Poas Volcano National Park — Attraction in Sabana Redonda

The Poas Volcano National Park is only about 1.5 hours drive from San Jose and is unique in that it contains an active volcano (Poas) that can be seen from a very short distance. We bought tickets online before the visit and even though we booked a later time, we were allowed to get in as soon as we arrived. The park is well staffed and well maintained and visitors are guided into the parking lot to make sure there is no traffic bottleneck.

Starting from the visitor center, there is a circular trail about 3km around and along this trail the main attractions are the Poas Volcano and the Laguna Botos. There are viewing areas and sign boards made at both sites. With a brisk hike, this trail may be covered in about 1.5- 2 hours.

We went on a cloudy day so a crystal clear view of the Poas Volcano was not possible. However, the clouds drifted every now and then and we were able to catch glimpses of the crater quite well. It is active and steam keeps spurting out continuously. There is also a volcanic gas monitoring station next to the viewing area which constantly measures the concentration of toxic volcanic gases in the area.

The hike to Laguna Botos was a little steep but the view was completely worth it. Clear visibility, blue water with a greenish tinge and surrounded by greenery, the lake presents a very pretty picture from the viewing area. This is the crater of a dead volcano, where water has accumulated. The volcanic basin makes the water slightly acidic and so it is not abundant in life except for acidophilic microorganisms.

The circular trail is a paved path running through a dense trees, shrubs, creepers, epiphytes and moss. Many plants have thick leaves, a protective adaptation against volcanic gases and acidic rainwater. Thick layers of moss also grow on the ground, tree trunks and rocks. They absorb rain water like sponge, support and water growing vegetations. A large number of trees with strong trunks are also home to numerous epiphytes, some being almost completely covered in large varieties of the latter.

Overall, this natural preserve is a treasure trove of flora, foliage and volcanic formations. Highly...

Very disappointed .....not with the volcano. This is an amazing site to see and well worth the effort to see it with your own eyes. (If you can afford it). The problem. Lack of information. As a hiker I wanted to walk around the trails and view the nearby lake and take my time and enjoy the day. The cost. 15 dollars. I consider this on the expensive side. Also the fact that everyother activity you wish to do weather a trail or visit a river it will cost you extra in these national parks. Parking. 6 dollars. Again extra expense ontop of your entry to the park. I find this insulting. And this is everywhere in all parks. Extra costs. 3 Lack of information. Know where on the official website, the booking page and at payment. Also at the actual entrance to the park at the kiosk do they give any warning that the trails are closed. This is totally unacceptable. I payed 21 dollars to see the park and enjoy the walking and yet iam only allowed 20 minutes of viewing time up a short 10 min walk to the viewing platform. Then ordered to vacate the area for the next group to come along.

Message to everyone. A lesson learned.....Double check your information at the gates. Ask questions. Costa Rica is more Costa Costly. My trip to this country has been plaged by endless entry fees to parks....trails.....rivers......and for a mid budget traveller has become very expensive and forced me to skip alot of planned trails. Just walking costs you money!

No apology from staff. The only reason given was because a heightened activity from the volcano. The feeling of being treated like hurded cattle wasn't a...

Very nice views of the craters. Firstly BUY YOUR TICKETS prior to driving there. We didn’t and they had “sold out” around 2pm on a Monday. We went in a Tuesday and paid $45 US dollars total amount for 2 adults/2kids. If you are a foreigner on the website they will ask you for your passport info so have it handy bc they give you 10 minutes to add all that info. For the website you have to create a UN/PW and then log in to purchase your tickets. Bring a jacket bc it’s super windy and cold. Arriving there you will park and then walk about 10 minutes on a paved wide sidewalk. There were no guides to give you information I’m not sure why the website asks what time you will book your arrival. So basically you get to the crater and there is about 5 different levels you can view the crater so it’s wide enough if there are a lot of tourist. Since all there is to see is the crater you will only last 20 minutes there. Oh we got there at 8:30 am but bought for the 8am entrance tickets so there is no enforcement on lateness. There’s a trail that leads to another crater called Laguna Botos which is a lengthy hike. I’m not an active person and let me tell you that I found it a bit difficult. It was tough going up and going down but we did it. I was huffing and puffing seeing mirages of the exit lol. They have restrooms before you get to the crater and half way there. There is also an expensive gift shop with nice souvenirs and a cafe that we didn’t eat at. We visited...