Costa Rica

Irazu Volcano

Irazu last erupted during President John F. Kennedy's visit to Costa Rica on March 19, 1963. People living in the capital remember this eruption as the one that covered the San Jose area with a coat of gray ash.

The word Irazu, meaning thunder or earthquake peak, was borrowed from the local 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 (3445 feet wide) is circular in shape and 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 1969 feet wide and 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, deer's potatoes and royal brooms.

Nearby Destinations

• Cartago
• San Jose

Explore Irazu Volcano With Us

• Irazu Volcano, the Orosi Valley and Lankester Garden