Living in Arenal, Costa Rica: La Fortuna, Nuevo Arenal and Tilarán
Green hills, lake views and cooler air at some of the lowest housing costs of any area popular with foreigners.
Living around Arenal means green hills, a volcano on the horizon and, by the lake, air cool enough to sleep without air conditioning, at rents well below the beach towns. It suits retirees and remote workers who want quiet countryside and don’t mind rain, wind and a long drive to a hospital.
Arenal at a glance
| Climate | Around the lake: days in the 70s to low 80s°F (22 to 28°C), cooler nights, rain or drizzle possible in any month, strong wind from about December to April. La Fortuna: warmer and more humid, days in the 80s°F (27 to 31°C) |
| Elevation | La Fortuna about 800 feet (250 meters); the lake towns roughly 1,800 to 2,300 feet (550 to 700 meters) |
| Nearest international airport | Guanacaste Airport (LIR) at Liberia, about 1.25 to 2 hours from Tilarán and Nuevo Arenal. Juan Santamaría (SJO), about 2.5 to 3 hours from La Fortuna |
| Hospital access | Caja clinics locally; public hospitals in Ciudad Quesada and Liberia; private hospitals in Liberia and San José |
| Typical rent (estimate) | $600 to $1,300 a month for one or two bedrooms |
| Foreign community | Small: mostly North American and European retirees around the lake, and tourism business owners in La Fortuna |
| Spanish | Needed every day. Outside tourism, little English is spoken |
Who Arenal suits, and who it doesn’t
| It fits if you want | Look elsewhere if you want |
|---|---|
| Lake and volcano views, green all year | Reliable sunshine |
| Cool nights without air conditioning | A beach nearby |
| Lower rents and home prices | A large English-speaking community |
| A rural Costa Rican setting | Hospitals, malls and international schools close by |
La Fortuna, Nuevo Arenal and Tilarán: how the towns differ
| Town | What it is like |
|---|---|
| La Fortuna | A tourism town at the foot of Arenal volcano, with hot springs, hotels, restaurants, banks and supermarkets. Warm, humid and rainy. Foreigners here mostly run or work in tourism |
| El Castillo | A small village up a gravel road near the volcano and the east end of the lake. Remote and quiet |
| Nuevo Arenal | A small town on the north shore of Lake Arenal, about an hour from La Fortuna. The center of the lake’s foreign community, with a few restaurants, a bank, a clinic and basic shopping |
| Tilarán | A ranching town of a few thousand people above the lake’s west end, among wind turbines. Drier and windier, almost entirely Costa Rican, with the best shopping and services around the lake and the shortest drive to Liberia |
| Ciudad Quesada (San Carlos) | The regional city, about an hour east of La Fortuna, with a public hospital and large stores |
Cost of living, rent and real estate around Lake Arenal
Arenal is one of the less expensive places foreigners settle in Costa Rica. Rent is low, air conditioning is rarely needed by the lake, and local food is cheap. A car is close to essential, and big shopping trips mean Liberia, Ciudad Quesada or San José. As an estimate, a couple living modestly spends $2,000 to $2,800 a month. See the cost of living in Costa Rica.
Estimated monthly rent for a one- or two-bedroom home on a long-term lease:
| Place | Monthly rent (estimate) |
|---|---|
| Nuevo Arenal and the north shore | $600 to $1,200 |
| Lake-view house with more space | $1,200 to $2,000 |
| La Fortuna | $600 to $1,300 |
| Tilarán | $400 to $900 |
The long-term rental market is small, so allow time and ask around in person. See renting in Costa Rica.
Lake Arenal real estate is mostly houses and lots on the hills above the north shore, sold for the view. Three things to know before you buy:
- The lake is a hydroelectric reservoir. The state power company controls the shoreline, so homes sit above it, and the water level rises and falls.
- Resale is slow. The pool of buyers is small. Plan to hold a property for years.
- Slopes and rain. Check drainage, retaining walls and the access road in the wet months.
Around La Fortuna, real estate is priced for tourism businesses as much as for homes. See buying property in Costa Rica and real estate agents in Costa Rica.
Healthcare
- Public (the Caja). Clinics in La Fortuna, Nuevo Arenal and Tilarán. The public hospital for the La Fortuna side is in Ciudad Quesada, about an hour away; from the lake’s west end, patients are generally referred toward Liberia.
- Private. A few private doctors, dentists and pharmacies in La Fortuna and Tilarán. Private hospital care is in Liberia, about 1.25 to 2 hours from the lake towns, or in the San José area, about three hours.
Think hard about this distance if you have a heart condition or another illness where minutes matter. See healthcare in Costa Rica.
Getting there and getting around
- From San José. About 2.5 to 3 hours to La Fortuna, by winding two-lane roads through San Ramón or Ciudad Quesada.
- From Liberia. About 1.25 to 1.5 hours to Tilarán and roughly 2 hours to Nuevo Arenal.
- Around the lake. Route 142 follows the north shore from La Fortuna through Nuevo Arenal to Tilarán. It is paved, narrow and full of curves, and landslides or washouts sometimes close it in heavy rain.
- Four-wheel drive. Not needed on the main road. Recommended for El Castillo and for many homes on gravel side roads above the lake.
- Without a car. Workable in central La Fortuna. Around the lake, buses are infrequent.
See driving and owning a car in Costa Rica.
Safety in La Fortuna and around Lake Arenal
The area is rural and generally calm. Theft from parked cars at tourist sites and burglary of houses left empty are the main concerns. Arenal volcano has been quiet since 2010 and is monitored; it is still an active volcano, with restricted zones around it. See is Costa Rica safe to live in.
The downsides, stated plainly
- Rain and cloud. The lake’s north and east sides catch Caribbean weather, so gray, drizzly weeks happen even in the “dry” season.
- Wind. From about December to April the wind at the west end of the lake is strong enough to draw windsurfers, and it is relentless on exposed ridges.
- Humidity and mold in closed-up houses.
- Distance. One to three hours to a hospital, an airport or a large store.
- A small community. Few foreign residents, little nightlife and little English.
- Bugs. Fewer mosquitoes than on the coast, but plenty of insects in the wet months.
- Tourist prices in La Fortuna’s restaurants and shops.
How people usually start
- Visit in the rainy season, and again in January or February to feel the wind.
- Rent for six to twelve months on the part of the lake you are considering; the weather changes within a few miles.
- Check which residency category fits your income.
- A relocation planner can help with the practical steps.
Neighboring regions: Guanacaste and its beaches are one and a half to two and a half hours west, and the Central Valley, with similar mild weather and far better healthcare, is to the south. Compare everything in the best places to live in Costa Rica.
Common questions
Is Lake Arenal a good place to live?
Lake Arenal suits retirees and others who want green countryside, lake views and mild temperatures at lower housing costs than the beach towns or the western Central Valley. It is rainy and windy for much of the year, the foreign community is small, and hospitals are one to three hours away.
What is the difference between La Fortuna and Nuevo Arenal?
La Fortuna is a busy tourism town in the warm, humid lowlands at the foot of Arenal volcano. Nuevo Arenal is a small, quiet town about an hour away on the north shore of Lake Arenal, higher and cooler, where most of the area's foreign retirees live.
Is Nuevo Arenal a good place to live?
Nuevo Arenal suits people who want a small, quiet lakeside town with cool air, low rents and a close-knit foreign community, mostly retirees. It has a clinic, a bank and basic shopping, but hospitals and big stores are one to two hours away, and it is wet and windy for much of the year. Rent for a few months, including the windy season, before buying.
What is the weather like in Arenal, Costa Rica?
Around Lake Arenal, days are typically in the 70s to low 80s°F (22 to 28°C) with cooler nights, and rain or drizzle is possible in any month. Strong winds blow across the lake from about December to April. La Fortuna is lower, warmer and more humid, with days in the 80s°F (27 to 31°C).
How much does it cost to rent near Lake Arenal?
As an estimate, a one- or two-bedroom long-term rental near Lake Arenal runs about $600 to $1,200 a month, among the lowest in the areas of Costa Rica popular with foreigners. Homes with a lake view cost more, and simple houses in Tilarán cost less.
Sources
- National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC): Arenal Volcano National Park
- Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI): volcano monitoring (Spanish)
- Municipality of San Carlos, the canton that includes La Fortuna (Spanish)
- Municipality of Tilarán, the canton that includes Nuevo Arenal (Spanish)
- Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS, the Caja): list of public hospitals (Spanish)
This page is general information, not professional advice. Rules and amounts change, and officials apply them differently. Confirm the details with the relevant authority or a qualified professional before you act on them.