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| Volcán Poás (Poás Volcano National Park) |
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| A must see! Few volcanoes allow
you to drive all the way to the rim. Poás does . . . well, at least to
within about 300 meters (984 feet), from where a short stroll puts you at
the very edge of one of the world's largest active craters. The viewing
terrace gives a bird's-eye view of the volcano's hellish interior
(complete with sulfuric pool) and also, magnificently, down over the
northern lowlands. Poás (2,708 meters/8,884 feet) is a restless giant with a 40-year active cycle. It erupted moderately in the early 1950s and was briefly active in 1989, when the access road was closed, and again in May 1994, when the park was temporarily closed. In July and August 1994 it rumbled dramatically. Over the millennia it has vented its anger through several craters. Two now slumber under a blanket of vegetation; one even cradles a lake. But the main crater bubbles persistently with active fumaroles and a simmering lake. The sulfuric pool frequently changes hues and emits a geyser of up to 200 meters (656 feet) into the steam-laden air. The water level of the lake has gone down during the past decade, one of several indications of a possible impending eruption. In the 1950s a small eruption pushed up a new cone on the crater floor; the cone is now 658 meters (2,159 feet) high and still puffing. Often as not it is foggy up here, and mist floats like an apparition through the dwarf cloud forest draped with bromeliads and mosses. Clouds usually form midmorning. Plan an early-morning arrival to enhance your chances of a cloud-free visit. Temperatures vary widely. On a sunny day it can be 21° C (70° F). On a cloudy day, the crater rim will most likely be bitterly cold and windy, even freezing. Dress accordingly. Poás is the most visited park in the country and is particularly popular on weekends with local Ticos (Costa Ricans), who arrive by the busload with their blaring radios. Visit midweek if possible. The park is sometimes closed to visitors because of pungent and irritating sulfur gas emissions—many plants bear the scars of acid attacks. The Botos Trail by the viewing platform leads to an extinct crater filled with a cold-water lake—Botos. This and the Escalonia Trail, which begins at the picnic area, provide pleasant hikes. The park protects the headwaters of several important rivers, and the dense forests are home to emerald toucanets, coyotes, resplendent quetzals, sooty robins, hummingbirds, frogs, and the Poás squirrel, which is endemic to the volcano. Poás National Park is the most developed within the Costa Rican park system. It offers ample parking, toilets, and a superb exhibit hall and auditorium, where audiovisual presentations are given on Sunday. Upstairs is the Heliconia Nature Store run by the Fundación Neotropica. There's wheelchair access to the exhibits and trails. The Soda El Volcán, to the left beyond the car park, serves snacks. The park has no accommodations, and camping is not permitted. A bus for Poasito departs Alajuela daily at 5 AM and 1:30 PM and goes to San Pedro de Poás, where you can hire a taxi. If driving, follow Calle 2 north from Alajuela 35 kilometers (22 miles). |
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Poas Volcano National Park Costa Rica |
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| Telephone: +506 257-0922
(National Parks Ministry) Telephone: +506 233-5284 Wheelchair accessible Days Open |