Parque Nacional Volcán Poás

Introducing Parque Nacional Volcán Poás

Just 37km north of Alajuela by a winding and scenic road is the most heavily trafficked national park (admission US$7; 8am-3:30pm) in Costa Rica. However, there are few places in the world where you can peer into an active volcano – without the hardship of actually hiking up one. The centerpiece of the park is, of course, Volcán Poás (2704m), which had its last blowout in 1953. This event formed the eerie and enormous crater, which is 1.3km across and 300m deep. There are also two other craters, one of which contains a lake, that serve as evidence of the volcano’s violent past.

Poás continues to be active to varying extents with different levels of danger. The park was briefly closed in May 1989 after a minor eruption sent volcanic ash spouting more than a kilometer into the air, and lesser activity closed the park intermittently in 1995. In recent years, however, Poás has posed no imminent threat, though scientists are still worried – the water level of the lake has dropped dramatically in the past decade, which is a major warning sign of an impending eruption.

In the meantime, the most common hazard for visitors is the veil of clouds that the mountain gathers around itself almost daily (even in the dry season), starting at around 10am. Even if the day looks clear, get to the park as early as possible or you won’t see much. But, crowds and clouds aside, the sight of the bubbling and steaming cauldron is truly astonishing, especially when it belches sulfurous mud and steaming water hundred of meters into the air.

Last updated: Mar 2, 2009