Active Pursuits

Aside from the impressive volcanic activity, the area around Arenal Volcano is packed with other natural wonders.

ATV

The folks at Fourtrax Adventures (tel. 2479-8444; www.fourtraxadventure.com) offer a 3-hour adventure through the forests and farmlands around La Fortuna. The tour includes a stop at a jungle swimming hole, where you can cool off, as well as a visit to a butterfly farm. You get good views of the volcano, as well as the La Fortuna Waterfall. The cost is $75 (£36) per ATV. A second rider on the same ATV costs $30 (£15).

Canopy Tours & Canyoning

There are numerous ways to get up into the forest canopy here. Perhaps the simplest way is to hike the trails and bridges of Arenal Hanging Bridges (tel. 2290-0469; www.hangingbridges.com). Located just over the Lake Arenal dam, this attraction is a complex of gentle trails and suspension bridges through a beautiful tract of primary forest. It's open daily from 7:30am to 4:30pm; admission is $22 (£11). Guided tours, early bird-watching tours, and transportation are also available.

Another option is the Sky Tram (tel. 2479-9944; www.skytrek.com), an open gondola-style ride that begins near the shores of Lake Arenal and rises up, providing excellent views of the lake and volcano. From here you can hike their series of trails and suspended bridges. In the end you can hike down, take the gondola, or strap on a harness and ride their zip-line canopy tour down to the bottom. The zip-line tour here features several very long and very fast sections, with some impressive views of the lake and volcano. The cost is $66 (£33) for the combined tram ride up and zip-line down tour. It's $55 (£27) to ride the tram round-trip.

If you'd like a bigger rush than the canopy tours offer, you could go "canyoning" with Pure Trek Canyoning (tel. 866/569-5723 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2479-1313; www.puretrekcostarica.com) and Desafío Expeditions (tel. 2479-9464; www.desafiocostarica.com); both offer canyoning adventures. This adventure sport is a mix of hiking through and alongside a jungle river, punctuated with periodic rappels through and alongside the faces of rushing waterfalls. Pure Trek's trip is probably better for first-timers and families with kids, while Desafío's tour is just a bit more rugged and adventurous. Pure Trek charges $90 (£45), while Desafio charges $85 (£42). Both of these companies offer various combination full-day excursions, mixing canyoning with other adventure tours.

There are several other zip-line canopy tours in the area, including the Arenal Canopy Tour (tel. 2479-9769) and Ecoglide (tel. 2479-7120; www.arenalecoglide.com). In fact, the hotel Montaña de Fuego, even has its own zip-line tour set up.

Finally, while nowhere near as natural, you can also take a bungee jump in La Fortuna at Arenal Bungee (tel. 2479-7440; arenalbungee.com). The bungee jump here is a 40m (130 ft.) fall from a steel tower constructed on the outskirts of downtown La Fortuna. You can even try a water landing, as well as a "rocket launch," which is kind of the equivalent of becoming a human sling shot. Jumps, falls, and rocket shots cost $39 (£19). This attraction is open 9:30am to 9:30pm daily, so you can partake in this fun day or night.

Fishing

With Lake Arenal just around the corner, fishing is a popular activity here. The big action is guapote, a Central American species of rainbow bass. However, you can also book fishing trips to Caño Negro, where snook, tarpon, and other game fish can be stalked. Most hotels and adventure-tour companies can arrange fishing excursions. Costs run around $100 to $250 (£50-£125) for a half-day, $200 to $500 (£100-£250) for a full day.

Hiking & Horseback Riding

Horseback riding is a popular activity in this area, and there are scores of good rides on dirt back roads and through open fields and dense rainforest. Volcano and lake views come with the terrain on most rides. Horseback trips to the Río Fortuna waterfall are perhaps the most popular tours sold, but remember, the horse will get you only to the entrance; from there, you'll have to hike a bit. A horseback ride to the falls should cost between $20 and $45 (£10-£22), including the entrance fee.

One popular and strenuous hike is to Cerro Chato, a dormant volcanic cone on the flank of Arenal. There's a pretty little lake up here. Desafío Expeditions (tel. 2479-9464; www.desafiocostarica.com) leads a 4- to 5-hour hike for $65 (£33), including lunch.

Aventuras Arenal (tel. 2479-9133; www.arenaladventures.com), Desafío Expeditions [STST] (tel. 2479-9464; www.desafiocostarica.com), Jacamar Tours (tel. 2479-9767; www.arenaltours.com), and Sunset Tours (tel. 866/417-7352 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2479-9800 in Costa Rica; www.sunsettourcr.com) are the main tour operators. In addition to the above tours, each of these companies offers most of the tours listed in this section, as well as fishing trips and sightseeing excursions on the lake, and transfers to other destinations around Costa Rica.

Taking a Soothing Soak in Hot Springs

Arenal Volcano has bestowed a terrific fringe benefit on the area around it: several naturally heated thermal springs.

Located at the site of the former village that was destroyed by the 1968 eruption, Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort (tel. 2519-1900; www.tabacon.com) is the most extensive, luxurious, and expensive spot to soak your tired bones. A series of variously sized pools, fed by natural springs, are spread out among lush gardens. At the center is a large, warm, spring-fed swimming pool with a slide, a swim-up bar, and a perfect view of the volcano. One of the stronger streams flows over a sculpted waterfall, with a rock ledge underneath that provides a perfect place to sit and receive a free hydraulic shoulder massage. The grounds here are extensive and it's worth exploring. The pools and springs closest to the volcano are some of the hottest -- makes sense, doesn't it? The resort also has an excellent spa on the grounds offering professional massages, mud masks, and other treatments, as well as yoga classes (appointments required). Most of the treatments are conducted in lovely open-air gazebos surrounded by the rich tropical flora. The spa here even has several permanent sweat lodges, based on a Native American traditional design. A full-service restaurant, garden grill and a couple of bars are available for those seeking sustenance.

Entrance fees are $70 (£35) for adults and $35 (£18) for children 11 and under. This rate includes either a buffet lunch or dinner, and allows admission for a full day. After 6pm, you can enter for $45 (£23) not including any meals. The hot springs are open daily from noon to 10pm (spa treatments can actually be scheduled as early as 8am, and hotel guests can enter at 10am). The pools are busiest between 2pm and 6pm. Management enforces a policy of limiting visitors, so reservations (which can be made online or by phone) are recommended. Spa treatments must be purchased separately, and reservations are required.

Baldi Hot Springs (tel. 2479-9651), next to the Volcano Look Disco, are the first hot springs you'll come to as you drive from La Fortuna toward Tabacón. This place has grown substantially over the years, with many different pools, slides, and bars and restaurants spread around the expansive grounds. However, I find this place far less attractive than either of the other two options mentioned here. There's much more of a party vibe at Baldi, with loud music often blaring at some of the swim-up bars. Admission is $30 (£15).

Just across the street from Baldi Termae is the unmarked entrance of my current favorite local hot spring, Eco Termales (tel. 2479-8484). Smaller and more intimate than Tabacón, this series of pools set amid lush forest and gardens is almost as picturesque and luxurious, although there are far fewer pools, the spa services are much less extensive, and there is no view of the volcano. Reservations are absolutely necessary here, and total admissions are limited so that it is never crowded. Admission is $24 (£13).

Mountain Biking

This region is very well suited for mountain biking. Rides range in difficulty from moderate to extremely challenging. You can combine a day on a mountain bike with a visit to one or more of the more popular attractions here. Bike Arenal (tel. 866/465-4114 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2479-9454; www.bikearenal.com) is the only dedicated operator in the field, with an excellent collection of top-notch bikes and equipment and a wide range of tour possibilities.

White-Water Rafting & Canoeing

For adventurous tours of the area, check out Desafío Expeditions (tel. 2479-9464; www.desafiocostarica.com) or Wave Expeditions (tel. 2479-7262; www.waveexpeditions.com). Both companies offer daily raft rides of Class I to II, III, and IV to V on different sections of the Toro, Peñas Blancas, and Sarapiquí rivers. A half-day float trip on a nearby river costs around $45 (£23) per person; a full day of rafting on some rougher water costs $70 to $90 (£35-£45) per person, depending on what section of what river you ride. Both companies also offer mountain biking and most of the standard local guided trips. If you want a wet and personal ride, try Desafío's tour in inflatable kayaks, or "duckies," down the pristine Arenal River.

A more laid-back alternative is to take a canoe tour with Canoa Aventura (tel. 2479-8200; www.canoa-aventura.com), which offers half-, full-, and multiday excursions on a variety of rivers in the region.