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Poas Volcano

Where is It?

45 kms northwest of San Jose, located inside Poas Volcano National Park in the Central Volcanic Mountain Range, 37 kms from Alajuela

How Tall is It?

Summit Elevation: 2708 m (8,884 ft) above sea level

Volcano Type

Stratovolcano

Type of Activity

Phreatic

How Old is It?

7,500 years old

The Last Big Eruption

1996

Did You Know?

• Only one of the three craters of Poas is active.

• This active crater is 1.5 kilometers (9/10 of a mile) wide and 300 meters deep. It is the second largest volcanic crater in the world.

• On the bottom of this crater is the world's second most acidic natural lake with a ph near zero.

• Botos is an ancient crater now filled with cold blue water nine meters deep and ringed by a thick cloud forest. It has not erupted in more than 7500 years.

• The other non-active crater, Von Frantzius, is located 900 meters from the main crater.

• Poas is one of the most accessible, active volcanoes in the Americas.

A Bit of History

Important years:

1828 - the first surface explosions were recorded

1834 - eruptions sent ash to parts of the Central Valley

1910 - large eruptions sent ash 8km up into the atmosphere, some of which reached Cartago. 

1952 - Moderate eruptions of steam.

1970-1981 - Increased fumarolic activity

Nowadays the volcano continues with active fumarolic activity.

Insider's Tip

The best time to visit the volcano is in the mornings from May to November. Bring sunscreen and a wind breaker or rain jacket because the weather changes rapidly.

Tours

Contact us to learn organize a day trip to Poas. Also see our combo tour with nearby La Paz Waterfall Gardens

Check out this fun blog post about Poas - Up Close!

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