One of the must visit places in Costa Rica is a Volcano. They are the primary reason that this country is so fertile and rich in many minerals. One of the most beautiful volcanoes is Irazú in Cartago. 

About Costa Rica’s Active Volcanoes:

Costa Rica has many Volcanos, of which these 5 are Active.

• Arenal Volcano – Closed
• Poás Volcano – Reopend on August 31, 2018.
• Rincón de la Vieja Volcano – Open
• Irazú Volcano – Open
• Turrialba Volcano – Closed

Today, however we will talk about our first volcano experience at Irazú.

Irazú Volcano

Irazú is an active volcano in the province of Cartago. It is the tallest volcano in the country, reaching upwards of 11,260 ft (3,432 m) and it has 4 craters.

1. Diego de la Haya – Filled with Volcanic Ash
2. Principal Crater – A turquoise-blue lake at the bottom.
3. Playa Hermosa
4. La Laguna craters

Irazú has erupted 23 times since its first recorded eruption in 1723. Locals still talk about the eruption of 1963, it happened just a few days before US President John F. Kennedy visited Costa Rica. It covered all of Cartago and San José with ash. The eruptions continued for two years.

The summit of the volcano also houses a few television transmission towers for stations in San José.

Note:
Volcano Irazú is safe to visit. It is closely monitored by top volcanologists, so any risk to visitors is minimal. If they suspect anything dangerous the park will be closed.

Irazú Volcano National Park (Parque Nacional Volcán Irazú)

It incorporates what used to be the Ruben Torres Rojas Forest Reserve now called the Prusia Forest Reserve. The park is the site of a reforestation project to restore the area which was destroyed by the eruptions in the past.

Our Story:

We had been trying to visit this volcano for a while now. We went there many times, but had to turn back, as it was active it had to be closed to the public for safety reasons.

In May 2018, after 3 months of constant trying. We were fortunate enough to get past the park gate. The road up there is steep. We relied on the Waze Navigation App which took us to a point where we saw only clouds. We were totally disappointed. But as the clouds cleared, we saw a glimpse of volcano in the distance and tiny people walking near it. That’s when we realized that we were at a different view point.

We quickly got back into our car and drove down the same way. We saw some vehicles going down towards left (towards the right if you are headed in from the gate), so we followed them. This took us to the parking lot for Irazú Volcano National Park. The parking lot has a souvenir shop in the center and a bathroom in the corner to the right.

Note:
The souvenir shop is costly, and we could not even find any gift items related to the Irazú Volcano. In Arenal, we were able to buy a beautiful snow globe of Arenal Volcano. I wish we would get one of Irazú ☹

From the parking lot, it is a short walk to the black sandy crater. The soil of the crater is silky and extremely soft. In the distance we could see barricades setup to prevent people from getting too close to the edge and risking falling into the crater.

We were able to see 3 craters Principal, Playa Hermosa and Diego de la Haya. The Principal Crater is and amazing sight, it has a greenish-blue lake at its center. I wondered, why there was water inside it and why was it greenish-blue. The answer is that the water come from precipitation, groundwater circulation (often hydrothermal fluids) or melted ice. The water is very acidic and is mixed with various minerals and saturated with volcanic gases. This is what gives the lake its strong greenish-blue color. Depending on mineral concentrations, the water can also take on a red hue.

When we looked around we saw a huge patch of empty land with some vehicles stopped inside. The vehicles belonged to park rangers 😄. What will surprise you is the plants and trees in and around the crater in the park. I wonder how they grew there when volcano is active, I guess it’s due of the high

When we looked around we saw a huge patch of empty land with some vehicles stopped inside. The vehicles belonged to park rangers 😄. What will surprise you is the plants and trees in and around the crater in the park. I wonder how they grew there when volcano is active, I guess it’s due of the high fertility of the soil.

Recommendations
In the morning it will take a total time of 1 hour to explore the place. Make sure to add Sanatorio Duran to your trip for a spooky second half of the day. For lunch you can stop at Restaurante Linda Vista, Cartago. You will be amazed by the funky décor of the restaurant. The walls are covered with hand written notes and currency notes from the home countries of travelers that pass through here.

Entrance Fee and Hours
Entry fee: 1,000 colones per adult
Hours: 8 AM to 3:30 PM. (After this ranger will start to chase you 😄)
Car Parking: 1,100 Colones

Location:

Waze: https://waze.com/ul/hd1u2gbycw

 

Google Map:

Best time to visit:

December to April (Dry Season)
On a clear day, from the summit of the Irazú volcano, you can see both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Tip:
Make sure you carry really good warm clothes, it gets very cold.

Look around you may find animals around. We found this little guy near the entrance.