57 Years Since Costa Rica’s Most Devastating Volcanic Eruption
Type of Volcano: Stratovolcano
Elevation: 1,670 meters above sea level
On July 29, 1968, Costa Rica experienced one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in its modern history — the violent eruption of the Arenal Volcano, located near the town of La Fortuna in the northern lowlands.
This tragic event took the lives of more than 70 people, with several others reported missing. The eruption completely destroyed three villages: Tabacón, Pueblo Nuevo, and San Luis. The once-quiet “Cerro Arenal,” as locals called it back then, revealed its true nature — not just a mountain, but a powerful and active volcano.
What Locals Remember
According to testimonies from longtime residents and followers of our page who witnessed the eruption firsthand, signs of something unusual began days before.
Cattle and livestock began to fall ill and die after drinking water from the Tabacón River. The air felt strange. There were frequent rumblings that many mistook for distant thunderstorms and earthquakes that were shrugged off — because no one imagined the quiet hill could be a ticking geological time bomb.
“We thought it was just a storm… we didn’t know the ‘Cerro Arenal’ was a volcano. Then the condemned mountain woke up and destroyed our families.”
— Local resident and survivor
