Location: 10km (6.2 miles) from the community of Poasito from Poás Canton, in the province of Alajuela, Costa Rica.
Poas Volcano National Park GPS Coordinates: 10.169559,-84.232221 (10°10’10.36″N, 84°13’56.00″O)
Size: 6,506 ha (16,076 acres)
Altitude: from 1,200m to 2,708m (3,940ft to 8,885ft) above sea level
Schedule: from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Poas Volcano National Park Telephone: +506 2482-2424 / +506 2482-2165
Central Volcanic Mountain Range Conservation Area (ACCVC) Telephone: +506 2268-1587 / +506 2268-8091
INFOTUR Tourist Information: 1192
Poas Volcano National Park Costa Rica: created on January 25th, 1971, by Law No. 4714, in order to protect one of the most spectacular and extraordinary beauty volcanoes of the country. It is also a valuable energy source, product of its water and geothermal resources of great importance for human and industrial consumption, as well as for the protection of flora and fauna species. The park is located northeast of Alajuela, in the so-called Central Valley, so it is part of the Central Volcanic Cordillera Conservation Area (ACCVC in Spanish).
The Poas Volcano National Park is one of the most developed parks in Costa Rica, and is recognized by most as one of the most impressive with a breathtaking scenery, being one of the most important natural attraction for national and international tourism. In fact, it is one of the parks in the protected areas system in Costa Rica that receives the most number of visitors. Here you can learn about the history of the volcano and get updated information on the geomorphological processes that makes this ecological attraction.
The Poas Volcano is one of the most active and widest of any subconical volcanoe in the world, whose summit presents boilers depressions limited by faults, volcanic cones and craters which are the result of recent activity. This volcano, which exceeds the 2.708m (8,890ft) above sea level, has different habitats and life zones. Its main crater is a show and is considered one of the largest in the world with 1.5 km (4,920ft) in diameter and 300m (985ft) deep. At the bottom of the crater is formed a circular hot lake rich in sulfur and acids, which while drying, intensifies the emission of sulfur and produces acid rain. In addition, you can also enjoy the Botos Lagoon, located southeast of the crater, formed by cold rain water with a green-blue color that flows into the Caribbean by Angel River, a tributary of the Sarapiqui River, and last erupted about 7,500 years ago; while to the north is the Von Frantzius cone, the oldest eruptive focus on the top of the mountain, and at least half a dozen piroclastic cones nearby, composed of dried lava and ash, as well as nature trails, and its wide range of landscapes such as cloud forest and dwarf forest.
Poas Volcano eruptions are known at least since 1747, when the Spanish governor Juan Gemir reported about its activity. In its long history stand out other dates, as the one recorded by Andrew Oersted in 1834, which alerts about underground detonations and ash thrown up by the volcano 30 miles away; as well as the one in January 25th, 1910, considered the biggest eruption of mud, gases and ash blocks. In 1989 the crater lake was dried up gradually. Then, the researchers found a small lake of liquid sulfur around 2m (6.5ft) in diameter. This is the first observation of liquid sulfur in the earth’s surface. Furthermore, since 1989 it has significantly increased the emission of gases causing acid rain phenomena that have damaged the flora in some areas of the park and agricultural plantations surrounding the area.
The latest eruptive period occurred between 1952 and 1954, with emission of large clouds of ash and incandescent rocks, accompanied by subterranean noises, which formed their current structure. In 1994, was registered it last major eruption which consisted of increased activity of the fumaroles in the degassing process with a high content of sulfuric acid.
Although its last major eruption was in 1910, visitors can still see geysers explode in the air up to 250m (820ft) high. The fallout from this eruption has been estimated to have been nearly three-quarters of a million tons of ash. Permanently visitors often smell the sulfur in the air, which has sometimes proved to be enough acid to close the park. It is from this crater that the effects of acid rain can be seen in the vegetation surrounding landscape. Currently the volcano emits a great amount of gases and water vapor from different fumaroles located in the inner cone of the crater.
The Poas Volcano National Park has an average temperature of 12ºC (54ºF) and an average of 3,500 mm (140 inches) of rain per year. The park 
is characterized by the presence of fog and horizontal rain, especially in the afternoons. The best time to visit the park is during the dry season, from December to April, during the morning as after noon the clouds begin to obscure the crater, making it difficult to observe this beautiful show. However, on a clear day you can see both the Pacific and the Atlantic coast and even the top of Arenal Volcano.
In the Poas Volcano National Park is possible to identify four major habitats, although dominated by height forest and dwarf vegetation, it is also possible to find cloud forest and areas with little or no vegetation at all. The different zones within the protected area are mainly the cloud forest that surrounds the Botos Lagoon and around Potrero Grande; mountain rain forest, characterized by arborescent and epiphytes species; the lower montane wet forest and dwarf forest, which can be observed along the path between the Main Crater and Botos Lagoon and areas with sparse vegetation around the crater.
Except for the area around the main crater, the park is full of lush vegetation and a small fauna. In the cloud forest, which is very moist and dense, there are trees such as the Oak (Quercus costaricensis), Cedrillo (Brunellia costaricensis), Azahar del Monte (Aloysia gratissima), Papayillo (Didymopanax pittieri), cipres blanco (Podocarpus macrostachyus) and 2 ciprecillo species, which reach a height of 20m (66ft) and are covered with epiphytic plants such as mosses, ferns, bromeliads, orchids and other plants that grow on the trunks of trees. On the slopes of the Caribbean area, forests are higher and very humid, so abundant palms, arborecentes ferns and epiphytes. In other areas of the park where the emission of gases and the ancient eruptions destroyed the primary vegetation, grow species that have adapted, such as the Lengua de Vaca or Red Sorrel fern (Rumex acetosella), Arrayan (Weinmannia fagaroides), Copey (Clusia rotundata), Cipresillo (Escallonia myrtilloides) and Tucuico (Ardisia compressa). In addition, the park is surrounded by giant ferns and epiphytes, as well as the famous Sombrilla de Pobre or Poor umbrellas (Gunnera insignis).
Although mammals are not abundant in the highlands of the Poas Volcano National Park, you can see Talamancan Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis gracilis), Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata), Coyote (Canis latrans), Eastern Spotted Skunk (Spilogale putorius), Mexican Hairy Dwarf Porcupine (Sphiggurus mexicanus), Dice’s Cottontail (Sylvilagus dicei), Bangs’s Mountain Squirrel (Syntheosciurus brochus), marmots, bats and some felines, as well as some reptiles such as frogs, toads, salamanders, snakes and countless insects that are always present. Although the fauna in general is scarce, the birdlife is abundant. It have been identified 79 species of birds including Black-and-yellow Silky-flycatcher (Phainoptila melanoxantha), Flame-throated Warbler (Parula gutturalis), Mountain Elaenia (Elaenia frantzii), Sooty Thrush (Turdus nigrescens), Emerald Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus prasinus), Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager (Chlorospingus pileatus), Large-footed Finch (Pezopetes capitalis), Slaty Flowerpiercer (Diglossa plumbea), Black-billed Nightingale-thrush (Catharus gracilirostris), Yellow-thighed Finch (Pselliophorus tibialis), Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis), Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) and Black Guan (Chamaepetes unicolor) as well as a variety of sparrows, robins, toucans and hummingbirds.
Undoubtedly, the spectacle of his main crater with frequent small geyser and lava eruptions, Botos Lagoon, its nature trails and its biodiversity, make the Poas Volcano National Park an unique experience.
The Poas Volcano National Park has several trails and viewpoints, whose access to the top is paved, so it allows all people with disabilities reach the top without any problem. With a 15 minutes walk from visitors center you will find the main crater with a spectacular view of the crater with its bubbling sulphurous pool emitting smoke in the air, showing its impressive activity. Walking along the Botos trail, about 30 minutes, you get to the Botos Lagoon, which is frequented by many species of birds in the park. A portion of this trail goes through an eerie-looking section of stunted forest. The trunks and branches of the small trees here are gnarled and twisted from the harsh climatic conditions in exposed areas at high elevations. Also, once at Botos Lagoon notice that you’ll be near the highest point in the park which is 2,704m. Visitors are advised to wear comfortable shoes, sweaters, coats and umbrellas, as temperatures may be low, often accompanied by rain or drizzle. Also, if it is sunny, use plenty of sunscreen because the thinner air lets the UV rays through even more intensely than if you were at the beach.
Given its high visitation, the National Park Service has chosen Poás as a model park. One of the benefits of this is the Visitors’ Center which presents a thorough explanation of volcanism and the natural history of Poás using a variety of entertaining and informative displays, with interactive educational presentations and activities. The park also has an informative museum, cafeteria, lunch area, restrooms, souvenir shop, a Red Cross stand and parking lot, all with facilities for people with disabilities. Other nearby national parks include Grecia Forest Reserve, Bosque Alegre National Wildlife Refuge and Juan Castro Blanco National Park.
Getting to Poas Volcano National Park
From San Jose take the take the highway to Alajuela city. From there, take the Route N°712 to Poasito, passing through the towns of Itiquis and Fraijanes, following the signs to the volcano. Driving time from San José is about 1 hour.
By bus
You can take a bus San José – Poas Volcano (TUASA, +506 2442-6900), which takes about 1.5 hours.
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