7:30 am, 1968, La Fortuna Costa Rica the Arenal Volcano erupts killing 87 people across three surrounding villages making international news. Eruptions continued for days burying the surrounding 5.8 square miles in lava ash, rocks, and debris. The explosion was so intense it threw gigantic boulders (several tons) at speeds of 1300 mph.
One would think that such an event would cause a permanent evacuation of the surrounding area. Especially given the fact that the volcano continued to erupt over the coming decades. And at first this was true. Many landowners sold off their properties as worthless. Who would visit the wasteland left behind by a volcano?
But the report of the volcano put the destination on the international map. La Fortuna was soon a place of curiosity, and tourists began to flock to the region to satisfy the itch to experience first-hand an active volcano.
We boarded the shuttle to make our way to La Fortuna at 7:30 in the morning. The fastest and most interesting way to travel from Monteverde to La Fortuna is by a taxi-ferry-taxi service across the lake Arenal, the largest in the country. The trip was astounding. The bright sky afforded us breath taking views of the surrounding lush green mountains covered in a patchwork of cow pasture and jungle, and the approaching giant cone of the Arenal volcano.
At the lunch stop, to our delight, a flock of green parakeets descended on a nearby guava tree. We watched them as they pried open the pink fruit, then disappear in a flurry of bright green and loud squawks.
The steep winding graveled mountain roads led us past giant wind turbines, and remote farms, and rural villages till we reached the shores of Lake Arenal. The volcano towered over the lake and town of La Fortuna in the distance, but clouds shrouded its peak. It was no wonder this volcano invited so much intrigue.
Our ferry brought us nearer and nearer till the volcano's base till eventually the clouds rolled back to reveal its conical peak. It was beautiful! But, so huge, and far way... I couldn't help but feel drawn to it, like a moth to flame. Why is it that danger is so alluring?
We took our bags from the ferry and boarded the shuttle to the town center, about a half hour away. In comparison to tourism development in Monteverde, La Fortuna was a tacky tourist trap.
As we drove past the Tabacon hot springs reportedly bought recently by an Israeli investment group, I couldn't help but notice the massive western style gated resort surrounding the attraction. And this was the general rule for the businesses in La Fortuna. Owned by foreigners, but run, at a service-level wage by locals. Local community appeared an afterthought to the area. The real purpose of the area was clear, to attract as many tourists as possible at any cost.
Our Airbnb was owned by an expat from California (Robert) and run by a local woman (Alejandra). We were warmly greeted by both of them on arrival. They told us of dangerous snakes, particularly the Fer-de-lance, which, according to them have enough venom to kill thirty people, These snakes frequented the property (but if they're anything like the snakes at home, the fear of them is much greater than the actual danger Many report Fer-de-lance as docile creatures, and we ran in to no problem with them.)
"Keep your door closed" we were instructed, and gladly complied. Alejandra proved a wealth of information about the town and its history.
From 1968-2010 the volcano continued to erupt, making Arenal the most active in Costa Rica. Despite warnings from officials, people continued climbing the active volcano, and died. Not only that, but a private plane even flew too close to the eruption leading to a fatal crash.
There is something in the human spirit intensely drawn to the forbidden and untamed. So much so that it has sparked this explosion of a tourism destination previously ignored.
Unsurprisingly, to this day there is a black market of guided hikes to the volcano's summit. Large busloads of people come in the middle of the night from the capital city, San Jose, and guides meet them in camouflage and radios working hard to evade the stationed police. Leaving at midnight, a five-hour climb will bring them to the top in time to view the sunrise. Since 2010, the volcano has been dormant. I wonder, will its dormancy lose the interest of tourists?
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