Lake Arenal

Lake Arenal is artificial: a dam completed in 1979 flooded a valley, drowned two villages that were rebuilt higher up, and created a reservoir of around eighty square kilometres that now generates a significant share of the country's electricity and feeds irrigation into Guanacaste. The wind funnelling down the valley from the Caribbean side is famously consistent between December and April, which made the western end one of the better windsurfing and kitesurfing spots in the Americas before the sport moved on. The road around the northern shore is slow, winding and lined with viewpoints, with Arenal volcano at the eastern end.

What you actually see

• The volcano view - Arenal from the lake's western and northern shores.
• The wind - consistent December to April at the western end.
• The lake road - a slow winding drive with viewpoints throughout.
• Nuevo Arenal - one of the villages rebuilt when the valley flooded.

When to go

December to April is the dry season and the windy season, which suits kitesurfers and makes the volcano more likely to be visible. The rest of the year is wetter, calmer and greener. Volcano views are a matter of luck in any month.

Honest expectations

The lake road is narrow, potholed in stretches and slower than the map suggests, with landslide sections in the wet season. Arenal volcano is in cloud most of the time and many visitors never see the cone. The wind that makes the lake good for kiting also makes it cold and choppy for everything else. Water levels drop noticeably in dry years.

Nearby

La Fortuna and Arenal volcano are at the eastern end; Tilarán is at the western.