La Fortuna, Costa Rica

La Fortuna is the name of a district and a small city located in San Carlos, in the province of Alajuela, Costa Rica. "La Fortuna" is Spanish for "The Fortune", and aptly named due its ample supply of tourist attractions and extremely fertile lands. The town got its name due to its sparing from the Arenal Volcano's eruptions.

Originally called "El Burío", La Fortuna was founded in the mid 1930s by settlers that came from Ciudad Quesada, Grecia (canton), Alajuela and other parts of the region. In 1968, the Arenal Volcano erupted to the west, causing extensive damage and casualties, including 82 deaths. The eruption did not reach the village of La Fortuna. This catastrophe, nonetheless, changed the geography of whole region, making it one of the most visited tourist destinations of Costa Rica..

Arenal is often cited by scientists as being in the top 10 or top 20 of the world's most active volcanoes. La Fortuna is less than 10 km from the peak of Arenal and less than 20 km from the entrance to Arenal Volcano National Park (the entrance is west of the peak, whereas La Fortuna is east of the peak).

The Cerro Chato, also known as the Chato Volcano is a dormant volcano that first erupted 38,000 years ago and last erupted 3,500 years ago. One of its eruptions paved the way for the nearby La Fortuna Waterfall. Cerro Chato has two peaks, Chatito (little Chato) and Espina (Thorn), as well as a 1,640-ft (500-m) crater filled with green water. At an elevation of 3,740-ft (1,140-m), Cerro Chato stands much shorter than it's neighbor Volcano Arenal, but this also makes it hike-able. Classified as a difficult hike and at times a "climb", it is only recommended for hikers of good physical condition. The average hike lasts 5 hours, and can be very muddy when it rains. Due to certain minerals in the water, some advise no swimming, however most locals disagree and swim in it regardless.

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Wikipedia