Costa Rica Volcanoes
Costa Rica is by many considered a paradise destination for nature loving tourists. The country has managed to preserve most of it pristine wilderness and promotes eco-tourism, using their rain forests and national parks to attract visitors.
About 25% of the country is now protected as National Parks or nature reserves. What Costa Rica has to offer is abundance of exotic plants (including about a thousand types of orchids) and wildlife, all of it set in cloud or rain forests, close to beautiful beaches and resorts with decent tourism infrastructure.
Costa Rica volcanoes and other geological features, like hot springs, are an important part of this picture. Set amidst magnificent rain forests, within National Parks, they have been made available to explore and admire by visitors as much as safety allows. The country is a perfectly convenient destination for enthusiasts of volcano tours because within a short time they can see several magnificent active volcanoes here.
Costa Rica has five volcanoes that have been active in recent years: Arenal, Irazú, Poás, Turrialba and Rincón de La Vieja. Arenal Volcano, being currently the most active of all Costa Rican volcanoes, attracts most of the tourists, but the other four are definitely worth visiting, too.
The five most famous Costa Rican volcanoes are intoduced in more details on next pages:
Arenal • Irazú • Poás • Rincón de la Vieja • Turrialba
Resources
- Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica - the institution monitors activity of Costa Rica volcanoes (site in Spanish).
- Arenal.net - a guide to Costa Rica's most famous volcano; includes information about available tours, lodging, transportation, activities, sightseeing and nearby attractions.
- Arenal Observatory Lodge - the lodge is the closest to the Arenal Volcano and probably the most famous hotel in Costa Rica...
- Turrialba Volcano Lodge - information about hotel and the Turrialba Volcano
- Costa Rica National Parks - information about Costa Rica's national parks, including the parks that are home to volcanoes.
