Arenal in a 15-Hour Day, with Baldi or Ecotermales

Fifteen hours from the moment you are collected to the moment you are dropped back. That is the shape of the day, and it is worth knowing before booking anything from San José to Arenal. The first stop is Sarchí, which is where Costa Rican craft comes from. After it the road runs through pineapple and mango fields to the entrance of the Arenal Volcano National Park, just outside La Fortuna. Lunch is at a local restaurant: beef, chicken or fish, with vegetables, salad, rice and beans, pasta and a vegetable stew alongside, then dessert and fresh juice. The volcano is in front of you while you eat. Arenal last erupted on 29 July 1968, and it has been letting out steam and gas ever since, which is what makes it the most active volcano in the country. The hot springs are chosen when you book: Hotel Baldi Los Lagos Resort & Spa, or Ecotermales La Fortuna, which is the more expensive of the two. Both are fed by the heat of the volcano and sit in tropical gardens. Dinner comes before the drive back to San José. Cancellation here is free up to 48 hours before the start rather than 24.