The Arenal Lake is a reservoir in Costa Rica and with its area of 80 km² the largest inland lake in the country. It is located at the foot of the Arenal volcano and near the Monteverde Cloud Forest . The lake was artificially dammed in the 1970s , the dam is in the immediate vicinity of the entrance to the volcano's national park. The energy gained from the damming covers almost 60% of the country's electrical energy needs. In addition, wind turbines were installed on the mountain ranges bordering the lake , as the size of the lake causes high wind speeds. For the same reason, Lake Arenal is world-famous as a surfing area , and the lake also attracts many anglers.
