Kayaking on Lake Arenal

Our first activity this morning was kayaking on Lake Arenal, which sits at the base of the Arenal Volcano. It’s the second biggest lake in Central America. Only the huge lake in Panama that supports the Panama Canal is bigger. This artificial lake actually exists because of the volcano that it shares its name with. 

The Arenal volcano was formed only about 7 thousand years ago, which makes it a baby in volcano years. Arenal is one of the most studied volcanoes in Central America because it erupts in a very predictable pattern when active. Arenal used to be considered extinct until it erupted in 1968 with almost no warning. From 1968 to 2010 Arenal Volcano stayed active almost nonstop. After 2010 the volcano entered a quiet phase. Scientists still monitor it closely because it’s young and capable of waking back up.

The 1968 eruption destroyed two towns and killed about 90 people. The old town of Arenal was destroyed by the lava flow. They later flooded out the town to build the dam and lake, to serve as a protected burial ground for those who died. The builders even reused lava rock to build the dam. The lake was finished in 1978 and finally fully filled by 1983. Costa Rica worked with Japan to build it. The water here feeds several hydro plants that supply a major part of Costa Rica’s electricity. Today the lake also acts as a natural barrier that helps protect the area from future eruptions. Win-win for the country!

Kayaking on Lake Arenal sounded peaceful on paper, but in reality it was a hard core upper body workout with the wind! We got fitted for life jackets and oars and into the double kayaks. 

We left the launch area and headed across the width of the lake near the dam. You could see how wide the lake becomes near that end. The wind funnels through that stretch, which explains why our kayaks kept drifting sideways if anyone stopped paddling for even two seconds. But the views were worth it. Volcano behind us, rolling hills around us, and a lake that looks like it’s been here forever even though it’s younger than 75% of the chaperones.

Some of us had to immediately learn how to actually paddle in a two person kayak. Some pairs figured out a rhythm fast. Some have kayaked all over Lake Norman and took off across the water. Others argued their way through it while they figured out the steering.  And yes, several kayaks tipped and sent kids into the lake even before we got to the designated swimming area. It definitely reminded me of bumper cars on water! I am so proud of our kids though for cheering each other on and helping everyone back into their kayaks. 

We did a bit of a triangle route across the lake, going from shore to shore point, stopping to swim or “balance board”, or race and splash. It was quite an upper body workout. I think we were all glad it was kind of cloudy and not the full heat of the sun. 

By the time we got back to shore, everyone was tired, wet, and proud of themselves. The wind, the teamwork, the falling in, the near (and real) collisions, the zigzag routes across the lake…definitely a great memory that blended adventure with history and a little bit of science!