Costa Rica: The community of La Fortuna

While visiting the Arenal (aw-ray-nawl) region, we fell in love with the little community of La Fortuna.

La Fortuna means “the fortunate,” and it is a well-earned name. There are a few versions to the story of how the name came about, but my favorite goes like this: When the nearby volcano erupted in 1968, death and destruction was the result to the west. Two villages were completely destroyed. But the little village to the east, El Borio, was completely untouched. A new name was in order, and La Fortuna was born.

By day, La Fortuna is a tidy, quiet town. As evening breaks, families come out and fill the beautifully manicured central park. Children ride bikes or kick a ball, cooling off in the fountain. Adults gather on benches to visit and enjoy the evening air. Then the music turns up, and the town comes alive. Street performers juggle and hula-hoop, not a collection hat to be seen. Live reggae music pours from a local bar. Everywhere you look, there is color in this little community of about 8,000.

Hotels and resorts line the main road, and the variety of restaurants is excellent for such a small area. We enjoyed evening meals at three local restaurants, each at the recommendation of a friendly cab driver. (A ride into town from Los Lagos was just under 5,000 colones)

We stopped into one of several galleries around the park and enjoyed a history lesson as we picked up a few pieces to bring home with us. There were also several souvenir shops, offering a little something for everyone.

Everywhere we went, the people were kind and friendly. When we walked away after checking out the handiwork of a woman on the street, we couldn’t help but compare to the high pressure sales tactics of the Straw Market in Nassau, as the comparison was stark.

What we loved most, though, is the thing that is hardest to explain. The vibe there was really genuine, positive and friendly.