The environmental damage the illegal hiking has created is the main cause of the closure. There is barb wire in all Cerro Chato entrances as of 2017 and at Arenal Observatory Lodge & Spa they have a guard to turn hikers back.

Can you still hike Cerro Chato?

CERRO CHATO, Alajuela – There's a lot to do at the base of Costa Rica's most famous volcano, Arenal, but you can't climb it, at least not legally, and some people have died doing it anyway.

Is Cerro Chato open?

Open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. If you're driving to Cerro Chato from the international airport in Alajuela, drive east towards San Ramón, then north to Bajo Rodríguez and on to La Fortuna. Once you get to La Fortuna town, drive west and then follow the signs to the Arenal Volcano National Park.