Arenal Volcano National Park
Costa Rica's most iconic volcano — lava fields, ziplining, hanging bridges and natural hot springs at the base of Arenal.
FON · MRAN · Costa Rica
La Fortuna / Arenal Airport
La Fortuna — Northern Plains. 5 min to La Fortuna town.
Runway
900m
Surface
Asphalt
Elevation
81m
Hours
6am-5pm
Book your private flight to La Fortuna
Airport at a glance
La Fortuna — Costa Rica
Arenal is the volcano everyone pictures when they picture Costa Rica: a near-perfect cone rising 1,670 metres out of flat green lowland, usually with cloud caught on the summit, occasionally clear enough at dawn to be almost implausible. It erupted continuously from 1968 until 2010 and has been in a resting phase since — which means no lava, but also no exclusion zone, and a national park you can walk through on lava flows from the 1990s.
La Fortuna, the town at its base, has become Costa Rica's adventure capital: hot springs fed by the volcano's geothermal system, waterfalls, hanging bridges, whitewater, canyoning, and a hotel inventory ranging from hostels to properties with private thermal rivers.
The airport is not in La Fortuna. FON sits at El Tanque, roughly seven kilometres east of the town, on flat ground at 115 metres elevation with the cone directly in view.
Runway 06/24, 800 metres by 10 metres, asphalt, at 115 metres elevation. ICAO: MRAN. Coordinates: 10°28′09″N, 84°34′44″W. Daylight operations.
Eight hundred metres and ten wide is a short, narrow strip, and the surrounding terrain — the volcano to the west, the Tilarán range beyond — makes weather a more significant factor here than at the coastal fields. Operations are visual and flown by the Cessna Caravan class. As everywhere in this network, morning is the reliable window.
Getting there
La Fortuna / Arenal Airport — Getting there
San José to La Fortuna is about 23 minutes by charter. The drive is roughly three and a half hours via Zarcero and Ciudad Quesada — a genuinely beautiful route over the mountains, and one that regularly takes longer than planned because of fog on the pass, roadworks and slow trucks.
This is one of the highest-value short hops in Costa Rica, because La Fortuna sits in the middle of most itineraries rather than at the end. It is typically reached from the Central Valley, from Guanacaste, or from Monteverde — all of which are multi-hour drives:
The Guanacaste connection is the one most worth planning around. A beach-and-volcano itinerary that would otherwise burn two half-days on the road becomes two short flights.
Connections. La Fortuna connects by charter to San José (~23 min), Liberia (~35 min), Tamarindo (~35 min), Quepos (~40 min) and Upala, among others.
Nearby
Things to do near La Fortuna
Arenal Volcano National Park, with trails across the 1992 lava flows and the best close views of the cone. Tabacón and the cluster of thermal complexes along the road west of town, fed by the volcano's geothermal system — Tabacón's river is the benchmark, and there are excellent quieter alternatives. La Fortuna Waterfall, a 70-metre drop reached by around 500 steps down a canyon. The Mistico hanging bridges, a canopy walkway through primary forest. Lake Arenal, Costa Rica's largest, with reliable wind for kitesurfing at its western end. Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, about ninety minutes north, one of the country's best wetland birding sites. And Río Celeste in Tenorio Volcano National Park, roughly two hours away — the river whose water turns an implausible turquoise where two clear streams meet.
Luxury Hot Springs — Arenal
Premium natural hot springs fed by Arenal Volcano's geothermal activity — multiple luxury resorts offer private thermal pool experiences.
Private Helicopter — Arenal Volcano
Exclusive helicopter tour over Arenal Volcano — aerial views of the crater, lava fields, rainforest and Lake Arenal.
VIP Hanging Bridges — Arenal
Private guided walks through Arenal's rainforest canopy on suspension bridges — exceptional birdwatching and wildlife encounters.
Premium White-Water Rafting
Class III and IV rapids on the Balsa and Toro rivers near La Fortuna — professional guides and premium safety equipment.
Extreme Canyoning — Arenal Waterfalls
Technical canyoning in the Arenal river canyons — six rappels up to 80m, including a free-hanging descent directly through a waterfall curtain into an emerald pool. Private guide team, full technical equipment, 6-hour expedition.
Night Lava Hike — Arenal Volcano
Private night expedition on the Arenal lava field with a certified volcanologist guide — glowing lava rocks, the eerie silence of a recent flow and views of the active crater from the closest permitted point, under a sky untouched by light pollution.
Private Wakeboard & Wakeskate — Lake Arenal
Lake Arenal is Central America's premier wakeboarding destination — consistent trade winds, flat water sections and wave zones. Private boat, professional instructor and a full day on the lake in the shadow of Arenal Volcano.
When to fly
When to fly
The Arenal region sits on the Caribbean slope's windward side and is markedly wetter than the Pacific lowlands. Rain is possible in any month. The driest and clearest window is roughly February to April; the wettest stretch runs from about September into November.
The volcano is frequently cloud-covered, and the summit is often clearest at dawn — which is a good reason to be on the ground the previous evening rather than arriving mid-morning and hoping. For flight planning, the same rule applies with more force here than on the coast: the mountain weather closes in early, and afternoon operations into FON are unreliable in the green season.
From $1,097
Fly from FON to
Cóbano · 33 min · $1,680Drake Bay · 59 min · $2,299Golfito · 66 min · $2,554Liberia · 33 min · $2,161Limón · 50 min · $2,178Nosara · 39 min · $2,011Palmar Sur · 56 min · $2,196Pérez Zeledón · 45 min · $1,786Puerto Jiménez · 67 min · $2,582Quepos · 37 min · $1,559San José (Pavas) · 26 min · $1,097San José · 25 min · $1,366Tamarindo · 40 min · $2,121Tambor · 31 min · $1,605Tortuguero · 36 min · $1,684Upala · 25 min · $1,665
FAQ
La Fortuna / Arenal Airport — Frequently asked questions
What is the runway length at La Fortuna / Arenal (FON)?
800 metres by 10 metres of asphalt, runway 06/24, at 115 m elevation. Daylight operations. ICAO: MRAN.
Where exactly is FON?
At El Tanque, roughly 7 km east of La Fortuna town — about 10 minutes by road.
How long is the flight from San José to La Fortuna?
Approximately 23 minutes by charter, against roughly three and a half hours by road.
Is Arenal volcano still erupting?
No. Arenal erupted continuously from 1968 to 2010 and has been in a resting phase since. The national park and its trails are fully open.
When is the best time to see the volcano clearly?
February to April is the driest period, and the summit is most often clear at dawn. Cloud cover is common at any time of year.
Can I fly directly from Guanacaste to La Fortuna?
Yes — Liberia to FON is about 35 minutes and Tamarindo about 35 minutes, against three to four hours by road.