Irazú Volcano

Irazú rises to three thousand four hundred and thirty-two metres, the highest volcano in Costa Rica, and a road runs almost to the crater rim, which makes it the easiest high-altitude landscape in the country to reach. The main crater holds a lake that shifts between green and grey depending on rainfall and mineral content, sometimes disappearing entirely in dry years. The summit is a moonscape of grey ash with almost no vegetation, cold and often in cloud. On a genuinely clear morning both the Pacific and the Caribbean are visible, which happens rarely enough to be worth the early start.

What you actually see

• Diego de la Haya crater - the lake, green or grey depending on the season.
• The main crater - a wide ash bowl at the summit.
• The ash moonscape - grey and almost lifeless at the top.
• Both oceans - visible from the summit on rare clear mornings.

When to go

December to April is the dry season and the only realistic window for the view; go at first light, since cloud almost always closes in by mid-morning. Entry is timed and capped, so book online in advance. It is cold at the summit, often near five degrees.

Honest expectations

Cloud wins most days, and many visitors drive ninety minutes to stand in fog. Entry is by timed online booking and walk-ups are turned away. The crater lake dries up entirely in some years. There is no walking to speak of; the road goes almost to the rim and the trails are short.

Nearby

Cartago and the Orosi valley are below; Turrialba is an hour east.