Top 5 Volcanoes to Visit in Costa Rica.

1.   Arenal Volcano is an active andesitic stratovolcano located in the North-West of Costa Rica; close to the town La Fortuna Arenal.  It erupted in 1968 destroying villages and killing many people.  Although since 2010 the volcano's activity has decreased it is still very much alive inside and in and around the volcano there is plenty to see and do, like taking a magical hike in the famous Arenal Volcano National Park.  

Arenal Volcano

2.   Poás is one of Costa Rica's largest volcanos.  It has two crater lakes and the main crater's rain fed sulphuric pool still bubbles away and gives off smoke.  Visitors can sometimes smell the sulpheric smoke.  The volcano has erupted 13 times since 1828 and in January 2009 Poás was at the epicenter of a 6.1 magnitude earthquake.   

Poás Volcano

3.   Irazú is one of Costa Rica's highest active volcanoes, situated close to the capital of San José.  It has several craters and on a clear day it is possible to see the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans from the top.  It was first recorded to have erupted in 1723 and since then has erupted about 23 times!

Irazú Volcano

4.   Rincón de la Vieja is an active volcano that comes with a legend.  It translates as "Old Woman's Corner" and the tale is that a girls lover was thrown in to the crater by her father, she became a recluse and acquired healing powers.  Although little has been recorded about its eruption activity it is known that it last erupted in February 1998 and for safety reasons after this eruption hikes to the crater were prohibited.  The volcano lies 1,916 metres above sea level and its summit is the highest point in the Rincón de la Vieja National Park.    

Rincón de la Vieja Volcano

5.   Turrialba is a 3,340 meter high stratovolano that lies adjacent to the Irazú Volcano.  One of its three craters has fumeroles (an opening in the earths crust) and sulpher pits.  In the past people could hike down to this crater but now due to an increase in gaseous activity time allowed there has been limited.  Its last major eruption was in 1866 but since then signs of increased activity like gas emissions have been reported.

Turrialba Volcano