Home
Costa Rica
PLAN MY VISIT
Costa Rica Destinations HotelsThings to do Transport Maps Vacations Team
  • Top Destinations
PLAN MY VISIT →
  1. Home
  2. Costa Rica
  3. Destinations
  4. Central Highlands

Poas Volcano National Park, Costa Rica

Poás Volcano overlooks 14,000 acres (5,666 ha) of various habitats that make up Poas Volcano National Park (Parque Nacional Volcán Poás). Poás Volcano National Park is one of Costa Rica's most active volcanos, making it an awesome place to visit. At a height of 8,885 ft (2,708 m), Poás remains one of Costa Rica's largest and most active volcanoes. This fact alone is enough to attract thousands of visitors per year

Poas Volcano National Park Costa Rica
Poas Volcano National Park Costa Rica
Poas Volcano National Park Costa Rica
Poas Volcano National Park Costa Rica
Poas Volcano National Park Costa Rica
Poas Volcano National Park Costa Rica
Poas Volcano National Park Costa Rica
Poas Volcano National Park Costa Rica
Poas Volcano National Park Costa Rica
←→

This is a highly accessible national park, and you can follow a paved road to the wheelchair accessible visitor's center near the top. The visitor center has information about the history of the volcano and current information about the geomorphic processes that shaped the ecological attraction. Other amenities include a cafe, restroom facilities, and a very informative museum.

Walking just 15 minutes from the visitor's center, the main crater offers a spectacular view. At almost a mile (1.6 km) in diameter, the crater's rain-fed sulfuric pool still bubbles and emits smoke into the air. Although the last major eruption was in 1910, visitors can still see geysers explode into the air up to 820 ft (250 m) high. Chances of getting wet are pretty remote as the crater descends almost 1,000 ft (300 m) and is one of the largest active volcanoes in the world.

Standing on the rim, visitors often smell the sulfur in the air, which at times has proven to be acidic enough for the park to close. It is from this crater that the effects of acid rain can be seen on the vegetation surrounding the landscape. Around the huge main-crater is the beautifully blue-green colored Botos Lake (Laguna Botos) and on the opposite side, the von Frantzius cone.

Except for the area around the main caldera, the park is full of dense vegetation and small wildlife. Sightings of the 79 species of birds that have been identified inside the protected zone including the quetzal, emerald toucanet, black guan, sparrow, hummingbird, and robin are common. Few large mammals are found inside the park, but smaller, less conspicuous critters such as marmots, coyotes, rabbits, squirrels, snakes, frogs and a plethora of insects live here.

The different zones inside the protected area mainly include cloud forest, mountain rain forest, and very humid low mountain forest. Hiking along the Botos Trail you arrive at Botos Lake, a beautiful crater with a diameter of 1,312 ft (400 m). This lake has a beautiful jade color and is frequented by many of the bird species in the park.

Located about 1½ hours from San Jose, Poás Volcano National Park is a very popular day trip. Visitors often make the 68 mile (108 km) round-trip journey, which cruises along never-ending fields of coffee and flower farms that line the area around the park. From Ciudad Quesada, Poas Volcano National Park is 72 miles (116 km). The best time to visit is during the morning hours from January to April. Weekends are normally crowded and clouds normally roll in around mid-afternoon, making it difficult to enjoy the scenery. But on a clear day, it is possible to see both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.

Poas Volcano National Park Personalized Trips

A Mother/Daughter Nature Expedition, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
A Mother/Daughter Nature Expedition

Customer Reviewed I did not meet one unfriendly person. Everyone was friendly and helpful. I loved the experience of Costa Rica!

8 days $$$View Trip
Epic Journey With a Friend, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Epic Journey With a Friend

Customer Reviewed At Monteverde Lodge, we really appreciated that they placed water jugs in each room and offered ice and fresh fruit for the water each evening. This would be a great idea for other accommodations - we would be less inclined to buy water in plastic bottles for the room, and it ...

18 days $$View Trip
A Coast to Coast Family Adventure, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
A Coast to Coast Family Adventure

Customer Reviewed Our trip went very smoothly with all of our pick ups on time. The hotels, destinations and tours recommended by Roy Soto, our tour organiser were all of an excellent standard. For future reference, a lot of our trips were very early so we often missed breakfast at our hotels. ...

15 days $View Trip
See More Trips

Poas Volcano National Park Things to Do

Poás Volcano, Doka Coffee, La Paz Waterfall | Costa RicaPoás Volcano, Doka Coffee, La Paz Waterfall
Doka Coffee & Poas Volcano Tour | Costa RicaDoka Coffee & Poas Volcano Tour
←→

Wildlife Sightings

Resplendent QuetzalResplendent Quetzal
←→
Excellent!
Trustpilot Rating
Based on 705 reviews
Trustpilot
Anywhere Designed a Fantastic Itinerary
The travel route was designed with great precision and it was a seamless experience from start to finish. Yahaira unders...
Dec 03, 2022
– JKen R
Trustpilot Rating
Will use them again!
Communicative, helpful and honest. They stuck to my budget and accommodated my changes. My kids and I had such a good ti...
Dec 01, 2022
– Kayla C.
Trustpilot Rating
100 Stars!!
If I could give 100 stars, I would wholeheartedly. All the booked activities were excellent and pricing was unbeatable. ...
Nov 30, 2022
– Ravi D.
Trustpilot Rating
Stress Free Vacation
Everything on our itinerary went according to plan. This saved anxiety about transportation and allowed us to experience...
Nov 29, 2022
– Catherine.
Trustpilot Rating
Best Travel Experience Ever!
Working with the Anywhere team was the best experience I have ever had with a travel agency. Every person we interacted ...
Nov 25, 2022
– Aaron B.
Trustpilot Rating
5 STAR service
All the planning, communication and ability to offer on the ground assistance was spot on, responsive and helpful. Could...
Aug 23, 2022
– Jessica H.
Trustpilot Rating
Everything was Perfect!
Our agent (Harold) was amazing. He was incredibly responsive, worked hard to make our honeymoon perfect, and even adjust...
Aug 22, 2022
– Maya & Ka.
Trustpilot Rating
We loved every minute of this trip.
Leonardo was great at tailoring our experience to suit our needs, temperaments and budget and the process of planning th...
Aug 04, 2022
– Andrew M
Trustpilot Rating
Friendly and Very Responsive
My kids think this is the best trip ever (we travels a lot as a family, so this is definitely a big compliment)
Jul 19, 2022
– Emily Y
Trustpilot Rating
Travel with Ease
Every aspect of our trip was well designed to make travel easy and fun. I will recommend Yahaira and this company to any...
Jul 17, 2022
– Maureen V.
Trustpilot Rating
Trip of a lifetime for my family
The task was to plan an exceptional experience for my complete family to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. My expe...
Mar 28, 2022
– Claude Ca.
Trustpilot Rating
Third time using Anywhere Costa Rica
I am writing to thank you for all of your help and expertise in assisting us, once again, in putting together a beautifu...
Mar 14, 2022
– Betty Kni.
Trustpilot Rating
Kudos for Anywhere
Harold was an amazing trip advisor. We had a complicated itinerary, and Harold managed to find us the right places and c...
Mar 13, 2022
– Julia B.
Trustpilot Rating
Anywhere.com is the Best!!!
We booked our trip to Costa Rica with Anywhere.com and it was nothing short of perfect! We told Harold the primary desti...
Jan 07, 2022
– Taylor Ka.
Trustpilot Rating
Amazing Costa Rica Vacation
Harold built a wonderful 11 day trip for my friends and I in Costa Rica. Between the hotels (Arenal, Monteverde, and Man...
Mar 07, 2022
– Christoph.
Trustpilot Rating

Let's Dream Together

Share your bucketlist to get inspiration and local connections.

We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy.

Costa Rica Vacations
  • Adventure
  • All-inclusive
  • Beach
  • Budget
  • Eco-tourism
  • Family
  • Group
  • Honeymoon
  • Luxury
  • Nature
  • Private
  • Rainforest
  • Romantic
Highlights
  • Top Destinations
  • Beaches
  • Rainforests
  • Cloudforest
  • Volcanoes
  • Waterfalls
  • Surfing
  • Leisure
  • Off the Beaten Path
  • Airports
Costa Rica Travel
  • Maps
  • Safety
  • Weather & Climate
  • Sustainability
  • Holiday Season
  • Currency
  • Driving & Car Rental
  • Getting Around
PLACES TO GO
  • Arenal Volcano & Hot Springs
  • Monteverde Cloudforests
  • Manuel Antonio Beach & Jungle
  • Tamarindo Beach
  • Santa Theresa & Malpais Beaches
  • Puerto Viejo Beach
  • Nosara Beach
  • Jaco Beach
  • Tortuguero Rainforest
  • Corcovado Rainforest
  • Rincon de la Vieja Volcano & Waterfall
  • Nicoya Peninsula
  • Guanacaste Beaches
  • Osa Peninsula
THINGS TO DO
  • Hot Springs
  • Zip Lines
  • Suspension Bridges
  • Horseback
  • Rappel
  • Wildlife
  • Hiking
  • Chocolate Farms
  • Whitewater Rafting
  • Coffee Farms
  • Butterfly Gardens
  • Surfing
  • Sport Fishing
  • Birdwatching
  • Scuba Diving
  • Catamaran Cruise
  • Indigenous Culture
  • Yoga
  • Wellness
  • Cave Exploration
Trustpilot 5 of 5 rated service
Trustpilot "Excellent"
Plan My Visit→+1 (888) 456-3212
MessengerContact AnywhereWhatsapp ContactCall USA: +1-888-456-3212

© 2023 Anywhere Inc. All rights reserved.Privacy Policy