Poas Volcano National Park

Poas Volcano makes for a thrilling day-trip destination from San Jose, as tours regularly depart from the city for the volcano and often combine a visit with other popular Costa Rica activities such as white-water rafting, coffee plantation tours, or a stop at the La Paz Waterfall Gardens.

There, admire the mile-long (1.6-kilometer-long) crater home to the deep, rain-fed Botos Lagoon and dotted with smoking fumaroles—a view most will find accessible via the paved trail. Two slightly longer hikes offer incredible opportunities to spot wildlife like hummingbirds, wildflowers, and the elusive quetzal.

• Dress in layers and prepare for rain, as it can be cold and wet near the crater.

• Visiting time is limited to 10 minutes at the crater.

• The visitor center is wheelchair accessible.

• On-site facilities include parking, picnic tables, restrooms, and a café with some food options.

The easiest way to visit Poas Volcano is as part of a guided day tour. The park is also accessible via private transportation, but bus services to Alajuela are sparse.

Get the best views when you visit early in the day during the dry season (December through April). Clouds typically roll in around noon, and many of the park’s facilities close by 3pm.

The Poas Volcano is far from Costa Rica's only volcanic attraction, and geothermically inclined visitors should make a note to visit the Irazú Volcano, also home to a crater lake, or the popular Arenal Volcano. Guided hiking, adventure, or sightseeing tours depart for Costa Rica's volcanic hotspots daily.

The vast volcanic crater and moody cloudy forest at Poas Volcano National Park make it a highly recommended destination for Costa Rican visitors. It's also popular because it's easy to reach from the capital, San Jose, allowing travelers to see these natural wonders without visiting the country's far-flung areas.

Yes, Poas Volcano is safe if you follow the national park's rules. Safety rules include wearing the helmet provided and keeping to the viewpoint's 20-minute limit, which minimizes exposure to toxic gases vented from the crater. Park staff monitor volcanic activity and may restrict certain areas.

When visiting Poás Volcano National Park, you must stay on the park’s trails, not consume or be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and avoid smoking and littering. It is also imperative to follow park guards' safety instructions, especially in emergencies.

At Poás Volcano National Park, visitors take an easy walk up from the entrance to a viewpoint overlooking the volcano’s main crater. Visitors aren’t allowed to walk into the crater, but the viewpoint sits right on the crater's edge and puts you close enough to enjoy an excellent unobstructed view of Poas Volcano.

Facilities at the visitor center for Poás Volcano National Park include a gift shop, coffee shop, and restrooms. However, there aren’t any picnic areas due to the lack of clearings in the forest, the mountainous terrain, the altitude, and the fumes coming off the crater.

While the crater of Poas Volcano is the main attraction within Poas Volcano National Park, there are more things to see. These include Laguna Botos—a lake filling another crater that is inactive—and the cloud forest that you walk through to see the craters.