Haga click en el siguiente enlace para leer está página en Español: Reserva Forestal de Zona de Emergencia del Volcán Arenal Costa Rica
Arenal Volcano Emergency Zone Forest Reserve Costa Rica: created on October 14th, 1972, to protect and conserve forest areas in the emergency zone surrounding the slopes of Arenal Volcano, a perfectly conical volcano and the most active one in the country. This reserve is part of the Arenal Huetar Norte Conservation Area, located in the northern part of Costa Rica.
The Arenal Volcano Emergency Zone Forest Reserve is a small area in the northern flank of Arenal Volcano, in the high risk area, so it does not enjoy much tourism. It is characterized by volcanic formations consisting of lavas, pyroclastic rocks and small lahars, mainly composed by andesitic and basalts. Current use consists of forests, pastures and rocks (lava flows).
The Arenal Volcano Emergency Zone Forest Reserve weather is influenced by both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, so it receives from 3500mm to 5000mm (138 to 197 inches) of rain per year, where the rainy season lasts from May to January, while the dry season runs from February to April. The temperature here varies from 16°C (61°F) in the high areas to 24°C (75°F) in the low.
This reserve is surrounded with a wide variety of flora and fauna species, many of which are part of the great biodiversity that the Arenal Volcano National Park has. Among the vegetation highlights the Cedro or Cedar (Cedrela salvadorensis), Java kapok or Silk cotton (Ceiba pentandra), Campano blanco (Gordonia fruticosa), Guanandi (Calophyllum brasiliense), Sura (Terminalia oblonga), Milk Tree or Cow Tree (Brosimum utile), Ecuador Laurel or Salmwood (Cordia alliodora), Fruta dorada (Virola Koschnyi), West Indian Laurel Fig (Ficus americana) and Pilon (Hyeronyma alchorneoides). Also, it has various species of ferns, palms, orchids, epiphytes and bromeliads such as Pitcairnia funkiae.
The zone also enjoys a vast diversity of wildlife such as monkeys, coatis, deer, kinkajous and snakes, as well as a lot of birds like Buff-throated Saltator (Saltator maximus), Blue-grey Tanager (Thraupis episcopus), Cherrie’s Tanager (Ramphocelus costaricensis), Three-wattled Bellbird (Procnias tricarunculata), Rufous Motmot (Baryphthengus martii), Great Curassow (Crax rubra), Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra), Rufous-tailed Jacamar (Galbula ruficauda) as well as parakeets, parrots, woodpeckers, toucans, hummingbirds and many others.
There are no public facilities at this forest reserve. Other nearby Costa Rican parks include Arenal Volcano National Park, Juan Castro Blanco National Park, Alberto Manuel Brenes Biological Reserve and Tenorio Volcano National Park.
Getting to Arenal Volcano Emergency Zone Forest Reserve:
The fastest way from San Jose is by taking the Pan-American Highway, heading west to the town of San Ramón and following the road, heading north through Angeles, La Tigra and Chachagua to La Fortuna. Drive west out of La Fortuna, the road will take you 180 degrees around the volcano to the park ranger station. However, this route is not always available due to the rains, so be sure before you take it. Driving time from San José is about 4 hours.
You can also take the Pan-American Highway to Naranjo and follow the road through the towns of Zarcero and Ciudad Quesada to La Fortuna. Drive west from La Fortuna, the road will take you 180 degrees around the volcano to the park ranger station. Driving time from San José is about 4 hours.
From Liberia (Daniel Oduber Airport), equally scenic, take the road heading towards the city of Liberia. At Liberia’s intersection take the Pan-American Highway to Cañas and then drive up into the hills to the town of Tilarán and follow Lake Arenal around its northern shore to the base of the volcano. Driving time from Liberia is about 1.5 hours.
By bus:
You can take a bus from the route San José – La Fortuna which takes about 4 hours (Auto Transportes San José-San Carlos, 2256-8914). You can also take a bus from Ciudad Quesada to La Fortuna (Transpisa, 8379-3153) which takes about 1.5 hours.
By plane:
You can also take a flight from the Juan Santamaria Airport to La Fortuna Airport, either with Sansa Airlines or Aerobell, both with daily flights. From here you can rent a car and drive to the reserve, which is about 15 minutes.
Location: 15km southwest from La Fortuna, district: La Fortuna, canton: San Carlos, province: Alajuela, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 21007.
La Fortuna GPS Coordinates: 10.471189,-84.645419 (10°28’16.28″N, 84°38’43.51″W)
Size: 230 ha (570 acres)
Altitude: from 300m to 1633m (985ft to 5357ft) above sea level
Arenal Tempisque Conservation Area (ACA-T) Telephone: +(506) 2695-5908
Arenal Huetar Norte Conservation Area (ACA-HN) Telephone: +(506) 2460-0055, 24601412.
INFOTUR Tourist Information: 1192
You must be logged in to post a comment.