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The Arenal volcano is the highlight of Costa Rica

It had always been an ambition of mine to see a live volcano, so a holiday in Costa Rica was always going to appeal. The Central American country is home to the Arenal volcano, which was the main focus of my trip. If you were to ask someone to draw a picture of the perfect volcano, the chances are they would sketch something that looks like Arenal. Towering above the Costa Rican skyline, the volcano takes on an almost perfect cone shape and smoke and ash can be seen bellowing angrily out of the top. It is an amazing sight at any time of the day, but I thought it offered the most memorable views at dusk, as the bright orange lava stood out even more against the dark sky. A truly magical image.

I took my family to see some of the many thermal springs and heated pools that are dotted around the area. I was so blown away by the volcano that I was in no rush to leave and I spent the next day wondering around the Arenal National Park. Covering nearly 30,000 acres, there were plenty of places for us to explore and we saw an array of mammals and wildlife, not to mention a plethora of rare native birds.

It would have been foolish to come all this way without taking in the many fascinating sights that San Jose has to offer. The first thing that struck me was the diversity of the architecture, as a lot of the buildings appear to have a distinct European influence, but have been constructed in a very Costa Rican way.

It is easy to see why thousands of people visit this part of the world each year. It is full of museums, parks, hotels, theatres, galleries and top class restaurants. Although the Arenal volcano was the ultimate highlight of my break, I will always cherish my memories of San Jose.

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The Arenal
The Arenal
San Jose
From $2,259pp exc flights
5
(average rating, based on 4 reviews)
Trip type: 
Family & Wildlife
Adventure level: 
3. Moderate
Max group size: 
16
Minimum age: 
7

Natural Magic - Family holiday

Americas, Costa Rica | 16 days
Trip code: 
FCR
Families only
Zip wiring, Monteverde - Costa Rica tours
Steamy rainforest, mountains and both Caribbean and Pacific coasts make Costa Rica the perfect place to observe tropical nature

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