Poas Volcano National Park
ATTRACTION Keywords:
Nature & Wildlife,
Tip - When to Go,
National Park,
Volcano
There aren’t too many places in the world where you can almost touch the rim of an active volcano, but at Poas Volcano National Park you can get up close to the smoking crater.
One of the world’s most accessible volcanoes, Poas Volcano is filled with an amazing aquamarine lagoon, blanketed in ferns and ringed with hiking trails leading to panoramic lookouts and picnic areas.
The park is filled with wildlife to spot, including the famous quetzal, toucans and hummingbirds.
The best visibility is December to April, and especially in the early morning.
Latest Reviews
Review by Gemma R, April 2013
Doing what: Combo Tour - Best of Costa Rica from San Jose
We really enjoyed this trip. It is a great way to see the area around San José and you fit so much into one day. We started off at the coffee estate and to be honest, I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy this at first but we really did. It was actually really interesting and the grounds were nice. We had breakfast there overlooking the valley and it was a nice way to start to the morning. This was followed by a trip to Poaz volcano and we were lucky enough to get there on a clear day so had great views. After this we went to La Paz waterfall gardens which was very enjoyable. They buffet lunch there was amazing, we ate so much! The walk around the waterfalls was pleasant and we saw a bit of wildlife. We had enough time in each place, I thought the day was spread out well with a good balance of guided and independent parts and it was just a really good day. I’d definitely recommend it.
Review by Britt B, USA, April 2013
Doing what: Poas Volcano, Doka Coffee Estate and Sarchi Arts and Craft
The things you learn when you have a great guide! We had a wonderful day, and the weather was perfect. The volcano and the scenery also impressive. Learned a lot about coffee at the Doka estate. Lunch was good and the view from the table was beautiful overlooking the lake. Sarchi Arts and Craft - Beautiful hand painted oxcarts and woodwork, hard to resist buying souvenirs. A great day and I highly recommend it.
Britt B, CA
Review by Ashley B, April 2013
Doing what: Poas Volcano, Doka Coffee Estate and Sarchi Arts and Craft
This is the perfect day tour as far as length. You will be picked up at 8am and dropped off by dinner time (~6pm). The volcano is a long shot as to whether or not you will see anything but clouds. Unless you take a tour that heads up to the mountains before sunrise it is not likely that you will see anything but clouds. It is very cold up there and will rain intermittently so being a water resistant jacket. The views on the way up to the volcano are amazing and I think the drive and the hike in the forest make up for not seeing anything once you get to the top. But don't count on a view at the volcano.
The coffee tour is great and very informative. The tour was somewhat shorter than I thought it would be but it is great. Lunch is provided at the coffee shop and is very good.
There is also a stop at a large Ox cart and touristy shop at the end of the day.
Overall this is a good tour if you only have a day and don't mind getting views from a bus window as it ascends the volcano. I enjoyed myself and the tour.
Practical Info
Poas Volcano National Park is 54 km (34 miles) from San Jose, accessible by public bus or organized tour. The closest town is Poasito.
