Costa Rica Volcanoes

Costa Rica volcanoes are famous for their breathtaking beauty. Visiting them provides an amazing, once in a lifetime sightseeing opportunity. The majority of the Costa Rica volcanoes are easily accessible through a drive; however, many require hiking to truly take in all of their majestic wonder.

The most famous (and most active) of the Costa Rica volcanoes is Arenal Volcano, located in Arenal National Park. One of the reasons Arenal Volcano is so famous is due to its spectacularly formed cone shaped top; it looks as you would imagine a volcano to look in your dreams! Due to its being in a constant state of eruption since 1968, visiting Arenal Volcano offers the chance to see a volcano in action.

Arenal Volcano is so active however, that it is continually expanding vertically. It is now so high that clouds often leave Arenal Volcano hidden. Additionally, some of the hiking trails that take you close to the volcano have been closed for safety. Therefore the best time to view its natural beauty is in the early morning, between 4 and 6 AM. If you luck into a clear night while you are there however, you will get phenomenal views of glowing lava. Arenal National Park is a scenic four hour drive from the capital of Costa Rica, San Jose.

The highest of the Costa Rica volcanoes is Irazu Volcano, which boasts a summit of over 11,000 feet above sea level. Beside its striking height, Irazu Volcano also has several craters. The biggest of the craters is filled with a captivating green lake. Irazu Volcano is located south of San Jose and can be easily driven to. There are also public buses from Cartago that can take you all the way through the winding valleys directly to Irazu Volcano.

Irazu’s sister volcano is Turrialba Volcano. It is the second highest of the many Costa Rica volcanoes. Because Turrialba is no longer active, it gives sightseers the chance to climb down directly into its craters. Located 40 miles east of San Jose and relatively close to Irazu Volcano, it is an easy drive from the capital city.

Tenorio Volcano is beautiful, unique and serene. When visiting Tenorio you will get to see Rio Celeste. This beautiful river has an unmistakable color due to Tenorio releasing sulfur and calcium carbonate. All around Tenorio National Park you will find marvelous waterfalls and hot springs and water of all sorts. Tenorio is located in Bijagua, in the northwestern portion of Costa Rica and can also be reached from San Jose.

There are still many other Costa Rica volcanoes that are worth visiting. Rincon de la Vieja Volcano is known for the nearby ancient Indian hieroglyphics. Located in the Guanacaste Province, it is the largest volcano in the northwest of Costa Rica. Poas Volcano, in central Costa Rica, has a crater over a mile wide and is the largest active crater volcano in the world. It is also one of the most visited destinations in Costa Rica and is thought to be the only place on Earth to view a lake of sulfur.

While there are too many Costa Rica volcanoes to list in a short article, these are the best of the best and are certainly worth your time and effort when visiting the country.