This increíble piece of Land is Located 15 minutes away from the new bridge under construction that Will Connect Tilarán with La Fortuna.
“Viejo Arenal” in English literally translates to “Old Arenal.” In context, it refers to the old town of Arenal, Costa Rica, which was submerged under Lake Arenal when the dam was built in the 1970s. Therefore, when referring to the historic site in English, one usually says: Old Arenal (the town flooded by Lake Arenal in the 1970s). The new town built to relocate the inhabitants is called Nuevo Arenal, which in English translates to New Arenal.
Good question — Old Arenal was located in the valley where Lake Arenal is today, southwest of present-day Nuevo Arenal. Before the construction of the dam (1973-1979), the town was located approximately 540–550 meters above sea level (m a.s.l.). When the reservoir level was raised, the lake rose to about 546 m a.s.l., so the original town was completely submerged underwater.
Old Arenal: ~540–550 m a.s.l. (today under the lake) Lake Arenal (current reservoir level): ~546 m a.s.l. Nuevo Arenal: ~620 m a.s.l. (on higher, safer ground).