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The Jepson Girls' World Trip Blog

Sept 30, Month 4

Arenal Volcano - By Amber

The Arenal Volcano is in Northwest Costa Rica, by a town called La Fortuna. It is one of the ten most active volcanos in the world. Arenal is Costa Rica's most active volcano and it erupts almost every day.

Arenal volcano is considered a young volcano. It is estimated to be less than 7,000 years old. It measures at least 1,633 meters (5,358 feet), and changes almost everyday from the eruptions.

Here are some interesting facts about Arenal:

- Arenal has a little town on it called Tabacon, but is got covered over by volcanic rock. Many people died from this eruption.

- Arenal has many other names like Pan De Azucar, Canaste, Volcan Costa Rica, Volcan Rio Frio, or Guatusos.

- When it erupted in 1968, it formed four craters but only two remain today, with only one crater currently active.

I haven't just looked at Arenal, I've hiked it and ziplined it. I hiked twice, on different paths. The first one you see where the lava flowed in 1968 when the village was destroyed. The trails were from different companies so they had different things to see. The second trail you travel through different landscapes to a lookout. At the lookout, you see lots of smoke coming out of the volcano. If you are lucky, you can hear the volcano rumbling. It sounds like ten gigantic air planes all together. It's so loud.

When you zipline, you see the volcano has dense foliage on the volcano. Because of all the volcanic rock and the minerals in the ground, big trees can grow. These big trees are used for ziplining. Ziplining is when you have a harness and you attach to a steel cable. While you zipline you can look at the amazing view of the area. Ziplining is really fun and you feel like you are flying. Being on an active volcano just makes it more fun.

I think Arenal is unique. You see it and think "Wow!" It causes hot springs to be in the area too. It is one of the things I will remember most about Costa Rica.