Volcanoes

On a clear day a visit to be most remembered, is that to Volcán Arenal National Park , located 90 miles by road northwest of San José . When approaching Arenal across the farming area around La Fortuna, the first sight is a staggering experience. It is the most spectacularly active volcano in Costa Rica . Many people also visit this park at night to watch the lava flows and red hot boulders ejected from the volcano, glow in the darkness. Although eruptions are the main attraction, you should be aware that even in the dry season the clouds sometimes obscure the peaks. Weather predictions are available at the hotel but rapid changes in cloud cover are not unusual. However on a day visit to the unusual Tabacon Spa or the Arenal observatory, even if the weather does not cooperate, your enjoyment may still include the sound of many eruptions.
For an independent overnight trip we can recommend several hotels with a good view of the Volcano.

The Volcan Poas National Park is one of the most visited protected areas in the country. The ride there is scenic and pleasant, and since it’s only 47 kilometers away from San Jose , many local and foreign tourists visit the park, especially on the weekends. The park measures 5600 hectares, and this basaltic volcano stands at an altitude of 2708 meters (8,200 feet) above sea level. Duration: 5 hours

Thirty-one kilometers from the city of Cartago stands the volcano of Irazu. Rising to 11,260 feet (3402 meters, though some sources say 3432) Irazu towers above the surrounding forests which are part of a National Park. The park is remarkable because of its surreal lunar landscape which contains two main craters. The primary crater is round shaped, measures 1050 meters wide by 300 meters deep, and has unusually colored water of a rich and glowing shade of olive green. The second crater is called Diego da la Haya (named in honor of the Spanish conquistador who recorded its eruption in the 18th century), is 600 meters in width, and 100 meters deep .
Duration:  5hours