1968 lava fields
Reclaimed by forest.
Rhododendrites — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rhododendrites — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC0 · Christophe Meneboeuf — CC BY-SA 3.0
A near-perfect volcanic cone rising about 1,633 metres above the green plains west of La Fortuna, now Costa Rica's best-known emblem. It lay dormant for centuries until it erupted suddenly in 1968, destroying small villages and reshaping the area, then kept spitting lava and ash for decades until it calmed around 2010. Visitors walk park trails through forest and old lava fields that plants have reclaimed, the best known being the 1968 Lava Trail, and paths to lookouts facing the volcano head-on and to a giant ceiba tree hundreds of years old. Birds are plentiful, as are monkeys and coatis. Climbing the volcano itself is not allowed, for safety. The summit often hides in cloud, so the full cone usually shows early in the morning or just before sunset. Nearby La Fortuna is a comfortable base, known for hot springs warmed by the volcano, its waterfall and its hanging bridges. Never feed or touch wild animals and watch them from a distance; feeding harms them and makes them aggressive.
Reclaimed by forest.
Centuries old.
Morning or dusk.
West of La Fortuna town, about 20 minutes by car
No, climbing is banned for safety; park trails lead to lookouts and old lava fields at its foot.