Arenal

It is Monday, July 29, 1968. In a town seven-and-a-half miles away, sounds "similar to the turbine of a jet" are reported. The day darkened as Arenal launched ash, sand, and fire into the morning sky. The volcano hurled huge rocks through the air at nearly twice the speed of sound. The eruption continued for the next 42 years.

Do Your Research

None of this was known to me as my daughter Molly and I set out to hike the longest trail at a site called Arenal 68. The number was a source of passing curiosity until I matched it with the year. Somehow that wasn't immediate. We knew Arenal was a volcano and that it erupted in 1968 and 1991, or thought we knew. In terms of geology, the entire period from 1968 to 2010 is considered a single eruption.

Molly and I returned to the vacation house, on a slope just south and west of Arenal. We had a great time and soon everyone was curious to learn more. I began to hear phrases like "unstable magma dome." Then we learned the most recent lava flows were a scant sixteen years ago, the year before Molly's birth. I was already wary, but all the information delivered me to the right state of mind: healthy respect.

I wasn't the first to make the mistake. Prior to the eruption in 1968, the locals didn't think much of the mountain — they thought more of the fertile land surrounding it. This is how the town of La Fortuna, "The Fortune," earned its name. The town sits just east of Arenal, and the outskirts are close to the base. As one might expect, however, the lava flows in and since '68 have been down the west and south sides of the volcano. La Fortuna always remained safe.

Unfortunately in 1968, these areas to the west were not uninhabited. The three-day period of intense eruption destroyed three villages as part of a 232-square-kilometer rampage. 87 people lost their lives along with many herds of animals.

What Is It About Volcanoes?

The geologists soon arrived and kept coming. Guest houses were built, then the tourists arrived. A new industry for the area sprouted from the ashes. Popular thermal springs are the highlight of the new town of Tabacon. It's difficult to drive through there during the day because of all the visitors parking along the road and walking to the springs. The old village of Tabacon was one of the three destroyed in the 1968 blast.

If you think there is something questionable about that, I agree. It's another of humanity's dares to nature. Along those lines, I hiked a couple of miles to an observation area that gave me a good look at Arenal. Two days later we went to a water park in La Fortuna. I climbed the tower of one set of slides and turned to find the volcano as close as it was on the hike.

The other thing about volcanoes is the rich soil. Humans will always live near them. In fact, most of Costa Rica's population lives near one. The list has 23 entries, only six of which are extinct. For now Arenal is "dormant," though instances of water vapor escaping the dome have been documented since 2010.

The ash, too, has its uses. Ever wonder why Roman buildings last so long? It's because Roman concrete uses volcanic ash. That adds a porous quality to the material that resists water damage.

The Power of Captivation

It's a strange thing. Unless you physically could not see Arenal, you wanted to look at it. It was a draw for the eye and for the imagination. It just sits there...until it doesn't.

Had we known everything we could about Arenal, including how recent its activity was, we still would have gone. All four of us hiked another trail at a different park (right next to Arenal 68) the next day. The repetition did not diminish the experience. My wife couldn't wait to get to the beach, but I could have kept hiking around that thing for the whole week. I'm not certain why. If you had a similar experience, please share it.

Addendum: This video is the best thing I have to show one of the lava fields.