Lake Arenal The Undiscovered Jewel Of Costa Rica

Lake Arenal Real Estate - The undiscovered jewel of Costa Rica.
Up until just a few short years ago people visiting Costa Rica had never even heard of Lake Arenal.
Gradually and mostly because of the spectacular active Volcano Arenal and the nearby tourist mecca town of Fortuna with its hot springs, the tourists started driving past the lake to or from San Jose, three and a half hours to the south, or the Pacific beaches one and a half hours to the west on their tours which included Volcano Arenal, one of the most active volcanoes in the world.


I remember seven years ago while doing exactly the same thing, going to Fortuna to the hot springs I drove another few minutes down the road and got my first glimpse of Lake Arenal. It literally stops you in your tracks, and most people pull their cars over to the side of the road to take in what they are seeing.
To me it was exactly like seeing Lake Como in northern Italy. To others it reminds them of some other beautiful lake they have seen in the world. But mostly, why hasn't someone mentioned this to me?


Lake Arenal is a 22 mile long, 50 square mile pristine fresh water lake at an elevation of 1,500 feet. In a bowl surrounded by verdant jungle mountains with islands, gorgeous secluded bays and most unique of all right on the eastern bank of the lake is the Arenal Volcano towering to a height of 5,000 feet, and which can be seen erupting day and night from vantage points all around the lake.
Far from the scorching heat on the coastal areas, the average temperature at the lake is 75 degrees, making air conditioning unnecessary.


Another point worth mentioning is that in all the microclimates that make up Costa Rica, the lake area in my opinion is one of the best for several reasons.
The temperature is truly delightful and coupled with this is an average of 100 inches of rain per year which not only keeps everything always green, no dry season, but also contributes to the springs, rivers and waterfalls that dot the landscape.
And very best of all, because it is just being discovered, the real estate prices are still a fraction of those at the beaches and in the Central Valley.
Lake Arenal - Really only now being discovered.


Humble Tico styled homes can be found for around US$25,000 and up. Lake view homes sites will start at about US$35,000 for 1,000 square meters and if a view is not important to you, other home sites can be found for US$12,000+
PS. I am sure some of you are wondering, how safe is the volcano? Volcanologists have stated that this type of an active volcano is safer as is it is continuously venting and letting off pressure every day, rather that having it build to become a major eruption, so don't worry, just enjoy the free fireworks display nightly.
Written by Costa Rica Realtor Terry Moran. Before moving to Costa Rica Terry Moran co-owned the largest real estate company in the Caribbean for over 20 years, originating in the U.S. Virgin Islands and expanding to six offices on four islands with over 50 agents and affiliates on virtually every island in the Caribbean. Terry has lived and worked in Costa Rica since 2001 and has more experience helping people to find their dream homes than 95% of the Realtors in Costa Rica.
If you are interested in buying real estate anywhere near lake Arenal and would like to contact Terry Moran