Poás Volcano National Park, in Central Valley of Costa Rica, is one of the country's most spectacular volcanoes and boasts extraordinary scenic beauty. Poás allows tourists to see into the crater of an active volcano. You can often smell sulfur from the crater while visiting the peak, and a couple of hiking trails to see Lake Botos, an acid water lake on a dormant crater. The recommended visiting time is in the morning, when the absence of fog allows for a better view of the landscape.
Understand
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The park's main attraction is the Póas Volcano, a complex and highly active stratovolcano reaching 2,708 meters above sea level and one of the country's highest peaks. It is considered one of Costa Rica's most important eruptive centers and one of its natural wonders.
The main crater is 300 m deep and has a diameter of approximately 1.32 km in a north-south direction, making it the largest geyser-type crater in the world, and one of the largest craters in the world. It is still active today, with small gas emissions and an acid lagoon.
The park that houses it is also the most visited in the country. The park has a visitor center, basic services, and trails.
Poás is an active subconical volcano, with a summit containing fault-bound depressions, volcanic cones, and craters resulting from recent activity. The volcano has three main, more recent structures: the main crater, the Poás, the Botos lagoon, and the Von Frantzius cone.
The term Poás may derive from the Latin word "púas," due to the presence of some spiky plants in the area; or from the existence of a village called "Púas" located near the mountain range.
Flora
[edit]Poás has several habitat types, including scrub forest, areas with no or sparse vegetation, the myrtle forest, and the cloud forest. In the latter forest type, epiphytic plants such as mosses, ferns, bromeliads, and orchids grow abundantly on the tree trunks.
History
[edit]Poás volcano's eruptions have been known since at least 1747, when Spanish governor Juan Gemir reported on its activity. The most notable eruption in the 1910 volcano's history was the immense ash cloud that rose to an altitude of approximately 8,000 m. The last eruptive period, with the release of large clouds of ash and incandescent rocks, accompanied by underground noises, occurred between 1952 and 1954.
The national park has a visitor center with a small museum, a café-restaurant, and a souvenir shop. The site offers restrooms, electricity, security, parking, a camping area, a picnic area, access for disabled people, and credit and debit card payments. Drinking water is not available. The trails are suitable for individual, group, or guided hikes.
Get in
[edit]By car
[edit]The park is 45 km northwest of San José. To reach the park, you can take one of the following routes: National Route 2 San José-Alajuela-Fraijanes-Poás Volcano (50 km); the Alajuela-San Pedro de Poás-Fraijanes-Poás Volcano route (55 km); and the Varablanca route, which connects the Poás Volcano region with Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, another important tourist site in Costa Rica located on the Caribbean side of the country.
The road that ascends to the volcano offers travelers landscapes with pastures, coffee plantations, rivers, waterfalls, and sections of forest, passing through picturesque towns such as Fraijanes, Poás, and Varablanca. Along the routes, you can find small businesses selling strawberries, cheese, custard, jellies, cake, flowers, handicrafts, and other products manufactured by the local population. You can also find small restaurants, viewpoints, cafes, and hostels. Most of these businesses are owned by Costa Ricans, most of whom live in the region. This represents an important source of foreign currency for the country, stimulating local and national development. Along the Varablanca route, you'll find the La Paz Gardens and Waterfalls Hotel, which offers five-star accommodations, a lake, a private reserve, a tour of the La Paz River waterfalls, and a zoo.
By bus
[edit]There are many guided tours offered to the volcano through private tour companies or you can catch a daily "tourist" bus provided by the TUASA bus company. The TUASA bus from Alajuela to Poás will take you to the top of the volcano and then return you to Alajuela after several hours—leaves at 9AM, return 12:30PM or 2:30PM (ask!), US$3 return. Make sure the volcano is not closed due to volcanic activity.
Fees and permits
[edit]The park is open daily 8AM-3:30PM.
Probably, it is best to buy the ticket during the bus ride to the volcano (if possible) or at most a day before. The bus driver will know whether it is closed or not. Getting a refund, if the volcano is closed, seems not properly working. Admission US$15 (online ticket exclusively).
Get around
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See
[edit]- 1 Visitors Center (Centro de Visitantes del Volcán Poás). Daily 07:00-13:15.
- 2 Main crater viewing place (Mirador). The main crater is a spectacle and is considered one of the largest in the world.
- 3 Botos Lagoon (Laguna Botos).
- You can also enjoy the nature trails, as well as its great diversity of landscapes such as: cloud forest and dwarf forest.
Do
[edit]Buy
[edit]Eat
[edit]- 1 Freddo Fresas, Route 146, ☏ +506 2482-2800. Traditional restaurant going to Poás Volcano, their strawberry dishes, made with the local berries, are the treat of the place.
- 2 Colinas del Poás, Route 146, ☏ +506 2482-1212. 8AM-4PM. Restaurant and a lot of activities to do in this recreational park.
- 3 Jaulares, ☏ +506 2482-2155, [email protected]. Buffet restaurant and private cabins accommodation.
Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]- 1 Villa Calas, Route 120 (Between Poasito and Vara Blanca), ☏ +506 2482-2222, [email protected]. Chalet-style rooms and restaurant near Poás Volcano.