Volcano · Northern Zone
Arenal Volcano
The volcano most of our clients build a trip around, with hot springs and Lake Arenal below it. Quiet since 2010.
1,670 m (5,479 ft)Read the guide
Volcanoes in Costa Rica
Eight volcanoes you can visit, on one map. Arenal for the hot springs, Poás and Irazú from San José, Rincón de la Vieja from the Guanacaste beaches.
The short answer
Which volcano should you see?
Costa Rica has more than a hundred volcanic sites, and eight of them are worth building a day around. Arenal is the one most of our clients plan their trip around, usually with a beach after it, and its eruptions stopped in 2010, so you come for the view and the hot springs rather than lava. If you land in San José, Poás is about an hour away and you can look straight into its crater. From the Guanacaste beaches, Rincón de la Vieja is about an hour from Liberia airport. Our private drivers take you to all of them, so nobody has to drive the mountain roads.
The map
Costa Rica volcano map
The eight volcanoes, numbered from the ones our clients visit most.
The eight volcanoes you can visit
Each one links to our full guide: how to get there, what you will see and where to stay.
Volcano · Central Valley
Poás Volcano
One of the largest active craters in the world, over 900 feet deep and a mile wide. About an hour from San José.
2,708 m (8,885 ft)Read the guide
Volcano · Guanacaste
Rincón de la Vieja
Mud pots, fumaroles and sulfur lagoons, about an hour from Liberia airport. An easy day out from the Papagayo beaches.
1,916 m (6,286 ft)Read the guide
Volcano · Central Valley
Irazú Volcano
The tallest volcano in Costa Rica, with a green lake in its crater. A day trip from San José.
3,432 m (11,260 ft)Read the guide
Volcano · Central Valley
Turrialba Volcano
53 km east of San José, reached through Cartago and the sugar cane fields of Juan Viñas.
Volcano · Northern Zone
Cerro Chato
Arenal's quiet neighbour: a steep hike of about four hours to a green lagoon in the crater.
1,140 m (3,740 ft)Read the guide
Volcano · Guanacaste
Tenorio Volcano
The volcano behind Río Celeste, the river that sulfur and calcium carbonate turn sky blue. A national park since 1995.
Volcano · Guanacaste
Miravalles Volcano
The highest mountain in Guanacaste, above the largest geothermal field in Costa Rica.
2,028 m (6,654 ft)Read the guide
Good to know
Volcano questions we answer every week
How many volcanoes are in Costa Rica?
More than a hundred volcanic sites, though counts differ from one source to the next. Eight are worth a visit, and they are the eight on this page.
Which volcanoes in Costa Rica are active?
Poás and Rincón de la Vieja have both had eruptive activity in recent years, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program. Arenal has been quiet since 2010. Activity changes from week to week and a park can close at short notice; when that happens, our team in Costa Rica changes the plan for you.
Can you still see lava at Arenal?
No. Arenal stopped erupting in 2010. You come now for the view of the cone, and the hot springs below it.
Which volcano is best to visit?
Arenal, if you have two or three nights for it. From San José, Poás and Irazú each make an easy day trip. Staying in Guanacaste, Rincón de la Vieja is about an hour from Liberia airport.
Can I visit a volcano on a day trip from San José?
Yes. Poás is about an hour from San José, and Irazú and Turrialba are both east of the city, near Cartago. If you are going on to Arenal, Poás is about 2.5 hours from there by way of La Paz Waterfall Gardens.
Do I need a car to visit the volcanoes?
No. Our clients travel with a private driver who leaves on their schedule and waits while they visit, so nobody has to drive the mountain roads.
Your Costa Rica, planned by people who live here
Tell us what you love. A Costa Rica Specialist builds a custom itinerary around it, with private transfers, hotels we know and our team on call 24/7 while you travel.
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