Puerto San Luis Cove (west shore of Lake Arenal)
Viewpoint · Arenal & La Fortuna · hidden gem
A sheltered cove at Puerto San Luis near Tronadora, on the windy west side of Lake Arenal, with small piers, moored boats and green hills dropping to the water.
- Cost
- Free
- Time there
- 20 min
- Best time
- late afternoon
- Kids
- 6 / 10
- View
- 7 / 10
- Crowds
- 1 / 10
- Swimming
- 5 / 10
- Effort
- 1 / 10
- Location
- 10.50818, -84.93494 — Google Maps
Before you go
- Tickets
- Free entry, no ticket
- Season
- Windy roughly November to April.
- Checked
- 2026-10
Tip
This end of the lake is where windsurfers and wakeboarders come; finish with dinner at the lakeside restaurant in San Luis.
Be careful
Afternoon wind can be strong from about November to April; don't swim near boat traffic or the piers.
Getting there
From Route 142 at Tronadora, take the road down to Puerto San Luis on the lakeshore.
Places nearby
- Restaurante Brisas del LagoFood & Coffee · from $10Dinner spot at Puerto San Luis on the Tilarán side of the lake, recommended for its international plates at fair prices.
- Lake Arenal Hotel & Brewery (brewpub and La Vista restaurant)Food & CoffeeA hillside hotel on the northwest shore of Lake Arenal that brews its own beer, a rarity in a region of light lagers.
- Restaurante TinajasFood & CoffeeLakeside restaurant just outside Nuevo Arenal with Costa Rican, Italian and brew-pub dishes, indoor and outdoor seating and lake views.
- Enter Costa Rica (Pacific Trade Winds)Trip Planners · from $63Inbound tour operator by Lake Arenal that has been building fully customized Costa Rica trips since 2007.
- Casa ItaliaFood & CoffeeA small Italian kitchen just outside the center of Nuevo Arenal run by a Sicilian owner: homemade pasta (carbonara, alla Norma, ragù), pizza and desserts finished in a wood-fired oven.
- Restaurante Hotel Guadalupe (Tilarán)Food & CoffeeA hotel restaurant in downtown Tilarán, the last town before the climb to Monteverde, serving traditional Costa Rican plates with good service: arroz con pollo, ceviche, olla de carne and casados.
Sources: OpenStreetMap way/882246768 · https://www.twoweeksincostarica.com/nuevo-arenal/ · https://vozdeguanacaste.com/en/?p=43233 · https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/882246768