IRAZÚ VOLCANO (National Park)

Dominating the skyline above the town of Cartago, 1 hour 30 minutes drive southeast of San Jose, Irazú is the tallest volcano in Costa Rica: it peaks at 3,432 meters. The road to Irazú passes through the most fertile farming areas of Costa Rica where the soil is enriched by the volcanic ashes. The paved road ends just a few hundred meters from the summit, hence leaving trails overlooking the crater. Thanks to its elevation, the summit of Irazú is often clear above the clouds below. In the midst of this wild landscape, the vegetation is just beginning to grow back, after a period of violent activity between 1962 and 1965.