The Poas is a volcano that rises to 2,708 metres above sea level, since 1989 has increased markedly the emission of gases causing acid rain phenomena that have damaged the flora in some sectors of the Park and surrounding agricultural plantations to the area. At the top there are two craters, the principal of 1.5 km in diameter and 300 deep, and the Botos lagoon, cold water and source purely rain, that drain into the Caribbean by the Angel river, tributary of the Sarapiqui River. Today the volcano emits large amount of gas and water vapor from the different fumaroles that are located in the inner cone of the crater. Identified several volcanoes, the Chompipe 2259 m above sea level, the Turu 2139 metres above the level of the sea, Cerro Cacho Negro at 2250 m and the Barva which has several craters, the well-known Tres Marias at an average altitude of 1725 meters.
La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park The Most Popular Ecological Attraction in Costa Rica. Lush tropical rain forest, flowing white rivers, spectacular waterfalls, birds, butterflies, monkeys, hummingbirds, snakes, felines and frogs. At La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park & Wildlife Refuge, you are guaranteed to see all that and more.
For this trip to Poas & La Paz Waterfall Gardens, we recommend the pick-up at Los Sueños or Jaco at 6:00 am, in hopes of arriving at Poas at around 9:00 am. After spending around 1-2 hours at the volcano, your driver will head towards La Paz, located around 40 minutes away from the volcano. The usual is to spend around 2-4 hours at La Paz, the exact duration of the visit varies a lot depending on how much walking you can do or want to do. For lunch, you can eat at La Paz or the driver can stop at a local restaurant. Once you are done with the visit to La Paz, the driver will start heading back to Los Sueños.
Please note: This activity is not advised for people who have trouble walking, hiking and/or using stairs/steps. The weather can be very volatile in this area of Costa Rica, so being prepared for various temperatures and conditions is very important. Keep in mind that Poas and La Paz range in altitudes from 9,000 to 4,200 feet, respectively. We recommend lots of patience when visiting Poas, as clouds move constantly and there is always a chance that the crater may not be visible at all. If other trails of the national park are open (like the lagoon), you can explore them at your own pace. Your time at Poas and your time at La Paz will be self-guided, both places are properly designed to be explored without the need to have a tour guide with you.
- Hours of operation: 6:00 am pick-up recommended.
- Duration: approximately 8+ hours from pick-up to drop-off.
- Difficulty: medium/hard. The descent and return to the falls is steep and involves many steps but it is not extreme, you can get down and back to the top in approximately 5-10 minutes (each way). This tour takes place at high altitude and is not recommended for pregnant women, children, or individuals who have high blood pressure, a heart condition, or recently had surgery.
- Days of operation: everyday. Email us to check availability.
- Includes: entrance tickets to Poas Volcano, private transportation for the day. The entrance tickets to La Paz and/or lunch are not included in the price. The price for the entrance tickets to La Paz is around $52 plus taxes and the price for the lunch they offer is around $14 per person plus taxes.
- Price: 2 people, $190 per person. Email us for pricing for groups of 3+ people.
Poas live cam here
