Monteverde lies within the arbitrary boundaries that we have drawn up for this section, however real estate opportunities there are limited. Much of it is protected, and because it’s been a top tourist spot for some time, most of the remaining bits are spoken for. The area’s strong expatriate presence dates back to the 1950s

Apart from the larger San Carlos – or Ciudad Quesada, as it’s also known – La Fortuna is the biggest town in the area. As it’s a touristy place, it has a number of daily services catering to foreigners, such as English-speaking dentists and pharmacies.  La Fortuna is a pretty town consisting of a well-planned

Nuevo Arenal (which will herein be referred to simply as Arenal) is a relatively pretty town on the northern tip of the lake that was built with government funding after the original town got in the way of the planned lake. The center of the town lies just up the hill from the lake and

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