Volcanoes of Costa Rica

April 5, 2017 by calmac

Costa Rica offers visitors and locals alike a wide arrange of natural wonders. Topping that list are the beautiful Costa Rican volcanoes. Whether you visit these local treasures for a day of adventure sports or you simply want to take an easy walk to enjoy the beauty, you won’t be disappointed by the magnitude of these four popular volcanoes.

1. Arenal Volcano

A visit to the Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica is one of the most desired vacation spots in the country. With beautiful year-round temperatures, endless greenery, vibrant flowers, and relaxing hot springs, Arenal is the picturesque vision of volcano perfection. Standing at 1,633 meters (5,358 feet), Arenal had been regularly active until 2010 when it went into a resting period.

Tourists can stay at a number of hotels, resorts, or hostels in the city of La Fortuna to enjoy all the activates that Arenal volcano has to offer: hiking, zip-lining, exploring the national park, enjoying waterfalls, riding ATVs, and swimming in the natural hot springs.

2. Poas Volcano

Creative Commons Image Link:href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Po%C3%A1s_Volcano#/media/File:Poas_crater.jpg”>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Po%C3%A1s_Volcano#/media/File:Poas_crater.jpg

The Poas Volcano stands within Costa Rica’s central valley at 2,708 meters (8,885 feet). Its bubbling, sulfuric, smoking crater lake is only part of Poas’ stunning and mysterious beauty ready for visitors. It also happens to be the world’s largest active crater.

You can take hiking trails from the visitors’ center to find yourself some viewing platforms. Guided walks are also a great option for seeing the beauty. This active volcano has erupted almost 40 times since the mid 1800s.

3. Irazú Volcano

Creative Commons Image Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraz%C3%BA_Volcano#/media/File:Irazu_Volcano.JPG

Nearby to San Jose, the highest active volcano in Costa Rica is Irazú. Measuring at 3,432 meters (11,260 feet), this popular tourist destination can bring you a view of both the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans.

Visitors can take tours and follow hiking trails to enjoy both the volcano and the national park. Irazú was made famous when it erupted on the exact day that United States President John F. Kennedy visited Costa Rica.

4. Rincon de la Vieja Volcano

Creative Commons Image Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rinc%C3%B3n_de_la_Vieja_Volcano#/media/File:Guanacaste_National_Park.jpg

Due to its location in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica, Rincon de la Vieja Volcano is a popular destination for tourists visiting the popular tourist towns of Tamarindo or Flamingo.

Rincon, standing at 1,916 meters (6,286 ft.), offers adventure combo tours that often include zip-lining, repelling, horseback riding, and a lunch. Rincon is an active volcano set within a larger national park where you can see gorgeous tropical vegetation and animal life.