Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal
The Arenal volcano belongs to the Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal, as does the smaller Cerro Chato volcano. Most of the national park is covered with cloud forest and rainforest, rich in plant and animal species, rivers, waterfalls and hot springs. The Arenal is a so-called stratovolcano (tall cone-shaped volcano composed of layers of solidified lava). In the vicinity of the Arenal, several hot springs are heated by the volcano. It was always assumed that the Arenal was a dead volcano, but after sleeping for about four centuries, the volcano became active again on July 28, 1968. An earthquake reawakened this 1,633-meter giant. The old solidified lava of 1968 can be observed. Currently, no red lava can be seen. The volcano has been ´quiet´ in that regard for some time.
