, 1984, 1993,  and 1998.  Today in 2013 the volcano is dormant but one day surely it will erupt again.

If you are planning a vacation to Costa Rica you must include this area of the Arenal

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Volcano in  you vacation plans and experience some of the most exciting outdoor activities in the country.  "The Costa Rica Learn Travel Company can help you plan your itinerary. Ann is an expert on "Arenal and all it has to offer"  Contact her at www.costaricalearn.com

Email  anncreed23@gmail.com

 

Visit Paradise Hot Springs Arenal Volcano Costa Rica

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Recently I visited the Paradise Hot Springs - I can see why it was named "Paradise Hot Springs" It is a natural hot mineral waters coming from under the earth at the base of the Arenal Volcano, surrounded by beautiful plants and flowers and a nice view of the Arenal Volcano.  These hot springs are located three miles outside the town of La Fortuna, Costa Rica -if you are driving towards Lake Arenal.   Paradise Hot Springs is one year old and is a welcomed addition to the many hot springs experiences offered in the Arenal Volcano area.  The entry fee is a very good value at $23 for adults and $15 for children.  The total number of guests at one time is limited to one hundred and ten.   The owners are Costa Ricans who also own an ornamental plant business in the area.  You will see one hundred different species of tropical plants in the surrounding gardens of the hot springs and David, the owner is very enthusiastic about explaining the the characteristics of these different species of plants.

There are two large pools and one of these is  a swim up bar.  I felt these two pools were moderately warm.  However there are two other smaller pools, in a beautiful tropical setting with mineral springs waterfalls, and these pools are just right-not too hot and not too cool.

Additionally, there is one small pool which is very hot -around 105F and a small cold pool to dip into after coming out of the hot pool.

The therapeutic effects of mineral hot springs is well known. The heat causes the body to sweat which has a cleansing effect on the body.  Your body  becomes very relaxed. Many people with arthritis, and other ailments causing stiff joints and pain testify that these waters are a great relief.

Balance and Harmony

If the hot springs are from naturally occurring underground mineral waters, you can receive these five Elements:

Earth- underground birth of the hot mineral springs

Metals-from the minerals in the naturally occurring springs

Water

Wood -effects  from the trees surrounding the springs

Fire  heat from the water plus the sunshine

Specific health benefits of naturally occurring minerals in the hot springs.  These minerals  are absorbed thru the skin and have variable benefits:  Boron increases brain activity.

Chlorides benefits arthritis and stress

Iron increases production of  blood and strengthens the immune system

Magnesium converts blood sugar to energy

Potassium regulates hearth rhythm and blood pressure

Lithium alleviates depression

Sulfates- skin problems such psoriasis

After bathing in hot mineral springs, a therapeutic body massages is a great healing experience and you can get one at Paradise Hot Springs with appointment.  Also, you can get the mud from the volcanic rock rubbed on your body to further enhance these mineral effects.

To visit the Paradise Hot Springs, Arenal Volcano Costa Rica contact anncreed23@gmail.com    www.costaricalearn.com "the costa rica learn travel company"

Ann can help you plan that perfect Costa Rica vacation--saving you time and money so you can relax and get most out of your vacation!  Just email Ann today.  She will answer you questions--no obligations.

Under The Mango Tree In Costa Rica

 

Mangoes  grow almost wild in Costa Rica  from April through  June.  The warm tropical climate and ample rainfall provide the perfect environment. And Costa Ricans love mangoes.  They make a delicious drink of fresh mango mixed in the blender with water and sugar (shown here in Xinia's photo)  Also freezing fresh peeled and chopped mango and then blending it with water and sugar- Even Better!

Mangoes are used in bread and cake making (Mango Bread)  Just peel and chop it and place in the bread or cake mixture before baking. Mangoes are popular in salads and served over ice cream.  Click here to view a large collection of delicious recipes using mangoes.  http://www.freshmangoes.com/mangorecipes/recipes.html

Also the fruit and leaves are used for floral decorations for weddings as well as religious ceremonies.

Mango trees grow very tall-up to 4 meters and can live for three hundred years.

The small fruit is called mango and is very sweet and the larger fruit is called manga and is less sweet and the pulp is much firmer (tastes like a peach)  In the US we pay $1 or more for one large manga and here in Costa Rica they sell for around twenty five cents each.

Xinia has a large manga tree in her back yard and the fruit is falling all during the day and night, so if we sit under the Manga Tree--well we may get an unexpected bump on the head.  Also be careful not to eat the peel, you will get a "sting on your lips and gums"

The large manga shown below which Xinia is holding is unusually large.  Average size is much smaller.

www.costaricalearn.com

[caption id="attachment_5173" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="Xinia with fresh Mango Drink"][/caption]

Vacationing to Costa Rica

Planning a vacation to Costa Rica is a time consuming task.  You can surf the internet and become quickly confused with the dozens of choices of hotels in each location.

Rick and Anna wanted a stress free vacation of 10 days to Costa Rica and never having been there they knew that they needed some help to plan their time and pick the destinations to visit as well as deciding on the adventure tours to meet their time frame.

After consulting with Ann, "The Costa Rica Learn Travel Company"  they choose to rent a small Suzuki Jimmy 4x4 with a GPS and drive thru the mountains to Arenal Volcano- a 3.5 hour scenic trip from Alajuela (home to the San Jose International Airport).  They stayed the first night they arrived at "Xinia's Costa Rica Vacation Homestay" located 6 miles from the international airport.  And the next day, after driving 30 minutes up the mountain to visit the Poas Volcano National park, they then drove to the Arenal Observatory Lodge-an eco lodge located in the Jungle area of Arenal where they experienced close up panoramic views of the Volcano and Arenal Lake. Zip Line tour (Sky Tram, Sky Trek) and Kayaking on Lake Arenal were the adventure tours Ann set up for them.

Continuing on to the NW Guanacaste Beach of Tamarindo (a small town located right on the beach) where they spent 4 nights at Villa Alegre-right in front of the beach  (set up by Ann) basking in the sun, swimming in the pool and walking the beach, eating fresh seafood,  and just simply chilling out.

Here is what Rick and Anna had to say:

We were extremely pleased having used Ann’s services for our 10 day vacation in Costa Rica. Sure, we could’ve winged it and spent many nights at the computer trying to put together our vacation, hoping we made good choices for our hotels, meals & activities. But Ann listened to what we wanted and honed right in on a great itinerary for us. Her communication was awesome, she was easy to get a hold of, she answered our questions quickly, made suggestions for us and definitely made our whole trip easy and comfortable.
Besides the great hotels and activities she set us up with, our best experience was staying with Xinia and her family in their home. We were picked up by Xinia at the airport, whisked away to her beautiful clean house where a home cooked meal was prepared for us. We had a blast spending the evening with her family talking and learning more about Costa Rica from a different perspective.
Thank You, Ann! We had a fantastic trip to Costa Rica.

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Traveling to Costa Rica, Will my cell Phone Work in Costa Rica?

Will my cell phone work in Costa Rica?

I am planning to travel  to Costa Rica on vacation and would like to take my cell phone and use it there, but don't know if it will work?

First, before you leave check with your cell phone company.

SIM cards are sold in the San Jose International Airport so ask your carrier if you can use a SIM card in your phone.

Also if you are renting a car, you can also rent a cell phone from the rental company and pay per day.  Local calls are not expensive but calling outside Costa Rica is expensive.  Ask the rental car company for information on this.

Would you like some expert help on planning your vacation to Costa Rica ?  Then contact Ann, the Costa Rica Travel Expert.  She will individualize your vacation plans to fit your needs and your budget and best thing is she has 12 years experience doing this.

Ann's email  anncreed23@gmail.com   No obligations, Ann will answer your questions.  Read all about her at  www.costaricalearn.com