Often simply referred to as La Fortuna, the town of La Fortuna de San Carlos is the gateway to the Arenal Volcano. Not to be confused with a town of the same name 70 km northwest of here, La Fortuna de San Carlos is located in Alajuela province, and connects the Volcan Arenal area with the cloud forests of Monteverde and Santa Elena and the northern lowlands of the country.

A charming and quiet town, La Fortuna is easily accessible from the capital city San Jose, and offers some panoramic views of the spectacular Arenal, Costa Rica's most active volcano. Sitting around 10 kilometers away from town and regularly spewing smoke and ash for some time now, the Volcan Arenal is the country's top rated tourist attraction and is indeed a sight to behold.