La Fortuna history

Foundation and Name Change

The history of La Fortuna begins relatively recently, in the early 1930s. Initially, the small settlement was named El Burío. The first settlers arrived here from other areas of the Alajuela province, specifically from the towns of Grecia and Naranjo, in search of available land for farming.

The city received its modern name, which translates from Spanish as "Luck" or "Fortune," in the late 1940s. Residents renamed the village to highlight the exceptional fertility of the local lands, which allowed for abundant harvests—something considered a true gift of nature.

Geography and Development Factors

The formation of the city is inextricably linked to its geographical position at the foot of the Arenal Volcano. The development of the region was defined by the following factors:

• Volcanic Soils: The mineral-rich earth became the foundation for successful agriculture, attracting new farmers.
• Water Resources: An abundance of rivers and streams facilitated the development of livestock farming.
• Geographical Fortune: The city's location to the east of the volcano played a decisive role in its preservation during natural cataclysms.

Early Economy and Turning Point

In the first decades of its existence, La Fortuna was a quiet agrarian community. The economy was built on cattle breeding, milk production, and the cultivation of agricultural crops. Cultural life was typical for rural Costa Rica, with a lifestyle focused on communal labour and family traditions.

A key historical event was the powerful eruption of the Arenal Volcano in 1968. While neighbouring villages suffered seriously, La Fortuna remained untouched, which only strengthened the residents' belief in the "lucky" name of the city. It was this event, which first attracted scientists and later travellers, that laid the foundation for the city's transformation from a farming village into the main tourism centre of the region.

Chronology of Events

• Early 1930s — Arrival of the first settlers from other regions of the country and the founding of a small settlement, originally named El Burío.
• 1948 — Residents officially rename the village La Fortuna ("The Fortune"), marking the exceptional fertility of the local lands.
• 1950s — 1960s — Period of establishing an agrarian economy based on crop cultivation and cattle farming.
• 29 July 1968 — A massive eruption of the Arenal Volcano destroys the neighbouring villages of Tabacón and Pueblo Nuevo but leaves La Fortuna untouched.
• 1970s — Volcanologists and geologists from around the world begin arriving in the region to study the volcano's activity.
• 1980s — The appearance of the first curious travellers lays the groundwork for the development of the city's tourism infrastructure.
• Early 1990s — Opening of the first commercial resorts featuring thermal springs, attracting a flow of international tourists.
• October 2010 — Arenal Volcano enters a dormant phase, ceasing its regular and spectacular lava emissions.
• Present Day — La Fortuna definitively secures its status as the main centre for adventure and eco-tourism in Costa Rica.

Key Stages of Development and Transformation

The transformation of La Fortuna from a modest agrarian village into the tourism capital of Costa Rica passed through several important stages, each of which changed the appearance and economy of the city:

• Construction of Road Infrastructure (1970s). The laying and paving of roads connecting the city with Ciudad Quesada and the central part of the country brought the region out of isolation.
  Significance: This allowed farmers to sell produce more efficiently and enabled the first tourists to reach the volcano with relative comfort.
• Electrification and Modernisation of Communications (1980s). Connecting the region to reliable power grids and telephone services.
  Significance: Creation of basic conditions for the appearance of the first hotels and restaurants capable of hosting international guests.
• Development of Thermal Springs (Early 1990s). Opening of large resort complexes utilizing the geothermal waters of the Tabacón River.
  Significance: Formation of a unique tourism product that turned the city from a place for brief volcano viewing into a full-fledged wellness resort destination.
• Architectural Design of the Centre (1990s — 2000s). Improvement of the central park and reconstruction of the Catholic church with its recognisable architecture against the backdrop of the volcano.
  Significance: The city acquired its "face" and a public space that became the symbol of La Fortuna on all tourist postcards.
• Adventure Tourism Boom (2000s). Creation of a network of private reserves with suspension bridges, zip-lines, and routes to the La Fortuna Waterfall.
  Significance: Diversification of the economy, allowing for the creation of hundreds of jobs and keeping tourists in the city for several days.
• Economic Adaptation (Post-2010). Successful reorientation of marketing strategy after the Arenal Volcano stopped erupting lava.
  Significance: The city proved its resilience by shifting the focus from observing eruptions to active leisure and the richness of tropical nature, maintaining the flow of tourists.

Architectural Appearance and Urban Planning

Unlike the old colonial cities of Central America, La Fortuna is a young city whose architectural appearance was formed primarily in the second half of the 20th century. Monuments of the Baroque or Renaissance eras are absent here; the development bears a utilitarian character, reflecting the rapid transformation from an agrarian community into a modern tourism centre.

Urban Structure

The city is designed according to the "grid plan" traditional for Spanish-speaking countries, adapted to the terrain:

• Central Core: City life is concentrated around the central park. This is a well-maintained public space with gardens and relaxation zones, designed to open up an unobstructed view of the Arenal Volcano.
• Low-rise Development: Due to the region's high seismic activity and the desire to preserve panoramic views, buildings in the city centre rarely exceed two storeys.

Key Styles and Iconic Buildings

The architecture of La Fortuna can be divided into several functional directions that have formed the modern look of the city:

• Symbolic Architecture: The main architectural dominant feature is the Catholic church, Parroquia San Juan Bosco, located opposite the park. The building is executed in a modern style with stylized elements. Its high pointed bell tower and triangular pediment visually repeat the ideal conical shape of the Arenal Volcano, creating a unique dialogue between the man-made object and nature.
• Tropical Eco-Style (Tropical Rustic): This style dominates the tourism infrastructure outside the centre. Hotels and thermal spring complexes use natural materials (volcanic stone, wood, bamboo) and open-wall designs to integrate structures as much as possible into the surrounding jungle.
• Functionalism (Vernacular Architecture): Residential buildings and small shops represent simple concrete structures with wide awnings and corrugated metal roofs, dictated by the need for protection against frequent tropical downpours.

Notable Figures in the City's History

The history of La Fortuna was created not by world celebrities, but by bold pioneers and far-sighted entrepreneurs. It is thanks to their efforts that the wild terrain at the foot of the volcano was transformed first into a fertile agricultural land, and then into one of the main tourism centres of Costa Rica. Local residents carefully preserve the memory of these people.

• Marcial Jarquín
  Original Settler
  Considered the first person to officially settle in this area around 1930. A native of Nicaragua, he was not afraid of the wild nature and difficult-to-traverse jungles, occupying lands known today as Hacienda Rio Fortuna. His example inspired other farmers to move to this fertile but dangerous region.
• Rufino and Isolina Quesada
  Authors of the City's Name
  The Quesada couple played a key role in shaping the settlement's identity. They were the initiators of abandoning the old name "El Burío." Rufino and Isolina insisted on the name "La Fortuna" (The Fortune/Luck), wishing to highlight the abundance of the local lands and the positive spirit of the community, which forever changed the city's image.
• Elías Kopper Cubero
  Community Leader
  Arriving in the region in 1932, he became not just a landowner but also an organiser of public life. Cubero actively attracted new settlers and helped establish daily life in conditions of isolation, laying the foundations of the friendly community that welcomes tourists today.
• Alberto Quesada
  Agriculture Pioneer
  One of the first to begin large-scale land clearing for agricultural needs in the early 1930s. His labours laid the economic foundation of the region, proving that volcanic soils are ideally suited for farming, which ensured the city's survival in its first decades.
• Jaime Mikowski
  Father of La Fortuna's Tourism Industry
  An architect and visionary who changed the city's destiny in the early 1990s. While locals took the hot springs for granted, Mikowski saw immense potential in them. He founded the Tabacón resort, which became the first world-class project in the region. It was thanks to his idea that La Fortuna transformed from an agrarian village into an international capital of spa tourism and thermal water relaxation.