Miravalles

Miravalles is the highest volcano in the Guanacaste range at just over two thousand metres, and it is unusual in that its main output is electricity: the geothermal field on its southern flank has been developed since the 1990s and generates a significant share of the country's power, with plumes of steam rising from the wells and cooling towers visible for miles. Around them are natural expressions of the same heat: mud pots that plop and burp, fumaroles, and thermal springs feeding a set of small local bathing operations that are considerably cheaper and quieter than the Arenal versions.

What you actually see

• The mud pots - boiling grey mud in the thermal field at Las Hornillas.
• The geothermal plant - steam plumes from the wells and towers.
• The thermal pools - simple local operations at low prices.
• The volcano - the range's highest, often clear in the dry season.

When to go

December to April is the dry season, when the Guanacaste plain is brown and the volcano most likely to be clear. Mornings are cooler. Thermal parks operate through the day and are quiet compared with Arenal.

Honest expectations

The geothermal plant dominates the landscape and some visitors find the industrial infrastructure jarring next to the natural features. Mud pots are small and the thermal areas are modest compared with the famous ones elsewhere in the world. Access roads are rough. The volcano itself has no developed summit trail.

Nearby

Rincón de la Vieja is an hour west; Bagaces and the Pan-American highway are south.