Lake Arenal sits at the base of the Arenal Volcano in the northern highlands of Costa Rica. It is the country’s largest landlocked body of water, with a surface that covers nearly 33 square miles (85 square km) and a depth that reaches some 200 feet (60 m).

In 1979, Lake Arenal was enlarged to three times its original size with the construction of a hydroelectric dam. Nowadays, Lake Arenal’s dam is hugely important to the country, as it produces nearly 12% of Costa Rica’s electric energy.