Tilaran

Tilarán is a medium-sized community to the south of Lake Arenal where ranching is still a significant economic and cultural practice, a tendency that keeps the region close to its history. It is bordered by La Fortuna, the hot springs capital of Guanacaste to the southeast and by the foothills of Tejona to the northwest. Tilarán is rich with natural attractions, from the Corobicí River which winds its way down from the lake through the region to the southwest of Lake Arenal and provides the warmth and lazy speed ideal for floating gently down the western side of the Guanacaste mountain range.

The lake itself is widely recognized for its fishing and windsurfing, both of which profit from a yearlong summer, never less than 75 degrees. As a man-expanded body of water, Lake Arenal is useful not only for a variety of leisure activities, but Tilarán receives almost all of its energy needs through hydroelectricity and wind thanks to lake’s dams and nearby turbines.

In exploring further man-made adjustments to the landscape, be sure to catch a glimpse of the stunning Cathedral Church, the largest and most beautiful in all of Guanacaste, or if architecture is less your cup of tea, try a pint of beer at the Lake Arenal brewery located in the Lake Arenal Hotel.

It is the first microbrewery in Costa Rica and has been popularized as the best beer in the country. The entire area including the Lake Arenal brewery is situated on a 15-acre organic farm and has sweeping views of Lake Arenal’s sunny shores as well as the hundreds of surrounding acres of protected jungle. Zip-lines, tours through the canopy and aerial trams also provide an elegant convergence of man and nature, where the upper echelons of Tilarán’s natural beauty are now accessible thanks to contemporary technology.