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The majestic Lake Arenal is Costa Rica’s largest lake.
Surrounded by rolling hills of pastured and forested land, the
imposing cone of Volcano Arenal dominates its eastern vista.
The Lake is a reservoir in Costa Rica, formed by enlarging an
existing small lake of the same name by the completion of a dam
in 1979. It is located near the Arenal Volcano and the
Monteverde cloud forest. It is 22 miles long.
It is the key resource in a nationwide hydroelectric project
that currently produces the majority of electricity for the
entire country.
The water depth varies between 100 and 200 feet (61 m). The
communities of "old" Arenal and Tronadora were submerged by the
expanded lake. Arenal National Park was created in 1991 and is
located on Costa Rica’s central northern plains. The most active
volcano in Costa Rica is Arenal, standing 1,657 meters ( 5,435
feet) high above the eastern shores of Lake Arenal. Its conical
shape typical of a strato volcano is made of successive layers
of eruptions, rocks, ashes and lava.
Recent Eruptions
The most recent eruptive period began with a major explosive
eruption in 1968, after 400 years of being dormant. The
land-locked national park is also the home of Costa Rica’s
largest artificial lake, which lies west of the volcano. t The
hydroelectric dam produces 70% of Costa Rica’s electricity.
Arenal -
La Fortuna -
Los Chiles -
San Carlos -
Tilaran
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