5
Accessible tour
Children Allowed
Easy Difficulty
The tour to Irazú Volcano National Park begins when your transportation picks you up to drive you to the eastern section of the Central Valley and the province of Cartago.
Your vehicle will take you along a perfectly paved rural road that will show you small farms with all sorts of high altitude plantations, potatoes, onions, garlic, beets, and oats, as well as significant changes in vegetation and climate as you reach the Irazú volcano.
This volcano is the highest in the country with an altitude of 3,432 meters (11,250 feet) above sea level. As you arrive at the National Park, you will be above the tree-line, and observe the small vegetation that covers the area; this will allow you to see impressive panoramas on bright days.
Your vehicle will drop you off at the park, where there are restrooms and a small cafeteria. From there you will walk along a paved, and sandy path that will take you to the edge of the main crater, but not before stopping at a couple of other formations that surround it.
The moonlike landscape is sandy and sparsely vegetated and yet truly impressive.
The Irazu Volcano eruptions have brought the most damaging consequences to the economic life of Costa Rica, as, because of its geographical position its eruptions directly affect the Central Valley and major cities.
As you will learn with the explanations of your guide who will tell you about the 1963 activity (which lasted two consecutive years with continuous ash eruptions) its consequences for the country, and the current activity of the volcano.
After a good walk on the summit of the Central Volcanic Mountain Range, you will return to your transport that will begin the descent to the city of Cartago.
Cartago, the former capital of Costa Rica, is a small but very prosperous city.
In it, you will find the Basilica of Los Angeles made to celebrate our patron saint, the Virgin of Los Angeles.
Here you can get off the minibus and walk around the church, go to the sanctuary of the Virgin and the area where thousands of Costa Ricans collect holy water every day.
At the end of your visit to the basilica, your transport will be ready to take you back to your hotel in San Jose.
Accessible tour
Children Allowed
Easy Difficulty
