Lake Arenal is located in the Northern Zone of Costa Rica (see map). Surrounded by mountains of the Cordillera de Tilarán at an altitude of 1600 feet above sea level the area is replete with towering rainforests and the spectacular and active(!) Arenal Volcano. Cooled by trade winds, the lake is home to some of the best windsurfing anywhere. Average temperatures range from 72 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Day length and temperature do not change drastically with the seasons. The sun rises around 5:00 am and sets around 6:00 pm year-round. Rainfall varies from 56 inches per year in the western zone to 240 inches per year on the east side of the volcano.

Arenal volcano

photographs by Steve Peace and Olger Aragon W


Flora and Fauna: Within what is known as the Arenal Conservation Area (ACA) there exists 4,283 species of flora and fauna. This means that 36% of the natural diversity of Costa Rica is found within an area that only represents 4% of the national territory. The region surrounding Lake Arenal comprises at least five different bioclimatic zones. The research site is located in the 3life zone2 known as the Humid Premontane Forest. Regarding the flora, there have been 884 species of ornamental plants identified, 20 for medicinal use, 55 for timber and 63 edible species. The diversity of fauna is extraordinary. Within the Arenal Conservation Area there exists 57.6% of Costa Rica1s total fauna. 131 species of mammals have been reported pertaining to 27 families. Some of the more remarkable mammals are the Baird1s tapir and the giant anteater--the biggest of the anteaters and one of the most endangered species of Costa Rica. Six species of endangered felines are reported: the jaguar, the puma or cougar, the ocelot, the Little spotted cat, the margay and the jaguarundi. Finally, three of Costa Rica1s four primates live in this region: the spider monkey, the mantled howler monkey and the white-faced monkey. Of the 850 species of birds in Costa Rica, approximately 50% can be found in the Arenal Conservation Area.