Costa Rica

The 5,599 ha national park surrounding the Poas stratovulcano is located about 55 kilometers outside... of San Jose and about 37 kilometers away from Alajuela. It is considered to be one of the vulcanos that are easiest to reach in the world (it is only a 500-meter walk from the parking lot); still you should start out early in the morning to the 2,704-meter main crater, ideally at 9 am because at noon the peak is covered in clouds. If the weather is good, a visit to the main crater is a boiling experience: on the surface of the 314-meter-deep, green and yellow gleaming crater lake, a light bubble can always be seen. The entire surrouding is filled with a penetrative sulfuric stench. It happens quite often that the vulcano spits out water and mud, but the last big eruption was in 1910. Despite the temperature of the crater lake ranging from 104 to 158° Fahrenheit, one should bring along warm clothed because the temperature on the peak does not exceed 50° Fahrenheit. The hiking trails at the foot of the national park of the vulcano are very appealing. One of the most popular paths leads to the extinct Laguna Boto crater, which can be reached through the rampant cloud forest. With a little luck you might get hold of a trail map at the visitor center, where you can also see a little exhibiton on volcanism. The "La Paz" waterfall is outside the park, close to Varablanca. It is the most frequently photographed waterfall in Costa Rica. The Poas Volcano Lodge close to the Poasito is one of the nicest accomodations in the area of the national parks; it is a 45 minute drive to the Alajuela International Airport, and the vulcano is about 15 kilometers away. more

The national park, established in 1955, occupies a space of 2,309 ha, surrounding Costa Rica's tallest... vulcano, the Irazu, which is 3,432 meters tall. If the weather is good, one can see the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean from the top. But also the view on the "Diego de la Haya" crater and the surrounding area, resembling a moon landscape, is worth the trip. Being close to the vulcano is like standing on a boiler because it whistles and sizzles out of the crevices all around the bright green lake. Several neigboring craters are long extinct and powdered with fine vulcano ashes. One should be particularly careful at the crater landscape during damp weather, because the vulcano ashes make the soil very slippery. The quaint restaurant "Linda Vista" 2,693 meter high, offers shelter and food if the weather should be bad. Warm clothes should always be worn on this tour. At the foot of the vulcano and the outskirts of the national park lies the little city of Cartago with the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de los Angeles, which was rebuilt in Byzantine style after the 1926 earthquake.The photogenic church is an important pilgrimage destination in Costa Rica. more

On the west coast of the still very primitive peninsula, one dream like beach after another lines up... from north to south. Despite the luxury hotels that have been built over the years, time seems to have stopped in the heartland. The Playa Flamingo with its yacht harbor presents itself in a chic and pricey manner. A lot is going on at Playa Tamarindo (www.tamarindo.com). Playa Ostional has become famous because of the sea turtles that come here to lay their eggs, while Playa Sámara (www.samarabeach.com) has turned into a travel destination for the elite. Playa Montezuma,(www.montezumabeach.com) in the very south of the peninsula with its idyllic surroundings, draws in young backpackers from the USA and Europe that, together with yoga enthusiasts and scattered UFO hunters, have influenced the little place. In other words: This place is rocking! The villages in the heartland show signs of folk and colonial times: Santa Cruz is a stronghold of folk music and traditional dances, ceramics of high quality can be bought in the hamlets of Guatil and San Vicente, while Nicoya, founded in the 16th century, conveys tranquility. more