Costa Rica Arenal 1968 Lookout and Trails

This photo was taken at Arenal 1968 Mirador y Senderos (Lookout and Hiking Trails). Arenal 1968 is a privately owned nature preserve. It is located near the base of Arenal Volcano, just a bit East of the popular town of La Fortuna.

The park has an wonderful lookout area with a small cafe and bar. During my visit, the volcano was completely engulfed in clouds (Arenal Volcano is East of the lookout area). However, the view West is a nice shot of Lake Arenal and the surrounding terrain.

Arenal Volcano is the main attraction. So I'm hoping someone can upload a photo of Arenal when the weather is more clear.

The mirador (lookout) is located on a tall hill and was very windy during my visit. I would recommend a sturdy tripod. The details of the photo are shown below.
Camera: Nikon D7200
Lens: Sigma 18-35 f/1.8
Shutter Speed: 1/60 sec.
Aperture: f/5
ISO: 400
Focal Length: 19mm on a Nikon crop sensor. So about 29mm full frame.

If it is windy you'll want to increase your shutter speed to prevent blur. So you'll need to open up the aperture and increase the ISO.

The nature preserve is super easy to find if you're staying in one of the towns around Arenal. Just follow Highway 142 and turn on Calle Real el Castillo. It will be on your left ~1.2km down the road. If you reach Arenal Volcano National Park you have gone too far.

One final note - I would *EXTREMELY HIGHLY* recommend visiting the Arenal 1968 park instead of Arenal Volcano National Park. The national park is not very nice at all (total waste of time/money in my opinion). However, Arenal 1968 Park is exceptionally well maintained, with nice bathrooms, beautiful lookout areas, and a cafe/bar as I mentioned above. The hiking trails are fun and not too difficult for the average family.