In a nation renowned for its volcanoes, Costa Rica’s Irazu Volcano stands tallest amongst its active counterparts. At a height of almost 3,500 meters, it is only a short distance from San Jose, making it one of the most easily accessible, and the Irazu Volcano tour attracts many visitors. The road leads all the way to the summit, and on the clearest day, one can enjoy spectacular views of both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans as well as Turrialba Volcano and parts of San Jose.
Irazu Volcano
Irazu Volcano is a massive stratovolcano (lava and ash) situated in Costa Rica’s Central Volcanic Mountain Range, within the vicinity of the city of Cartago. AT least 854.000 years old, it resides within the Irazu Volcano National Park, which is home to foxes, armadillos, coati, rabbits, woodpeckers, owls and hummingbirds.
Irazu has an irregular conical shape and steep slopes on which much produce is grown in the fertile soil. The peak, often shrouded by cloud, has several craters, including Diego de la Haya, a small green crater lake which is currently quite dry but traditionally is filled with acidic water. The large Main Crater at the end of the road to the volcano is circular, black and sandy with steep walls, and there are paved walkways from here to the Deigo de la Haya. Other craters of Irazu are La Laguna, Playa Hermosa, and El Piroclastico.
There is a small coffee and gift shop with restrooms located by the crater.
Irazu Volcanic Eruptions
In Costa Rica, Irazu Volcano is known as “El Coloso” or “The Colossus” due to its fierce activity and associated catastrophes in the past. Its first historically-recorded eruption occurred in 1723 and it has explosively erupted at least twenty-three times since then. Most famously, it erupted between 1963 - 1965, showering nearby San Jose and its surrounding area with ash.
The most recent eruption of Irazu was on December 8th, 1994.
Visit Irazu Volcano with Costa Rica Volcanoes!
Our Irazu Volcano Tour is sure to be a memorable excursion! We collect you from your San Jose (or nearby) accommodation between 7-8am and travel east to the Irazu Volcano. With a friendly and bilingual tour guide, we travel through vegetable farms and you’ll marvel at the changing landscape as we make our way to the top of the volcano. Thereafter we stop for lunch and then visit the church Basilica de los Angeles, the Ujarras ruins, and the beautiful Lankester Botanical Gardens. You’ll be dropped off at your accommodation around 6 pm.
Contact us at Costa Rica Volcanoes today for this and numerous other amazing Costa Rica tourism experiences!