Poas Volcano National Park, Valverde Vega: Photos, Reviews & Location

Wide, active stratovolcano crater & lakes, featuring an observation deck with timed visits & trails.

At a glance

#3 of 3 Tourist attractions in Valverde Vega

LocalGuideWorld score: 4.60

7.1 km from the center of Valverde Vega

Rating breakdown

5 ★77%
4 ★14%
3 ★5%
2 ★2%
1 ★2%

5QX6+6JW Parque Nacional Volcán Poas, Provincia de Alajuela, Sarchí, Costa Rica

sinac.go.cr

+506 2482 2165

Photos of Poas Volcano National Park (121)

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Poas Volcano National Park, Valverde Vega – photo 1

Poas Volcano National Park, Valverde Vega – photo 2

Poas Volcano National Park, Valverde Vega – photo 3

Poas Volcano National Park, Valverde Vega – photo 4

Poas Volcano National Park, Valverde Vega – photo 5

Poas Volcano National Park, Valverde Vega – photo 6

Poas Volcano National Park, Valverde Vega – photo 7

Poas Volcano National Park, Valverde Vega – photo 8

Poas Volcano National Park, Valverde Vega – photo 9

Poas Volcano National Park, Valverde Vega – photo 10

Poas Volcano National Park, Valverde Vega – photo 11

Poas Volcano National Park, Valverde Vega – photo 12

Quick facts

What is the rating of Poas Volcano National Park?: Poas Volcano National Park is rated 4.6 out of 5 based on 2,324 reviews.
How does Poas Volcano National Park rank in Valverde Vega?: Poas Volcano National Park is #3 of 3 Tourist attractions in Valverde Vega by LocalGuideWorld score (rating weighted by number of reviews).
Where is Poas Volcano National Park located?: 5QX6+6JW Parque Nacional Volcán Poas, Provincia de Alajuela, Sarchí, Costa Rica — 7.1 km from the center of Valverde Vega.
How can I contact Poas Volcano National Park?: Phone: +506 2482 2165 · Website: sinac.go.cr

Reviews (8)

Domme J. 2023 Oct 28

Due to the rain we only did the straight and short walk to the viewpoint. Great scenery and young staff all around the entrance area. There are emergency shelters at the view point in case you have to protect yourself during an eruption which is great, but of course they are turned away from the view. I don't understand why there is not a single place with a roof to watch the crater and being protected from the rain. Especially at a place with a high likelihood for rain.

Nastia Vais 2023 Sep 26

Great national park with views over the volcano and the valley. We came at 8 and the weather was good (cold but good ao bring jacket) and we saw the crater perfectly.
There's a hike of 1.5km to the old crater. The hile is a little bit hard since it's steep vut totally worth it.
There's cafeteria and a souvenir shop. There's also a visitor centre with explanations about the volcanic activity and general information about Costa Rica.
There's a 6$ fee for the parking.

Gina Marroquín 2023 Aug 20

Costa Rica has several volcanos to visit, but I am glad we chose this one. The parking lot was big, there is a wonderful souvenir shop where you can also buy a postcard that can be mailed out from there. They have a good selection of coffee to buy, and they have a restaurant. There is also a small exhibit that gives you information about the volcano and the animals there. The walk to the crater is an easy walk, plus it's peaceful. The crater itself was amazing to see in person. There were a lot of clouds, but when it cleared up, it was beautiful. The price is adequate and we highly recommend the experience.

SKnari 2023 Aug 14

Great park to visit but few things to watch for: buy your tickets the day before as the tickets are not sold at the gate ( even though they will charge for parking at the gate). To purchase tickets, you will need cell connection which is not available but the rangers were kind enough to allow us to use the Wi-Fi.

The next piece is that they take lunch break which means entrance to the park is not possible during that time, so plan to arrive before 11.30.

The hike was short and lovely with various shade of green however due to air condition, be cautious as one can feel light headed easily.

Björn Gerber 2023 Jul 26

Went here for a quick visit. The crater lake is an otherworldly sight - alien yet beautiful. The old crater is definitly worth the walk as it is stunning if one has never been to the rainforest or a volcano.

More than enough parking spaces.

Remember to purchase National Park admission tickets before starting the drive to the park - our cell signal disappeared quite a while before passing a reminder sign. We had to turn back until coverage got better to buy tickets.

Sely Cochrane 2023 Jun 24

Beautiful volcano. We enjoyed the hike around and reading about different facts along the way. We arrived around 10 and we able to see the crater. Paths were well paved. Glad we added this stop to our trip.

Jack Cochrane 2023 Jun 23

Very nice park! Pre order your tickets online or use the wifi at gate entrance only thing is it's a little slow being so far in the mountain- the trails are wonderful with great little factoids along the path and the trails are nice with periodical clouds passing and cool weather- did not break a sweat the whole trail!

Kennedy 2023 Feb 28

Definitely worth visiting and very beautiful! The volcano is about 300meter walk uphill from the parking lot & it’s very beautiful with all the forest around. GO EARLY, preferable at 8am. It’s less crowded & it’s much better to see the volcano. You must reserve online a day prior, and bring money to pay for parking. It’s very nice for children, not too bad of a walk. Bring a light jacket because it is very cold on the walk up, but when you arrive to the volcano, it begins to warm up the longer you stay.