Volcanoes

A visit to one or more of Costa Rica’s stunning volcanoes can be a great experience. The country is on the edge of a continuously-shifting tectonic plate, the Cocos Plate, which lies to the west of the Pacific coast. The result of this movement is frequent tremors and earthquakes. In addition, Costa Rica lies at the heart of the Central American chain of volcanoes which form part of the Pacific Rim of Fire. Of Central America’s 42 active volcanoes, Costa Rica has 6 active ones as well as another 60 dormant volcanoes.

Two volcanoes, Irazú and Poás, are day-trips from San Jose. The most active, Arenal, could be visited in a (long) day trip but part of the sightseeing experience is to stay overnight close by and observe its night activity.