Poas Volcano National Park Costa Rica

Known for its incredible national parks and thrilling touristic activities like rafting, canyoning, snorkeling and zip-lining, Costa Rica is one of the best destinations for adventure seekers.

Costa Rica offers a huge selection of some bumpy adventure locations and one of such points is the “ Poas Volcano National Park”, one of the most visited national parks.

Poas Volcano National Park lies in the central valley region of Costa Rica spreading up to 1600 acres in the Alajuela province. The park is one of the most popular attractions that are easily accessible from the capital city San Jose. The volcano area is thirty-five minutes north of the city of Alajuela in the Central Valley of Costa Rica

What is the best time to go to Poas Volcano National Park?

The Poas National Park is open every day from 7:00 to 2:00 pm. The best time to visit the park is in the dry season, from mid-December to April when the rainfall is minimum and you experience less cloud coverage.

The converging winds that blow from the Caribbean and Pacific slopes make it cloudy. Early morning is recommended as there is less crowd and also the cloud does not hover over the crater in the early morning.

The park also sometimes gets closed unexpectedly due to sudden volcanic activity, but this does happen rarely.

How is the Weather in Poas Volcano National Park

Costa Rica is known for its wet and dry seasons. Poas volcano prevails at the height of 2700 meters and at this elevation the temperature is low and windy. With an average temperature of 16-degree Celsius, the apex area of the volcano is a bit chilling.

In the dry season from the start of January to the end of April, you can experience more sunny weather with temperature moving up to 24 degrees celsius.

During the rainy season which is usually from May to December, the temperature drops to approximately 15-degree Celsius and feels colder when windy.

This park is a cloud forest so you should not be wondering if it rains during the dry season.

How do you get to Poas Volcano National Park

Getting to Poas volcano is pretty easy with vehicles accessible from San Jose and or San Ramon. From San Jose, it is approximately 30 miles drive to the park and is almost 41 miles long from Sao Raman.

If you are accessing the route by car, take Pan American highway from Sao Jose, across the highway from the airport.

The location keyword for the google map direction would look something like San José – Alajuela – San Isidro – Fraijanes – Poas Volcano

From San Jose to Poas Volcano it take s approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes by car

From San Ramon follow the route below:

San Ramón – Grecia – San Pedro de Poás – Fraijanes – Póas Volcano

It takes around 1 hour and 40 minutes by car from San Ramon

Renting a car is easy in Costa Rica with friendly and helpful drivers. Applications like google maps and Waze come handy for tracking the route. Simply typing the “Poas Volcano National Park” will give you a detailed route itinerary to the park. The road is smoothly paved so should not worry about not having a 4wd. The drive is beautiful with views of the pastures and valleys.

The national park area has a big parking slot where you can park your car for approximately 4 dollars and a motorcycle of 2 dollars.

If you opt to take a public bus, there is a single bus departing daily from “Parque de la Merced” in San Jose. The bus leaves at 8 am and you can join the same bus at Alajuela at around 9 am. The bus departs back from the park at 2:30 pm

About Poas Volcano National Park

Poas Volcano National Park has been one of the most sought after national parks in Costa Rica for years. With one of the biggest geyser craters in the world and picturesque natural beauty, at an elevation of 2000 m, you get to experience a volcano and cloud forest on the same day.

In 1971 with a mission to protect the volcano and flora and fauna in the surrounding area, Poas Volcano National Park was established. In 2013 there were some eruptions in the volcano but without any major damage.

In 2017, there were several eruptions in Poas volcano that potentially caused damage to roads and building structure in the park. The eruption made the park remain close for almost one and a half years.

What to bring and wear during the Poas Volcano Tour

Though most of the places in Costa Rica are warm and wet, the weather in Poas Volcano is a bit chilly with low temperatures and a windy atmosphere.

It is good to have some fleece jackets and long pants. A nice and warm windbreaker is recommended for your packing list as it remains chilly and humid in the Poas area throughout the year with sudden change in the weather and temperature.

Normal hiking shoes and closed-toe shoes are good to go on the packing list.

Does not matter which part of Costa Rica you are visiting, it is always a good idea to have some sunscreen protection to escape the hot sunburn.

Take water and some fast snacks and a few energy drinks to keep you hydrated and energized.

We also recommend visitors to bring sunglasses, insect repellent and yes, not to forget the Camera.

Operating Hours and Fees

From 7 am to 1:20 pm Poas Volcano National Park remains open for visitors. The park is open every day including the holidays.

Once you are decided with visiting the Poas Volcano National Park, you need to do get the online ticket by two means:

1. Visit the SINAC (Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación) website to register online
2. Make an online reservation with your date and time of visit by making prepayment to the park entrance fee.

The ticket to the park entrance should be purchased from the website of the National system of conservation areas(SINAC).  This link will take you to the online portal for purchasing the ticket to the National Park entrance. 

Once you create an account on the SINAC portal you can log in and select “online reservation” from the “buy” option.

The entry fee for the adult resident is approximately $1.70 and $15 for the adult nonresidents. The cost of parking the light vehicle is around $3.40. Remember to bring your ID when visiting the national park.

Activities at Poas Volcano National Park

Poas volcano national park in the north of San Jose is a place of absolute pleasure. The landscape in this area is quite different from the other regions in Costa Rica. There are lots of leisure activities that can be enjoyed in Poas volcano national park.

The main attraction is the Poas Volcano which is famous for its huge crater with a huge platform on the rim. You need to Get up early in the morning to see the clear view of the volcano before the cloud rolls in.

The view of the crater is great and plenty of birds and mammals on the way hidden in the dense lush vegetation

Hiking to the neighboring Barva volcano is another great idea. Although Posa receives away more attention, Brava Volcano is a real sleeping wonder for years. The spectacular scenery and the wildlife in the Brava will make your visit worth it.

Where to Eat and Stay in Poas Volcano National Park visit?

On your trip to Poas Volcano national park, you will get to experience great terrasse, fantastic service, and mouth-watering food, and yes,” the local steaks – homely flavoured and delicious”.

Poas volcano is at an accessible distance from San Jose or the surrounding central valley. There are a lot of hotels, guesthouses, and tourist stay centers that will suit your preferences.

Poas Lodge is located near the summit of Poas Volcano, is the ideal place to relax and enjoy the most spectacular views of Costa Rica’s Central Valley!

You can find some hotels closest to Poas volcano from Booking.com and Tripadvisor are the best places to search for food and accommodations near Poas volcano national park.

You can find some good restaurants on the way back from the volcano park. Restaurants with great outdoor seating offer great dishes like quesadillas torton and the gallote.

Not too far from the Poas volcano, you can find places that offer a great local traditional Costa Rican menu. Start your morning with a cup of coffee and enjoy some delicious feats later.

 Conclusion

So, whenever you are in San Jose you can enjoy the volcano in the cloud forest for a single day tour. The view of Poas Volcano national park is truly amusing. The volcano crater, trails, wild vegetation, and the entire park area is worth it. Give a try and you will remember the experience for a lifetime. Happy Travel!

Photo by Alejandro Leitón on Unsplash

Photo by Alvaro Hernandez on Unsplash