Finally managing to leave Mal Pais we took the ferry again and drove north to Lake Arenal and the volcano of the same name which dominates the area. The volcano is active and normally its possible to see lava and hot rocks tumbling down its black cone. All there was for us to see was some gas. The volcano does have some benefits - hot springs which are great for relaxing in. After camping in the garden of a man near the town of Fortuna, in the shadow of the volcano, we drove around to the north west on dirt roads to reach Playa Naranjo. We had to enter via a national park, and as Ts doris had to fly home the next evening it wasn't worth paying the extortionate entrance fee just for one night so we went to Tamarindo instead.

Tamarindo is a row of very expensive shops, restaurants and hotels and a big wide beach with surprisingly cold water. We found an abandoned camp site, Titos, by the beach and made it our own for the night. The next day we drove back to San Jose to take Magaly back to the airport and then have another weekend of prime sightseeing.