Irazu Volcano

Irazu Volcano

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Places To See - Volcanoes

Location: Irazu National Park, Central Volcanic Mountain Range


Altitude: 3432 meters (11,260 feet)

 
Irazu last erupted during President John F. Kennedy's visit to Costa Rica on March 19, 1963. It wasn't his fault. People living in the capital remember this eruption as the one that covered the San Jose area with a coat of gray ash. Irazu is also known for its beautiful blue-green or sometimes red (depending on mineral concentration) lake-filled crater.

The word Irazu, meaning thunder or earthquake peak, was borrowed the Indians who lived on the slopes the volcano. Irazu is made in an irregular subconic shape, broken into five different craters by centuries of eruptions. The main crater (1050 meters, 3445 feet wide) is circular in shape and 300 meters (984 feet) deep. The  Diego de La Haya crater (named after Senor Diego de la Haya Fernandez, a Spanish Conquistador who reported volcanic activity here during the 18th Century) is 600 meters (1969 feet) wide and 100 meters (328 feet) deep.  The other craters are Playa Hermosa, La Laguna and El Piroclastico. Vegetable farms and pasture lands for cattle abound in the rich, mineral soils near the volcano.

The best time to visit is early in the morning before any clouds can form. On a clear day, you can see the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea from this location.

There is a paved road to the volcano from San Jose. It will take you about an hour and half to get there. If you're lucky you will see Baird's tapirs, sooty-capped bush tanagers, and the nine-banded long-nosed sooty robin. For flora, look for amanita, bromeliad B, deer's potatoes, and royal brooms.
 
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