El Arenal Natural Reserve (Spanish: Reserva Natural El Arenal) is a natural reserve with an area of 5.75 km² (2.22 sq mi). It is located in the Matagalpa department in central Nicaragua. The government permits small settlements and farmers to stay in the region within the reserve.^[1]

El Arenal comprises one of 78 protected areas of Nicaragua and is managed by Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (MARENA).