#irazu volcano

[travelella]

Irazú Volcano, Costa Rica.

[chepevision]

[sepai73]

Volcan Irazu, Costa Rica

[tours2go]

Day Trip from San Jose to Irazu Volcano National Park, Cartago City and Orosi Valley #Tours2Go #ToursToGo

[letitbemorning]

The mountains from Costa Rica's Irazu Volcano Find your inspiration in the breathtaking beauty of the mountains from Costa Rica's Irazu Volcano. Let nature's wonders fuel your soul and ignite your passions.

[reysim]

Thursday November 30 / 2023

In the early morning, we faced our biggest challenge strong. Going back up a very steep and narrow driveway seemed difficult, but Simon was able to make it through! The road was so steep that at one point, the car stopped and was about to stall, but we backed down 1 m and tried it again. The car inched ever so slowly for several minutes and then we made it up to the top.

Next we had to drive to Irazu Volcano National Park for another appointment. Google guided us through a route which felt like we were driving on a river bed. Soon enough, we turned around and went back down to Cartago and drove up on a different paved highway. Part of this road was closed due to construction. So Simon found an alternative route through the city centre traffic to get around the construction.

We had 2 hours of driving (twice the expected) to reach the top of the mountain, through the clouds, and winding roads. We were well above 11,000 feet (3400 metres) high and had trouble breathing while exercising at this altitude. Unfortunately, the clouds covered up most of the active craters, although we got occasional glimpses. Also, Simon’s meeting didn’t happened, so he talked with the only ranger on duty who was working the admission gate.

Next, we started to drive to our resort at the Caribbean Sea which was 4 1/2 hours away. As we came down the mountain, the clouds got thicker, and around one corner, the rain began heavily and became the heaviest I’ve ever seen, with streams washing across the highway. After 30 minutes of crawling along, the downpour lightened and then cleared up.

However, it began raining again, when we got to our cabin at the beach. These were nice boardwalks connecting all cabins to the restaurant and the beach. Cabins were built at least 2 metres above the ground, with thatched ceilings, and no walls except heavy duty mesh protecting us from insects. Curtains were used for privacy.

We went for a walk on the beach with an umbrella! Red flags were up (signalling unsafe to swim) and not a single person was there except us. We were originally hoping to go snorkelling on the reef, but the surf was pounding. It was a nice place, and the chef made me rice with beans with coconut cream and vegetables for us. Delicious food! As we fell asleep, to the sounds of frogs and insects in the jungle just outside our cabin, the howler monkeys began growling in the distance.

[xoericxo]

The mountains from Costa Rica's Irazu Volcano

Escape the ordinary and discover the extraordinary in the awe-inspiring mountains of Costa Rica's Irazu Volcano. Let their grandeur be a constant reminder that greatness resides within you too.

[hollobone]

The mountains from Costa Rica's Irazu Volcano

When you're surrounded by the majestic mountains of Costa Rica's Irazu Volcano, it's impossible not to feel inspired. Let the serene peaks and vast horizons remind you of the endless possibilities that lie ahead.

[travelella]

Irazú Volcano in Costa Rica.

[vacationbyowners0-blog]

Colinas de Sol

If you are looking for a place where you want some tranquillity or just simple enjoy nature, this is the place. From Hotel Colinas Del Sol, guest can choose tours to the Irazu or Poas Volcano, to Lancaster Garden

[mikemulrain]

Friday 31st March

Up early again! We are off to the Irazu Volcano National Park in the Cartago province of CR. Guillermo is keen for us to get to the top as quickly as possible to stand the best chance of getting good views before the cloud covers the top. Luckily there is a road right to the top, so this was not going to be a strenuous day for us, I’m not sure whether we would have managed too much, as we all seem to be running out of steam!

The drive up was very interesting with a wide variety of vegetation, we passed lots of small farms that form part of a larger collective, they grow potatoes, carrots, onions and there are also a number of dairy farms. The farmers get up very early and often have to work within the low clouds but the soil is very fertile and so produces high yields. The volcano gets its name from the Indian word for ‘rumbles’ and it’s last major eruption was in 1963, the day that JFK arrived in the country! The volcano was active for 3 years after that eruption and threw huge boulders out which have created large craters. The volcano is part of the Ring of Fire, the Ring of Fire is a string of volcanoes and sites of seismic activity, or earthquakes, around the edges of the Pacific Ocean. Roughly 90 percent of all earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire, and the ring is dotted with 75 percent of all active volcanoes on Earth. There are currently 5 active volcanoes within CR, with 88 volcanoes in total within the country.

We reach the top, thanks to Victor and his bus and climb out to see an amazing view, we are 3432m high and the views are incredible, on a clear day the Caribbean and Pacific coasts can both be seen, but not today as the cloud was hanging below us, despite being told it will be cold at the top it seemed fine. We then drove down to the main car park to walk along the crater edge, lower down where we were in a bit of the cloud the temperature dropped and coats were needed!

From the volcano we headed back to Cartago for lunch and then on to a coffee plantation for an in depth talk and demonstration from the owners who moved to CR at the end of the 1970’s and have grown coffee ever since, over the years they have managed to improve the soil and so the yield. The farm was a little ‘Heath-Robinson’, with much of the equipment modelled from bits and pieces that they had lying around, quite fascinating! We took the opportunity to thank Victor by handing over a card and our thank you tips before we left the farm.

We headed back to San Jose for our farewell dinner, and as it would be Mike’s birthday tomorrow Guillermo had arranged for his wife to bring along a cake and the rest of the group signed a card for him. We had a lovely meal, at a local restaurant and as it had been Guillermo wife’s birthday in the last few days Julianna joined us, along with her parents and her grandmother, who is nearly 100 and is a famous CR artist (Margarita Gomez). Guillermo had produced a video of clips from our trip and we all watched it and have a copy to take home, we presented him with a card and thank you tips for all of his hard work, throughout the trip, nothing had been too much trouble. Mike had written a poem about our trip, which I read out at the meal and shared with everyone online. An amazing end to an amazing holiday.

As we travelled today Guillermo shared some more facts about CR with us:

1823 San Jose became capital, previously Cartago

When CR got independence from Spain, some people wanted to be part of Mexico, but others wanted independence (those in San Jose), a small civil war followed where a few shots were fired and the capital moved here 1823

President one term of 4 years, cannot run concurrent. Liberal government. 264 years of democracy and no army

Got rid of army 1948 and decided to spend money on education and health.

The gamble of removing their army paid off, never invaded as CR does not have wealth in natural resources or strategic ports so never invaided. Have a police force, right to bear arms, UN and good relations with USA

Poverty levels have gone up, partly due to immigration from Nicaragua, Venezuela, Haiti, DR and elsewhere South America & Africa etc trying to get the USA

High levels of gun ownership, drug cartels. Have meant there is an increase in gun crime. Young kids cannot afford to go to higher education, drug lords recruit them it’s an increasing problem! Drugs are mainly passing through although they are getting local youngsters addicted.

CR is known as the Switzerland of South America

[atlasandacamera]

Volcán Irazú, Costa Rica

[gotourscostarica]

The views from Irazu Volcano!

[luciernagadiurna]

A picture of Poas, Irazú and Turrialba volcanoes, Costa Rica. And yes, those are ash emanations

[putyourmindonhold]

[adrianmackvey]

Irazu volcano Costa Rica