fbpx

Month: April 2018

The adventure awaits you at the Arenal Volcano National Park

We already talked about the many wonders you’ll find in Costa Rica. Not only does it contain the happiest people in the world, but it’s also a paradise for any nature lover seeking to add some adventure to their trip. If you are one of these adventurists, there’s no way you can miss on the opportunity of visiting one of Costa Rica’s most mesmerizing natural wonders: the Arenal Volcano National Park.

This park was founded in 1991 and extends across a total area of 121.24 square kilometers. Because it forms part of a greater conservation area, it contains hundreds of natural attractions, including a lake, two volcanoes, and natural hot springs that lure tourist from all over the world looking to walk its scenic trails and to spot the wildlife that is unique to this region. Just to give you an idea of the biodiversity of the place, is this region you can detect more than 900 different bird species, plus a great variety of snakes, monkeys, and other mammals endemic to Tropical Latin America, like the jaguar, the lowland paca, de coati, and the sloth.

But the main attraction of this national park is mentioned on its name: the Arenal Volcano covers a surface of 33 square kilometers and can be spotted from almost any part in the park as well as from the towns surrounding the area.

The Arenal Volcano was thought to be inactive for a long time, until in 1968 it made its biggest and more damaging eruption, destroying the nearby towns of Tabacón y Pueblo Nuevo and killing more than 80 people. Since then its activity slowed down, and since October of 2010, it has remained inactive.

The Arenal Volcano is around 7500 years old, which is pretty young for this kind of formations, and 1,633 meters or 5357,612 tall. What makes it so distinctive compared to other volcanoes is its almost perfect conical contour with a steep profile, shaped like this thanks to the buildup of several layers of lava and volcanic ash. The word Arenal means ‘sandy’ in Spanish, and the name refers to how the lava has been turned into sand due to wind erosion and accumulated on the base of the mountain, giving our volcano the appearance of a giant sand hill.

But the Arenal Volcano is not the only one in this national park and shares the landscape with the smaller and older Chato Volcano, which has been inactive for the last 3500 years. The Chato Volcano offers excellent opportunities for everyone looking for a challenging but exciting hike up to its 500-meter wide crater containing the Cerro Chato Lagoon inside it.

Now you know the adventure that awaits you at the Arenal Volcano National Park. Just by arriving in La Fortuna, the colorful town known as the main gateway to the park, you’ll find yourself already surrounded by savanna and rainforest. When you see the Arenal Volcano guarding over the town, we promise you’ll want to stay here with us!

Ready to join us on our next adventure to the Arenal Volcano National Park? Check out what our complete tour includes and how you can book 7 full days of soft adventure in Costa Rica with Hamaca Tropical Tours!

 

By Mariana Arámburu

Twitter & Instagram: @m_buru
Born and raised in Mexico City, Mariana graduated from Universidad Iberoamericana with a degree in Communication and Film. Later, she moved to Vancouver, BC, where she currently resides, and studied Creative Writing at Capilano University. Mariana loves photography and to visit new places. She also loves animals and aims to one day focus her work on conservation issues.

Hammock: The icon of tropical rest!

So you’re ready to travel to Tropical Latin America, you got your plane ticket, and now you’re packing your hiking shoes, your sunscreen, and your camera. All you’re missing to make this trip perfect is a hammock. But don’t worry, you’ll find one as soon as you get to your destination, as it is the universal icon of a tropical rest!

There’s no wonder why hammocks are now part of the cultural inheritance of every Latin American country. The origin of the word comes from the Arawakan, a language spoken by the pre-Columbian natives of what is now Haiti and the Dominican Republic. “Hamaka” means fishing net, but it’s also the name of the tree that provided the bark and roots to craft these fantastic hanging beds. However, this island doesn’t take the full credit on inventing the hammock, as they’ve been crafted for centuries by natives of in all the Caribbean Islands, every Central American country, and most countries in South America. Though each region sourced from different trees to wave their hammocks, all of them were created with the same purpose: to provide a well-deserved rest, undisturbed from any perils on the ground.

It is said that when Christopher Columbus arrived in America, between one of the many treasures he took back to Europe was more than a dozen hammocks. In Spain, the word Hamaka turned into hamaca (hey, that’s us!), and in English, it transformed into hammock.

After the hammock introduction to Europe, sailors realized how convenient they were for traveling. In the 16th Century, they started using them in ships, as they protected them from the dirtiness of the floor, saved much more space than bunk beds, and kept them from being thrown onto the deck with sharp swings from of ship.

Discovery of America: Vespucci Landing in America. MET Museum

Nowadays, hammocks are used all around the world and are loved by everyone for their practicality. You can find them in luxury hotels by the sea or camping expeditions in the rainforest, and many are now factory-made with synthetic fabrics. However, whatever your destination in Tropical Latin America is, you won’t have any trouble finding traditional hand-woven hammocks, which are now typically crafted with wool, cotton, or nylon. The colors and styles of the netting patterns vary depending on the region, but in the end, they all serve the same function and are uniquely beautiful. There are places like Yucatan, in Mexico, San Sebastián, in El Salvador, and Tintorero in Venezuela, where waving hammocks is a cultural heritage, and the craft is mastered by men, women and children alike and passed along generations.

So, now you know. Wherever Latin American country you find yourself, it will always be easy to find a hammock. Mainly when you travel to the coast you’ll see that, from five-star hotels to the most humble of homes, there’s always space for a hammock in the house, as well as there’s always the time to lay down on one, get cozy, and enjoy life.

 

By Mariana Arámburu

Twitter & Instagram: @m_buru
Born and raised in Mexico City, Mariana graduated from Universidad Iberoamericana with a degree in Communication and Film. Later, she moved to Vancouver, BC, where she currently resides, and studied Creative Writing at Capilano University. Mariana loves photography and to visit new places. She also loves animals and aims to one day focus her work on conservation issues.