Arenal and San Carlos stand out as places where you can still get bargain real estate. The views in Arenal in particular are spectacular, and plenty of land is still available. Living by Lake Arenal would be a lifestyle choice, and the place is ideal for those who prefer a quieter and cooler environment to

La Fortuna is a well-established tourist town that serves visitors who want to view the volcano. Apart from that and taking a dip in the nearby hot springs, however, there isn’t much else to stay for, and for most, a visit to Arenal is just one stop on a longer trip that includes a few

Crime in the Arenal, La Fortuna and San Carlos area is not as prevalent as in some of the beach locations profiled in other sections of this chapter. Organized crime hasn’t arrived up there, though you do come across petty thievery. Also, Scott Robinson, a real estate broker at Arenal Lake Realty says that ostentatious

1. Hotels and Tourism Enterprises. There is a large number of small and medium-sized hotels and cabins in and around La Fortuna. Despite this, it can be incredibly difficult to get a room during high season, which suggests that the demand can cope with additional supply if you were to open a hotel. The area

Since this is a rural area, bilingual schools and private hospitals are either limited or nonexistent. Other services beyond the basics are difficult to come by as well due to the remoteness of the area. 1. Schools La Fortuna has one public elementary school (takes children up to the age of 11) and one high

One of the reasons the real estate market in this beautiful part of Costa Rica hasn’t taken off is because it isn’t near the ocean. The majority of the foreigners and expatriates buying in Costa Rica are from North America, where beachfront or ocean view properties are prestigious and have become very expensive. There is,

The pasture land that surrounds Arenal and La Fortuna and parts of San Carlos has long been home to cattle ranchers. Nowadays, tourism dominates the local economy around the volcano, and souvenir shops – when not honoring the volcano – pay homage to the past, with cowboy hats, horse regalia and cowboy boots lining the