Fortuna
Fortuna (La Fortuna de San Carlos) is a small town in the north of Costa Rica. It is mostly famous for its nearby Arenal Volcano (1633m) that has been constantly erupting since 1968. The Arenal Volcano is a destination for scientists and tourists alike as it erupts on an average of 41 times a day.
Direct buses from San Jose or transfer in Ciudad Quesada (San Carlos). Local bus from Tilaran. Schedules are at thebusschedule.com.
By car it is a 3-1/2-hour drive from San Jose, but the junctions are not very well marked, so bring a good map.
Most tourist activities will include transportation. For other purposes you can use taxi.
The main attraction in Fortuna is of course the Arenal Volcano, but there are a lot of other activities and tours to be found. The prices listed are typical prices, but there are a lot of operators, so you should check around. Full day tours usually include lunch and soft drinks. Most tours start between 7 and 8 in the morning.
Standard souvenirs, photos of the erupting volcano, machetes at the hardware store, Costa Rican ciffee.
There are two internet cafes in the main street, by the park. At Destinytours (tel 479-9850) 50 meters north of Banco National you can download pictures from your digital camera and burn to cd.
From Fortuna you can go to Monteverde with a combination of jeep and boat or horse. Or you could take the bus to Tilarán, and from there to Santa Elena, Monteverde, or down to the Interamericana that takes you north to Guanacaste or south in the direction of Puntarenas. You can get to Los Chiles, Puerto Viejo and San Jose via Ciudad Quesada. And of course there's the direct bus back to San José, both the regular bus and the Interbus express ($25).
Category: Usa...
