Is Arenal Volcano Safe to Visit?

What "Level 1 — Calm" means

OVSICORI-UNA assigns volcanic alerts on a five-level scale. Level 1 is the lowest; it means the volcano is stable, seismic activity is normal background noise, and gas emissions are within expected ranges. You can walk the trails without special precautions. OVSICORI updates its alert status publicly, and the park staff monitor it continuously.

Volcanic gas and emissions

Arenal releases gas—mostly water vapour and carbon dioxide—from its fumaroles (gas vents) on the cone. At park altitude and distance, you will not smell or inhale dangerous concentrations. The 1968 eruption established a 4 km exclusion zone around the peak, which the park enforces strictly. No climbers are allowed above that line for this reason. The lava-field walks, at the base of the cone, are well outside this zone.

Why the cone is closed to climbers

The 1968 eruption was catastrophic — it killed 87 people and buried the villages of Tabacón, Pueblo Nuevo and San Luis — and it reshaped the cone’s summit. The access routes to the peak were destroyed and remain unstable. Seismic risk and the 4 km exclusion zone (established in 1998) make the summit inaccessible for safety reasons, not bureaucracy. This is a hard, physical closure, not a park rule you can request an exception for. Read why you cannot climb Arenal for the full history, or see whether the volcano is still active.

Reassurance for anxious visitors

If you are nervous about visiting an active volcano, these facts may help: first, Arenal has been quiet since 2010. Second, the monitoring is genuine—not ceremonial. Third, thousands of tourists walk the 1968 lava field every month without incident. Fourth, the park operates daily and would close if conditions were unsafe. If you have specific medical concerns (respiratory, cardiac, mobility), check with your doctor before booking, especially for longer hikes.

Frequently asked questions