Page 2 - FORTUNA TOURIST GUIDE

Introduction
The community of La Fortuna began to define itself in the early 1940s, with the arrival of farmers from Ciudad Quesada, Grecia, Alajuela and other regions of the canton of San Carlos. These first settlers dedicated themselves to agriculture, hunting and cattle raising.
The first family settlement in La Fortuna was in 1914 and 1915, in the area known today as La Palma. Up until 1948 it was known as El Burío, however, the abundance of natural riches inspired Rufino Quesada, Antonio Hidalgo and Isolina Quesada to change its name to La Fortuna.
In 1950, the inhabitants voted on a referendum and decided to be annexed to the canton of San Carlos (they belonged to the canton of San Ramón). In the 1930’s, Elías Kooper Cubero, Rufino Quesada, Isolina Quesada, Alberto Quesada, Antonio Hidalgo are recognized as the town founders.
The main river is the Arenal, the water source for the Arenal Hydroelectric Project, which generates 70% of the country’s energy and also provides water to the Arenal Tempisque Project administered by the National Irrigation and Drainage Service (Servicio Nacional de Riego y Avenamiento, SENARA). Other rivers in the area include the Fortuna River, Burío River and La Palma Rivers. There are also a large number of streams, among them La Habana and Tiburones.
Production
This is one of the most productive districts of the canton due to the richness of its soils.
The inhabitants of La Fortuna have generally been dedicated to agriculture and cattle raising, producing beef and dairy cattle as well as dual purpose cattle and agricultural products such as roots and tubers (cassava, tiquizque, ñampí, yams, Chinese potatoes and ginger) as well as plantain bananas and papaya.
La Fortuna today
Currently, the district receives approximately 3,000 tourists a day during peak season and has approximately 110 hotels divided into small, medium and large businesses.
Undoubtedly, the beauty of the landscape has made La Fortuna one of the most visited sites in the country, due to the variety of tourist sites and attractions ranging from hanging bridges to admiring the volcano, rivers and mountains surrounding the district.
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