Poás Volcano
One of the largest and most accessible active volcanic craters in the world, with a turquoise acid lake inside it
Area
65 km²
Declared in
1971
Region
Central America (Alajuela)
Climate
Tropical, Templado, Montañoso
Best time
December to April
Highlight
One of the largest and most accessible active volcanic craters in the world, with a turquoise acid lake inside it
Declared in 1971, it protects one of the largest and easiest to reach active volcanic craters in the world — the viewpoint is barely a few minutes' walk from the car park — with a lake of extremely acid, turquoise water that visibly bubbles from the geothermal activity beneath. Sudden phreatic eruptions have forced temporary closures of the park several times over the past decade, most recently in 2017.
Location
See on the interactive map4 dive sites within 300 km are also shown.
32 species documented in Poás Volcano
At conservation risk:Oncilla,Verrugosa (bushmaster)
Least ConcernCoyote
Canis latrans
Least ConcernBúho de anteojos
Pulsatrix perspicillata
Least ConcernCoatí de nariz blanca
Nasua narica
Least ConcernPuma
Puma concolor
Near ThreatenedQuetzal resplandeciente
Pharomachrus mocinno
Least ConcernColibrí montañés gorgimorado
Lampornis calolaemus
Junco volcanero
Junco vulcani
Tucaneta verde
Aulacorhynchus prasinus
Agutí centroamericano
Dasyprocta punctata
Arasarí de collar
Pteroglossus torquatus
Colibrí chispita volcanera
Selasphorus flammula
Grisón
Galictis vittata
Flora and ecosystems
Ecosystems found in Costa Rica, where Poás Volcano lies.
Experiences in this park
Nearby dive sites
Where can I dive near here?
Caño Island
170 km away
Bocas del Toro
237 km away
Big Corn Island
254 km away
Little Corn Island
291 km away
Wildlife you can see now
What is worth watching this month in Costa Rica?
EndangeredGreen Turtle
Chelonia mydas
Ahora es buena época: Anidación de tortugas marinas en Costa Rica (Julio a noviembre)
Similar parks
Which other parks are like this one?
Manuel Antonio
Costa Rica
Central American squirrel monkey (endemic and endangered) · three-toed sloth
Diciembre a abril
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Chirripó
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Baird's Tapir · Resplendent Quetzal
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Rincon de la Vieja
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Puma · Crested Guan
Diciembre a abril
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